Our history
2001
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales initiated a series of discussions between various people interested in education, whether as teachers, employers, or policy-makers. With support from all those consulted - including the DfES, Chief Education Officers, Business in the Community, and a range of schools, the idea of an annual Summer School for teachers of English and History took shape. The underlying aims were to generate discussion about the specific contribution to education made by English Literature and History and about what constitutes an education in these subjects.
2002
A pilot Summer School was held at Dartington Hall. Eighty teachers of English and History from state schools in the South West attended, together with a galaxy of distinguished guest speakers. The Prince of Wales made the opening address. Discussions centred on the questions of why we should teach English and History, and what contribution these subjects should make to pupils’ cultural, moral, political and social values. There was considerable press interest, although not all of it was focused on the important educational issues being explored.
2003
The highly enthusiastic response from the teachers who had taken part in the first Summer School prompted a repeat, at Dunston Hall near Norwich, for the benefit of schools in the eastern half of the country. The Secretary of State for Education, Charles Clarke, attended the opening session.
2004
In the course of the third Summer School, held at Buxton and attended mainly by teachers from schools in the Midlands, external consultants carried out an evaluation of the purpose and value of the course. Their findings were extremely positive and helped to shape the strategic development of the project. At the same time the aims of the course were refined, with more emphasis being given to subject-based training for teachers.
2005
The Summer School returned to Dartington Hall and invitations were sent to delegates who had attended in any of the previous three years. The discussions were, as a result, concentrated on more practical elements: what could be done in the classroom in order to achieve the educational aims that the Summer School stands for.
2006
The first Regional Events took place, organized by alumni. At the Summer School at Robinson College in Cambridge, The Prince of Wales, making his fifth consecutive keynote address, announced the creation of his seventeenth Charity, The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI), to expand the work of the Summer Schools. The course itself involved Primary Teachers for one day. It also included a series of lectures given by Cambridge academics and attended by former alumni. The new PTI duly came into being, with a Board of Trustees, chaired by Lord Wilson of Dinton; a Management team; and a partnership arrangement with Cambridge University which includes the evolution of Continuous Professional Development through its Institute of Continuing Education.
2007
A pilot Summer School for Science teachers was run at Homerton College, Cambridge. Its great success led it to being adopted alongside English and History on the PTI's curriculum. The PTI's website, www.princes-ti.org.uk was launched with a huge range of teaching resources available for Summer School alumni. The Prince of Wales announced the launch of the PTI Schools Programme. One day Continuing Professional Development courses confirmed as a regular feature of the PTI's programme of activities. Christopher Pope was appointed as full-time co-Director.
2008
The first cohort of Schools Programme Departments in English, History, and Science began their membership. Geography was piloted at a joint Summer School with Science teachers at Homerton College, Cambridge, and once again an extremely positive response from delegates ensured it becomes a regular feature of the PTI's activities. A second residential event of the year was held in the autumn of 2008 for English and History teachers at Crewe Hall, Cheshire. The first two What Works in Schools seminars were held in partnership with Business in the Community.
2009
Mathematics was piloted at a Summer School at Queens' College, Cambridge. Lord Wilson stepped down as Chairman of the PTI, and was succeeded by Harvey McGrath. The first cohort of Schools Programme departments completed their first year of membership and the second cohort was expanded to include Geography and Mathematics. A full programme of one-day CPD courses was run in English, History, Science and Geography.
2010
Residential courses for all five PTI subjects were held - English, History and Geography at Homerton College, Cambridge in June, and Science and Maths at Crewe Hall in November. The Schools Programme expanded to such an extent that 2 regional Schools Programme Days were held, in London and Coventry, to fit in all of the members. An expanded programme of one-day CPD events were organised for all five PTI subjects and a Headteachers' Conference for 100 Heads was successfully run at the Drapers' Hall in January.
2011
A 2 day Headteachers' Residential was held in January 2011. Participants requested that the PTI set up a membership scheme for Senior Leaders in schools, and so the Schools Leadership Programme was launched in October. Modern Foreign Languages was introduced at the 2011 Summer School in July, which was followed by a English, History and Geography Residential at Harrogate in November. The Schools Programme grew to over 360 departmental members from 170 schools across the country - HRH The Prince of Wales paid a visit to the annual Schools Programme Day, held at The Royal Institution of Great Britain on July 4th to see for himself the great work that all members have been undertaking.