World Water Day | Friday 22 March 2024 | Vanishing Sea The theme of this year's World Water Day is ‘Water for Peace’, and focuses on the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world. On Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 March 2024, our sponsor, Lyfta is offering FREE live lessons to bring the world into your classroom (see details below). Travel (virtually) to Jordan and spend time with farmer, Hassan as he battles the decline of the Dead Sea with the looming threat of sinkholes all around his farmlands. You will also be able to take a wider look at the issues of water security in a region affected by historical and ongoing conflict and learn why the River Jordan is special to half of humanity. Booking
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I am pleased to be presenting at the “Once Upon a Time” festival on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Bristol Beacon, which builds on our partnership work with organiser, Helen Prince. Helen is the author of the most recent Oxford Language Report (2021 – 2022) that looks at the scale of the word gap and the impact of Covid on language developments as an ongoing issue. After sifting through hundreds of school submissions regarding their focus on oracy to boost progress, standing out in their innovative and exemplary practice, Helen and the team included Tor Bridge Primary School as one of nine schools in the report. In my role as Head of School at Tor Bridge Primary, Helen and I presented these findings at the 2022 ASCL conference and since then Helen has supported our school in our fluency training and oracy work. Helen’s passion, pedagogy and relentless focus on improvement has led to huge moves forward for our fabulous school. We were thrilled that Helen remarked how she has rarely encountered schools with such openness and commitment to improving practice at every level. We have overcome - and continue to overcome – the barriers that limited cultural capital and low expectation can present through their focus on an oracy education, cementing the widest, brightest horizons for their pupils; which we like to think is testament to the high aspirational help of myself and our Trust.
Helen's expertise, combined with my leadership, has not only inspired the staff within The Inspire Multi-Academy Trust (South West), but has also had a profound impact on our children. This year, the excitement is palpable as Helen and I eagerly anticipate our collaboration once again, this time at the Once Upon a Time Festival in Bristol. The festival, known for showcasing story-led, creative teaching, aligns perfectly with Tor Bridge Primary School's commitment to oracy education. Helen and I, along with further brilliant keynote speakers, are thrilled to bring oracy to life through the immersive and enchanting world of storytelling, music, and drama. The Once Upon a Time Festival will provide a unique platform for educators to explore and embrace the creative potential of language. Imagine an exhilarating educational oracy festival for teachers, where passion for language and creativity converge. This vibrant event offers a dynamic platform for educators to immerse themselves in innovative teaching methods. From captivating storytelling sessions to interactive workshops, the festival becomes a melting pot of ideas, fostering a community of educators dedicated to enhancing oracy skills in the classroom. Teachers can escape into a world of inspiration, and gain valuable insights and practical tools to elevate their pedagogical practices. The festival's unique blend of story-led, creative teaching serves as a catalyst for professional growth, empowering educators to transform their classrooms into dynamic hubs of communication and expression. This exciting educational festival will not only ignite the spark of creativity in teachers, but will also cultivate a shared commitment to nurturing the language skills of the next generation. This is not only an event. It is an opportunity to imagine what is possible in your classroom, and will leave you inspired and equipped to transform your teaching approach. Join us for an unforgettable experience where the possibilities for enriching oracy education are boundless. By Olivia Bartlett, Head of School, Tor Bridge Primary School As Mathematicians it adds up that Laura Clitheroe and David Hick provide double the benefits as joint CODE Maths Hub Leads. Both have been teaching for around 20 years and Laura recently took up the helm as the Hub Lead for three days last September, supported by David one day a week. Laura has been teaching for most of her career at Montpelier Primary School in Plymouth and has been Trust-wide Maths Lead for the Greenshaw Learning Trust, as well as supporting as Maths SLE. David is currently in his third year as Headteacher of Chacewater School, part of Truro Penwith Academy Trust, having started his career teaching at St Ives Junior School, before moving to Threemilestone School, where he was Assessment Lead, Maths Lead and Deputy Head, plus a short spell as Acting Head. David leads Maths for the Trust and has been leading the CODE Maths Hubs for about five years. Working together as CODE Maths Leads allows more capacity for Laura and David due to the evolving work. 1. What do you consider to be the main benefits for Maths CODE Hubs in working with SWIFT as your local Teaching School Hubs to date? Firstly, collaboration in working with system leaders, and sharing their knowledge and expertise; as well as access toother educational establishments, different voices and different people; which in turn gives access to other colleagues that we might not otherwise have access to within the SWIFT network. Secondly, access to other opportunities. For example, the facilitation of the National Professional Qualification in Leading Primary Maths (NPQLPM); which has been a very successful joint project with SWIFT. We have been able to signpost some of our Assistant Maths Leads to facilitate the NPQ through SWIFT, which is obviously great professional development for them and a great link with SWIFT. So, we are enjoying our mutually beneficial working together. But we are also able to have some say in the development of future teachers through the Teaching School Hubs which is important to us. 2. How has this benefitted you and your teams professionally and personally? Personally, for me (Laura), having recently started in the role, the support and contacts within SWIFT from expanded networks has been beneficial in enabling me to develop continually the reach and impact of the Maths Hubs across our region. Professionally (for Dave as he has been in the role for longer), it comes back to that professional growth and access and intelligence gathering which again, allows the Hubs to expand their reach. When you are working within the network of Teaching School Hubs, it is about feeding into that access, which in turn gives the people we are working with access to research-lead CPD, and we like to think this is what we are all about at CODE Maths Hubs. I think the way education is moving now we should be looking at education and research to support professional growth and start to implement this intent in order to see the impact. 3. What do you believe to be the most important role generally for Curriculum Hubs in supporting schools? I think the most important role for Curriculum Hubs is about developing teachers and educators who can deliver the very best outcomes for the children and students they are teaching. It is important to look at how we can take some of the educational research and distil it into best practice for teachers and in such a way that teachers, who might not have the time to benefit from the training opportunities as we might wish, can put it into practice; which again, is only going to be a good thing for children and students. We like to think of it as equitable access to high-quality professional development backed by research, and as Maths Hubs, we can help to provide that level of development from a variety of programmes, such as our Subject Knowledge courses for Teaching Assistants covering Maths lessons at primary, and for non-specialists in secondary. These are two of our most popular courses because we all know that there is a huge demand, not least because of the recruitment crisis and so many non-specialists are covering Maths lessons. Because the Maths Hubs provide fully funded and research-backed professional development opportunities, it is a win-win situation for schools and colleagues and our role as Maths Hubs is about recognising and responding to the current challenges in education. It would be counterintuitive to have a static view of education and with us both working within the profession, we are very much in contact and working alongside local leaders and benefit from this close-up insight into the educational landscape at primary, secondary and post-16 and we understand the challenges and how Maths Hubs can support better and continue to develop our support in a way that works. There are also parallels to other Curriculum Hubs and by understanding the national picture we can fit that into our understanding of the local context, which is important in serving our local communities. Obviously, our region is different contextually to London; but some of the national aims and objectives are going to be the same, and we need to think about how to marry together into the local context. 4. What one thing (if possible) would you change to enhance your support? Capacity, time and money! This relates back to what we were saying about the fact that it is no use having a static offer or a static view of how things should be as idealists, because we know that in reality this may not be possible/practicable. This is something that we are grappling with more and more despite the funding being there as schools understandably want teachers to be in classrooms. But we are keen to promote schools to see the bigger picture of professional development within their own school and as part of retaining teachers as it gives teachers something beyond their own school, and enables them to develop whilst retaining them in the profession. We believe in our strong and robust offer and the longevity of the programmes in schools from their sustained engagement and we know that this will have a positive impact. We are keen to help remove any barriers to facilitate what Laura called equitable access for all colleagues to ensure equitable balance that gives capacity to teachers so that they can be actively engaged in our Hub programmes. We understand this can be very challenging, particularly in some sectors where the funding does not make a difference because if you have not got a Teacher of Maths in your secondary school then the money does not make a difference. 5. What would you like to see more of in your future working partnership with SWIFT? Continued collaboration across the wider network as we have previously mentioned. Growing these links and working with SWIFT to continue to share our message about our Maths provision so that everyone understands what CODE Maths is about and our offer and how people can engage with us in a variety of different ways. We would also be keen to develop coordinated links across other Curriculum Hubs through SWIFT; which is important because there are parallels with the English Hubs and there is power in the ability to information and intelligence share. For example, we might be working with schools who potentially need some targeted support in Maths and where some wider teaching and learning support is needed, which we can fit into the remit of other Curriculum Hubs and the Teaching School Hubs can support and signpost to schools. It is back to effective system leadership in schools and Multi Academy Trusts and cross-school and Teaching School Hubs can help to magnify this working together that ultimately supports school improvement. More Information The CODE Maths Hub offers sustained and ongoing engagement with schools over the academic year to facilitate professional dialogue within continuing professional development. They support Network Collaborative Projects (NCPs) to develop a shared understanding and teaching for mastery; as well as Subject Knowledge of Teaching Mathematics courses. The CODE Maths Hub are currently recruiting for Mastering Number at Key Stage 1 for 2024 - 2025; as well as welcoming applications from teachers for their Early Years, Primary and Secondary Mastery Specialist cohorts for 2024 - 2025. You can read about Mastering Number at Key Stages 1 and 2 in the 2023 Coordinating Mathematical Success: the Mathematics Subject Report. Keep in Contact
The Hub will be recruiting after Easter for 2024 - 2025 and are always keen for schools to start their Teaching for Mastery journey, so do get in contact via their socials and subscribe to their mailing list on the link below. As this half term draws to a close, we are pleased to bring you this February issue in which Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE contemplates the merits of weighing a pig and of being average:
