Network | History Teachers 2026-27

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Alban Education are delighted to continue into the second year of our History Teachers Network for 2026-27.

Face to face twilight sessions will be held termly from 4pm to 5.30pm at Sandringham School on the following dates:

  • Thursday 5th November 2026
  • Thursday 25th February 2027
  • Thursday 3rd June 2027

This network is £30 for all three sessions or delegates joining part way through the year will be charged at £10 per session.

Who is this course for?

All history teachers – any experience welcome

What are the objectives or outcomes?

On this programme participants will:
  • Discuss opportunities and challenges linked to all key stages of the history curriculum (KS1-5)
  • Reflect on the impact of curriculum reform since 2019 and the progress made with regards to representation in the history curriculum
  • Consider the use of oracy in the history classroom
  • Share best practice amongst delegates
  • Develop local history knowledge and embed into curriculum topics

Areas of focus:

The course will include:

  • Facilitated discussion
  • Developing pedagogy
  • Ideas for collaboration
  • Reflection and review

Meet the facilitator:

Ruth Davies is currently Assistant Director of Learning of History at Sandringham School and has over 20 years of teaching experience across a range of secondary schools in Leeds, Hertfordshire and North London. She has previously been both Head of History and Head of Humanities and has worked across schools to ensure history departments collaborate and support each other with curriculum development. As an experienced Edexcel examiner and participant in Parallel Histories, Ruth is committed to ensuring CPD offers the opportunity for informative collaboration and ideas on practical classroom implementation.

Flourishing Teacher Programme for Secondary Phase 2026-27

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Flourishing Teacher Programme for Secondary Phase 2026-27

Running for a second year this is a national programme in partnership with the National Society of Education and delivered locally and online. Aimed at secondary school teachers beyond ECF, in Years 4 – 8 of their teaching journey – developing depth of thinking on the art and craft of excellence in pedagogy; exploring five modules on Purpose, Relationships, Learning, Resources and Expertise and Wellbeing and tailored coaching. Investing in flourishing teachers to support and sustain their ongoing retention and enjoyment of our profession.

BOOKING/CANCELLATION ON THIS PROGRAMME IS REQUIRED BY 11TH SEPTEMBER.  AFTER THIS DATE A LICENCE FEE WILL BE PAYABLE IN THE EVENT OF NON-ATTENDANCE.

After 11th September, late bookings may be considered subject to availability but there will be no option to cancel and no guarantee of a place on the programme.

 

Starting October 2026 – this is a one year programme which will take place on the following dates:

Module Dates
Induction and Module 1: Purpose Friday, 9th October 2026
Sandringham School, St. Albans
9:00-14:30
Module 2: Relationships Tuesday, 24th November 2026
Virtual
09:15-10:45
Module 3: Teaching and Learning Wednesday, 3rd February 2027
Virtual
9:00-10:30
Module 4: Resources and Expertise Friday, 12th March 2027
Virtual
13:30-15:00
Module 5: Wellbeing Thursday, 29th April 2027
Virtual
14:00-15:30
Consolidation and Celebration Event Friday, 18th June 2027
Sandringham School, St. Albans
12:00-15:30
DOWNLOAD FLOURISHING TEACHERS PROGRAMME BROCHURE HERE

Who is this course for?

  • Secondary School Teachers in years 4 – 8 of teaching.
  • Experienced classroom practitioners wishing to enhance their teaching practice in a transformative development space.

Meet the Facilitators

Karen Taylor-Paul NPQEL FCCT FRSA is the Director of the Alban Teaching School Hub which oversees outstanding professional development for teachers at all stages of their careers across over 300 schools in Hertfordshire.  Her teaching career started in secondary Music teaching and Arts leadership before moving onto wide-ranging senior leadership roles. Karen’s role now encompasses system leadership across all school phases from Initial Teacher Training through to Executive Leader and Trust development; she ensures DfE policy and system change are implemented in schools across the whole Golden Thread of professional development.   Karen’s work aligns with the DfE Recruitment and Retention remit for Teaching School Hubs and also promotes the work of subject hubs and Universal RISE to ensure school leaders and teachers are informed on the best evidence-based professional development opportunities for their schools to benefit the outcomes of every child.  Karen sits on a number of regional and national professional development advisory boards.

There will also be invited speakers across a range of topics.

 

Annabel Brown

Annabel Brown is a former EEF Research School Director and current NPQ Facilitator at Alban Teaching School Hub, with extensive experience in supporting schools to embed evidence-informed practice. As a Senior English Advisor and experienced English teacher, she brings a wealth of expertise in curriculum design, coaching, and professional development, all grounded in her ongoing classroom practice. Through her leadership of the Literacy Network, Annabel draws on her background in whole-school improvement, disciplinary literacy, and reading fluency to support literacy leaders and teachers in developing strategic, research-informed approaches that make a real impact.

