I can clearly remember the day that Martin Thompson told me he had accepted the position of Chair for NASBTT. Inwardly, I groaned while trying to show my enthusiasm. Purely because I was only working part-time at The Pilgrim Partnership and at that stage, we were only a two-man band. From memory, I believe we had about 60 primary trainees and around 12 GTP trainees. Fortunately, we were in a position to expand on staffing and I became a full-time (term time only) member of staff. I can remember Martin and I designing letter headed paper for NASBTT with the strapline ‘the voice of teacher training’, and so the journey began.
Martin becoming Chair turned out to be one of the best decisions he made for our organisation. Martin was heavily involved with the TTA (Training and Development Agency for Schools), the DfE (Department for Education) and Ofsted giving him access to the most up-to-date information which enabled Martin to support other organisations. NASBTT grew in strength with most providers becoming members. One of NASBTT’s primary goals was to enhance the quality of teacher training across the board. With Martin at the helm, he embarked on various initiatives aimed at improving standards particularly with regard to DBS clearance for trainees and providing evidence at the House of Commons Select Committees. I can vividly remember watching the live feed from the office!
As NASBTT began to expand, the challenges faced were numerous. The key to success lay in establishing a clear network of communication and support among teacher training providers. Martin’s involvement with the TTA, DfE, and Ofsted was instrumental in this. His direct access to crucial updates and policies meant that providers could adapt and implement necessary changes, ensuring trainee teachers received the highest quality training possible following regulations from the DfE.
Through Martin’s leadership, NASBTT evolved into a vibrant community of teacher training providers. This wasn’t just about increasing membership numbers; it was about working together towards a shared purpose. Martin’s direct line of communication with key education bodies meant that members were always in the loop regarding new developments. I had been working with the TDA as one of their Lead Administrators for several years but due to changes within the TDA the support offered could no longer continue. During that time one of our achievements was to write a ‘guidance handbook’ for administrators which was gratefully received especially by newly appointed administrators. At this point Martin, knowing how important the role of an administrator was, decided that NASBTT was in a position to welcome the group. Along with Alison Hobson and fellow administrators we updated the handbook and successfully presented a draft for any additional information at an administrator meeting before a digital release! When Martin retired, Emma Hollis and colleagues continued supporting administrators and as far as I know, it is as successful today as it was in its infancy.
Having retired last summer and reflecting on my journey with NASBTT, I know that NASBTT played an important role in ‘keeping us on the straight and narrow’. I wish Emma and NASBTT all the best for the next 25 years!
Jackie Atkin was Operations Manager at The Pilgrim Partnership from 2000-24.