"We all use athletes in our staff training and assembles as aspirational role models for improvement. We talk of the values of perseverance, hard-work, practice, and coaching. But doctors and teachers share something that athletes do not. If an athlete does not perform well, he loses a competition. If we do not perform well, a patient loses his present life, and a pupil the potential of his future life. Our professions have a moral dimension that athletes do not." Get tuned in on some of the highlights of forthcoming legislative changes addressed by Browne Jacobson at the recent SWIFT School Business Management Professional Community meeting with tips to prepare your school and staff. Deputy Head for Scholarship at Colyton Grammar School, Fiona Harvey is our interviewee and shares her insights into her role as a SWIFT Facilitator for the National Professional Qualifications. Hot on the heels of the Cohort 2a assessment good news. Kingsbridge Research School share their wisdom on implementation and planning to sustain and reflect how, “practices often lose effectiveness when they are scaled up, a phenomenon known as ‘voltage drop.’" Data Protection experts and SWIFT sponsor, SchoolPro TLC bring you guidance on handling freedom of information (FOI) requests. How prepared is your school? We are pleased to introduce our new sponsor, ONVU Learning and their 360-degree video and audio lesson capture solution to help you reflect, collaborate and analyse your teaching and learning process. We are also grateful to our other sponsors for bringing opportunities to enrich and support your work in schools. Find out more about Educatering's food service operations, how Exeter Supply Partnership can support staff absence for your Multi Academy Trust, and join Lyfta for a free webinar on Learning from Life: Unlocking Meaningful Learning through Immersive Human Stories on Wednesday 28 February 2024. Fergus explains how Volt Entrepreneurs has changed his way of thinking about running a business and other life-boosting skills. And, if you are intrigued about our lovely SWIFT artwork, you can enjoy finding out more about this happy design journey. Finally, we wish you a lovely half term break. 1/2/2024 0 Comments Clarity about Sending Home Flyers for Third-Party Organisations from SchoolPro TLCAs part of their experience within the education sector, our sponsor SchoolPro TLC provides the role of Data Protection Officer (DPO) as a service for schools. The SchoolPro Team have been receiving a number of queries from schools about the issue of sending home flyers for third-party organisations by email or post. See below for their updated guidance on sending out communications from third-party organisations to parents. The team are able to draw on their knowledge as former school leaders, as well as their DPO expertise. Your school, for example, might be thinking about sending home a communication about local community events or third-party activity providers. Email is often used by schools for this, although SchoolPro TLC have reservations due to email being subject to Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and additional consent requirements. Here are the various implications of each option for sending communication home and what requirement you should meet: Postal Leaflets in School Bags The process for sending postal leaflets via school bags is not subject to the privacy and electronic communications regulations (PECR), which means consent is not required. The school can rely on a Legitimate Interests lawful basis and perform a Legitimate Interests Assessment (LIA) for the overall practice of sending out these mailings. It is crucial that parents are informed about this process and have the clear option to opt-out. The school needs to ensure that parents are aware of their rights and the school’s processing activities through clear communication, such as a statement in a parent newsletter. This approach negates the need for separate LIAs for each third-party organisation's materials being sent out. In order to notify parents about this processing, the school could add the following into a parent newsletter (or similar) – words to the effect of: "we will occasionally send home flyers from trusted third parties such as the local authority in pupil bags. This is to make you aware of events, activities, services and products that we think may be of interest to you or your family. Please let us know if you object to this and we will ensure that you don’t receive this information.” Electronic Communication (including Email) There are two distinct categories regarding electronic communication: 1. Direct Marketing Messages These include communications where a paid service is being offered, or there is fundraising or similar activities involved. Examples include services like school photography or extracurricular activities run by external companies that require payment. These types of messages require prior opt-in consent from the recipients, and it must be straightforward for them to withdraw consent at any time. It is important to ensure that this consent is specific, informed, and unambiguous. The school should not use opt-out forms for these types of communications; instead, an explicit opt-in mechanism should be in place. 2. Promotional Messages Not Classified as Direct Marketing This category includes communications that can be considered part of the school's or trust's legal function as a public body and do not have a paid-for element. Examples might include free educational opportunities from the local library or informational leaflets from the NHS. These messages do not require prior consent but fall under the 'public task' legal basis. While upfront consent is not needed, parents should still be informed about these communications and have the ability to object to receiving them, akin to the opt-out process in legitimate interests. Similar notification to that quoted above for the school bag method could be used to ensure transparency. In Summary For non-commercial promotional messages sent by electronic media, and leaflets (commercial or otherwise) in school bags, consent is not required upfront, but there should be an option for parents to opt-out or object. Schools must inform individuals about this processing beforehand, maintaining transparency and adhering to data protection principles. For commercial promotional messages sent by electronic media, including paid-for services or fundraising, schools must obtain clear, opt-in consent from parents before sending these communications. By distinguishing between these types of communications and applying the correct legal basis for each, schools can ensure compliance with data protection regulations while keeping parents informed about relevant services and opportunities. This marketing definition might be helpful clarification for you. Direct marketing is any type of advertising or promotional material aimed at a particular person. Mass marketing, such as an advertisement in a magazine, is not aimed at anyone in particular. We hope that you find this advice helpful and the SchoolPro TLC Team are available should you need further guidance and support.
With thanks to Director Ben Craig and the SchoolPro TLC Team. 10/1/2024 0 Comments If you were wondering what it's like to be a supply teacher with Exeter Supply PartnershipIf you are considering supply teaching to suit your work/life balance or to refresh your skills before taking on a permanent post, it will be helpful for you to read Katie’s experiences of working for Exeter Supply Partnership (ESP). For Katie, education has always played an important role in her life, and after finishing her Master’s in Education and gaining her teaching certificate, she taught fourth grade, and then two years later, second grade in a mountain town in Northern Arizona. After moving from Arizona to England, Katie joined Exeter Supply Partnership in 2018 and was soon offered a temporary contract at a local primary school in Exeter. Katie returned to ESP in 2021 and again was soon snapped up for a short-term contract before returning again in September 2023. Why did you choose to become a supply teacher? After moving to England, I volunteered at a primary school in Exeter to gain experience of working in the classroom over here. The school then advised me to apply to Exeter Supply Partnership so that they could book me for their school as a supply teacher. Why did you choose Exeter Supply Partnership? Because ESP is a not-for-profit organisation and the school, I volunteered with recommended ESP. What is your favourite aspect of being a supply teacher? I have enjoyed working as a primary supply teacher. I love the fact that you can go to different schools and see how they operate, and also gather lots of ideas. I have a note book that I use to record new ideas. I was at a school the other day and the teacher had planned an incredible lesson. I asked the school if I could take the planning sheet with me to use elsewhere as a resource. Supply is also a great way to meet other educators. What are your favourite/most useful resources to use? I have a subscription to Twinkle that I use occasionally and I always take a couple of story books with me that I can use as the basis for a lesson. How do you prepare for your bookings? I always have a look at the school documents ahead of attending such as the behaviour policy, marking policy and safeguarding policy. In my note book I have a section where I ensure I have the start and finish times, the name/s of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and any other useful information. Once I have attended a school, I will add any useful information to my book that could be helpful for my next visit. What approach do you take when you are attending a new school? I will look at the documents and policies for the school. I will also look at the school website, which will often give you a feel for the school and how they operate. Sometimes when you arrive at a school, they may want you to cover a different age group than originally planned, so it is important to always go with a ‘can do’ attitude and an open mind. Would you say supply teaching is an enjoyable/fulfilling experience? Yes, I love it! I like going to new schools and meeting new groups of children. Some people might think that supply teaching is lonely, however I do not find this to be the case as staff in schools are really friendly and I also find that there are very often other ESP teachers working in the same school as me. What advice would you give to a teacher who is new to supply teaching/ considering supply work? I would say that it is different than having your own classroom, so make sure that you are flexible and take every day as a new adventure. If one day does not go so well, give it another go. Always be open for new experiences and your next adventure. How do you manage the uncertainty of supply work and the possibility of not having work on some days? This can be tricky; however, I have been very fortunate in that I have been booked on most of the days that I have wanted to work. On the occasions that I am available for short notice bookings, I get up early so that I am ready for a booking. I always try to have a plan ‘B’ so that if I do not get a booking, I will have something else to do with the rest of my day. Would you recommend ESP to other teachers? If so, why? I could not recommend it highly enough! I am always recommending ESP to others if they are thinking of doing supply teaching. The ESP team have always been the most welcoming and caring people to work with; they take really good care of us and are always so supportive. Exeter Supply Partnership (ESP) is a not-for-profit organisation linking supply teachers and their next job. If you have QTS, a passion for teaching and a desire to move into supply work then ESP are here to help. Perhaps you are newly qualified and looking to gain experience before joining a school full time. Maybe you’re looking to slow down and ease into retirement. Or possibly a parent trying to juggle work with a busy family life. Whatever your reasons may be, supply teaching offers flexibility and variety we we’d be delighted to help match you up with local primary schools. “ESP have become my ‘go to’ first choice for supply be it a last-minute request or planned ahead they couldn’t be easier to contact or more helpful. We can rely on quality teachers at the best rates. I would and regularly do recommend them to teachers and schools alike.” (School) Exeter Supply Partnership is a Community Interest Company set up by the member schools of Exeter Consortium, one of SWIFT's Delivery Partners, who also manage and inform the running of the organisation.
