The world’s first digital TV channel to support educators will be launched tomorrow. Teachers’ TV (TTV) will broadcast free programmes that provide teachers with new teaching methods and and insights into how other schools are run. The 24 hour, year-round service is editorially independent of the DfES, which funds the service, and aims to reflect the views of the teaching community.

TTV will target programmes at teachers of all levels as well as other education professionals and support staff. The schedule will contain news and debate, professional development advice and curriculum-based programmes for use in the classroom. More light-hearted viewing includes highlights of “OFSTED! The Musical”. The channel aims to reach a wide audience within the profession through word-of-mouth recommendation and accessible programming.

The channel will be broadcast on satellite, cable and DSL. Programmes will also be repeated overnight on Freeview, which the channel expects to be mainly used for recording. Listings and other information are available on a dedicated website, and in a supplement in Teachers magazine. Discounted digital subscriptions are available to teachers that do not currently have access.

The channel is a product of Education Digital, a collaboration between media and education specialists: Brook Lapping Productions, Carlton Communications, and the Institute of Education.

Teachers’ TV will be launched without many of the interactive services originally promised. When the channel was announced last summer, a spokesman told informitv: “interactive services, enabling viewers to access further information about programmes, personalise their viewing and highlight what’s relevant to them on the schedule [would be available].” This has been scaled back to a more modest website with downloadable resources such as lesson plans and worksheets, as well as files containing programmes.