Appleby Primary School has been awarded the PTI Mark for 2022/2023– recognition for their success as part of the Primary Hub.

The PTI Mark celebrates outstanding commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge to improve outcomes for all students. Appleby Primary School was awarded the mark for demonstrating excellence in subject provision and leadership.

The PTI launched Primary Hubs in 2019 to connect local networks of schools with high-quality, subject focussed CPD, to promote collaboration, strengthen subject teaching and subject leadership across the network.

To achieve the PTI Mark, member schools must be active participants in their hub by engaging in each CPD day, leadership events and reporting on the impact the CPD has had in school including in projects, curriculum and schemes of work. The PTI Mark is given at the end of the year to eligible hub member schools.

The PTI’s Primary Hubs are open to all primary schools in England. To create a hub, a senior leader in a primary school works closely with the PTI to recruit schools and design three bespoke CPD days over the year. In 2022 our headteacher worked with headteachers in three other schools in Carlisle and Eden to establish a PTI Primary Hub in Cumbria. The aim of the hub has been to provide teachers in Carlisle and Eden with access to the highest quality professional development and training to enable schools in the area to develop the quality of education in a wide range of curriculum subjects. In the first year, the PTI Penrith Primary Hub supported headteachers and subject leaders in 27 schools to review and improve their curriculum offer in Science, Geography and Design and Technology. In 2023/24 this has been extended to provide training led by national keynote speakers and education leaders provided by the PTI in History, Art and Music to over 30 local schools.

We have been delighted with the impact on teaching and learning at Appleby Primary School which has supported the review and development of our curriculum. Following a review of the impact of our work to develop our Geography curriculum in particular, we have been thrilled to be shortlisted by the PTI as finalists for the prestigious Primary Impact Award and will welcome a visitor from the PTI Awards Panel later this month to meet with staff and pupils.

Clare Dickson, Senior Manager Membership Events the PTI, said: “We are delighted to celebrate Appleby Primary School’s success by awarding them our Mark of excellence.

“The PTI Primary Hubs continue to go from strength-to-strength and we warmly invite colleagues to take advantage of our membership benefits, including online resources, and our events which can re-inspire a love of teaching and unlock opportunities for students.”