“I enjoy nurturing partnerships and I am continuously reminded of their importance in every we do.” As we embrace this new year as a time of renewal and revitalisation and as the culmination of the first four-years cycle of Teaching School Hubs, it seemed opportune to check in with our Executive Director, Martin Smith to reflect on his role in leading the Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs, as you will know as SWIFT (South West Institute for Teaching). Martin started his career as a Teacher of History in Herefordshire and became an Advanced Skills Teacher early in his career, working as a Teaching and Learning consultant for Gloucestershire Local Authority. For four years he was Deputy Head of a rural 11 to 18-years school in Herefordshire, before becoming a secondary Headteacher in East Devon for eight years. As the backdrop to his current leadership, Martin led the formation of the Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance and in 2020 he was appointed founding Director of Teaching Schools South West (TSSW) as one of six Department for Education’s test and learn Teaching School Hubs with Kingsbridge Community College the lead school. A year later, with the roll-out of 81 further Teaching School Hubs as national centres of excellence, Martin orchestrated combined of operations with the newly formed Colyton Teaching School Hub, with Colyton Grammar School the lead school to create SWIFT. 1. What did you anticipate from your role of leading the Test and Learn Teaching Schools South West (TSSW)? I anticipated that there was a great opportunity to create a system for schools that was more joined-up with less duplication, and less overload of providers delivering similar programmes. This, of course, was mainly the professional development Early Career Framework (ECF) programme, before the launch of the reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQ's) and before the Department for Education’s Golden Thread of professional development. My role was to focus on bringing together partners who were experienced in making significant contributions in the area and included the former Teaching School Alliances and Multi Academy Trusts who were emerging onto the scene and growing rapidly. As part of my role, I anticipated bringing together the different components into a coherent partnership framework. 2. What do you believe to be the most important function for Teaching School Hubs and has that changed over the past four years? The most important function is to provide high-quality professional development for teachers and leaders because we know that if teachers and leaders engage in high-quality professional development, it has a positive impact on the quality of what they do in the classroom and the outcomes for young people. Teaching School Hubs also have a key role to play in the teacher recruitment and retention agenda. Recruitment, by improving initial teacher training (ITT) and making it accessible to more people. Retention, in running high-quality Early Career Framework programmes that support new teachers, and inspire them to stay in the profession for longer, and to provide a pathway for more experienced school leaders through the NPQs so that this journey of growing and developing continues beyond the first few years of teaching. Therefore, well trained and supported teachers are more likely to stay in the profession for the longer-term and Teaching School Hubs are making an important contribution to the recruitment and retention of teachers. It is also important to create a coherent and accessible professional development structure for Schools and Trusts. One of the drawbacks of the previous iterations of Teaching Schools was working with a large and disparate number of Teaching School Alliances – along the lines of 14 across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, all of which were providing their own professional development and initial teacher training and as a Teaching School Hub we wanted to create a clear and accessible marketplace for schools to access high-quality professional development. A clear marketplace incentivises and supports schools to engage in professional development. 3. What has been the most constructive learning point to date in your tenure as Executive Director of SWIFT? It is more of a validation and something that is constantly validated for me is the importance of partnership in building long-term high-quality partnerships based on strong relationships with trust, a genuine collaboration, sharing and a generosity between partners. I enjoy nurturing partnerships and I am continuously reminded of their importance in every we do. 4. What do you find to be the most personally rewarding for you in the role? Personally, I have always enjoyed seeing people flourish in their roles and organisations and knowing that as Teaching School Hubs, we are enabling colleagues across the profession to take on new opportunities. Whether it is to design an ITT curriculum, become an ECF Mentor, lead ECF Mentors or facilitate an NPQ. I think that these opportunities across the partnership are truly inspiring and we know that they can make an important difference to people's professional lives. In addition, we now have a not-insignificant SWIFT Central Team of ten people and it is very gratifying to see them grow and develop as individuals and as a team to embrace challenges and celebrate successes. 5. What would be your vision and hope (s) for the next four years of Teaching School Hubs? If we are successful in our re-designation for the next four years, I think my vision will largely remain the same to create those high-quality pathways for teachers from initial teacher training through to Executive Headship and to continue to develop and ensure that these opportunities are meaningful and relevant. We always want to give schools in the South West the best of regional, national and available evidence. We have always believed very strongly in our vision to give South West leaders the best opportunities available and we are committed to this mission that continues, not least with the exciting opportunity we now have with SWIFT Teacher Training to increase the number of teachers entering the profession across our area. There are many great ITT providers within our region and we want to work alongside those existing providers to support potential trainees with the requisite skills and commitment who wish to get into teaching. I also hope that we can adapt to the changing educational context towards larger Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and at a practical level, as Teaching School Hubs, we are very keen to be responsive to the needs of growing MATs and offer more personalised approaches to ITT and NPQs that allows them to access the benefits of a national programme, but at the same time put their own Trust stamp on the experience. We thank Martin for his reflections and his continued leadership of SWIFT. Interview by Jude Owens, SWIFT Executive Assistant 3/1/2024 0 Comments SWIFT Collaborates with the National Institute of Teaching on a Research ProjectWe are pleased to start this new year collaborating with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) on a research project.
The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) aims to root their research and programmes in schools. They seek to design research that addresses areas that teachers and leaders care most about and feeds directly back into programmes to strengthen training and development. SWIFT aims to create high-quality opportunities for staff to learn, develop and connect so that all children, especially the disadvantaged, achieve the best educational outcomes. This year, the NIoT and SWIFT are collaborating on a research project to learn more about the Early Career Framework (ECF) programme delivery, and how the ECF can be designed for schools in rural and coastal communities. Purpose of the Study Early evaluations of the ECF have shown that Early Career Teachers (ECTs) hugely value the support from Mentors. However, workload and balancing responsibilities for ECT Mentors remains a challenge (DfE, 2023). In addition, some schools in rural and coastal communities are reporting particular challenges in delivering aspects of the ECF. For example, schools with small staff bodies may find it more challenging to provide adequate time for Mentors off-timetable to meet the demands of the role. For some schools, the distance required for ECTs and Mentors to travel to in-person training may require greater time outside of school. However, little is known across the country, and more evidence is needed in order to understand the types of approaches that might be needed to deliver the ECF in different geographic locations. The Aim of the Study The intention is to support ECF design for schools in rural and coastal communities, with an intention to build towards a larger study to pilot promising strategies in order to:
How will the findings be used? This research will be used to tailor the NIoT’s own ECF design to be suited to different geographic locations, and to make sure that schools, ECTs, ECT Mentors and school leaders have the support they need to deliver the ECF. There is also the intention to build towards a larger study to pilot promising strategies. The NIoT will also use the research to make recommendations to the sector, and for awareness-raising and advocacy to shape future policy revisions. How can I get involved? If this study sounds like something you are interested in, we would like to hear from you! The study will run from January to October 2024 and will involve a national survey, and qualitative research with selected schools in the North East and South West regions of England. Research Interviews The NIoT are currently looking for schools to take part in the qualitative research strand between March to May 2024 and would like to interview six to ten Early Career Teachers (ECTs), ECT Mentors, Induction Tutors and/School Leaders across a range of schools in the North East and South West England. Interviews will last for about 45 minutes, and a member of the NIoT Team will come to your school in person at a time that is convenient to you. There is no obligation for any other member of staff in your school to take part, if only one staff member is interested and each individual who participates will receive a £10 book token as a thank you for their time. Advisory Group In addition, they are also looking for a small number of teachers and leaders to participate in an advisory group for this study. This will involve two to three sessions throughout the year, held remotely and at a time agreed with the group, depending on availability. The group will guide the study team in making sure the findings are useful, and will share them in the most impactful way. We welcome your interest in participating in the research or joining the advisory group. By the National Institute of Teaching and SWIFT Team 1/11/2023 0 Comments Interview with Andy Ogden, Director for CPD and Devon Training School Partnership at Tarka Learning Partnership“Working with SWIFT, I enjoy collaborating and creating high-quality CPD provision that fulfils our desire to do the best for our schools and our children that comes through our programmes.” Proving the benefits of our SWIFT partnership model in motion, Andy Ogden is one of our valued Delivery Partners. Developing people so that they can confidently and expertly carry out their classroom and office roles and benefit from professional and personal fulfilment and ultimately, provide the best education for children is a lifelong passion for Andy. Based at Devon Training School Partnership at Tarka Learning Partnership, Andy has gained nearly 30 years’ expertise and experience in education through a variety of roles, not least - Headteacher, School Improvement Advisor and National Strategy Consultant. He has designed the Subject Leader Apprenticeship for the Tarka Learning Partnership, led the Devon Teaching School Partnership and was previously Director of Devon Primary SCITT. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at Tarka Learning Partnership is described as providing “inspiration leadership that models and secures outstanding personalised training, professional development and pastoral support.” Working with SWIFT, Andy is hands-on in delivering high-impact CPD training opportunities as a Lead Facilitator for the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), delivering the Teach First ECT programme and is a key player in the SWIFT Membership Services Team. We asked him to reflect on this positive working relationship. 1. What do you believe to be most important in supporting schools?
Fundamentally, I think it is starting from where schools are and empowering them to do the job that they need to do. Clearly for schools this is making sure that the right environment, the right people, and the right training are in place so that children receive the best education. I believe the role of SWIFT is in supporting schools to do their job in the way that is right for them and their children and communities as a service relationship in understanding the needs of schools, and how best to support them. Schools will then have choices available to them about the way in which they operate and this goes beyond professional development and includes the benefits of collaborative networks. I would also hope that by listening to schools they feel the SWIFT offer is more bespoke to their needs, rather than simply generic training, and they are genuinely supported in their school improvement work. 2. What do you perceive to be the current challenges for schools in North Devon? I think one of the biggest challenges that is probably true of all schools nationally, but particularly for Devon, is our provision for special needs children, and the training of colleagues who work with our most vulnerable children and the need to access services for alternative provision. In North Devon, there is a shortage of specialist provision available exacerbated by funding restrictions and falling roles in some rural areas. Hence, we are having to source a lot of support from within our own schools and settings and make the best of what we have available to us and the importance of working collaboratively. Given our North Devon location, we can feel isolated and sometimes because we are not near some of the major urban centres we need to look and reach outwards to ensure that we are abreast of the best that there is nationally in terms of education. I think we recognise that for a long period of time there has not always been the infrastructure to support North Devon and therefore we have to do a lot of this work ourselves. Therefore, the challenge is how to form partnerships and to create an infrastructure that is sustainable in North Devon and meets our local needs; whilst still recognising that we have a lot to learn beyond North Devon. Linked to this challenge is the recruitment of teachers, Teaching Assistants and support staff to the area; which is clearly another nationwide challenge. But we like to think that North Devon is a lovely place to live and come and work; and although housing is expensive, we have a lot of new housing and would hope that this will bring more children to our schools. In fact, I am sitting in a brand-new school as we speak that has an intake of 60 children a year. So, there are reasons to be hopeful! But in some of the surrounding areas outside Barnstable in particular, the pupil projections are of rolls beginning to fall off. Although I am not quite sure of the reasons. Possibly the increase in second homes common to the Devon area as a whole. 3. How does Tarka Learning Partnership benefit from working with SWIFT? I am pleased to talk about this partnership and I would go back to the history of working with SWIFT when there were previously around ten of the original Teaching Schools across Devon and Torbay and Plymouth. I remember some of these first meetings where it was clear that the educational landscape was going to change. The fundamental wish was that we all needed to work together for the benefit of all schools and children and this became our guiding vision. What we also gained from those meetings was that colleagues had developed their own capacity and specialisms and expertise in certain areas, and together, we were greater than the sum of our parts (the SWIFT symbol!). I think the biggest gain as a Trust is the fact that we have other colleagues who are very willing to collaborate with us and to think through challenges and opportunities, to design training and support that will help us all. For example, we have not all got the capacity to run our own subject networks. But by collaborating with other SWIFT partners, we can deliver this work. We, at Devon Training School Partnership, are now facilitating across most of the primary phase, but our secondary colleagues are leading other work, which becomes more viable because all schools can participate. It also gives us access to the Golden Thread programmes with the Appropriate Body Service, the Early Career Framework, and National Professional Qualifications, which again, we support, but we could not deliver on our own. The other benefit is bringing opportunities for our staff. For example, we have two safeguarding leads who were funded by SWIFT to attend the NSPCC six-day programme to train other staff and are now running those programmes which are very highly evaluated and have brought their own experience and expertise to the NSPCC training and are leading meaningful safeguarding training as trainers in their own right. Similarly, we have another member of staff who is running the Writing Moderations training in North Devon and we are able to link with fellow SWIFT partners, Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance and Riviera Training School Alliance who run these sessions in their localities as well; so that every primary school teacher has got access to a moderation group. I think also for our staff, they benefit from a very comprehensive professional development offer, which they would not otherwise enjoy because we are able to tap into and fill the gaps through the entire SWIFT programme, combined with some of our own internal training, and we can additionally signpost to other opportunities. As an employer, we believe that we our staff have a wide ranging CPD offer, and one that we could not necessarily do on our own in magnifying on the biggest scale. 4. What are your hopes for future working between Tarka and SWIFT? Essentially, it is probably doing more of what we have been doing to date so that we are working towards a comprehensive and cohesive offer of training. in addition, considering the educational landscape has become quite fragmented for different reasons - different sorts of schools and approaches, SWIFT can become a democratic voice, in drawing schools together in what we can do together and our commonalities and help to provide a forum that is shaping the landscape. Increasingly, the partnership that is SWIFT is becoming a voice for leaders, staff, and children to have their say in how the education landscape should evolve. 5. What do you find to be most rewarding from working with SWIFT? Above all, I think it gets me outside my own echo chamber by being involved with other people beyond my own Trust, School, and locality, which is always an enriching experience. It obviously increases my knowledge, skills and understanding by being in contact with a wider network of educational professionals and conferences, which I really enjoy. SWIFT procures some excellent national speakers who provide relevant and up-to-date training and thinking as well. Personally, I think that it has given me training and professional development opportunities in the same way as I mentioned previously for our staff. I enjoy being a Facilitator for the NPQs and I have always loved working with the Early Career Teachers and having my own cohorts. Also, there is the enjoyment of working with other colleagues to shape and design programmes that will benefit schools and to play my part in shaping the SWIFT vision. There is a true feeling of togetherness; that we are all responsible for developing our school staff. For instance, I could feel this last term at the Early Careers Teachers induction conference and with the NPQs Facilitation Team. It did not matter which school the Early Career Teachers or NPQ Leaders attended, or their locality; we were all helping to grow the next generation of teachers and leaders and doing it together. It is this common goal in what we are trying to do for all of our schools, children and leaders. I am very proud to be part of SWIFT and I believe that it is a good way forward and we should celebrate what SWIFT has achieved to date in quite a short space of time to support schools. Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the Executive Team and Governance 11/10/2023 0 Comments Interview with Jenny Sutton, Regional Principal, South and West – National Institute of Teaching“I genuinely love working with our Associate Colleges because [THEY] all want to build a really strong partnership with us, that genuinely ensures the programmes we develop and deliver together are of maximum benefit for teachers and leaders.” Jenny Sutton is the National Institute of Teaching's founding Regional Principal for the South and West and was previously a Head of School Partnerships at Teach First leading on their relationships with Teaching School Hubs as Delivery Partners for the Early Career Framework (ECF) and Reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), having previously spent seven years as Teach First's South West Regional Director, founding their work in this region. Prior to this role, Jenny spent ten years as a Teacher of English and Drama, Head of Faculty and Assistant Head in two large secondary schools in Islington and Hackney. Jenny is an 09 cohort member of Future Leaders and Teach First Ambassador. 1. How do you anticipate the work of the Associate Colleges/Teaching School Hubs in working with the National Institute of Teaching will benefit their schools?
