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Primary school kids, wearing school uniforms and backpacks, running on a walkway outside their school building, front view
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Our Story

Gateway Alliance was founded on a shared belief – that high-quality professional development has the power to transform teaching and improve outcomes for children. What began as a small group of schools working together under Teaching School status has grown into a trusted organisation supporting schools and trusts across the region and beyond.

For more than 15 years, we have continued to evolve—responding to national reforms, local needs and the voices of those we serve. Our journey reflects our commitment to quality, collaboration and making a difference where it matters most.

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Where It All Began

In 2011, a Warwickshire primary school, designated as a Teaching School, lead to the creation of the Gateway Teaching School Alliance. With a small team and a strong spirit of collaboration, we began supporting schools across the region focusing on professional development, initial teacher education and school-to-school support.
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SD Meeting Cubbington Primary (2019)

Growing Our Offer

By 2012, we launched our first CPD “Core Offer” and began delivering our School Direct initial teacher training programme. As school needs changed, we listened – remodelling our CPD offer in 2014 to bring in subject specialists and expand our networks.

Strengthening Our Structure

In 2015, Gateway incorporated as a School Company. This formal structure enabled us to grow our team and expand our offer, introducing new networks and leadership programmes that reflected schools’ evolving needs. We introduced new opportunities such as our School Business Managers Network and our Teaching Assistant CPD Programme. In 2019 we relocated our office base from Nuneaton to Kenilworth and expanded our facilities to enable us to host meetings and training on site.
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Adapting to a Changing Landscape

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 challenged us to innovate – and our rapid move to high-quality online CPD was highly valued by schools. This provided exciting opportunities for us to reach out to schools beyond our traditional locality and grow our impact – supporting more schools and therefore having a greater impact on outcomes for children.

A New Phase of Growth

In 2022, Gateway entered an exciting new phase. Following a full review, a new operating company – Gateway Alliance (Education Services) Ltd – was established to lead the day-to-day operations, with a broader remit and a stronger, more sustainable business model. Still with Helen Martin at the helm, the new company continues to deliver on our commitment to high-quality professional learning, now with greater reach across the region and beyond.
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Our Timeline

2011

Gateway Teaching School Alliance founded by a group of Warwickshire schools

2012

CPD “Core Offer” and School Direct ITT programme launched

2014

CPD model reshaped to involve national/regional subject specialists

2015

The new ‘Gateway Alliance’ was incorporated as Warwickshire’s first School Company

2017–2019

CPD offer expanded to support ALL school staff

2020

Full online CPD offer successfully launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

2022

‘Gateway Alliance (Education Services) Ltd’ established to lead operations and expand reach regionally and nationally