 

Mental Health Knowledge for Managers 2026-27

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Mental Health Knowledge for Managers is available on a rolling basis and will be undertaken online, at your own pace, in 25 minute blocks amounting to 3 hours total training time.

Please book to the left and full instructions will be shared with you for you to undertake this programme.

Brief Overview

Designed using the latest statistics and real-world scenarios, this fully accessible course brings together seven streamlined modules in one package.

Course modules:

  • Supporting employee mental health.
  • Understanding equality.
  • Managing workplace stress.
  • The mental health conversation cycle
  • Understanding reasonable adjustments.
  • Managing performance.
  • Balancing life and work.

Who is this course for?

Open to anyone in a school community, teachers, leaders, support staff and governors.

Meet the Facilitator

Mental Health First Aid England.

Literacy in Every Classroom | Secondary 2026

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Strong literacy underpins success in every subject. This one-day course supports all teachers in responding to the new Ofsted inspection toolkit and curriculum review, with a focus on practical strategies that make a real difference in classrooms.

Participants will explore the latest evidence on effective reading, writing, oracy and vocabulary instruction, and examine how literacy development connects to disciplinary knowledge in their own subjects. The course balances research with hands-on examples, helping teachers identify and address the specific literacy demands of their curriculum area.

Throughout the day, participants will have guided time to plan how to integrate and sustain these approaches within their school context. Whether you teach English, science, or art, this course will help you build pupils’ confidence and independence as readers, writers, and communicators—embedding literacy as a shared responsibility across the whole school.

This session will be rescheduled for Autumn 2026 – book to the right or please email cpd@albaneducation.co.uk to register your interest.

Who is this course for?

Teachers and leaders of all subjects in secondary schools.

Outline for the day

Time Session Focus
8:45 – 9:00 Arrival, Tea & Coffee Informal welcome and networking.
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome & Introduction Setting the scene: why literacy matters across subjects.
9:15 – 10:15 The Big Picture: Literacy in Secondary Schools Research evidence; Ofsted, curriculum review and national priorities; disciplinary approaches; exploring common barriers to literacy.
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 11:30 Reading Reading complex texts; adaptable classroom strategies.
11:30 – 12:30 Writing Case studies from different subjects; writing in disciplinary forms; vocabulary instruction.
12:30 – 1:00 Lunch will be provided
1:00 – 2:00 Oracy Practical strategies to increase opportunities for talk in the classroom.
2:00 – 3:00 Implementation Planning Workshop Dedicated time to apply strategies to own school context; drafting an action plan.
3:00 – 3:15 Plenary & Next Steps Sharing key insights; signposting further resources and networks, evaluation.

Meet the facilitator

Annabel Brown

Annabel Brown is a former EEF Research School Director and now works as a Facilitator with Alban Teaching School Hub and a Literacy Specialist with New Wave English Hub. She has extensive experience supporting schools to embed evidence-informed practice and improve outcomes through sustainable approaches to teaching and learning.
A Senior English Adviser and experienced classroom teacher, Annabel brings expertise in curriculum design, coaching, and professional development. Drawing on her background as an Assistant Headteacher, she supports schools to strengthen whole-school improvement, disciplinary literacy, and reading fluency – helping teachers develop strategic, research-informed approaches that make a measurable impact on pupils’ learning.

MTPT Sustain and Grow Group Coaching Sept 2026 Tues cohort

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Overview
A six-month coaching programme for parent-educators seeking sustainability and growth in their personal and professional lives.

Working in our schools can feel all-encompassing at the best of times. Add a young family into the mix and life can quickly become overwhelming and stressful. At The MTPT Project, we see too many amazing, experienced colleagues burn out, feeling forced to choose between their careers and their families.

But teaching, leading and supporting in schools can be compatible with family life – even the most family-friendly career choice going!

Join us on our Sustain and Grow group coaching programme this September to take control of your work and home lives.

BOOK DIRECT ON EVENTBRITE HERE

All sessions run live online (zoom) from 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Dates and Session Content 2026-27

As part of an empowering community of parent-teachers in similar situations, we’ll explore six key topics over six sessions:

  • Tuesday 22nd September – Reducing Overwhelm
  • Tuesday 6th October – Managing Time and Energy
  • Tuesday 10th November – Rationalising the Inner Critic
  • Tuesday 1st December – Living Our Values
  • Tuesday 12th January – Strengthening Boundaries
  • Tuesday 2nd February – Brave Conversations

Sessions will run online (Zoom) on Tuesdays, 15:30-16:30. If you cannot attend the live dates, hybrid or fully recorded access to the programme is available.

