A North Herts secondary school rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted inspectors has been chosen to help train the next generation of teachers.

Hitchin Girls’ School has been awarded ‘teaching school’ status to become one of more than 650 up and down the country which take a leading role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession, identifying leadership potential and providing support for other schools.

They aim to raise standards by working with other schools, getting involved in research and development, and making sure top talent is spotted and supported to become the heads of the future.

Headteacher Frances Manning, who has also been designated as a National Leader of Education, said: “We welcome the opportunity to work collectively to train and support new entrants as well as supporting all our staff with ongoing professional development and training.”