What Three Rivers Teaching School Hub does

Three Rivers Teaching School Hub is a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub, one of 87 across England, providing statutory and non-statutory teacher training and professional development across Northumberland, North Tyneside, and Newcastle. It is led by The King Edward VI School in Morpeth and operates as part of the Three Rivers Learning Trust, a nonprofit, with a small core team of approximately 5 employees based at Sir Bobby Robson House, Esh Plaza, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. Its core portfolio spans the full 'golden thread' of teacher development: the Northumberland Teacher Training Programme for school-based Initial Teacher Training (primary and secondary), three delivery models of the two-year Early Career Teacher (ECT) programme (NIoT, Ambition Institute, and a Trust-Led Bespoke model for Multi-Academy Trusts with 20+ ECTs), Appropriate Body services for statutory induction quality assurance, and twelve National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes including NPQH, NPQSL, NPQEL, NPQEYL, NPQLBC, NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQLL, NPQLPM, NPQSENCO, and the Early Headship Coaching Offer.

Delivery is built on a hybrid online-and-in-person model, combining self-study modules, expert-facilitated local sessions, and mentoring infrastructure, supported by third-party platforms: ECT Manager Portal for Appropriate Body registration and tracking, Steplab and MyECT for Ambition Institute programmes, and Prism for the NIoT programme. These platforms are not proprietary and are used under partnership arrangements. The hub also partners with Great North Maths Hub, St Michael's English Hub, Behaviour Hubs, and the NEAT Research School for specialist delivery.

The business model is a hybrid of government grant pass-through and direct fee revenue. DfE grant funding (Year 2 ECF and mentor training) is paid directly to schools rather than to the hub, while direct revenue comes primarily from Appropriate Body services at £225 per ECT per year, fee-paying Initial Teacher Training (full-time, part-time, and Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship routes), and NPQ programme fees (listed as TBC, with scholarship funding potentially available). The customer base is schools and individual teachers within the hub's designated region, with over 600 ECTs supported annually and a partnership-driven, event-based, and field-led go-to-market motion targeting school leadership, induction tutors, and headteachers.

Name

Three Rivers Teaching School Hub

Legal name

Three Rivers Teaching School Hub

Website

https://3rtsh.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Three Rivers Teaching School Hub is a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub delivering teacher training, Early Career Teacher programmes, Appropriate Body services, and twelve NPQ qualifications across Northumberland, North Tyneside, and Newcastle, led by The King Edward VI School, Morpeth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teacher Training and Professional Development

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Teacher Certification & Licensure Programs (EDAHAFAC), Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs (EDAHAFAF)

Keywords

• Teacher training programmes
• Professional development schools
• Early career teachers
• Appropriate body services
• National professional qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. DfE Government Funding for ECT Programmes: The ECT programmes continue to be funded by DfE for eligible institutions, including funding for mentor and ECT release time as well as mentor training. This funding is paid directly to schools by DfE. Year 1 funding comes from core funding (DSG or equivalent) and Year 2 funding comes from DfE grant funding.
2. Appropriate Body Services: Quality assurance services for ECT induction process. Priced at £225 per ECT year for Full Induction Programme and £225 per year for schools using another ECTE provider.
3. Fee-Paying Teacher Training Courses: Variety of fee-paying courses for aspiring teachers including options to train full time (5 days per week) or part time (3 or 4 days per week). Also includes Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship route.
4. NPQ Programme Fees: National Professional Qualification programmes with costs TBC and scholarship funding potentially available. Programmes include NPQLBC, NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQSL, NPQH, NPQEL, NPQEYL, NPQLL, NPQLPM, NPQSENCO, and EHCO.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Three Rivers Teaching School Hub is a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub providing Initial Teacher Training, two-year Early Career Teacher (ECT) induction programmes via NIoT, Ambition Institute, and Trust-Led Bespoke models, statutory Appropriate Body quality assurance services, and twelve National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes for school leaders and specialists. It serves schools, Early Career Teachers, aspiring teachers, and school leaders across Northumberland, North Tyneside, and Newcastle.

