ALTON’S Bushy Leaze Nursery is one of three maintained nursery schools in Hampshire celebrating selection as National Teaching Schools.

The nursery school in Edward Road, Alton, is joined by the Haven at Gosport and the Lanterns in Winchester.

Teaching schools take a leading role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession, identifying leadership potential and providing support to other schools and settings, not least by exemplifying excellent standards of teaching and early years practice.

Bushy Leaze, Haven and Lanterns are among 52 schools in England to be granted teaching school status in the latest round, and three of only 33 nursery schools nationally to hold this designation.

Introduced in 2011, teaching schools are all rated as ‘outstanding’. They work with partner schools and settings in an alliance to ensure high quality, school-led initial teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers and early years practitioners at all stages of their career.

They raise standards through supporting other schools and settings, engage in research and development, and ensure that the most talented school leaders are spotted and supported to become successful headteachers.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership has responsibility, in partnership with headteachers from the Teaching Schools Council, for the designation and quality of the teaching schools programme.

The chief executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership said: “Bushy Leaze, Haven and Lanterns should be proud of this achievement. The schools have been recognised as centres of excellence in their areas, with an outstanding performance and track record of raising standards through supporting other schools.

“There are now almost 700 teaching schools around the country. They are at the heart of an increasingly school-led system, leading the way in improving the quality of our teachers and helping the schools in partnership to become even better.

“Like teaching hospitals, they have become centres of excellence across the country, conducting research and training teachers.”

Bushy Leaze headteacher Patti Snook said: “We are proud and excited to be a teaching school. We look forward to building a strong alliance with other schools, early years settings and colleges in and around Alton first, one which will play a role in recruiting and training new entrants and potential managers for early education.

“We will work together to raise the educational outcomes for Hampshire children in early years education.”