Through the development of NASBTT Learn, a learning app and training library with core modules for mentors and trainees in ITT, Anspear is a valued strategic partner of NASBTT. From the early days of offering online courses to trainees, and through rapid growth during the pandemic to the launch of specialist Induction and Mentor Development Modules, Anspear Founder and now Director of Partnerships & Revenue George Pearson reflects on how innovation, collaboration and strong personal relationships have shaped the programme.
How did your relationship with NASBTT begin?
“We had already been offering staff training resources to schools through our proprietary digital platform, and it seemed logical that this could also be applied to those involved in Initial Teacher Training. I began by identifying the key organisations in the sector, and NASBTT stood out as the leading voice representing school-based providers. While there are, of course, large individual training organisations and university-led providers – alongside programmes such as Teach First – NASBTT’s collective reach made it a particularly compelling partner. So, I contacted Emma Hollis directly. True to her own inimitable style, Emma was very willing to meet. In our conversation, I outlined my idea: to work with NASBTT to offer a carefully selected range of our courses to member SCITTs.”
When did work initially get underway with providers?
“Our partnership with NASBTT was established in 2018. Emma and her colleagues reviewed what we were offering – the content itself, how the platform worked, and the proposed commercial model. Within a matter of weeks, we had agreed that the principle was sound, and we began promoting the offer. The initial uptake was modest, largely because we launched at a less-than-ideal time in the academic cycle. One of the first people I worked with was the late David Maynard (The Cambridge Partnership), whom I remember meeting in a café on a Saturday morning. He engaged immediately, and from there the number of participating organisations began to grow steadily. Then, during the pandemic lockdowns, demand increased significantly. With many trainees unable or reluctant to attend placement schools, training providers needed high-quality alternatives. As a result of this, many more organisations signed up, and the programme expanded rapidly in 2020.”
Why did the partnership grow during lockdown?
“Many ITT providers, as well as schools, were grappling with how to communicate effectively and keep trainees and pupils engaged. At the same time, a significant number of school staff – particularly in primary settings – were not physically in school and were looking for meaningful ways to contribute. This created a clear demand for our offer, and we saw strong uptake across both the state and independent sectors. As schools reopened and normal routines resumed, demand naturally declined. This was also reflected in the ITT landscape, where the number of subscribing SCITTs fell noticeably. In response, we have worked closely with Emma and her team over the past five years to refine and better tailor our offer to meet customer needs. These efforts have had a positive impact.”
How has NASBTT Learn evolved in recent years?
“When we first started with the original NASBTT Learn, only a subset of our full library of training and development resources was available to people in schools. Some content, like leadership material, was not appropriate for those in ITT. Other resources focused on governance or were very practical. However, compliance-related content was generally popular. Trainees could demonstrate they had completed modules on child protection, Prevent, whistleblowing and other mandatory areas – saving time for both schools and trainees while providing verifiable evidence.
Our next goal was two-fold. First, based on feedback from SCITTs, we wanted to better prepare younger trainees, many of whom – due to limited life experience – were not fully ready for their first placements. In response, we developed an Induction programme consisting of five modules. The idea was that SCITTs could offer these modules to trainees before their placements. Several factors motivated this. SCITTs noted that trainees were increasingly less prepared due to gaps in their school or university experiences, a situation worsened for some by the pandemic. Additionally, trainees were often confirmed early in the cycle – for example, in March or April – but did not start until September. SCITTs wanted to use that interim period to prepare trainees as thoroughly as possible and keep them engaged and motivated. Offering the five-module introduction made perfect sense. Second, through discussions with NASBTT, we recognised the need to align resources with the new ITTECF guidelines, which specify what trainees should know and be able to demonstrate. We therefore developed 24 carefully mapped titles to provide trainees with the necessary knowledge and skills. Because these resources are trackable, providers can easily monitor who has completed what and when. For example, if a trainee cannot attend their school placement, providers can direct them to complete these modules remotely. Alternatively, SCITTs can use them as a form of flipped learning: trainees complete a module on managing behaviour before a session, allowing the in-person session to be more productive and interactive.
We currently have around 1,000 trainees actively using the system – but would like more! The Cambridge Partnership is our first and longest-serving user, whilst Inspiring Future Teachers had almost 200 trainees using the system last year and are impressively engaged. The content is high quality and genuinely helpful for trainees. As a trainee, I think your knowledge and therefore confidence in performing your duties would be significantly greater.”
A further innovation has been the Mentor Development Modules. How did they come about?
“Yes, the next major development in the partnership came when Emma approached me, asking if I would be interested in working with them to develop what became Mentor Development Modules, designed to be delivered through the same app-based system, NASBTT Learn. And we did. The collection we created is extraordinary. I also think the NASBTT team deserves immense credit for managing to get 12,000 mentors signed up on the system in the first year covering both SCITTs and a growing number of universities. That is an impressive achievement. As far as we are concerned, it has been a very productive relationship. What we would naturally like to be doing now is seeing if there are ways in which we might extend it.”
How else have you engaged with NASBTT?
“We have attended the NASBTT Annual Conference at various times and, going back to 2019, sponsored the Trainer of the Year category at the NASBTT Awards Evening. I thought that was a great event, and I also believe it helped position us as an organisation committed to the sector – a business interested in more than just the number of licenses it sold. Similarly, I attended the NASBTT Celebration Evening in 2025 and I thought that was another very good event. There is no question that the more effort you put in and the more time you spend with people, the more you feel a part of what is going on. From the perspective of the sector and the membership, it was a particularly good evening.”
What do you value most about working with NASBTT?
“I always value personal relationships, and I particularly appreciate how well-informed, connected and influential Emma is. Being in touch with her feels like gaining privileged access to the sector – not just convenient, but genuinely special. What is more, working with Emma is incredibly easy. if you give her a sensible question with, where required, accompanying information, she just makes a decision. Relationships with Alison Hobson and Jayne Hoskins are also very friendly and productive, and we get things done very quickly.”
Finally, what has been the biggest impact of the partnership, and what comes next?
“Commercially we have done well. We have established a toehold in, and a greater understanding of, a strategically important sector for us: Initial Teacher Training. However, if you ask me what the single biggest benefit has been, it is a conversation I had with NASBTT’s current Chair of Trustees Anna Richards five or six years ago. She asked me, ‘George, would you like to be involved in developing a BA for teaching assistants who want to become teachers but don’t have a degree?’ Most of our current work stems from that conversation, and I have told her several times how pivotal it was. Initially, I thought this would be something we did with NASBTT, since Anna approached me as a trustee. But then Emma, in her characteristically clear and decisive way, said it did not fit with what the Association does. That is classic Emma: a simple question met with a swift, pithy, well-argued response. As a result, our business has shifted strongly towards work-based degrees, and that is now our focus. Many of the people we are developing through these education BAs will eventually enter ITT, so it is all linked to NASBTT’s mission. Looking ahead, I see an ever-growing flow of very well-prepared individuals entering ITT, all having progressed through degrees we have been intimately involved in designing and delivering.”
Find out more about NASBTT Learn and our Mentor Development Modules