National Professional Development
Teaching Schools Hubs have a remit to signpost National Professional Development opportunities that are available through DfE approved and/or funded training programmes. These opportunities include courses and programmes delivered by Curriculum Hubs, Research Schools, the Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme, Whole School SEND and other organisations.
We recommend registering for newsletters and updates from relevant organisations to keep up to date with what is on offer.
Early Years Child Development Training
This free online training, funded by the DfE, is designed to build and improve your understanding of child development. It provides practical tips and ideas to use in your setting to help children aged 0-5 years.
This training is for practitioners working with children in any type of early years setting, including:
- Childminders
- Nursery practitioners
- Reception teachers and teaching assistants
The training is for anyone who is new to early years and looking to build their child development knowledge. However, it is also useful for anyone looking to refresh their knowledge.
There are 8 modules, written by early years experts, that covers key areas of child development. The average completion time of each module is 2 hours and you can complete these at your own pace.
Early Years CPD Training - Dingley's Promise
Funded by the Department for Education and developed and delivered by Dingley’s Promise, the new online early years training is designed for all early years educators working with children aged 0-4 to strengthen inclusive practice and better identify and support the needs of children with SEND. The online courses can be accessed in a flexible way and are suitable for early years educators of all levels and in all types of settings, including childminders.
Early years educators will gain an understanding of the importance and benefits of an inclusive culture for all children as well as practical strategies to strengthen inclusive practice in their own settings. Modules on building strong, collaborative relationships with families and other professionals will support staff to gain a deeper understanding of how to meet all children’s needs and provide more tailored support.
These materials are available at: Early Years CPD Training - Dingley's Promise
English Hub
Whiteknights Primary School is proud to be one of the government's English Hubs - one of just 34 schools nationwide recognised for their excellence in teaching and learning, and now charged with supporting other local schools to raise their standards and improve the educational outcomes for the most disadvantaged children.
Our CPD events are funded by the DfE and are free to attend. All sessions are held virtually to make it as easy as possible for teachers and leaders to attend. Some sessions have been designed with Early Career Teachers (ECT) or current trainee teachers who are completing their Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in mind however the sessions are open to teachers and support staff of all levels of experience.
Equa Mead Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
Equa Mead Early Years Stronger Practice Hub serves a regional partnership area that bridges the South West and South Central, covering Wiltshire, Swindon and Oxfordshire, while welcoming collaboration from across the UK and internationally.
- Sign up for an Early Years Discovery Visit to see high quality practice in action and gather fresh inspiration
- Access FREE bespoke support from our expert team of SPH advisers
- Join our Network Learning Communities to connect with like minded thinkers and deepen your practice
- Explore our evidence informed CPD offer for practical learning that builds confident, inclusive provision
- Collaborate on programme development to shape innovative approaches across our region
Click here for further information about our Hub (our website will be updated soon).
Excellence in Reception Teaching
The Excellence in Reception Teaching programme is for current reception teachers and experienced teachers looking to move into reception. It is part of the National Professional Development offer funded by the DfE for teachers in state-funded schools.
The Excellence in Reception Teaching Programme will deepen reception-specific pedagogical knowledge and strengthen practice through practical, evidence-based approaches to support more children to achieve a good level of development. It will focus on the key areas of:
- Child development
- Classroom practice and teaching
- Inclusive practice
- Effective partnerships
There will be two cohorts of the programme each academic year, beginning in the autumn and spring and will take a minimum of 20 hours across two terms to complete. The programme will involve a mixture of flexible self-study and live, facilitated sessions which may be accessed online.
To apply, visit Excellence in Reception Teaching with Best Practice Network.
Maths Hub
Maths Hubs bring together mathematics education professionals in a collaborative national network, to develop and spread excellent practice, for the benefit of all pupils and students.
The BBO Maths Hub is one of a network of 40 Maths Hubs in England, working together within the Maths Hubs Programme, which began in 2014. The programme is funded by the DfE and coordinated by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics.
Visit the BBO website to find out about Maths Hubs Professional and School Development Opportunities for this academic year. Discover fully funded subject-specific opportunities to support professional learning for teachers and development for departments and schools.
Research School
The Research Schools Network is a collaboration of 33 schools across England, supported by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Research Schools work with schools, colleges, and early years settings to champion the use of evidence and improve teaching and learning, with a focus on socio-economically disadvantaged children and young people.
Research Schools provide support to other schools by communicating research evidence, and supporting the translation of this into practice through training, exemplification and school-to-school support.
RISE Attendance and Behaviour Hubs Programme
The regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) attendance and behaviour hubs programme is a national initiative designed to support schools in improving pupil attendance and behaviour.
Led by schools with strong practice, it aims to:
- support school leaders to reflect on current systems
- share effective practice
- implement changes
It is aimed at senior leaders with responsibility for attendance and behaviour who are seeking to strengthen their school’s leadership, culture and systems.
RISE Reception Quality Webinar Series - Autumn 2026
Following the success of the Summer 2026 RISE Reception Webinar Series, which attracted more than 10,500 live attendees, the RISE team have used feedback from participants to shape this new autumn programme. Attendees highlighted a strong appetite for practical support, particularly through case studies, SEND-focused content and examples of effective classroom practice.
In response, this series will focus on three key areas of reception provision: creating effective and inclusive learning environments, using Good Level of Development (GLD) reports to support improvement, and strengthening practice for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Each session will combine expert perspectives with practical examples to support reflection, professional dialogue and continuous improvement in reception practice.
RISE - Upcoming Events
The Universal RISE Calendar is available on GOV.UK for conferences, webinars and hub activity covering attendance, attainment, reception-year quality and inclusive mainstream provision.
SEND and inclusion training for mainstream schools
Free in-house training materials for teachers and teaching assistants in mainstream schools, developed by Ambition Institute. The materials are informed by and complement Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) Inclusive teaching guidance.
The training package is part of the government's special educational needs and disability (SEND) reform plans for an inclusive education system.
SEND and inclusion training for mainstream schools
SEND and inclusion training for post-16 settings
Free in-house training materials to help post-16 settings develop inclusive teaching practices.
Free in-house training materials for teachers and support staff in post-16 settings, developed by Ambition Institute. The materials are informed by and complement Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) Inclusive teaching guidance.
The training package is part of the government's special educational needs and disability (SEND) reform plans for an inclusive education system.
Whole School SEND
Whole School SEND is a consortium of charities, schools and organisations committed to helping children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or learning differences to reach their full potential.
As a DfE funded organisation, all of their work and resources are free to access. They offer CPDL on a wide range of topics, hosted by regional lead teams and a range of guest speakers from the world of education.
Whole School SEND recognise that understanding the local context is crucial to improving national SEND provision. Each region has a Regional SEND team, formed from school-based SEND practitioners, to support prioritisation of SEND across the region.
