About - Gateway Alliance

Your education is our passion

The Gateway Alliance is a school-led company created by a group of primary schools and academies from across Warwickshire. We are primary school specialists and work together to provide high quality, evidence-informed, professional development, training and support which enhances teaching and learning and supports the delivery of improved outcomes for children. We are currently supporting more than three quarters of the primary schools across Warwickshire and a growing number from further afield, through our professional learning activities and Initial Teacher Training programmes.

Why choose Gateway Alliance
for your training and development

High-quality learning

We use a comprehensive quality assurance framework to do all we can to ensure that our training programmes and events are of the highest quality. We only use high quality trainers and facilitators who have a track record of exceptional school experience and in developing and delivering high quality CPD opportunities. We always aim to offer the highest quality professional learning programmes and, based on feedback we received last year, 99% of attendees rated our events as good or excellent.

Designed for your needs

As an alliance of primary schools we are well aware of the challenges that schools currently face. We work hard to ensure that all of our training and events are relevant and up to date in their content in order to support schools to develop their staff effectively to meet the needs of current and future learners.

Value for money

Gateway aims to ensure that all of our training and events are affordable to schools. We are a not-for-profit organisation and always ensure that we keep the costs of our programmes to an absolute minimum, whilst continuing to bring you the very best speakers and experienced facilitators with a proven track record of successfully supporting school improvement.

Impact in the classroom

As a group of schools we know that there is nothing more frustrating than investing in professional development activities for your staff that don’t impact on your school. We are therefore continually looking to refine and improve our offer, in response to your feedback, to ensure that all of our activities have a practical impact on the practice of those attending, their school and pupils.

Our aims

To enhance teaching and learning and support the delivery of improved outcomes for children
by playing a pivotal role in the school-led system.

Build Trust

be a trusted provider of outstanding professional development for schools within and beyond Warwickshire

Train

play a significant role in the recruitment and training of new entrants to the teaching profession through our involvement in high quality initial teacher education

Support

broker and provide school to school support to ensure that schools within and beyond the Alliance can be strong and successful organisations.

Engage

engage in research and development activities that contribute to a more evidence based approach to school improvement

Develop

provide and broker leadership development opportunities for staff within and beyond the Alliance to develop their leadership skills, experience and confidence

Network

maintain and further develop partnership links with primary, secondary and special schools, teaching schools, universities and other educational organisations

Gateway Alliance partners

Our partners are our business

Our partner schools play a pivotal role in the work of the Alliance and support the central team to ensure that all we do focuses on our core aim of enhancing teaching and learning and supporting the delivery of improved outcomes for children.

Our strategic partner schools are:

Ambassadors – actively promoting the work of the Alliance, its vision and values.

Collaborative – working together to share their knowledge and expertise in order to develop the work of the Alliance.

Committed – fully engaged in Alliance strategic planning and development.

Representative – sharing the views of schools to ensure our programmes always meet needs.

Our partner schools play a key role in the strategic development of the Alliance. We are always keen to speak to schools who might be interested in taking on a strategic partnership role. If you would like to find out more please contact our Director Helen Martin.

Contact Helen

Central Team

Helen Martin

Executive Director

Helen joined Gateway during its set-up, back in 2012, having previously worked for a national government agency supporting workforce development in schools across the West Midlands. Before this Helen worked in local government in both School Improvement and HR and prior to that held workforce development roles in the private sector. Working closely with partner schools, Helen leads the Alliance and oversees all aspects of its work.

Connect with Helen

Sally Hewitt

ITT & ECF Programme Manager

Sally has responsibility for leading Gateway’s School Direct ITT programme and managing alliance provision for Early Career Teachers and their mentors. Prior to joining Gateway Sally was Head of Primary (School Direct) at the University of Warwick, and before this she taught at a primary school in Leamington Spa, where she was also Maths Subject Leader.

Connect with Sally

Lisa Batchelor

Alliance Business Manager

Lisa looks after all of Gateway’s financial and business administration and manages the office. She also supports at many of our training events and works with Sally to support our School Direct trainees. Prior to joining Gateway Lisa worked in industry as a Purchase Ledger Supervisor and before this was a Finance Assistant for Coventry University Students Union.

