Ambition Institute has become a major part of teacher development in England. Its work stretches from initial teacher training and the early career years through to headship, trust leadership, SEND and early years development.
1. It is a charity focused on improving teaching and leadership
Ambition Institute is not simply a training company. Its purpose is to help teachers and school leaders develop their expertise, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
2. It grew out of several well-known education organisations
Ambition Institute was created after Ambition School Leadership and the Institute for Teaching merged. Its earlier roots also include organisations such as Future Leaders and Teaching Leaders.
3. Its reach is now significant
Ambition works with tens of thousands of teachers and leaders and supports schools across England. Its programmes potentially influence the education of millions of pupils.
4. Its professional development can begin before someone is qualified
Ambition runs initial teacher training in partnership with schools. Trainees spend much of their time in school, working with mentors and developing classroom practice alongside the theory.
5. It then supports teachers through their early career years
Its Early Career Training Programme supports ECTs and mentors, covering areas such as behaviour, instruction, curriculum, assessment and professional practice.
6. It helps create a more joined-up professional development pathway
Teacher development can often feel like a series of disconnected courses. Ambition’s programmes stretch from initial training through early career development, specialist qualifications, school leadership and executive leadership.
7. It is a major provider of National Professional Qualifications
Ambition has become one of the biggest organisations delivering NPQs to teachers and leaders across England.
8. NPQs are not just for aspiring headteachers
There are programmes in areas such as Leading Teaching, Leading Teacher Development, Behaviour and Culture, Literacy, SENCO leadership, Senior Leadership, Headship and Executive Leadership.
9. Its NPQ provision has received very strong external recognition
Ambition’s NPQ provision has been rated highly by Ofsted, reflecting the scale and quality of its professional development work.
10. Much of the learning is designed to be manageable alongside a full-time job
Many programmes use a “little and often” model rather than relying only on occasional full-day courses. This can make professional development easier to fit around teaching.
11. Assessment is designed to focus on application
NPQ assessment is based around applying professional knowledge to realistic scenarios rather than completing a traditional dissertation or large school-improvement project.
12. Research is an increasingly important part of its work
Ambition has its own research activity, looking at areas such as teacher development, recruitment and retention, cognitive science and how pupils learn.
13. Some of its research is directly linked to classroom practice
Its work includes exploring areas such as instructional practice, teacher decision-making, the use of visuals and how early career teachers can improve their teaching.
14. SEND is becoming a bigger part of its work
Ambition supports SENCO development and wider leadership around inclusive practice, specialist provision and school improvement for pupils with SEND.
15. It is also involved in developing wider national training resources
Ambition increasingly contributes to professional development beyond its own programmes, helping to shape resources that can be used more widely across schools and colleges.
16. Its early years work is expanding
Ambition now works with early years leaders and teachers as well as schools, helping to develop leadership and teaching expertise in Reception and early childhood education.
17. The bigger idea is that teachers should keep developing throughout their careers
Perhaps the most important thing about Ambition Institute is the belief that professional expertise can be developed deliberately over many years. A teacher might encounter Ambition as a trainee, again as an ECT, later through an NPQ and eventually through senior or trust leadership development.
Ambition Institute reflects a wider shift in education away from isolated one-off CPD and towards carefully sequenced, evidence-informed professional learning that continues throughout a teacher’s career.
Find out more:
https://www.ambition.org.uk/
Leave a Reply