Transparency data

Teaching schools and system leadership: December 2020

Updated 2 July 2021

Applies to England

Overview

The purpose of this publication is to provide updated figures on the number of system leaders currently working within the school system in England. There is variation between reports due to the natural churn of the system, including designation processes, changes to eligibility and staff turnover.

Designation rounds for national leaders of education (NLEs) and teaching schools closed in May 2018, and designation rounds for national leaders of governance (NLGs) closed in May 2017. There will be no further NLE designation rounds until the Department for Education (DfE) has implemented the recommendations of the review report on NLEs published in February 2020. The teaching schools programme will end in August 2021 and there will be no further designations to this programme.

The application round for teaching school hubs closed on 30 October 2020 and we are currently in the process of reviewing applications. DfE is considering recommendations for NLG reform, published in September 2020, and there will be no further NLG designation rounds until this work is concluded.

The number of system leaders that are currently designated is actively managed and DfE keeps these matters under review.

This information is correct as of 1 December 2020.

As at 1 December 2020, across England there were:

  • 604 teaching school alliances - a decrease of 8 from 1 September 2020
  • 735 teaching schools - a decrease of 10 from 1 September 2020
  • 991 national leaders of education - a decrease of 27 from 1 September 2020
  • 330 national leaders of governance - a decrease of 8 from 1 September 2020

Teaching schools and teaching school alliances

As at 1 December 2020, there were 604 teaching school alliances across England and 735 teaching schools. The number of teaching school alliances decreased by 8 and the number of teaching schools decreased by 10 from September 2020. Around 85% of teaching school alliances had one teaching school although a few had as many as 5 or 6.

Teaching schools were present in all 8 English regional schools commissioner (RSC) areas, and in 148 out of 150 local authorities: City of London and the Isles of Scilly are excluded from the analysis as each has only one maintained school.

Lancashire and West Yorkshire had the highest number of teaching schools with 123 (16.7%). The North had the fewest with 63 (8.6%).

Number of teaching schools by RSC area

RSC area Number of teaching schools Change from September 2020 Percentage of all teaching schools
East Midlands and Humber 82 0 11.2%
East of England and North-East London 94 0 12.8%
Lancashire and West Yorkshire 123 -2 16.7%
North 63 0 8.6%
South Central and North-West London 89 -5 12.1%
South East and South London 111 -2 15.1%
South West 80 -1 10.9%
West Midlands 93 0 12.7%
Total 735 -10  

(Source: DfE management information. Please note that as the percentages are rounded, the total value will not always be 100%.)

National leaders of education (NLEs)

As at 1 December 2020, there were 991 National Leaders of Education, a decrease of 27 from September 2020.

The majority of NLEs belong to different schools and only 36 schools have 2 or more NLEs. NLEs were present in 148 of 150 local authorities.

Lancashire and West Yorkshire have the highest number of NLEs with 186 (18.8%). The East of England and North East London has the fewest with 82 (8.3%).

Number of NLEs by RSC area

RSC area Number of NLEs Change from September 2020 Percentage of all NLEs
East Midlands and Humber 144 -2 14.5%
East of England and North-East London 82 -4 8.3%
Lancashire and West Yorkshire 186 -3 18.8%
North 88 -1 8.9%
South Central and North-West London 111 0 11.2%
South East and South London 150 -8 15.1%
South West 96 -5 9.7%
West Midlands 133 -4 13.4%
Not applicable 1 0 0.1%
Total 991 -27  

(Source: DfE management information. Please note that as the percentages are rounded, the total value will not always be 100%.)

Not applicable refers to NLEs who are currently in between schools or alternatively have a BFPO address.  

National leaders of governance (NLGs)

There were 330 NLGs as at 1 December 2020. This was a decrease of 8 from September 2020. A total of 118 local authorities had at least one NLG.

Lancashire and West Yorkshire had the highest number of NLGs with 63 (19.1%). The North had the fewest with 24 (7.3%).

Number of NLGs by RSC area

RSC area Number of NLGs Change from September 2020 Percentage of all NLGs
East Midlands and Humber 62 0 18.8%
East of England and North-East London 30 -1 9.1%
Lancashire and West Yorkshire 63 -2 19.1%
North 24 -3 7.3%
South Central and North West London 41 -1 12.4%
South East and South London 53 0 16.1%
South West 31 -1 9.4%
West Midlands 26 0 7.9%
Total 330 -8  

(Source: DfE management information. Please note that as the percentages are rounded, the total value will not always be 100%.)