High-quality training and CPD by teachers for teachers across South Essex and Southend-on-Sea

ABOUT US

The BTSA partnership was formed between three schools dedicated to strengthening and developing teaching and learning, and promoting school improvement within our locality.  We aim to ensure that all students receive an excellent education that positively impacts their progress and attainment.  To achieve this, we will deliver the golden thread of professional development by providing high-quality training based on evidence-led practice and research, shaping initial teacher training, facilitating the delivery of the Early Career Framework, offering tailored school-to-school support, developing leadership potential and building effective and enduring school partnerships to sustain and support schools into the future. 

BTSA is a lead partner working with the accredited ITT provider Tes Institute, the accredited ECF providers, Teach First (2025 cohort) and Best Practice Network (2024 cohort), and the accredited NPQ provider Best Practice Network

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Meet the Team

What makes BTSA special is our passion for helping others to thrive and succeed. Our honest, knowledgeable, friendly and supportive team are here to help and guide you and your school to thrive, and we all go above and beyond to help you with your query or when on one of our programmes.

Paul Norman BTSA


  • BTSA Partnership Lead

    Paul is Assistant Headteacher at The Appleton School in Benfleet. He has over 20 years of teaching experience and is a music specialist. He has been working in teacher training and development for over 8 years.

    Paul leads the Secondary ITT programme and oversees and facilitates on our ECTE provision. In addition, Paul works as the national Lead Pathway Tutor for Music for TES Institute.

Jenny Clare BTSA


  • BTSA Lead Mentor

    Jenny has worked in education for over 20 years and is a mathematics specialist.

    Jenny is an education consultant, works as the national subject lead for Mathematics for TES Institute and as an ECM facilitator for Teach First and Best Practice Network.

Jane Jones BTSA


  • BTSA Partnership Lead

    Janes Jones is Deputy Headteacher at Kingston Primary School in Benfleet and has over 25 Years teaching in primary education with 10 of these working in ITT. Jane enjoys sharing her expertise with our primary ITTs and works closely with our partnership schools and mentors; she understands the programme well, having previously led the ITT Primary Programme for Tes Institute.  In school, Jane is the senior mental health lead, deputy designated safeguarding lead, curriculum lead for English and Religion and Worldviews and she loves teaching her Year 1s every Friday. Jane holds the NPQLTD.

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  • BTSA Partnership Manager

    Denise has worked with BTSA for 8 years. In her role as partnership manager, she oversees the administration and finance of all of our programmes. She has oversight of our Early Career Teacher Programmes, NPQs and all CPD and works with Jane to support all of our primary trainee teachers.

Nic Spearman BTSA


  • BTSA Partnership Lead

    Nic is Deputy Headteacher at The King John School in Benfleet. Nic has over 15 years of leadership and teaching experience and is a Geography specialist. She has an NPQH and is passionate about professional development.

    Nic leads on our CPD programmes, leads our middle leader programme and believes passionately in creating programmes which support staff development across the region.

Maxine Howard BTSA

  • BTSA Recruitment Manager and ITT and Internships programme administrator

    Maxine has been working for BTSA for 10 years. She is the first friendly voice that applicants to our programme speak to. Maxine oversees all recruitment and onboarding for our ITT programmes and supports Paul in running our Secondary ITT programme.

    To many who work with BTSA, Maxine is the fount of all knowledge and the person to ask when you need support on one of our programmes.

FOLLOW US

btsa.uk