The National Institute of Teaching offers genuinely schools-led programmes. We are led by the School Led Development Trust, an organisation set up by four leading School Multi Academy Trusts: the Harris Federation, Star Academies, Oasis Community Learning and Outwood Grange Academies Trust. They are responsible for 188 primary, secondary and Post-16 schools and colleges and educate 100,000+ children in communities ranging from Southampton to Middlesbrough and from Blackpool to Battersea. This provides a very rich national network for the National Institute of Teaching to tap into when it comes to the delivery and design of our programmes. For example, our suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) all provide national Masterclasses led by the best experts from that national network. This provides new insights for schools in Associate Colleges to tap into, alongside the regionally-run aspects of the programme, which are grounded in local context e.g. termly in-person conferences. We also host Virtual School Visits for our NPQ programme members in schools in our founding MATs, which similarly provide a window into areas of good practice nationally. The focus of these is driven by our research and feedback from our programme members about their needs. For example, for the NPQ in Leading Teacher Development, if schools were struggling in getting early teachers to buy into practice-based learning, the National Institute of Teaching could share a virtual visit of a school that has successfully embedded this into their school and look at some of the key factors and principles underpinning successful implementation. It is vital for us that all our delivery is facilitated by those working in schools and leading this work day in, day out. We also have a rich network of national experts outside of our four founding Trusts; providing speakers that more isolated schools and communities might not necessarily be able to hear from or might have to travel to London to hear from. For example, programme members on our ECF programme are able to attend a series of Masterclasses with experts, such as Tom Bennett leading sessions on behaviour. We provide these national webinars free of charge for colleagues who are on a National Institute of Teaching programme. Thirdly, we have a strong research arm to our work and are continually being commissioned to deliver research in key areas of development for the educational sector. For example, we are working in partnership on a piece of research in how artificial intelligence (AI) could be used in education and we are interested in how AI could be used in professional development to increase efficiency and teacher well-being, recognising the potential challenges of achieving a good work-life balance in education. We are also keen to look at research in areas of particular interest for our Associate Colleges. For example, we are currently working on a piece of research with SWIFT about how the Early Career Framework (ECF) is running in small schools, particularly small primary schools. We also include the experience and feedback from our Associate Colleges when considering future policy developments. Finally, we are working towards becoming a university that is dedicated to the professional development of teachers and leaders and this will hopefully provide exciting opportunities for our Associate Colleges. 2. What do you believe is the greatest challenge for the National Institute of Teaching? I think the greatest challenge for the National Institute of Teaching is the pace of the work - going from the design, to implementation to delivery stage in a short space of time in a relatively small organisation across several programmes. In year one, we are delivering initial teacher training for 500+ trainees and delivering the ECF to thousands of programme members and delivering the full suite of NPQs, so there's lots of piloting and learning in a short space of time. We have also recently been successful in our bid to be accredited to deliver the new NPQ in Leading Primary Maths. 3. What do you hope to achieve personally from working with Associate Colleges? I genuinely love working with our Associate Colleges because all our Associate Colleges want to build a really strong partnership with us, that genuinely ensures the programmes we develop and deliver together are of maximum benefit for teachers and leaders. So, if colleagues from SWIFT schools take part in these programmes, they have to feel like it was a good use of their time...that is fundamental - we both understand that time is precious for teachers and school leaders, so are both motivated by impact and efficiency. We thank Jenny for her insights into the work of the National Institute of Teaching and SWIFT is pleased to be supporting their work as two of the Associate Colleges. Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the Executive Team and Governance As one of their school improvement services for educational leaders, our sponsor SchoolPro TLC shares an attendance case study that highlights their work in this key area for schools. When we start attendance work with our schools we always talk about the ‘journey’ that we are about to embark on. There a few quick wins when it comes to attendance improvements and it is the robustness of policy and the rigour in which the policy is carried out that makes the lasting impact. The Starting Point When I first met the Attendance Lead at this particular Infant School in Gloucestershire, it was great to see the drive they had in improving the attendance of the children. Our starting position was comparable with the national picture, with whole school attendance sitting at slightly over 94% for the 2021 - 2022 academic year. However, rates of persistent absenteeism and vulnerable group attendance, specifically Free School Meal (FSM) and Pupil Premium children (PP), had been below the national average over the previous years and both of these aspects were raised in the schools IDSR. So where did we start…? The initial attendance audit focused on key areas:
Following this, an Attendance Action Plan was produced that was to be monitored by the Attendance Lead and other members of the leadership team, along with the Governors. Putting the Actions in Place A new policy was launched in line with the Department for Education (DfE) guidance for September 2022, with staff undertaking training to understand their roles and responsibilities in achieving good attendance for all children. The children were spoken to in assemblies and SAM (School Attendance Mascot) was launched, where the best attending class each week got to look after SAM for the following week. Parents and carers were sent an attendance letter signposting them to the new policy and class attendance was reported on each week in the school newsletter. Communicating with all stakeholders in this manner set the benchmark for the expectations of all. The monitoring of attendance was moved from fortnightly to weekly with a key focus on persistent absenteeism and FSM/PP children. The leadership team added this to their weekly agenda and each child was ‘banded’ with specific interventions implemented at each stage. For example, if a child dropped below 95% attendance, a letter was sent home informing parents that their child was now below the national average for attendance and informing them how the school could support them in ensuring their child’s attendance improved. The word ‘support’ changed the thinking of parents as previously, parents looked upon attendance communication as a negative (much like behaviour…but that is a different discussion!). With those systems in place, this led to ‘early intervention’, and positive, supportive attendance discussions took place far earlier and prevented that downward trend continuing. Attendance was now a daily discussion with positive connotations. This enabled the ‘profile’ of attendance to be raised and developed a culture of good attendance, which in turn led to better outcomes for the children. I visited the school termly to meet with the Attendance Lead, to view attendance data, discuss progress and improvements in-line the Action Plan. Impact Due to the comprehensive policy and the robustness that sat behind it, with all stakeholders playing their part, attendance in ALL areas showed an improvement.
