Education charities partner to further develop teaching skills in Birmingham

Two leading education charities have announced a partnership to support teachers and school leaders to build leadership expertise and drive improvement in Birmingham schools.

Birmingham-based Services for Education, which works with 97 per cent of Birmingham local authority schools, is partnering with Teach First, an education charity which has more than 20 years’ experience working with schools serving disadvantaged communities, developing teachers and leaders across England.

In partnership with Teach First, Services for Education will be delivering National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) - nationally recognised qualifications accredited by the Department for Education – that support teachers and school leaders at every stage of their career to develop leadership skills and improve outcomes for pupils.

The partnership will enable Services for Education, which for more than a decade has delivered expert training and development to teaching and support staff in schools across Birmingham and the West Midlands, to deliver a broader suite of both Specialist and Leadership NPQ courses.

These include the fully funded National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership and National Professional Qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinator. Full funding for the other NPQs is available from the Department for Education for qualifying schools that meet their disadvantage criteria.

Jo Perrin, (pictured) school support lead at Services for Education, said: “At Services for Education, our aim as a charity is to use the power of learning and music to build confidence amongst children, young people, adults and communities across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

“This mirrors the aim of Teach First who believe that no child’s educational success should be limited by their socio-economic background,” said Jo.

“Together, we want to ensure every school has access to world-class leadership and every child has access to world-class teaching.

“These programmes will equip teachers and leaders with evidence-based strategies they can immediately apply in their classrooms and schools.”

The programmes have been designed to meet the needs of schools by including sessions that can be delivered outside normal teaching hours.

“These ‘twilight webinars’ ease the pressure on school budgets and reduce the need for costly external supply cover without disrupting the school day – which is a genuine win-win for schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts,” added Jo.

Chris Bateman, head of regional partnerships – central - at Teach First, said: “Great teaching and strong leadership make the biggest difference to pupils’ life chances.

“We’re proud to be working with Services for Education on the NPQ programme to support the teachers and leaders in schools and settings across Birmingham.

“By investing in leadership development, we can enhance the knowledge and skills that educators need to make a lasting impact on their communities and ensure every child, regardless of their background, has access to a great education.”

Applications are now open for NPQs starting in November 2026.