Specialty Schools

The Specialty Schools structure is a set of principles and a simple single model aimed at clarifying the relative roles and responsibilities of Colleges and Deaneries, and involving the service more effectively.  This model was put forward for the systematic restructuring of the way Postgraduate Medical Education is organised and managed by Postgraduate Deaneries and Medical Royal Colleges and their Faculties.

The Specialty schools structure can vary to reflect local circumstances but schools should normally have the following features:-

Clear governance arrangements with defined relationships to the Deanery, the parent College(s)/Faculties, and to the local NHS.

All appointments within the Schools are made jointly between Deanery and College and their functions subsume all the existing roles of Programme Directors, STC Chairs, Regional Advisers in relation to training.

Each School is headed by a Director of Postgraduate Training  known as Head of School, this individual would be a joint Deanery/College appointment, accountable to the Postgraduate Dean, and professionally to a designated College Officer.  Specific deputy directors could be appointed Deputy Head of School as justified by workload and available resources, some of whom might take on specific roles such as Flexible Training.