So, What Next? You often see the phrase “eat, sleep, repeat.” But when it comes to attendance, it’s “policy, procedure, repeat!” Yes, there will have to be some modifications for certain individuals; but, for the majority of the children under your stewardship, you need to get the basics right when it comes to attendance. How Can SchoolPro TLC Help You? Our Attendance Consultancy Team can help to build capacity in your setting by taking both a strategic and a hands-on approach to attendance. This can include supporting attendance reviews, analysing your data and advising on practices to help identify the best use of your resources and we can also support these plans where necessary. Our main objective is to ensure young people achieve the best outcomes and we offer the assurance that detailed and accurate evidence and logs are maintained at all times, should they be required for the future. By Richard Morley, Director at SchoolPro TLC
We are pleased to introduce an opportunity to be involved in our SWIFT Reference Group as part of our Teaching School Hubs’ responsibility of programme delivery to schools and continued commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The Reference Group will be founded on inclusion and collaboration and we welcome expressions of interest from all colleagues of all backgrounds and positions within all organisations across our Teaching School Hub region. Participation will not be limited by any of the Protected Characteristics (Equality Act 2010): Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion and Belief, Sex, and Sexual Orientation. Principles Membership of the Reference Group is voluntary and staff-led and any member of staff across our schools and partners is eligible to apply to be part of the group. The Group is intended to be a safe space that will build high-trust relationships within a diverse and inclusive setting that will:
Importance We believe that Reference Groups are important because they can: 1. Foster an Inclusive Workplace and a Sense of Belonging and Acceptance 2. Enhance Employee Experience 3. Promote Cultural Awareness 4. Improve Innovation Timeline for the Reference Group We are seeking to launch the Reference Group in November 2023, with the first meeting in January 2024 and it is our intention that the meetings will be half termly. More Information and How to Express your Interest
You can read more about the SWIFT Reference Group by clicking on the link below. If you wish to express your interest to be part of the group, we invite you to complete a short form on the link below by Monday 6 November 2023 at 12 noon. Thank you for your interest in our proposed SWIFT Reference Group as part of our work to promote Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. Our sponsor SchoolPro TLC provide some helpful and current advice about confidential references and subject access requests. When it comes to subject access requests and exemptions, it is important to understand the various exceptions that apply to certain types of personal data. One specific exemption relates to confidential references. According to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Data Protection Act 2018, personal data included in a confidential reference is exempt from the right of access in specific circumstances. The exemption applies to references given or received for the purpose of prospective or actual education, training, employment, volunteer placement, appointment to office, or provision of services by an individual. It is important to note that this exemption only applies to references that are provided in confidence. To ensure clarity in your documentation, especially for educational references, it is advisable to state explicitly that all references will be treated as confidential. This should be communicated to both the individuals providing the referees and those providing the reference itself. For example, instead of a simple instruction like “Please provide details of two referees.” You can modify it to convey that all references will be treated as confidential. A revised statement could be: “Please provide details of two referees. All references will be treated as confidential.” If your references are considered confidential, you will need to ensure staff dealing with subject access requests are aware of, and have adequate guidance to follow in order to prevent accidental release of your confidential references. Understanding these exemptions and clearly communicating the confidentiality of references will help ensure compliance with Data Protection regulations and maintain the privacy and trust of individuals involved in the process. By Ben Craig for the SchoolPro TLC Team More Information For more detailed information on other exemptions that apply to subject access requests, check out SchoolPro TLC's SAR Guidance and/or the ICO website and contact the SchoolPro TLC team directly for support. If you are interested in this topic and wish to find out more about working in this area, you can find out more about how you could Make a Difference with SchoolPro TLC. We are grateful to our SWIFT sponsors for their services and their support helps to provide additional funding for us to subsidise the cost of conferences and events as part of our high-quality professional development offer to school leaders, teachers and staff.
12/9/2023 0 Comments Diversity in the History Curriculum with Dr Miranda Kaufmann| Black Tudors and Other Untold Stories "Whatever the curriculum says, YOU have the power to change what happens in the classroom.” We were pleased to welcome historian, author, raconteuse, Dr Miranda Kaufmann at the end of term to conclude our 2022 – 2023 SWIFT History Masterclass series with her talk on Diversity in the History Curriculum: Black Tudors and Other Untold Stories with inspiration from her book, “Black Tudors: The Untold Story.” "[It is too easy] by emphasis and omission to make children believe…that every great thought was a white man’s thought and every great deed…a white man’s deed.” (W.E.B. DuBois, American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist and author). The impactful inclusion of Black British History is clearly and increasingly a vital priority in diversifying the curriculum. Yet, curriculum observers will know that it is not new. Teaching Black History dates back to the introduction of the National Curriculum 30 years ago with guidance to teach “the essential knowledge that they [children and young people] need to be educated citizens.” The important starting point is to acknowledge that Black History is British History. It is not and should not be a hidden truth. Even if some school History textbook covers have conventionally (and painfully) mispresented Black History with clichéd images of enslaved people. Quoting from Zadie Smith’s acclaimed novel “White Teeth,” Miranda highlighted this recurrent ignorance in the miseducation of Irie Jones. In the story, when Irie, the daughter of an Englishman and a Jamaican woman is studying Shakespeare’s sonnets, she asks her teacher Mrs Roody if the “dark lady” is “black” to which Mrs Rooney replies: “No dear, she’s dark. She’s not black in the modern sense. There weren’t any… well, Afro-Carri-bee-yans in England at that time, dear. That’s a more modern phenomenon, as I’m sure you know. But this was the 1600s. I mean I can’t be sure, but it does seem terribly unlikely, unless she was a slave of some kind, and he’s unlikely to have written a series of sonnets to a lord and then a slave, is he?” Uncomfortable, and as Miranda was to show us, inaccurate. But the good news is that this perception is changing and clarifying. In a highly engaging talk, it was a refreshing revelation for me, and the Subject Leaders and Teachers of History in the audience to know and understand that over 200 Africans were living freely in Tudor England as Miranda drew on examples from her book featuring the stories of ten Black Tudors. Wonderfully intriguing and individual roles, such as John Blanke, the Trumpeter, Jacques Francis, the Salvage Diver and Mary Fillis, the Moroccan Convert. All of which intensely and intelligently refuted two common assumptions about Black British History. Firstly, there were Africans in Tudor England over 400 years before the first Windrush immigrants disembarked in Tilbury, Essex. Secondly, they were not enslaved. A clear and compelling case to refute those stereotypical textbook covers. Next, by teaching Black British History, those students with African ancestry can feel a sense of belonging, in that they are part of British History too. Clearly, an important piece of diversity, equality and inclusion work; which will hopefully encourage Black students to pursue history to GCSE, A Level and beyond; eventually impacting the way History is studied and presented by academics and popular historians, enhancing the discipline with a broader range of perspectives. Teaching Black British History can help to support the struggle against racism in challenging racist assumptions that immigration is a 20th Century phenomenon – and can be reversed. As Miranda shows in her book, focusing on the stories of African figures from the past can encourage empathy. By extension, this helpfully supports a timeline of understanding the ‘before’ the period of slave trading and colonisation and the after; and powerfully demonstrates the role of questioning assumptions in the study of History. The “interruption of the psyche” (Whitburn and Mohamed, Justice 2 History). As in any curriculum change, there needs to be a long-term commitment and schools and teachers can play their part and we thank Miranda for sharing the following helpful suggestions to upskill and up-knowledge teaching of Black British History in the classroom:
With thanks to Miranda for her motivating and enlightening talk that made us all think about the endurance of Black British History and for sharing ways to teach and bring to life this significant part of history that can inform the present. By Jude Owens, PA to the Executive Team and Governance 20/7/2023 0 Comments SWIFT Character Education Professional Community | Building a Characterful CurriculumLyndsey Bolton of the Alumnis Multi Academy Trust led the final session of the SWIFT Character Education Professional Community looking at how to develop a co curriculum that explicitly develops character, enhanced by enrichment and developed by curriculum offers and opportunities for children as part of Character 'sought'. A class teacher and Character Education Lead across the Trust, Lyndsey has always been passionate about providing children with opportunities to build themselves as strong, courageous, resilient and creative individuals and uses the term “characterful” explicitly and clearly. She started her own character journey building on research work with the Jubilee Centre that provides a useful resource bank for teachers to take the tools back into school and provide creative and innovative ways to teach character through the curriculum. Character needs to be taught. Do not take it for granted that children will soak it up. Or leave it to chance. But provide environments and a culture where they can catch it and seek it. Think about how to message to children and connect it with the curriculum. Why? How? What does it do? Character is an essential part of Personal Development within the Ofsted Framework. Lyndsey reported on a recent Ofsted Outstanding judgement in one of the Trust schools. During Ofsted visits the children have “sung character” throughout the inspection in the way that they spoke, conducted themselves, and demonstrated behaviour for learning in action. Lyndsey is always keen to champion that schools do not work in isolation. But if something is going really well or is in a positive stage of development, to share it in their communities and to learn from one another. Hence the work of this Professional Community. Lyndsey has worked with children and staff to create characterful approaches rooted in the Trust vision of 'Inspiring Changemakers'. Careful consideration is given to the language used in all classrooms and across all the Trust schools that is intentional, explicit and supports each practitioner to weave in impactful opportunities to develop personally and holistically; putting virtues in action. Planned and intentional opportunities to link teaching character through discussion, events, stories in the classroom and assemblies help children to internalise, process and reflect on how to recognise it and then live it. For example, how did they feel when they spoke out? How can they learn for next time? Consider what does it look like across all the year groups and think about the progression. The Alumnis approach is developed from Early Years and throughout the children's educational career. Consider the challenges, but be creative and courageous in shaping your opportunities and enhance what is happening in curriculum time. Map out where children can have multiple opportunities to develop their character throughout the academic year. Confidence is a huge issue and can be difficult for some children. But ultimately, character education and developing a characterful culture within our schools for adults and children can guide them to see the opportunities as positive as they flourish as human beings. As part of the session, there was discussion about the work of the participants and it was agreed that the legacy of Covid is still being felt in changes in character across schools with work to be done.
