Our Lead Associate Schools need to demonstrate a number of Qualities of a Lead Associate School which they usually develop over about 2-3 years of working with us before becoming a Lead School.

Lead Associate Schools join the programme for two years and have the opportunity to renew after this time. Read advice from one of our current Lead Associate School Headteachers before getting involved in the programme: A Headteacher's Advice.

If you're interested in finding out more about how to become a Lead Associate School, please contact us.

If you are interested in the Associate Schools programme but have had relatively little contact with us, there are plenty of ways in which you can begin to engage with our work:

• Whether you join us for a course in Stratford-upon-Avon or book a bespoke workshop in your school, our professional development opportunities will help you bring RSC rehearsal room approaches into your classroom, to test whether you want to do more of this work. 
• For teachers wishing to explore the work at a deeper level, we offer the RSC Certificate in Teaching Shakespeare.
• Our Schools' Broadcasts are free to any school in the UK. They enable children in primary and secondary schools to see RSC productions in their own classroom through a live broadcast.
• We offer workshops and events in Stratford for all age ranges of children. These include workshops on a chosen play, 6th Form Conferences and Primary Open Days.
• We have a range of online resources, including teacher resources and our new Shakespeare Learning Zone for young people aged 11-18.
• Our Teachers' Toolkit contains lesson plans on Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.