What Odyssey Teaching School Hub does

Odyssey Teaching School Hub is one of 87 Department for Education-designated Teaching School Hubs in England and one of two serving Gloucestershire. Led by and headquartered at Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham, it holds designated responsibility for schools across Gloucester, Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean, serving a network of 114 primary schools, 21 secondary schools, 4 special schools, 2 alternative provisions and 1 further education institution. The hub operates as a statutory, non-profit educational organisation within the DfE Teaching School Hub framework, with a core team of seven staff supported by local senior leaders acting as facilitators.

Its core products span the full teacher development lifecycle. Initial Teacher Training is delivered through Primary and Secondary PGCE with QTS programmes, accredited by the University of Gloucestershire and Bath Spa University respectively and routed through GITEP (Ofsted Outstanding). The Early Career Training Programme is delivered in partnership with UCL Institute of Education as Lead Provider, covering the two-year statutory induction period. Nine National Professional Qualifications are offered (NPQH, NPQSL, NPQSENCO, NPQEYL, NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQLBC, NPQLL, NPQLPM), supplemented by Executive Leadership and Early Headship Coaching Offer pathways. Appropriate Body services, delivered via the ECT Manager paperless platform, provide statutory monitoring and assessment for ECTs. Adjacent offerings include DfE-funded Undergraduate Teaching Internships, Excellence in Reception training, a School Experience programme, coordination of the RISE South West school improvement programme, and a network of local Curriculum Hubs covering Music, Maths, Language, English and Research.

Revenue is generated through a mix of fee-bearing programmes and DfE-funded flows. NPQ fees range from £902 to £4,099 plus VAT, though many programmes are fully or partially funded by the DfE for eligible state-funded schools. Appropriate Body services are priced at £250 per ECT per year for provider-led programmes or £400 per day plus £100 per term for school-led fidelity checks. The ECT programme itself is DfE-funded and free at the point of use for schools. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer engagement through information events, open mornings, taster days and webinars for aspiring teachers and ECTs; channel-partner distribution via the DfE-designated hub network, GITEP, and partner universities; and event-driven delivery through face-to-face training at Balcarras School and Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham. Customer segmentation is vertical, addressing schools geographically, ECTs and aspiring leaders as personas, and aspiring undergraduates as a secondary pipeline segment.

Name

Odyssey Teaching School Hub

Legal name

Odyssey Teaching School Hub

Website

https://odysseytsh.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Odyssey Teaching School Hub is a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub serving 142 schools across Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Forest of Dean. Led by Pate's Grammar School, it delivers Primary and Secondary PGCE training, nine NPQs, Appropriate Body services, and Early Career Teacher programmes in partnership with UCL Institute of Education and GITEP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teacher Training and Professional Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood & Elementary Teacher Preparation Programs (EDAHAFAG), Mentoring, Induction & Probationary Teaching Oversight Authorities (EDADAJAK), Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs (EDAHAFAF), In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

Keywords

• Teacher training services
• Professional development
• Initial teacher training
• National professional qualifications
• Early career training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. NPQ Programme Fees: Revenue from National Professional Qualifications programmes including NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQLBC, NPQLL, NPQLPM, NPQSL, NPQEYL, NPQSENCO, NPQH, and NPQEL. Prices range from £902 to £4,099 plus VAT per programme. Some programmes are DfE-funded for eligible schools.
2. Appropriate Body Services: Charges for monitoring and supporting ECT statutory induction. Provider-led programme: £250 per ECT per year. School-led programme: £400 per day fidelity check plus £100 per term per ECT.
3. Early Career Training Programme: DfE-funded provider-led programme for ECTs, delivered in partnership with UCL Institute of Education. No direct charge to schools for programme delivery.
4. Undergraduate Internship Bursaries: DfE-funded 3-week paid internship programme paying £455 per week to undergraduate and Masters students. Interns gain school experience in maths, physics, chemistry, MFL, computing, and DT.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Odyssey Teaching School Hub provides school-based Initial Teacher Training (Primary and Secondary PGCE with QTS), statutory induction monitoring (Appropriate Body services) and a DfE-funded Early Career Training Programme for newly qualified teachers. It also delivers nine National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) covering leadership and specialist teaching, plus an Undergraduate Teaching Internship and Excellence in Reception programme, all targeted at schools and teachers in Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Forest of Dean.