Who is the programme for?

Parents of young children who are in teaching, leadership, central Trust or support staff roles in our schools. The programme is suitable for colleagues who have recently returned from parental leave, all the way up to parents with a child aged five or younger.

Our Sustain and Grow group coaching programme is fully inclusive of all parents – it’s not just for mums!

Who is our facilitating coach?

Emma Sheppard is the Founder of The MTPT Project. With twelve years’ experience of teaching and leading in challenging contexts, working both full and part-time as a middle leader and mother to two young children, she knows the emotional, logistical and physical battles that we go through as parent-teachers.

After founding The MTPT Project in 2016, Emma qualified as a coach in 2022, secured her ACC with the ICF in 2023 and has been delivering 1:1 and group coaching since 2017.

Emma creates a calm, open space where coachees feel confident to share and move forwards with their goals in a safe space where challenge is gentle but insightful, and the focus is on making things better.

Workshop places are fully-funded for state-school colleagues in England thanks to support from our regional school, MAT and TSH partners. Please do thank your local organisation on social media or in person for their support.

Emma Sheppard
Founder of The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project
Inspiring, empowering and connecting teachers choosing to complete CPD on parental leave.

Book in a call with me: www.calendly.com/emmasheppard

www.mtpt.org.uk

Instagram: @mtptproject

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mtpt-project/

Facebook: @The MTPT Project

MTPT Return to Work Workshops 2026-27

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For teachers, school leaders and support staff returning to work after a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.

Returning to work following a period of maternity leave can be a nerve-wracking experience, exacerbated by the emotions surrounding leaving a small baby for the first time.

But with our 90 minute workshop, we’ll get you feeling confident and prepared for your return!

As well as detailing key legal information and sharing expectations of best practice, you’ll benefit from a coaching-style approach giving you the headspace to consider what you need now, the boundaries you can set, what you want your life to look like as a parent-teacher, and the chance to share tips to get organised at home and at school.

If you can’t make our live dates, please explore the recorded version of the workshop.

BOOK DIRECT ON EVENTBRITE HERE

All sessions are online from 09:30 to 11:00

Autumn 2026

  • Thursday, 1st October
  • Monday, 7th December

Spring 2027

  • Tuesday, 26th January
  • Tuesday, 9th March

Summer 2027

  • Tuesday, 4th May
  • Tuesday, 8th June
  • Friday, 9th July

RECORDED ACCESS HERE

This workshop is fully-funded for state school colleagues in England (teachers, leaders, support staff, central Trust colleagues, and those intending to return to state school settings following parental leave / a caring-related career break.)

 

Case Study

As part of a regional Teaching School Hub partnership in the South East, Alban Teaching School Hub are proud to be supporting The MTPT Project’s Return to Work Workshops throughout the academic year 2024-25.

This 90 minute interactive webinar offers colleagues in the South East the opportunity to prepare logistically and emotionally for a confident return to work following a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.

Ensuring the programme is fully-funded for state school colleagues is just one of the ways that Alban Teaching School Hub is addressing recommendations in the recent Missing Mothers report by The New Britain Project and The MTPT Project, which found that only 38% of mother-teachers surveyed were satisfied with the maternity leave and transition support provided by their school.

Fleur Baikie, a secondary middle leader in Hertfordshire attended a Return to Work workshop in February 2025.  Fleur said she enjoyed, “having some time to really think about returning to work without interruption and with the support of Emma (the facilitator) and the other parents at the workshop.”  She loved the “concrete examples” shared and says the workshop has increased her confidence about returning to work.

Find out more about The MTPT Project’s fully-funded Return to Work workshops, including upcoming dates and other regional Teaching School Hub sponsors on Eventbrite.

Emma Sheppard
Founder of The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project
Inspiring, empowering and connecting teachers choosing to complete CPD on parental leave.

Book in a call with me: www.calendly.com/emmasheppard

www.mtpt.org.uk

Instagram: @mtptproject

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mtpt-project/

Facebook: @The MTPT Project

Contact Us

Alban Education
Sandringham School
The Ridgeway
St. Albans
Herts, AL4 9NX

Email: cpd@albaneducation.co.uk
Phone: 01727 799560
Laura Lusardi: ext 4251
Marketing & Communications Manager

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Alban Teaching School Hub
Sandringham School
The Ridgeway
St. Albans
Herts, AL4 9NX

Email: enquiries@albantsh.co.uk
Phone: 01727 799560

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Jo Cavanagh: ext 4271
email: teaching@albantsh.co.uk
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