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Teaching Agency and National College set to merge to create single agency focused on teaching and school leadership.

Education Secretary Michael Gove announced today that the Teaching Agency and National College for School Leadership will merge to create a single agency, focussed on promoting high-quality teaching and school leadership.

This move is the next stage in Government’s reform programme to raise standards in schools, with the best leaders and best teachers working together to develop a self-improving school system.

The new agency will lead on delivering school workforce reforms. Its remit will include teacher training, continuous professional development and supporting school improvement to address underperformance in the education system. It will build on the best from the Teaching Agency and National College, and will work in new ways to support the school-led system.

The new agency will formally come into effect by the end of March 2013.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

All the international evidence shows that nothing matters more in raising standards than the quality of teaching and leadership in our schools.

We can now ensure that the training of the next generation of teachers and school leaders is better coordinated  and more rigorous.

Charlie Taylor, the current chief executive of the Teaching Agency, will with immediate effect become the chief executive of both the Teaching Agency and National College. He will also lead the new agency as its chief executive.

Charlie Taylor said:

I am delighted to be taking over as the chief executive of the National College and the Teaching Agency. I think the decision to merge makes very good sense and there is a clear rationale for the new organisation.

Together we will support the best schools, the best leaders and the best teachers to lead the improvement of the capability of the school workforce. Teaching schools and academy chains will be at the heart of these changes with outstanding head teachers working to create the best school system in the world.

Maggie Farrar, who has been interim chief executive at the National College, said:

It has been a privilege to lead the National College during this interim period. The college has always had a strong relationship with school leaders and I am confident that this relationship will continue with the new agency. 

The college has worked very closely with the Teaching Agency since we were given the remit to develop a national network of teaching schools and I welcome the move to bring that work together now so we can support it with a fully integrated approach.

I congratulate Charlie Taylor on his role as the new chief executive and look forward to working with him to help establish the new agency.

The Teaching Agency is responsible for the recruitment, supply and initial training and development of teachers. It also supports the recruitment and development of early education and childcare workers, special educational needs coordinators and education psychologists, and oversees the regulation of the conduct of teachers. In addition, the exams delivery support unit supports exams officers and manages general qualifications logistics.

The National College for School Leadership works to develop and support great leaders of schools and early years settings so that they can make a positive difference to children’s lives. This includes the development of a national network of teaching schools, designating national and local leaders of education and the move to license school-led partnerships to offer leadership development and qualifications, including the National Professional Qualification for Headship.

This press notice relates to England only

Notes for editors

1. The Teaching Agency was established as an executive agency of the Department for Education on 1 April 2012.

The Agency is responsible for the recruitment, supply and initial training and development of teachers. It also supports the recruitment and development of early education and childcare workers, special educational needs coordinators and education psychologists, and oversees the regulation of the conduct of teachers. In addition, the exams delivery support unit supports exams officers and manages general qualifications logistics.

The agency is responsible for three key areas of delivery:

• supply and, with others, retention of the workforce;
• the quality of the workforce; and
• regulation of teacher conduct.

The agency also fulfils sector body responsibilities with regard to staff who support teaching and learning.

More details about the Teaching Agency can be found on the Department's website.

2. The National College for School Leadership works to develop and inspire great leaders of schools and early years settings so that they can make a positive difference to children’s lives. Its principal aims are to:

• enable leaders to lead school and system improvement in partnership with each other and to set up a national network of 500 teaching schools by 2015
• maintain the supply of high quality leaders for our schools and children’s centres and support leaders in identifying and developing the next generation
• improve the quality of leadership and, in particular, support leaders in improving teaching and closing achievement gaps for all groups.

More details about the National College can be found on the Department's website. 

Contact details

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