Subject associations and organisations
Subject associations and organisations can offer information, networking opportunities and support to teaching professionals. They undertake a wide range of activities, which may include:
- organising continuing professional development (CPD) activities and events such as conferences
- providing information and publications on various subjects taught at school
- acting as a public voice on behalf of members
- encouraging recognition of the importance of their subjects at all levels
- promoting improved standards of subject teaching
- advancing public understanding of the nature and process of subject learning and the techniques and approaches for successful teaching.
The main UK subject associations and organisations are listed below,
arranged alphabetically by subject.
Art and design
National
Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD)
NSEAD is the leading national authority concerned with art, craft and
design across all phases of education in the UK.
Careers education and guidance (CEG)
Association for Careers
Education and Guidance (ACEG)
ACEG is for all those involved in the management and delivery of careers
education and guidance for young people in the UK.
Institute of Careers
Guidance (ICG)
The ICG is a UK-wide professional association for guidance practitioners.
It offers services such as regional support, advice on CPD and national
events.
Citizenship
Professional Association for Citizenship Teaching
(ACT)
ACT exists to further the aims of citizenship teaching and learning. It
champions citizenship education to all young people and supports teachers and
schools in delivering the subject.
Citizenship Foundation
The Citizenship Foundation is an independent education and participation
charity that exists to encourage and enable individuals to play an effective
role in democratic society.
Classics
Joint
Association of Classical Teachers (JACT)
JACT is a registered charity founded in 1963 to improve and maintain the
quality of the teaching of classics. It provides means by which teachers of
classics may help one another and enable them to reinterpret this
traditional discipline in terms appropriate to the present day.
Dance
National Dance Teachers
Association (NDTA)
The NDTA is led by a team of teachers and dance education professionals. It
works to ensure all young people have access to high quality dance education in
schools, and supports dance teachers at all key stages of the national
curriculum.
Royal
Academy of Dance (RAD)
The RAD promotes knowledge, understanding and practice of dance
internationally. It supports the education and training of students and
teachers, and provides examinations to reward achievement.
Design and technology
The Design and Technology
Association
The D&T Association is the recognised professional association which
represents all those involved in design and technology education and associated
subject areas.
National Association of
Advisors and Inspectors in Design and Technology (NAAIDT)
Membership of NAAIDT is open to all those who are responsible for promoting
quality in design and technology education beyond a single institution.
English
The
English Association
The English Association aims to further knowledge, understanding and enjoyment
of the English language and its literatures. It fosters good practice in the
teaching and learning of English at all levels.
English and Media Centre
The English and Media Centre is a not-for-profit trust that provides
publications and professional development on all aspects of English teaching
for teachers and students of literature, language and media in the UK and
abroad.
National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE)
NAWE supports the development of creative writing of all genres and in all
educational settings throughout the UK.
National Association for
the Teaching of English (NATE)
NATE works to promote standards of excellence in the teaching of English from
Early Years to university. It supports teachers' professional development
through a range of services.
National
Drama
Members of National Drama enjoy a range of benefits, including free copies of
Drama magazine, a newsletter, and reduced prices for conferences, publications
and courses, as well as a voice in the future of drama at a national
and international level.
The United Kingdom Literacy
Association (UKLA)
Formerly the United Kingdom Reading Association, UKLA is a registered charity
which has as its objective the advancement of education in literacy.
English as an additional language (EAL)
National Association for
Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC)
NALDIC is the UK professional body for all those interested in raising the
achievement of bilingual pupils with English as an additional language.
Bilingualism and Languages/Literacies Education Forum
(blen)
blen is a non-profit making education forum with an interest in language
education and literacy at Key Stages 2 and 3.
Field studies
National Association of
Field Studies Officers (NAFSO)
NAFSO represents professionals employed in teaching, developing and promoting
field studies. It is a voluntary association which aims to disseminate good
practice among its members, and it works to ensure their interests are
represented nationally.
Geography
The Geographical
Association (GA)
The GA's mission is to further the teaching of geography and to communicate
the value of learning geography for all. Its membership includes teachers in
primary and secondary schools and FE, academic geographers, universities and
teacher educators and trainers.
The Royal Geographical Society
(RGS)
The RGS (with the Institute of British Geographers) is the largest
geographical society in Europe. It supports research, education and training as
well as the furtherance of the understanding and enjoyment of geography.
History
The Historical
Association
Founded in 1906, the Historical Association aims to further the study, teaching
and enjoyment of history at all levels. Membership is open to everyone:
teacher and student, amateur and professional.
Humanities
The Humanities
Association
The Humanities Association aims to provide an independent forum for debate
about major issues in all aspects of humanities education.
Information and communication technology (ICT)
The Association for
Information Technology in Teacher Education (ITTE)
The ITTE aims to promote the education and professional development of teachers
in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning with ICT in all phases
of education.
Naace
Naace was established in 1984. It is the professional association for
those concerned with advancing education through the appropriate use of
ICT.
Mathematics
Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME)
ACME aims to inform and advise government, in order to assist in its drive
to raise standards and promote mathematics at all levels within education.
Association of Teachers of
Mathematics (ATM)
The ATM supports the teaching and learning of mathematics. It is a
registered charity and its members are mainly teachers in primary and
secondary schools.
The Institute of
Mathematics and its Applications (IMA)
The IMA is the UK's learned and professional society for mathematicians and
its applications. It promotes mathematics research, education and careers, and
the use of mathematics in business, industry and commerce.
Joint Mathematical
Council of the UK (JMC)
The JMC works to promote the advancement of mathematics and the improvement of
the teaching of mathematics at all levels from primary to HE.