For instance, Nick Banwell shared the “11 by 11” work of ESW Multi Academy Trust in South Devon in creating opportunities for character development at primary by the time they reach age 11 and for secondary, by the time they reach Year 11. Opportunities are created across key topics, including enrichment, community, careers, forest school, environment, culture, arts, leadership, and mental wellbeing. All the schools are encouraged to connect and learn from each other and to build on their experiences. Given limited funds and pressured curriculum time, ESW is developing a link with the local Rotary Clubs who go into the schools and work alongside the children and provide various support. We thank Lyndsey for leading this session and adding an encouraging and enabling clarity about Character Education that can be bespoke for schools to make their own energy and to feel like they are part of a bigger picture of driving forward school improvement with character development as the foundation. Listening to these sessions always gives me hope. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team "Allow children to find their way with words through passion and poetry." After an hour in the company of Joseph Coelho speaking on Reading for Pleasure at the Ilsham English Hub event last week, I was convinced that he was every inch the Waterstones Children's Laureate. In the second year of his tenure as the twelfth Laureate and successor to “How to Train the Dragon” writer Cressida Cowell; poet and library enthusiast Joseph’s call to action was delivered with focused fervour and fizz in how encouraging children to read, you also encourage them to write (and vice versa). Let them understand they are “part of this wonderful world of words and their words are wonderful.” Words count and understanding that many children struggle with words, poetry reading can be the perfect medium as “you cut straight to the marrow.” Poetry can come with a certain scary “baggage,” but thinking beyond any imaginable barriers, poetry plays with words and can be very appealing to children and boost their reading. Poetry is often dipped into for a wedding or a funeral and then forgotten. But “it translates into the soul” and puts into words the indescribable and can be relished in our minds. It makes words live. Think of the almost magical meaning of lyrics as the words performed to the lyre. Sharing his own poet pen portrait story was inspiring. Joseph did not grow up in a book-filled home. Yet it was a home of words in which poetry was prominent. There were Argus and Littlewoods catalogues and whilst books were sparse, Joseph notably remembers reading a Ladybird edition of “Little Red Riding Hood” with the iconic watercolour cover and Dr Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat.” His Gran wonderfully furthered his literary leanings with a poster of 1950s Mabel Lucie Attwell‘s “Please remember - don't forget - never leave the bathroom wet!” in her toilet. Joseph read and read the catchy fun verse over again, learning and absorbing it as a boy and in later years, it was a happy revelation for him to discover that Gran wrote her own poems. As a child in his formative writing years, Joseph put his own poetry skills to the test when he wrote a poem for a competition. He had discovered that bears were not treated well, which upset him and he wrote a poem very cleverly called “Unbearable” (a young punster!). Whilst he did not win, Joseph enjoyed writing the poem and kept writing and reading. Along the way in his own journey as a poet, Joseph was to work as a gym instructor, in adverting and sales, as a transport planner and even dare we say it, a tequila boy. Joseph’s ideas do not come from starring at a computer screen, but from going out and thinking, confident in the act of composition by letting ideas evolve. The schooling of his poetic soul evolved in attending a poetry performance course at Battersea where he discovered an ownership in reading and writing poetry and felt in his bones that he was already a writer, believing poetry to be innate in us all, belonging to everyone in non-judgemental ways. Amongst many role models, Joseph was inspired by the work of Jamaican dub poet and storyteller Jean, "Binta" Breeze MBE; understanding personally the importance of diversity and representative characters in books and writers on the bookshelves. But poetry is more than putting pen to paper or writing composition; it is about ideas and ownership of children’s words and opportunity to read each other’s words. In leading activities with children, Joseph has used post-it notes for their wordy ideas whilst playing in the hall to describe what they are doing, for example, sliding down a dragon’s back. Poetry allows children to build-up empathy by using each other’s poetic phrases and taking the words back into the classroom and in doing so, gently introducing the idea that they can all read and write poetry; which can have a huge impact on the reading and writing process and encourages them to be more open to reading the works of others. Indeed, in his own work, Joseph has used poetry to work on a project supporting mental health. Poetry tends to be short, so you can read it and keep in your head for longer than prose and is less overwhelming. Let’s say it and celebrate it now: reading a poem is usually less of a challenge. You can memorise it. It becomes part of you. The pleasure of reading poetry. Poetry plays with language, for example the world of spoonerisms – switching around the front letters as in Joseph’s fun poem, “A Tip of the Slongue” and encourages pupils to be actively engaged in reading the poem. Introduce simple devices and engage them in hunting out the different devices. The wonderful thing about children is that they naturally use poetry and naturally come up with poetic devices. Encourage them to feel words are powerful and valid. Think what the children are writing on. Use giant pieces of sugar paper, jotting down words in felt-tip pens or in one activity Joseph even used disposable lab coats (taking Science to new heights!) that can be put on and taken off. In his own crafting, Joseph uses a beautiful notebook and before he had a space of his own, he used to write in cafes in Soho. Poetry makes literacy accessible to children. Give them their own poetry notebook to use in the classroom. Let them know that the pen belongs to them and their words are powerful and valid in building a foundation where they feel welcomed by books. Get children to write quickly and put their poems down from their heads. Poetry-penning can certainly be easier with younger children who have yet to learn to edit and are not worried about the opinions of others. As teachers, read aloud your poetry. Children are always enthralled by listening to the poetic world. Join them on their poetic journey. On visits to schools, Joseph has even been asked by the librarian if he has a book with him to take part in the stop: 15-minutes reading time for everyone. Children mimic, so it is good for them to see everyone reading. Make these reading routines a happy habit. Let the children feel that they have a final product of their work. Be it a performance to which parents are invited to attend, a wall display, a book, a piece of art. Encourage children to share their own poems. “Invite them into the world of the books.” Cue libraries. Joseph is a member of 177 libraries. It must a be a record and a tribute to his passionate support. Back to Joseph’s own childhood and his introduction to libraries. It was his Gran who launched him on his library career and the beautiful, wood-panelled West Hill Library where she had wanted her ashes to be scattered on the parquet floor. Although Joseph’s Gran outlived West Hill Library; recently sending him an article that the library was sadly closed and the building was up for sale. Joseph used to spend the day at the library. He was part of the reading schemes, bought incomplete encyclopaedias in book sales (“a space to own books”), did his homework there, he even met a girl, laughed with the two Pauls, and played the book bag games of triggering the alarm. Libraires are “a hub for the community.” Warm and dry, a resource of information and support. As well as a place to discover and read books and enjoy other experiences, libraries are spaces to play board games and Lego, for knit and natter, and support mental health services. Not surprisingly, Joseph has created lots of poems about libraries. For four years he performed a one-man stage of poetic storytelling, writing plays that toured libraries as spaces to experience live theatre and events and for him to test out new material. Joseph works with children who are not taken to the library, working to break down barriers to get them into a library and making visual the opening of doors to new worlds. “So that more children can discover books and see themselves in books and know that their own words are important and have power too.” With an eye on literacy, one of the teachers in the audience asked a question about balancing creative pupil writers with the a focus on spelling that can be an issue with some children avoiding big words that they cannot spell. Understanding this dilemma, Joseph encouraged teachers to develop “a passion and urgency” in the children’s writing, as once they wish to write, everything else is easier. Plus, as we all know, spelling mistakes are a part of life. Get them to the point where they want it to be their best work and to be inventive and imaginative and brave with their word choice. In his privileged poetic position as Children's Laureate, it is clear that Joseph will continue to celebrate books and inspire children to read and write their own poetry through his delightful personality and poetry. We thank him for his dazzling talk and to Ilsham English Hub for hosting such a wonderful event. Afterwards, I was tempted to pen a poem in celebration myself. Review by Jude, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team Ilsham English Hub are pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities for 2023 – 2024: Teacher as Readers Group | Open University/UKLA Ilsham English Hub 2023 - 2024 1600 – 1730 | Zoom Session 1 | Thursday 5 October 2023 Session 2 | Thursday 30 November 2023 Session 3 | Thursday 18 January 2024 Session 4 | Thursday 14 March 2024 Session 5 | Thursday 23 May 2024 Session 6 | Thursday 20 June 2024 This group provide free evidence–based CPD for teachers, Teaching Assistants, Early Years professionals, librarians, reading volunteers and others to enrich their understanding of Reading for Pleasure (RfP) and how to support it. It is the fourth year this group has been running and is led by Danni Cooke Ilsham English Hub Lead and the Ilsham Hub Team. The aims of the group are:
You will receive a certificate at the end of the course when you have shared your example of practice on the Open University Reading for Pleasure website. We ask that you aim to attend all the sessions, and within this work you are aiming to make a difference initially to a small group of children. Transforming your School Reading Culture (TSRC) | Ilsham National English Hub 2023 - 2024 Core Sessions | 1230 – 1500 | Zoom Optional Workshops | 1600 – 1630 | Zoom Sign up here The TSRC programme is underpinned by research; and throughout the programme there are articles/books for participants to read, as well as references to research built into the session plans. This research is split into two strands: reading for pleasure and leadership development/change management theory, and there will be gaps tasks in between the sessions. You will need to attend all the sessions and will receive a certificate once the course is completed. Core Sessions Core Session 1 | Reading for Pleasure: a whole school culture | Wednesday 11 October 2023 Core Session 2 | Creating whole school change | Wednesday 22 November 2023 Core Session 3 | Creating a reading school: structural changes | Wednesday 17 January 2024 Core Session 4 | Creating a reading school: behavioural changes | Wednesday 13 March 2024 Core Session 5 | Celebrating impact and sustaining change | Wednesday 19 June 2024 Optional Workshops
This group is for English Leaders and is looking at developing a whole school reading community and culture and is FREE to access and will be facilitated by Danni Cooke (Ilsham English Hub Lead) and Carly Watson (Hub Team). You will need to sign up to attend all five core sessions to be part of this support group and you are also welcome to attend the optional after school workshops (further details to follow next academic year), which should also be valuable. Contact
For any enquires, you can contact Ilsham English Hub Lead, Danni Cooke. “I am very fortunate to have a role that is fulfilling in many ways.” The SWIFT Central Team also counts itself fortunate to have Fiona McNeile as a key team member. Albeit modest sized, the team is highly functional and purposeful with Fiona as Programme Manager for our key Department for Education Golden Thread services from the Appropriate Body Service and Early Career Framework for Early Career Teachers, to National Professional Qualifications for aspiring school leaders. Fiona transitioned seamlessly to her role in SWIFT having previously worked as Business Manager with the former Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance; which has helped to enhance and evolve her understanding of the emerging role of Teaching School Hubs. We value Fiona for her clarity, diligence, pragmatism, and powerful work ethic and drive. As this second complete year of the Early Career Framework draws to a close, we thought that it would be fitting to invite Fiona to reflect on the programme. 1. As SWIFT Programme Manager what are your number three priorities working closely with teachers and school leaders? As SWIFT Programme Manager, a key priority is to work with our SWIFT Team to ensure consistent, high-quality programme delivery to all schools in our region. The processes and requirements of the Golden Thread programmes are complex, and my aim is to support schools by providing access to the world class programmes with minimum workload for leaders and teachers. Having worked in educational support roles for over six years, I have built an in-depth understanding of the pressures and demands on schools, Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), leaders and teachers. We work hard as a team to keep informed through constant one-to-one communication with SWIFT schools and leaders to ensure our delivery models are aligned to the needs of the region. This has been key to the continuous improvement and development of enhancements beyond the requirements of the Golden Thread programmes and services which are now in place. 2. What is most rewarding for you personally in your role as SWIFT Programme Manager? I am very fortunate to have a role that is fulfilling in many ways. From our Early Career Framework (ECF) programme, it is a privilege to be able to support Early Career Teachers (ECTs) to develop their craft and to progress in their careers. Already we have Year 2 ECTs who have completed their SWIFT ECF programme and statutory inductions, who will be Mentors to new Year 1 ECTs in September. Others are fulfilling Subject Lead roles or taking on School Leadership Team responsibilities, and many are progressing their training through the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). To be part of this journey is very rewarding and from my Appropriate Body Service role, I learn how this translates in the classroom and affects whole school progress. As NPQs Programme Manager, it is humbling to support future leaders and be part of their career journey too. I also get to work with awesome and fascinating professionals! MAT CEOs, Mentors, Facilitators and Delivery Leads, Subject Specialists, ECTs, the wonderful network of SWIFT partners and our super SWIFT Central Team mean that I learn something new every day. Given the variation to my role, I am lucky that there is never a dull moment! 3. What has been the biggest challenge (if any) and how have you successfully overcome it? Moving from a Teaching School Alliance Business Manager role to a regional Teaching School Hub Programme Manager role was a shift in gear and I have had to upskill my knowledge in national programme delivery requirements extremely quickly. As with any change to the education system, navigating the best path for delivery to schools which best meets local needs has also taken a lot of careful planning and I would not have been able to do this without the support of our Central Team, in particular, Chris Harris, SWIFT Deputy Director who has been my Line Manager for the past two years and a wonderful Mentor and also Natalie Markham and Elisabeth Wandl who are superb administration professionals. 4. What do you believe to be the most important element of SWIFT that you wish to convey to our Teaching School Hub /programme member schools?