Connect with Lisa

Pam Carpenter

CPD Programme Manager

Pam leads on the planning and development of Gateway’s wide portfolio of CPD programmes. Prior to joining the team Pam worked for Thrive as Relationship Manager and Trainer across the Midlands region, supporting the social and emotional development of pupils in many schools across the locality. Pam has taught throughout the Primary phase, across three local authorities, lead many curriculum subject areas and worked as Deputy Head and Headteacher.

Connect with Pam

The highest quality

"I believe the quality of Gateway training is second to none. It's relevant, cost effective and invariably has a direct impact on the day to day teaching and learning back at school. Everything you could wish for when selecting external CPD".

Simon Pearson - Headteacher, Wembrook Primary School

Beneficial and worthwhile

“I have trusted and used Gateway Alliance for a number of years now. I always receive really positive feedback from my staff who attend the quality CPD sessions. What works especially well is the wide range of CPD on offer, ensuring everybody, at whatever position, has access to beneficial and worthwhile training. I would highly recommend them.”

Darren Barrow - Former Headteacher, St John’s Primary School

Inspiring training sessions

“Since the reduction of the role of Local Authorities in delivering professional development, the Gateway Alliance has played a valuable part in providing not only inspiring conferences and training sessions, but also opportunities for school leaders to network. At a time when there has been a risk that schools might lose touch with each other, Gateway has helped strengthen connections and enabled new ones to be forged.”

Sam Pater - Headteacher, Clinton Primary School

Financially viable

“Gateway Alliance provides us with a wide range of CPD that has proved to be manageable, financially viable and gives us access to great development that links us to both national thinking and local networks. The opportunities to join in particular research groups such as the well-being work of the ‘Chimp Paradox’ has been really interesting.”

Carol Brammer – Former Headteacher, Richard Lee Primary School

A strategic and collaborative partner

“Hillmorton Teaching School Alliance are proud to count Gateway Alliance as a strategic and collaborative partner in the delivery of high-quality professional development not only to the primary schools in our alliance but to schools in challenging circumstances, who require school improvement support.

Always responsive to local need and both local and national initiatives, Gateway Alliance offers bespoke and targeted training to raise standards of teaching and learning.”

Catherine Crisp – Executive Headteacher, Hillmorton Primary Teaching School

Trusted CPD provider

“The School Improvement Team at Warwickshire County Council's Education Services are pleased to include Gateway Alliance as a valued partner, alongside all Warwickshire Teaching School Hubs, in the Warwickshire School Improvement Partnership (WSIP). The School Improvement Team seeks to work with organisations with a strong reputation as trusted CPD providers for schools: as part of WSIP Gateway have worked alongside St John's and Hillmorton Teaching School Alliances to develop and administer quality CPD for some of our primary phase System Leaders.”

Margot Brown – Senior School Improvement Adviser, Warwickshire County Council

Quality of facilitation is excellent

"We are really pleased to have established and developed our partnerships with Gateway Alliance. The quality of facilitation across a range of programmes, including the ECF, NPQs and Research School has been excellent - expertly drawing upon a sound knowledge base as well as a wealth of local school leadership experience – understanding the challenges leaders face and how they can sustainably bring about change in their settings."

Nathan Morland - John Taylor Teaching School Hub & Staffordshire Research School Director

Outstanding Quality and Standard

"We are very proud to be working in partnership with the Gateway Alliance in delivering our Primary ECF programme. We have been delighted with the excellent facilitation skills and expertise that Gateway have brought to our Teaching School Hub, not just on the ECF programme but also in delivering some of our NPQ programmes too. Their knowledge of the training needs in our local area has been invaluable and we know that Gateway can be trusted to professionally deliver programmes of an outstanding quality and standard."

Becky Wheeler - Coventry & Central Warwickshire Teaching School Hub Director

Ready to start your journey?

From teacher training to leadership development, Gateway Alliance can help you achieve, excite and inspire. Start your journey today!

Explore our CPD programme

Find out more

Train to teach