South West Institute for Teaching

Name

South West Institute for Teaching

Legal name

South West Institute for Teaching

Website

https://sw-ift.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teacher Training and Professional Development

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Teacher Certification & Licensure Programs (EDAHAFAC), Inclusion, Special Needs & Early Intervention Training (IEPs/IFSPs, Neurodiversity) (EDACAIAF), Professional Development / CPD Requirement Administration for Licensure (EDADAJAL)

Keywords

• Teacher training programs
• Professional development courses
• Early career framework
• National professional qualifications
• Teaching school hub services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingsbridge

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee based on per-pupil rate. Schools and trusts pay £2 per pupil annually with a price cap of £7,500 for larger MATs (4001+ pupils). Membership provides access to discounts on CPD courses, free subject briefings, professional communities, and leadership forums.
2. CPD Course Fees: Individual CPD courses and programmes offered at discounted rates for members (30% discount) and standard rates for non-members. Courses include Subject Masterclasses, Teaching and Learning Series, Literacy and Oracy, Exam Series, and Leadership Training.
3. Conference Revenue: Annual Summer Conference tickets sold via Eventbrite, with member and non-member pricing. Conference features keynote speakers and professional development sessions on educational topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SWIFT delivers Initial Teacher Training, the Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP), an Appropriate Body Service, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), and a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) catalogue for schools and trusts in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Programmes are contextualised for the South West through two Teaching School Hubs (Colyton and Kingsbridge) and delivered by local experts in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT). A paid annual membership provides schools with discounts on CPD courses and free access to subject briefings, professional communities, and leadership forums.

Product overview

South West Institute for Teaching (SWIFT) is a Teaching School Hub operating across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, offering a portfolio of interconnected teacher and leader professional development programmes. The core offering consists of Initial Teacher Training, the Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP), an Appropriate Body Service, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), and a broad Continuing Professional Development (CPD) catalogue. These are supplemented by Professional Communities, Subject Briefings, a Leadership and School Analysis service, Wellbeing support, and an annual Summer Conference. SWIFT also offers a paid Membership programme providing discounts on CPD and free access to various resources. The programmes are delivered by local experts and partner organisations including the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) and the Colyton Foundation, contextualised for the South West region through two Teaching School Hubs (Colyton and Kingsbridge).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWIFT Teaching School Hubs: Two Teaching School Hubs - Colyton and Kingsbridge - that deliver professional development programmes for schools in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay

Products and services

• Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Initial Teacher Training programme providing routes into teaching for prospective teachers, delivered in partnership with local schools across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
• Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP) A structured two-year induction programme for Early Career Teachers following the Early Career Framework, providing training, mentoring, and seminars.
• Appropriate Body Service Statutory Appropriate Body service for schools, managing ECT induction, registration, quality assurance, and compliance with DfE requirements.
• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) Suite of NPQ programmes including NPQSL, NPQEL, NPQ for SENCo, and others, delivered in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), with training cohorts for teachers and leaders.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) CPD programmes covering Subject Masterclasses, Teaching and Learning Series, Literacy and Oracy, Exam Series, Safeguarding, SEND, and other topics, delivered as part of the SWIFT 8 CPD Standards framework.
• Professional Communities Termly professional community groups for subject-specific and cross-phase topics (e.g., RE, Languages, SEND) enabling networking and shared practice among teachers.
• SWIFT Membership Annual membership service offering 30% discounts on CPD courses, free access to Subject Briefings, Professional Communities, Leadership Forum, and a 50% subsidy for The Engagement Platform (TEP). Membership fee is £2 per pupil with a price cap of £7,500 for larger MATs.
• Leadership and School Performance Analysis Leadership series and school data analysis support including Primary Subject Leader Briefings, Leadership Study Visits, and performance table/IDSR/ASP training for SLT and governors.
• Wellbeing Support Services Wellbeing conferences, resources, and partner network (Active Devon, Charlie Waller Trust, Open Minds, Psychology Associates, and others) supporting staff and pupil mental health in schools.
• SWIFT Summer Conference Annual flagship conference bringing together educators across the South West for keynotes, workshops, and networking on themes including AI, assessment, equity, wellbeing, and leadership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of Induction Tutors rated the Appropriate Body Service as Good or Very Good
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, secondary and minor.