SWIFT exists to serve schools – ‘simple as’ SWIFT staff and partners are aligned in this task to serve schools with quality Continuing Professional Development services and support. We have a shared moral compass demonstrated in all that we strive to achieve. Our Utopia is that all children in our region have high-quality education and we will do all we can to support schools, leaders and teachers to achieve this outcome. This is what SWIFT team members have in mind behind every part of the programme delivery, every email, every conversation and every offer of support. 5. What are your hopes for the next academic year? For the first time in 2023 - 2024 we will be aligning with two lead providers to ensure that schools have the best choices and options available to them for their Golden Thread provision. We have a strong partnership with Teach First, an Ofsted Outstanding ECF Lead Provider and now, through our role as an Associate College, we will be part of the regional research work and programmes led by the National College of Teaching (NIoT). This presents internal challenges as we integrate new processes whilst maintaining the same level of service and delivery. However, these are exciting challenges and whilst we go through some of the ‘baby steps’ I am hopeful that they will lead to further programme enhancements and improvements in our core offer to schools. We thank Fiona for her continued commitment and conscientious good work. "Partnership, relationships, collaboration, good practice. You could call it SWIFT-ness." Education is conventionally cyclical. Pupils and young people evolve and progress through their schooling steps before moving on in their life journey. The same is true of our colleagues. At the end of this academic year, we will be saying a sad farewell, but a grateful thank you to Chris Harris as he moves on to his new role as Deputy Headteacher at The King’s School in Ottery St Mary. Based at our Colyton Office at Colyton Grammar School in his role as Director of Teaching School Hubs and Assistant Headteacher; true to the partnership ethos of SWIFT, Chris has counted himself fortunate to work closely with the Colyton team, as well as the other Central Team members and of course, with our wider SWIFT partnership. The SWIFT Central Team counts itself fortunate that Chris has been with us for two years and we have all benefitted from his dedicated and dynamic leadership that has masterfully been modest and yet momentous in leading on the programme delivery of the Appropriate Body Service (AB), Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). And always with an eye for detail, calm tenacity, pragmatism – and a superb sense of humour. As SWIFT also evolves and progresses it seemed well-timed to share some of Chris’s reflections on his time with SWIFT and as a tribute to his conscientious work. It has been important to me and the SWIFT Team to present our essential values in our core SWIFT business so that we are trusted by our schools. This is true of our delivery on the Hub programmes driven by a desire to support all schools of all types - whether a large Multi Academy Trust or a small standalone primary. We want to support them equally and to facilitate and ensure that they are getting access to the best of national programmes and to deliver a high-quality service for all. This trust and support benefits from our knowledge and relationships that we tailor for the local needs of our schools so that the programmes work for everyone. SWIFT wants to be a listening and responsive Teaching School Hub – whether through the small school NPQs adaptations or additional SEND revision in the ECF that we understand is a priority for Devon and with a particular focus on all students to ensure an inclusive approach and to build a sense of belonging. Rooted in partnership has been elemental for our SWIFT work and has been pivotal to the thinking in my role. I would say that my understanding has evolved in terms of the power of partnerships, as together you are more than the sum of your parts (cue our SWIFT logo!) and this certainly has been the scale that we have been working at on the ECF and NPQs. Moreover, it would be impossible to deliver a high-quality service without our essential partnerships in all that we do in the reciprocal relationship of learning from one another and always striving to improve what you do. Not forgetting, the professional value of partnership in working with like-minded focused people and ultimately, as we understand from teaching, we are all driven by a strong moral purpose, on which I like to think my understanding is founded. Partnerships exist on many layers and to deliver effectively you need to be a partner with the schools and teachers and staff themselves and only then, can you truly achieve based on collaboration and consensus, which makes the partnership all the more convincing and robust. Professionally, my role with SWIFT has benefited me in building on this collaboration in being able to develop with some partners that I hope will stay with me throughout my career and I have truly appreciated seeing in action this power of partnerships and understanding that you have to be outward- looking all the time. I have also been in the privileged position of observing many different practitioners at work and listening to different schools and constantly and absolutely sharing good practice. Finally, a vital professional lesson for me is the reminder that you should never be in glorious isolation in our educational world and value your relationships and connections; as well as understanding the national framework in which we operate so that we can best serve the communities we work with. Partnership, relationships, collaboration, good practice. You could call it SWIFT-ness. We wish Chris every success and fulfilment in his new role and thank him for his legacy to SWIFT. We will miss him. We welcome Jen Knowles, currently Director of West Country Training School Alliance as successor to Chris. I am delighted to be taking on the role of Director of Teaching School Hubs (TSH) from September, building on the excellent foundations laid by Chris and the SWIFT team. It is a privilege to have opportunity to work with 500+ schools across Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and beyond in teacher development at every stage of their career. This next stage of the TSH programme brings openings for further refinement of courses and programmes based on your feedback to further improve the experience of working with us and I look forward to working with you all. And we look forward to working with Jen. “Create a curiosity based on a genuine passion so that young people find their way to be instructors of their own destiny with faith in the system.” Some conferences have a buzz. And at our recent SWIFT 2023 Summer Conference there was a distinctive buzz. It started with delegates arriving early to the Exeter Racecourse venue ready for the conference; as well as enjoying the opportunity to network and engage with new and existing colleagues, and chatting to sponsors and exhibitors. An uplifting buzz. CEO of Uffculme Academy Trust (UAT), Lorraine Heath OBE opened the conference on a Reasons to be Cheerful note. Lorraine is a highly influential leader within the region and as a SWIFT Partner, UAT plays a central role in our Appropriate Body Service, Early Career Framework, and Continuing Professional Development programmes delivery. Commending “such a professional generosity in the system” Lorraine praised schools and Multi Academy Trusts as “anchor institutions” who provide a support network at no cost, helping each other and sharing values, vision and moral purpose. Surely an example of optimism over experience. Amongst the uncheerful stories and pressures on schools, she highlighted the benefits of the Cradle to Career model on a school community and advocated courage to fail and to fail better that ultimately benefits young people. Change is coming and schools can make this better and wished everyone a great conference. Professor of Social Mobility at Plymouth Marjon University, Sonia Blandford is already a SWIFT black belt and has been leading a series of professional development “extras” sessions for our Early Career Framework programme. Sonia’s educational experience and accolades are vast and varied and she is a prolific published author. As one of our conference keynote speakers Sonia spoke on a topic close to our hearts here in the South West, “Born to Fail? Social Mobility: a working-class view.” Social Mobility is achieving positive change in socio-economic status, and more widely building better futures for all, in terms of wellbeing, health, and engagement with all that life has to offer. Strategic steps can create hope and continue to develop new approaches to education and public policy, using the principles of mutuality for the benefit of all regardless of their starting point, to develop greater engagement with parents and carers, families, and communities that will ensure all children and young people are supported to access meaningful support, develop their aspirations, to increase their achievement and life prospects. With the essential objective to improve the foundations for life for all children and young people. Sonia shared how impactful leaders can be effective through a shared vision with a core set of values and beliefs shared by all staff; a commitment to creating an ethos and culture of achievement across the whole school; collaboration with parents, children and young people and others within and beyond the school, including other schools, to develop and share best practice and communication that encourages modelling positive engagement with all stakeholders. As CEO of one of the largest national Multi Academy Trusts, Oasis Community Learning, keynote John Murphy was well placed to talk on the “Opportunities and Challenges When Growing a MAT,” overseeing 52 Academies in 21 Local Authorities with over ten years of rapid growth that was founded in Grimsby. Harking back to his own school days, it almost felt like a confession as John admitted to struggling in his schooling against a backdrop of a tragic family circumstance about which no-one at school mentioned to him, all of which contributed to him failing his exams. “Children have one chance” and Oasis want young people to flourish and to have a sense of optimism with equity and excellence for ALL children. But what does it look like? Oasis have built a team of leaders across every stage as deliberate and intentional foundation blocks that underpin education as the golden ticket. Learning and development are important, but it is also important to think how to deliver the culture and to encourage everyone to be part of the vision for the long-term. Working with the community and believing that children can achieve with support, Oasis supports youth work, food banks and housing to provide a “secure school” to create exceptional education at the heart of the community. Think what you are focusing on. Oasis accepts ALL children and considers what can be done to accommodate ALL children. Mindful that 37% of young people go to university every year, Oasis thinks about the other 63% who do not. How is the system geared for them? Too often education is rules focused and our role as educators should be to support the development of children and young people over time. It is important to change and refine priorities – not least with significant other life pressures and the growth in mental health issues. There are families who have generations of non-workers and they need to know what it looks like to work. Sometimes it is a case of doing a few things well. To deliver, celebrate and be proactive. For example, ensuring Headteachers are in lessons with established pillars that free up the teachers. Love the children and understand they are on different journeys. Give them the best opportunities. “The school as an oasis.” John noted the reliance on schools and colleagues post-pandemic and which helped to lead to the development of the National Institute of Teachers with the teacher career development thread throughout the system, underpinned with high quality professional development. Education South West Trust Leader, Matthew Shanks thanked John for the “honest explanation” and reminder about failing, relevant here in the South West and CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust, Moira Marder commended the reminder to love your families. National Director with Oasis Community Learning, Iain Freeland described how Oasis have strengthened and transformed the educational offer. With his specific responsibility for the evaluation and monitoring of Academy performance, Iain leads a team of independent consultants and was previously an Ofsted Inspector. It is important to be honest about what works and what does not work with a focus on Character, Competence and Community. Oasis asks both staff and pupils in order for them to become confident and resilient citizens: Consider who am I and who am I becoming? Staff are encouraged to work collectively and to think of educational provision as collegiate and to focus on priorities and intentional design in the curriculum. Oasis strives to support cultural capital and is part of a global community. Inevitably, Oasis has a high turnover of staff who are expected to be experts, and are always upskilling with an internal assessment of systems with intention, implementation and impact. Find the opportunities to engage staff as a way of retaining staff and create buy-in for the Trust. Evaluation is also an important part of the process. Delegates could attend one of the morning breakout sessions to get closer to some of the other key issues of the day. National Institute for Teaching Executive Director of Programmes, Reuben Moore and founding Regional Principal for the South and West, Jenny Sutton presented an update on “The National Institute for Teaching (NIoT) and its role in Developing Education,” reinforcing that “it is here for the system” and to add value. It is essential to change what happens in the classroom as an entitlement that is vital to the system in order to ensure that every child gets the best opportunity and to nurture their talents. Remember the definition of Nurturing = to feed on, to cherish, and to protect. The role of the NIoT is not simply to generate