Product overview

Three Rivers Teaching School Hub is an education and training services organization offering a comprehensive professional development pathway for teachers, from Initial Teacher Training through to executive leadership. The core portfolio comprises the Northumberland Teacher Training Programme (school-based ITT for primary and secondary), three Early Career Teacher (ECT) Programme delivery models (NIoT, Ambition Institute, and Trust-Led Bespoke), Appropriate Body Services, and twelve National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes covering leadership, teaching, behaviour, SEND, literacy, and maths. Supporting platforms include ECT Manager Portal, Prism (NIoT), Steplab (Ambition), and MyECT (Ambition). The organization operates as a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub led by The King Edward VI School, Morpeth, serving Northumberland, North Tyneside, and Newcastle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Northumberland Teacher Training Programme School-based Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme delivering primary (ages 3-7, 5-11, with maths specialism) and secondary teacher training (Art, Drama, History, Music, RE and partnered subjects) across Northumberland, Newcastle, and North Tyneside. Full-time (5 days per week) and part-time (3 or 4 days per week) options available, plus a Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship route.
• Early Career Teacher Programme - NIoT Model
• Early Career Teacher Programme - Ambition Institute Model
• ECT Programme - Trust-Led Bespoke Model
• Appropriate Body Services
• National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH)
• National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL)
• National Professional Qualification for Leading Teaching (NPQLT)
• National Professional Qualification for Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC)
• National Professional Qualification for Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD)
• National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL)
• National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
• National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy (NPQLL)
• National Professional Qualification for Leading Primary Maths (NPQLPM)
• National Professional Qualification for SENCO (NPQSENCO)
• Early Headship Coaching Offer (EHCO)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 Early Career Teachers supported annually through Appropriate Body services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Institute of Teaching (NIoT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2024Three Rivers Teaching School Hub partners with NIoT to deliver high-quality teacher development programmes across the North East. From September 2026, Three Rivers will become an Associate College with NIoT working in partnership to deliver the ITT programme. The partnership provides flexible-design, school-focused, research-informed programmes with customisable sequencing and streamlined monitoring through the Prism portal.
• Ambition InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver NPQs and ECT programmes through a thematically-structured, expert-facilitated, practice-focused model. The Ambition Institute Delivery Model includes termly thematic progression, structured self-study, and focused instructional coaching using the Steplab platform.
• Great North Maths HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDfE funded curriculum hub providing maths specialist support. They deliver the NPQLPM (National Professional Qualification for Leading Primary Maths) programme through highly trained Visiting Fellows.
• St Michael's English HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDfE funded English hub partner providing specialist English teaching support and resources to schools in the region.
• Behaviour HubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDfE funded initiative supporting schools with behaviour management. Provides additional resources for schools focusing on behaviour and culture.
• NEAT (NCL Research School)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewcastle City Learning Research School providing evidence-based professional development and research-informed teaching practice.
• The King Edward VI School, MorpethcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead school for the Three Rivers Teaching School Hub. The hub is led by this school which is one of the partner institutions providing school-based teacher training and hosting trainee placements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ark Teacher Training: Ark Teacher Training is a school-led ITT provider that recruits and trains graduates through partner schools in multiple English regions. It competes with Three Rivers for the same trainee cohort, fee-paying programmes and partner school relationships.
• Gorse SCITT: Gorse SCITT is a school-centred initial teacher training provider offering School Direct programmes across subjects, directly comparable in delivery model (school-based, fee-paying ITT) to Three Rivers' Northumberland Teacher Training programme.
• National Institute of Teaching (NIoT): NIoT is both a strategic partner and a direct delivery competitor: it partners with Three Rivers on the ECT programme and is becoming the hub's Associate College for ITT from September 2026, while also delivering ECT, NPQ and ITT content directly to schools nationally — the same product set the hub provides.
• The National College: The National College provides online CPD, NPQ preparation and leadership training to schools and teachers across England, directly competing for the same NPQ/CPD budgets that Three Rivers monetises through its 12 NPQ programmes.
• Best Practice Network: Best Practice Network is one of the leading national NPQ and ITT providers in England, selling the same suite of NPQs and School Direct programmes that Three Rivers delivers — overlapping directly on product and target customer (schools and ECTs).
• Ambition Institute: Ambition Institute is Three Rivers' main delivery partner for the Ambition ECT model and the full NPQ suite, but also sells the same programmes directly to schools, MATs and other Teaching School Hubs — making it a direct competitor as well as a supplier.

Broad incumbents

• Teach First: Teach First is a large national charity training teachers in low-income areas and running leadership development programmes, with a much broader geographic remit. It overlaps with Three Rivers on ITT, ECT support and teacher leadership pathways, but operates at a significantly larger scale and brand.

Regional players

• Durham University School of Education: Durham University is a major North East university-led ITT provider running PGCE and School Direct programmes that compete for the same aspiring-teacher pool and partner schools in the Three Rivers region.
• Newcastle University School of Education: Newcastle University is a regional university-led provider of PGCE and School Direct ITT in the same North East geography that Three Rivers serves, competing for the same cohort of aspiring teachers and partner schools in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle.
• University of Sunderland School of Education: Sunderland University is a North East university-led provider of PGCE and other teacher training routes, serving the same regional candidate pool and partner schools that feed into Three Rivers' ITT and ECT programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/3rtsh
• Facebookfacebook.com/3rtsh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3rtsh
• Instagraminstagram.com/3rtshkevi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Three Rivers Teaching School Hub