We at Best Practice Network share the belief that every child, regardless of their background, should benefit from an excellent education. To achieve that, we support and train the educational professionals who work alongside them to be the best they can be, so in turn, they can transform the lives of children and young people.

We’re a friendly, DfE accredited, Ofsted outstanding training company providing apprenticeships, professional development and the DfE’s ‘Golden Thread’ (trainee teachers to school Executive Leaders). We are adaptable, collaborative, and genuinely value the work we do to support the education sector, as much as our trainees do.

Our people are at the heart of our business and our passion and commitment to education is what drives us. As a result, we have seen incredible growth over the last few years both nationally and internationally.

We aim to be an employer where everyone can be themselves, do their best in an inclusive working environment and where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and capable professional to join Best Practice Network to lead the strategic development and operational delivery of Primary Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programmes, while providing interim oversight of the SEND ITT programme. This includes ensuring curriculum coherence, inclusive infrastructure, and regulatory alignment across both Primary and SEND routes. The role supports high-quality professional development for student teachers, mentors, and tutors, with accountability for programme quality, compliance, and sector positioning.
Reporting to the ITT Programme Director, the Head of Primary ITT will be responsible for ensuring high quality training and professional development for student teachers and the programme team to include training of mentors and lead mentors. The role includes accountability for successful programme delivery, curriculum design aligned with sector needs, and leadership of Programme Leads to deliver high-quality content. You will also help drive the continuous improvement of Best Practice Network’s ITT provision and participant experience across learning and teaching, school partner relationships, quality assurance and compliance.

 

Responsibilities

 

• Lead Primary ITT provision, driving KPIs through effective recruitment, leadership, and team development.
• Oversee curriculum design and updates aligned with the ITTECF Framework, national contexts, and best practice.
• Ensure high-quality subject content and delivery methods that reflect current and future educational needs.
• Manage Programme Leads to deliver consistent, high-performing curriculum and assessment across delivery modes.
• Collaborate with EYITT, Secondary, and Quality teams to ensure compliance, Ofsted readiness, and continuous improvement.
• Use stakeholder feedback and QA data to inform strategic priorities and enhance participant experience.
• Work cross-functionally with internal teams (Quality, Partnerships, Marketing, Placements) for cohesive programme delivery.
• Monitor student teacher satisfaction, retention, and engagement across platforms.
• Contribute to strategic planning, budget oversight, and marketing of ITT provision.
• Ensure pastoral support and value-for-money resource deployment.
• Build strong external partnerships with stakeholders, placement providers, and professional bodies.
• Lead team meetings, development sessions, and foster a culture of respect, aspiration, and collaboration.

SEND ITT (Interim Oversight)

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of the SEND ITT programme, ensuring inclusive curriculum design and emotionally safe delivery
• Support Programme Lead and tutors in embedding SEND-specific pedagogy, QA processes, and compliance tracking
• Liaise with internal teams to ensure SEND programme infrastructure aligns with broader ITT systems
• Prepare the SEND programme for transition to a dedicated Head of SEND ITT, including documentation, QA reports, and stakeholder briefings
• Represent SEND ITT in cross-programme leadership forums and external engagement as required

Targets

• 100% recruitment against targets
• 90%+ average satisfaction evaluations across all ITT provision
• 95% retention
• Achieve successful outcomes from Ofsted and other external evaluation/ scrutiny
• Meeting/ exceeding minimum requirements as set out in 2025/26 ITT Criteria

               
 

Person Specification

 

Education and qualifications	Essential	Desirable
Qualified Teacher Status	✓
NPQ (National Professional Qualification) or Masters-level professional qualifications in education		✓
Evidence of CPD and expert knowledge in relevant professional area	✓
Experience, skills and attributes
Successful experience of working in ITT	✓
Thorough knowledge of ITT requirements and content frameworks and management of curriculum development	✓
Experience supporting multi-route or developmental-stage ITT delivery		✓
Understanding of the wider education and schools’ landscape	✓
Understanding of inclusive pedagogy and SEND curriculum design	✓
Ability to lead cross-programme coherence and prepare SEND provision for strategic handover	✓
Thorough knowledge of the requirements and framework for Ofsted	✓
Evidence of successfully leading and managing a Team	✓
Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding responsibilities in ITT and school-based settings	✓
Efficient and effective planning and deployment of resources	✓
Formulation and implementation of strategic and operational plans	✓
Stakeholder management skills, including partners & clients	✓
Proactive and solutions-focused, with a creative and innovative approach to challenges	✓
Effective at leading cultural and organisational change	✓
Results-oriented with a strong commitment to follow-through and impact	✓
Excellent communication skills, written and oral	✓
Confident in using digital platforms for programme delivery, collaboration, and data analysis	✓