Landed! February UPDATE and lots to engage you.

Executive Director Martin Smith announces the date and line-up of the Summer Conference 2026 on Thursday 18 June 2026 with relevant and purposeful topics – including, equity and inclusion, wellbeing and leadership, AI, oracy and disadvantaged high attainers. Book your place here

"SWIFT takes pride in our vision of professional development to create outstanding opportunities for leaders to learn, develop and connect and is passionate about enabling schools across the South West to access the best of regional and national, as well as the latest research." 

The Engagement Platform (TEP) engage us with their latest research on why pupils’ belief in their own agency for reading really matters and there are some thoughtful practicals for you to do in school.  Find out more about TEP in an engaging interview with Jess Easton, Director of The Engagement Platform (TEP). Plus there are more handy teaching and learning top tips from Harry Fletcher-Wood's presentation at the Spring Leadership Forum on improving teaching for which we thank Harry. We also thank Laura Clitheroe for showcasing all the opportunities of the CODE Maths Hub

Thinking about reading, Devon Research School (DRS) considers reading goals and how to develop a shared approach to purposeful reading: "The ability to read and understand complex text plays a critical role in our students’ success, not only in terms of their academic outcomes but also in relation to their wider life chances on leaving school."

The February feature from our sponsor SchoolPro TLC is on supervision for school leaders on a sensitive note of how school leadership can feel heavy: "Recent wellbeing surveys show that over three quarters of school staff feel stressed, with senior leaders reporting the highest levels of exhaustion and emotional overwhelm." The SchoolPro TLC Safeguarding Team are there to provide support and you can contact them here

In preparation for the forthcoming Year 6 SATs the RISE Team are hosting a Raising Attainment Conference on Thursday 5 March 2026. Book your place here and we hope it helps you prep your pupils.

Educatering our school catering sponsor are leading the way across our region with their complete service to provide nutritious and exciting lunches with local food sources, and bespoke support to your Catering Teams. Contact the Team here 

We are still in the winter months (despite our hopes for an early spring) and we understand that supply teaching is a sometimes necessity for schools. Our sponsor Exeter Supply Partnership values their teachers and provides professional development to ensure skills are refreshed to boost and provide the best service to your School and Trust.  If you need any support you can contact them here

AND we are here to support you, and we wish you a fulfilling and happy onwards with the term - and in a few weeks' time, a restful Spring Half Term Break!   

Now live it's the final UPDATE of 2025 and our ruby edition.

To start us off, Executive Director Martin Smith aptly considers "the collective goodwill that exists within the profession around supporting one another to develop" - not least in our role as Teaching School Hubs. Plus a special Happy Christmas message and a reminder of all the lovely aspects of being a teacher and leader at this time of year.

It is proving to be very popular, so remember to sign-up for the Spring Leadership Forum in January with keynote speaker Harry Fletcher-Wood presenting on improving teaching, an intro to the CODE Maths Hub with Laura Clitheroe and a foreword by Martin.

Thinking about understanding engagement amongst low-income White children in England’s schools, you can find out more in the report by The Engagement Platform with some suggested support ideas. Read up too on the latest webinar led by the South West English Hubs on the Department for Education's Writing Framework published earlier this year.

Keeping it relevant, there is more guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation on Metacognition and self-regulated learning from Devon Research School. Equip yourself with the three new classroom tools to support you putting the evidence into practice.

If you are looking to refine your timetabling tools, our sponsor SchoolPro TLC share their year-round timetabling approach to strengthening this essential work within school and they are available to support you if you need that helping hand.

Faye Steele, our Senior Administrator for the SWIFT Appropriate Body Service is our December interviewee and how good it is to know that she is at the helm for this integral service with her “relentless unwavering determination to procure the information we need on time and to meet our deadlines and tracking.” We are only as good as our staff and systems!
 
If you are deliberating about taking the bold step to change your contracted catering to in-house, read on as our sponsor Educatering share all the benefits of keeping your own kitchen staff, behind-the-scenes support, compliance and allergen management, staff training, bespoke menu development - and SO much more that makes sense for a fully supported service.  

Looking ahead to January, if you need any teacher cover, our sponsor Exeter Supply Partnership remind us why not all supply services are the same and the benefits of working with them. For a start, this not-for-profit organisation with true heart puts people first - and that means supporting local schools and teachers.

We are nearing the shortest day and if you need a reading boost, remember to check out Mr T’s instructional series (AKA Christopher Tribble, Headteacher at Honiton Primary School). We like an edifying read!

We are glad to work with you, support you and hope that you will end the Autumn Term on an uplifting note with the end of term Christmas celebrations.

See you in 2026!