Product overview

Odyssey Teaching School Hub operates as one of two designated Teaching School Hubs for Gloucestershire, led by Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham. The organisation provides a comprehensive suite of teacher training and professional development services for schools in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, and Forest of Dean. Core offerings include Initial Teacher Training programmes (Primary and Secondary PGCE with QTS), Appropriate Body Services for Early Career Teacher statutory induction, the Early Career Training Programme (ECTP), and nine National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) covering leadership, specialist teaching, and early years. Additional services include Excellence in Reception training, Undergraduate Internships, School Experience opportunities, and coordination of RISE South West improvement initiatives and local Curriculum Hubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary PGCE with QTS

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Pate's Grammar School, CheltenhamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead school for Odyssey Teaching School Hub. Provides headquarters location and leadership for the designated teaching school hub covering Gloucester, Tewkesbury, and Forest of Dean. Named as Teaching School Hub Director Chris Nicholas' affiliated institution.
• Balcarras Teaching School HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe other designated Teaching School Hub for Gloucestershire, responsible for Cheltenham, Stroud and the Cotswolds. Close collaboration on curriculum hubs, NPQ delivery, and ECT programme. Events hosted at Balcarras School.
• UCL Institute of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead Provider for National Professional Qualifications and Early Career Training Programme. Ranked #1 globally for Education in QS World University Rankings. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted for NPQ and ECF delivery.
• Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership (GITEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfsted Outstanding provider for both Primary and Secondary teacher training programmes. Awards PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status. Partnership for school-based teacher training across Gloucestershire.
• University of GloucestershiresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwards PGCE for Primary teacher training programme. Accreditation partner for primary ITT provision.
• Bath Spa UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwards PGCE for Secondary teacher training programme. Accreditation partner for secondary ITT provision.
• Department for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDfE-funded programmes including Teaching Internship (summer), Early Career Teacher Entitlement, NPQ funding, and Excellence in Reception. Oversight through Teaching School Council.
• RISE South WestsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment for Education's Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme. National priorities include improving attainment, mainstream inclusion, and improving attendance. Gloucestershire falls under South West RISE team.
• Gloucestershire Music HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal curriculum hub offering information and CPD for schools and teachers in music education within Gloucestershire.
• Gloucestershire Research SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal curriculum hub providing research-based professional development and CPD for schools in Gloucestershire.
• GLOW Maths HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal maths hub providing information and CPD for maths teachers within the area.
• Isbourne Language NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal language hub offering information and CPD for language teachers within Gloucestershire.
• MP English HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal English hub providing information and CPD for English teachers within the area.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership: Delivers NPQs and leadership development programmes through Diocesan networks across England, including partnerships with Teaching School Hubs. Provides an overlapping NPQ portfolio targeting the same school leadership customer base as Odyssey.

Direct peers

• School-Led Network (SCITT providers): Network of School-Centred Initial Teacher Training providers delivering school-based PGCE programmes similar to Odyssey's primary and secondary ITT routes. Represents the broad category of competition Odyssey faces for trainee applicants in its region.
• Ark Teacher Training: Multi-Academy Trust-affiliated ITT provider offering salaried and non-salaried teacher training routes. Operates with a similar school-based training model and partnership with HE awarding institutions, comparable to Odyssey's PGCE delivery.
• GITEP (Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership): Ofsted Outstanding-rated teacher training partnership delivering both Primary and Secondary PGCE programmes across Gloucestershire. Already a core partner of Odyssey, but also functions as a directly comparable alternative ITT provider in the same region.
• Teach First: Major national Initial Teacher Training provider offering a leadership-focused PGCE programme and early career development. Operates in the same teacher training market as Odyssey, with overlapping NPQ-style leadership development offerings.
• Balcarras Teaching School Hub: The other DfE-designated Teaching School Hub for Gloucestershire, covering Cheltenham, Stroud and the Cotswolds. Operates the same Teaching School Hub model on a directly adjacent geographic patch and collaborates with Odyssey on NPQ delivery, ECT programme, and curriculum hubs.

Broad incumbents

• Best Practice Network: National provider of ITT (School Direct), NPQs, and ECF programmes. Serves a similar teacher training and development customer base as Odyssey but at significantly greater geographic scale and primarily through online delivery.
• National Institute of Teaching: DfE-established national teacher training and professional development institute offering NPQs, ITT and leadership programmes across England. Operates at a larger geographic and financial scale than Odyssey but provides an overlapping set of NPQ and ECF qualifications.
• Education Development Trust: International education charity delivering teacher training, school improvement, and professional development programmes in the UK. Competes with Odyssey for school-based training contracts and provides NPQ delivery at national scale.
• Ambition Institute: One of the largest national providers of National Professional Qualifications and the Early Career Framework in England. Competes directly with Odyssey for NPQ enrolments, though delivered nationally online rather than regionally face-to-face.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OdysseyTeachingSchoolHub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/odyssey-teaching-school-hub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Odyssey Teaching School Hub