The Mathematical
Association (MA)
The MA was formed in 1871 to work for the improvement of mathematical
education. Its members include educators in primary and secondary schools, FE
and HE, advisers, inspectors, practising mathematicians and students.
National Association for Numeracy and Mathematics in Colleges
(NANAMIC)
NANAMIC is an association of FE, tertiary and sixth form colleges, helping them
to develop quality in all aspects of their work in mathematics and numeracy.
Individual membership is also open to those who are involved in the teaching
and learning of mathematics and numeracy.
National Centre for
Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM)
The NCETM aims to support and encourage mathematics-specific continuing
professional development (CPD) for all teachers of mathematics across all
phases.
Royal Statistical Society
(RSS)
The RSS is an international membership organisation which promotes public
understanding of statistics and provides professional support to users of
statistics and statisticians.
Media
English and Media Centre
The English and Media Centre is a not-for-profit trust that provides
publications and professional development on all aspects of English teaching
for teachers and students of literature, language and media in the UK and
abroad.
Media Education Association
The MEA is an association that supports media teachers, promotes media literacy
work, and works to raise the status of media education.
Modern foreign languages (MFL)
Association for
Language Learning (ALL)
ALL is the major subject association for those involved in
teaching foreign languages at all levels and in all languages.
National Centre for
Languages (CILT)
CILT is the government's recognised centre of expertise on languages, and
aims to promote a greater capability in languages in the UK.
Music
Incorporated Society of
Musicians (ISM)
The ISM is the UK's professional body for musicians. It works to promote
the art of music and raise standards in the profession.
Music Masters' and Mistresses' Association
(MMA)
MMA is the professional forum for music teachers in independent and maintained
schools.
National Association of
Music Educators (NAME)
NAME is the professional association which represents all those involved in
music education, including advisers, inspectors, consultants, teachers in
schools, instrumental teachers, and lecturers working in teacher education.
National Association of
Percussion Teachers (NAPT)
The NAPT promotes and encourages the continual improvement and attainment of
the highest standards of percussion teaching in Great Britain.
The Schools Music
Association (SMA)
SMA is recognised as a national voice for music in education. It provides a
network for music teachers, linking those working with young people
with policymakers at local, regional and national levels. It
also regularly organises musical events for children and young people.
Physical education
Association for Physical
Education (afPE)
The afPE represents people and agencies delivering or supporting the delivery
of physical education in schools and in the wider community. Its purpose is to
promote and maintain high standards and safe practice.
The Swimming Teachers'
Association (STA)
The STA's primary aim is to ensure that everybody is taught how
to swim and survive in water and can carry out rescue techniques.
Personal, social and health education (PSHE)
National Health Education
Group
NHEG aims to promote the entitlement and delivery of quality health education,
including drug and sex education, for all children and young people.
NSCoPSE
NSCoPSE is the professional organisation for LA advisers, inspectors and
advisory teachers with responsibility for all aspects of personal and social
education, including health education and citizenship.
PSHE Association
The PSHE Association is the subject association for professionals working in
personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Its key purpose is
to raise the status, quality and impact of PSHE education.
Religious education
Association of RE Inspectors, Advisors and Consultants
(AREIAC)
AREIAC is a national network for education professionals who inspect
religious and collective worship and advise Standing Advisory Councils on
Religious Education (SACREs), LAs, schools, colleges and individual teachers in
the exercise of their statutory duties.
National Association of Teachers of Religious Education
(NATRE)
NATRE is a subject association for religious
education professionals in primary and secondary schools and HE. It
provides a focal point for their concerns, a representative voice at national
level, and publications and courses to promote professional development.
Science
Association for
Science Education (ASE)
The ASE exists to improve the teaching of science. Its membership ranges from
primary and secondary teachers, to technicians, those involved in initial
teacher education, and students.
Biosciences
Federation
The Biosciences Federation is the single authority representing the UK's
biological expertise. It provides independent opinion to inform public policy
and promotes the advancement of the biosciences.
British Science Association
The British Science Association is a registered charity which exists to advance
the public understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and
engineering. Among its activities is the coordination of the annual
National Science and Engineering Week.
The Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London, founded in 1807, is the UK national society
for geoscience. It is a registered charity and exists to promote the
geosciences and the professional interests of UK geoscientists.
Institute of Biology
The Institute of Biology is the professional body for UK biologists. Founded in
1950, it is a registered charity.
The Institute of
Physics
The Institute of Physics is a professional body that promotes
the knowledge of, and education in, the science of physics.
The Royal Society
The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK and the
Commonwealth dedicated to promoting excellence in science. It plays an
influential role in national and international science policy and supports
developments in science, engineering and technology.
Royal Society of Chemistry
(RSC)
The RSC is the largest non-governmental supporter of chemistry education in the
UK. It supports the teaching of chemistry within the primary, secondary
and post-16 phases.
Social sciences
The Association for the Teaching of the Social Sciences
(ATSS)
The ATSS is a voluntary group of social science teachers who have joined
together to further the interests of social-science teaching in secondary
schools, colleges and HE teacher training. Composed mainly of
sociologists, the ATSS also counts teachers of psychology, politics and
economics among its members.
The Economics and
Business Education Association (EBEA)
The EBEA is the professional subject association for everyone interested in the
teaching and study of economics, business and enterprise.
Speech and drama
The Society of Teachers
of Speech and Drama (STSD)
The STSD aims to protect the professional interests of qualified, specialist
teachers of speech and drama, encouraging high standards of teaching in
these specialist areas.
Last updated 7 July 2009
