A Bingley school will become a leader in training teachers after the Government named it as only the third teaching school in the district.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School has just been named a national teaching school – meaning it will play a huge role in the training of the district’s next generation of teachers.

The school, part of the Catholic School’s Partnership, has been rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, which led to the successful application to be a teaching school.

It joins two other such schools in the district – Feversham College and St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre.

Started in 2011, the teaching school programme focuses on “school-centred” training, which will give new teachers a better idea of the job before they qualify.

The Crownest Road school will now be involved in school-to-school support, research and development and make sure “star” teachers are spotted and nurtured to become successful headteachers.

It also means the school will offer teachers professional development opportunities at different stages of their career.

Head teacher Mary McAndrew said: “It will be great because we will be able to train up our own teachers and encourage local people to get into the profession. It gives us the chance to train up future teachers.”

Charlie Taylor, chief executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, said: “St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School should be very proud of their teaching school status. It recognises the school’s outstanding performance and its track record of raising standards through supporting other schools.”

The Government named 200 schools in its latest wave of teaching schools, bringing the national total to 500.