The Association of Ringing Teachers
“ART”
This association was set up in 2012, with the aim of improving the learning experience of new ringers. It is the management and accreditation body for the Integrated Teacher Training Scheme (ITTS) and the Learning the Ropes Scheme.
As well as setting up and running Learning the Ropes and the ITTS, “ART” has set up Teaching Centres around the country.
An ART Teaching Centre is essentially a group of ART Members regularly teaching together using the ITTS approach and the Learning the Ropes curriculum. Learners from other towers in the area can come along to the sessions. Some Teaching Centres may be quite small with just a couple of teachers, while others may have a larger group teaching and hold courses and workshops.
Many issues being faced by bands around the country can begin to be faced when the concept of towers working together in groups is introduced.
A number of benefits have been experienced when towers and ringers work together like this. In particular, ITTS based teaching produces more effective and rapid results when teachers teach in a group and when group practices are based around the Learning the Ropes curriculum.
The results are motivated learners, rapid learning to a good standard, spreading the word and making recruitment easier.
A certification of affiliation is issued annually to each ART Teaching Centre. At present there are only a few of these centres - one in Birmingham, one in Buckinghamshire and one in Warwickshire, but it is intended that more will be set up in the future.