For Donors

The Prince’s Teaching Institute is a network of practising secondary school teachers who provide mentoring and support for each other and, together with university academics and eminent speakers, provide subject-based professional development courses for teachers.  Working in partnership with the University of Cambridge, we believe that all pupils, irrespective of ability or background, are entitled to be taught by inspirational and knowledgable teachers.

Currently, there are over 280 state secondary school departments in England and Wales who are participating in our Schools Programme membership scheme and over 80 teachers who lead its activities, supported by an administrative office of 5 people. Over 800 teachers attended PTI events in 2009/10 in our subjects of English, History, Geography, Mathematics and Science.

The PTI's events are regularly over-subscribed, and since 2007 over 1,500 teachers have attended an event, with 92% of them anticipating that the course will have a significant impact on their pupils.

The Schools Programme membership scheme is designed for school departments who wish to provide a rich subject experience for their pupils and who wish to increase the challenge of the work they do.  Its impact has been considerable - in the first two years of membership, 85% of the school departments participating succeeded in increasing the challenge of their work through more rigorous curriculum choices, more extra curricular activity, staff training and links outside school. This, at a cost of only £2.77 per child in each subject.

The PTI is a highly efficient organisation.  The 2008/09 audited figures confirm that only 7.9p in every pound is spent on governance and fundraising.

Surprising though it may seem, teachers are not required to keep up to date with their subject knowledge, despite research confirming that this is the most important attribute in an effective teacher.  As a result, school budgets do not typically include money for our kind of subject-based professional development.  So, while the PTI charges schools for its services, these revenues do not allow the organisation to satisfy demand and grow, and we are grateful for the support of donors to enable us to provide and extend our services.

Our aim is to roll out the Schools Programme to 500 departments over the next four years to enable some 450,000 children to benefit from higher aspirations and better, more inspired teaching. In order to do this, the Prince’s Teaching Institute needs to raise a further £2.6 million from private sources.

If you are interested in finding out more and supporting the Prince's Teaching Institute, please contact the PTI office (details below) or email Dhivya Srinivasan, Development Manager (dhivya.srinivasan@princes-ti.org.uk).

For more details on the history, governance, accounts and activities of the charity, please click here to go to the About Us section of the website, or here to view the PTI video.

The Prince's Teaching Institute,
The Prince's Charities,
PO Box 50473,
London W8 9DN

Tel: +44 20 3174 3106