• National Institute of Teaching (NIoT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWIFT partners with NIoT for delivery of the Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). This is a core partnership providing access to sector-leading programmes with high-impact, evidence-informed CPD. SWIFT schools are also involved in NIoT research projects including an AI and mentoring research study.
• Colyton Grammar SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColyton Grammar School serves as the Lead Trust for the Colyton Teaching School Hub (one of SWIFT's two hubs). Often ranked as the highest-performing State School in the South West, Colyton is central to SWIFT's identity and credibility.
• Education South WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation South West is the partner trust for the Kingsbridge Teaching School Hub (the second half of SWIFT). Together with Colyton Grammar School, they form the two-hub structure that enables SWIFT to serve schools across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
• OneCornwallmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOneCornwall is a neighbouring Teaching School Hub with whom SWIFT is developing a closer partnership to create a single, coherent partnership better placed to deliver high-quality professional development at scale. A consultation process is underway for this alignment combining capacity, expertise and infrastructure.
• Devon Research SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevon Research School is a key delivery partner providing high-quality sessions based on latest EEF guidance reports. Works with SWIFT and Colyton Foundation on the Leading High Attainment programme.
• The Engagement Platform (TEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEP provides pupil engagement data insights for schools and trusts. SWIFT offers a 50% subsidy for initial year with TEP for Colyton Foundation partner schools and 40% subsidy for all other schools. TEP's research is regularly featured in SWIFT communications.
• Colyton FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Colyton Foundation works in partnership with SWIFT and Devon Research School on the Leading High Attainment programme for secondary school leaders. The Foundation is home to the Colyton Grammar School and provides leadership development opportunities.
• Leading Schools South West (LSSW)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWIFT partners with LSSW to support school leaders in visiting high-performing schools and trusts regionally and nationally. After two successful pilots in 2022-2023, LSSW and SWIFT offer termly Leadership Study Visits.
• Cornerstone Academy TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone Academy Trust is a founding organisation of the RISE Digital Skills and AI Hub. Their EdTech Lead, Anthony Lees, has trained SWIFT on digital learning aspects and supports the RISE Digital Skills and AI Hub.
• RISE Digital Skills and AI HubsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerA RISE-funded project bringing together multiple trusts to test and learn about AI use in education across various contexts including classroom, student feedback, back office processes, business, finance, workload, and leadership.
• The Thinking AcademyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSWIFT CPD partner providing Leadership Skills Training Days focused on soft skills, emotional intelligence, and communication for school leaders. Founder Leonie Hurrell delivers Space4Thinking programmes on coaching and pupil wellbeing.
• Exeter Supply PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA SWIFT Sponsor and Community Interest Company providing supply staff for nursery and primary schools across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Created by local schools with focus on relationships, reliability and supporting education rather than profit.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• OneCornwall Teaching School Hub: Neighbouring Teaching School Hub in Cornwall with which SWIFT is actively consulting on closer alignment. Directly comparable in structure (TSH delivery model, partnership with schools) but serves a distinct geographic patch.

Direct peers

• Teach First: Major teacher training charity delivering Initial Teacher Training and leadership development. Operates in the same DfE-funded teacher training market as SWIFT and targets similar school segments for placement and CPD.
• Best Practice Network: National provider of ITT, NPQs, Early Career Framework and subject-specific CPD courses. Competes directly with SWIFT in delivering accredited teacher and leader development programmes to schools and trusts.
• Ark Teacher Training: School-based Initial Teacher Training provider operating across multiple regions with a strong leadership and CPD pathway. Comparable to SWIFT's ITT, ECF and leadership development products.
• National Institute of Teaching (NIoT): Nationally focused teacher training and CPD provider delivering ECTP, NPQs and research-led professional development. SWIFT partners with NIoT to deliver these programmes in the South West, making NIoT both a partner and a near-direct peer in content and audience.
• Ambition Institute: One of the largest national providers of teacher training, ECF and NPQ programmes, funded through DfE frameworks. Competes with SWIFT for the same schools, trusts and teacher CPD spend at scale across England.
• Olevi (part of School-Led Network): National provider of leadership and teaching CPD programmes (Outstanding Teaching Intervention, Outstanding Leadership Intervention). Overlaps with SWIFT's leadership and CPD catalogue and similar audience of school leaders.

Broad incumbents

• Education Development Trust: Large international educational services organisation offering teacher development, school improvement and system-level programmes. Overlaps with SWIFT in CPD and leadership development but operates at much greater scale and broader portfolio.
• UCL Institute of Education (IOE): UK's largest teacher training and education research institution offering PGCE, ITT, NPQs and CPD. Shares SWIFT's audience of schools and teachers but with a much broader academic and research portfolio.

Others

• Chartered College of Teaching: Professional membership body for teachers offering CPD resources, communities and chartered status. While not a direct training provider, it competes for teacher engagement, subscription revenue and CPD wallet share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/southwestift
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthWestInstituteforTeaching
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-west-institute-for-teaching

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 South West Institute for Teaching