the research, but to make it live and breathe in the classroom and to challenge how to implement the implications of research into practice. There has been too much distance in the past and the NIoT wants to be school-led and to use teachers and leaders’ time well. In his session on “Reflecting on Parental Engagement,” Early Year Educator, consultant and aspiring children’s author, Jamel Campbell shared his very real love and knowledge of Early Years as a precious time with children based on his professional understanding, but also as a proud father of his 14-months son. Jamel’s talk reminded us of getting the basics right from the beginning in order to stand in good stead for the child’s entire schooling. Remember, there is a connection from the child’s very first day and parental engagement is essential in the child’s healthy development. Parents often have a premeditated judgment of teachers and schools even before they meet due to external influences and negative local neighbourhood information will influence parents, for example about the safety of school. Parental partnerships start from the first point of interaction and the settling in process will benefit from being a collaboration of the setting and parents. Some parents will be anxious and find it hard to let go and at all stages it will make a difference how parents push, support and influence their child. “Do not blame or judge them for being anxious, but soothe their fears with good practice and empathy.” Consider the parent and child transition and understand that parents are transitioning too. Ensure there is a familiar face for drop-offs and collections and a first point of contact and think about using a buddy system. Know the family and the child. Be aware of family quirks; for example, food, family environment. Consider a key person who is selected by the child. Children are sensory aware which can influence parents. Children connect to people who are like parents to them and this is why diversity is key and gives a sense of security. Feedback and communication are important and needs to be simplistic, authentic and honest, descriptive, authentic and accessible, in a way that parents understand and receive it. Build bonds with parents. Create opportunities, other than around calendar events to involve and engage in purposeful dialogue. When there are times that the teacher has to relay bad news, it is important to balance spending too little or too much time on the issue and to call home beforehand to avoid embarrassing the child. It is important children know that it is not them, but their behaviour that is being addressed. Consider does my setting accommodate all cultures/religions/diversity? Are there resources that represent the wider community? i.e. Devon children visiting London. Director of The David Ross Education Trust Teaching Hub – A.K.A. “DRET,” Kat Howard, a cousin you might say to our Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs as three of the 87 national Hubs shared her curriculum expertise in her talk on “Leading Principles of Effective Curriculum Development.” There is value in making content explicit to break down barriers for pupils and drawing on the community. For example, inviting local writers into school. By bringing together curriculum content from diverse experiences, the pupils can recognise themselves in the curriculum. Map conversations about the curriculum and remember the significance of teacher expertise and a duty of care towards prospective teachers. Allow a grace period as a mechanism to ensure teachers deliver and understand the purpose of the curriculum with a shared vision and language and direction. There is a significant correlation between teacher purpose and professional fulfilment. The way in which we spend teachers’ and leaders’ time in schools will ultimately determine retention over time. Focus on key reporting points and “look back, look forward” and use a live model so that retrieval becomes part of day-to-day structure of the curriculum with collaborative planning and coaching for discussions. Evaluation needs to be over time and consider who you bring together and the triangulation of data. “The measure of success for our schools is ‘not the exam grades or the progress scores, important though they are, but instead the real meat of what is taught in our schools and colleagues: the curriculum.” (Spielman, 2017) Back together in the main conference hall there was a sense of anticipation about the keynote by Stephen Morgan MP, Shadow Minister for Schools who presented on “Labour’s Vision for Education.” Glad to be back in the South West as a University of Bristol graduate, Stephen recalled his two weeks of work experience in a school – that put him off a career in the classroom. But he keeps close to the world of education as a School Governor and “a firm believer in the power of education to transform lives, create knowledge, skills, relationships and opportunities,” thanking staff for their “incredible work in difficult circumstances” - not least in recent years of the post-pandemic. On visits to schools across the country, Stephen is always impressed by staff ambition and potential, and the dedication of school leaders and teachers who often feel stretched, taken for granted and underpaid. Whilst their dedication is recognised, Labour also understands they cannot run on recognition alone. In addition, schools are managing the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and families are struggling with many children hungry and suffering mental health issues. A perfect storm. Added to which the unprecedented teacher recruitment and retention workforce challenge crisis with 2,000 vacant teaching posts a year meaning the Government is missing 40% of its annual recruitment targets, with the entire school population needing to be replaced every 14 years. There may be no silver bullet. But Labour wants excellence for everyone with a few of their active ingredients offered here: A Teaching Assistant in every classroom. Wrap around support by working together. End the private schools tax break. Boost knowledge and skills. Teachers encouraged to take on learning opportunities. Skills to support SEN and EAL. Support programmes for Headteacher to provide local support. Reform Ofsted that is dreaded and makes schools feel underpowered. Leaders and school staff under too much pressure. Greater sector expertise. Increased CAMHs support (“No child should be left without support.”). Commit to Mental Health counsellors in schools. Treat the profession with the respect it deserves. “Not enough young people are leaving school ready for school and life.” Career Advisors in schools. Two weeks’ work experience for all children Education is more than English and Maths. Art, Drama, Music, Sport should all be supported to boost children’s development and to equip them for the 2020s’ world of high technology, and the green economy etc. Echoing 26 years ago Tony Blair’s “education education education” priority for Labour to a rapt audience, Stephen reinforced that Labour is the party of education. Next up was something new for this year’s conference. The SWIFT Question Time Panel chaired by our very own David Dimbleby, SWIFT Strategic Lead, Roger Pope CBE. Panellists Sonia Blandford, Angela Browne (whom we were to meet as the final keynote in the afternoon), Stephen Morgan MP and John Murphy bravely sat on high chairs at the front of the main conference hall awaiting the wide range of (unseen) questions from delegates. The starter question was aptly, what should be Stephen Morgan’s priority when he enters his new Department for Education office? Baccalaureate with Music for every pupil to support mental wellbeing (Sonia); the levelling up agenda, with a more comprehensive and inclusive education (John); and diversity and the Protected Characteristics to make teaching a profession everyone can access (Angela). Stephen would have top of his own action list to restore trust amongst the profession, the key priorities and to find ways to work with the sector and give teachers the respect they deserve. So, lots for him to be getting on with. The panel next considered their views on all pupils studying Maths in some form to the age of 18 and whether they agreed with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ambition and the main concerns to how it might be rolled out. The panellists generally disagreed. John believed it needed a longer-term strategy and the risk was putting pupils off Maths for life and that other learning gaps need to be closed post-pandemic. Education should seek to create flourishing young people with the choice to do what they want to do. Sonia advocated a love of number and teaching how to apply the knowledge in teaching for life; but also investing in the Early Years. Stephen denounced gimmicky pledges and Angela reflected how education is often too rules bound and institutionalises teachers who should not be treated like infants, comparing the different attitude in the Danish education system (where she lives and the experience of her nine-year-old son). “Create a curiosity based on a genuine passion so that young people find their way to be instructors of their own destiny with faith in the system." The next question referenced the post-pandemic situation in which schools have taken on the role of being 'everything to everyone' - from social work to school nurse. The panellists were invited to consider what they see as the core purpose of schools now and in the future and whether there needs to be a debate about the role of schools in society and how to make this manageable and reasonable for school staff? Sonia would “develop an inclusive education for creative and engaged human beings” who participate and feel included with a sense of belonging. John advocated an education that enables pupils to flourish and reflected on his own personal situation of not feeling good enough from his own schooling. Angela considered the shifting purpose dictated by external partners and recommended improved agencies for those most in need with schools as “a safe harbour” as the continuous thread in children’s lives. Sonia wanted a place in communities for young people for life and work and noted how teachers are having to step in and provide other services. A topical question next about teacher recruitment. The questioner noted their deep concern about the crisis and how this year at their school they have unsuccessfully advertised for a Teacher of Physics twice and had NO applicants. What would the panel suggest is the biggest factor affecting teacher recruitment and retention and how should it be addressed? John advocated the celebration of diversity and belonging to underpin the culture and cited the Oasis Academies conference “Break the Cycle.” As people are the most important part of delivery, Oasis builds staff networks and has a strategic plan where leaders are held to account with action plans. Sonia looked back on her role in co-writing the Teaching Framework 20 years ago as Dean of Canterbury Christ Church College and lamented how the Government is ending the range of teacher training programmes; whereas now is the time to provide a variety of programmes for a variety of people to train and enter the profession. Angela considered attrition rates and the problem of how to retain teachers and ensure that schools are safe places. Stephen shared how the crisis keeps him awake at night with too many teachers leaving the profession and recommended better salaries and better support for teachers (and see the previous highlights from his keynote). Turning to the young people themselves, the next question asked what are the biggest challenges facing children today? Stephen noted the pressures on young people and on CAMHs and schools to support them and advocated the need for a dedicated counsellor in every school and an open access hub in every community. John highlighted the challenges of domestic violence, the cost-of-living and lack of food for some children and families and the need for mental wellbeing support and opportunity for system redesign. Post-pandemic has “laid bare the inequity of the system” and had a huge impact like an elastic band, which has not always flicked back into place with costs to social skills and higher immaturity amongst some children and the need for explicit teaching. It should be about the lived experience for children and not the politicisation. There needs to be even more integrated work. Oasis has food banks in their schools and works to establish stronger bonds with families. Sonia felt that too many children do not feel included or have a sense of belonging and feel like education is something being done to them. They need to be allowed to develop and to be part of a community and the potential of every child should be celebrated. Rather than a punitive educational model. Angela noted the disconnect between adult perceptions and children’s experience. Schools need to be safe places. There is often too much toxic masculinity and children can feel left in a wilderness and on their own. As a fun final question, the panellists were invited to return to their own school days and to remember the teacher who made a lasting impression on them. Angela remembered the teacher who encouraged her to participate in the Ten Tors for three years in a row. The moor was like a transformational, spiritual experience. And as many of us know ourselves, a long walk can be revolutionary. For Sonia, it was the teacher who encouraged her to join the brass band and how she embraced this opportunity. A reminder of the power of inclusiveness and doing something new and doing it well. It was the Year 6 teacher for Stephen who taught his class to aim high and to achieve all their dreams – and whom he saw again as a canvassing MP and she pointed out his spelling mistakes on his leaflet, but had also kept a piece of his work for 30 years. In the midst of his challenging schooling for John, it was the teacher who swore, whom he thought was cool and who listened and praised him for his poem (after firstly asking, “Is this really yours?”!). We thank our panellists for their honest, heartfelt and insightful answers. SWIFT Question Time was a very enjoyable part of the conference experience and showed that educational debate is very much alive and kicking here in the South West. For the afternoon breakout sessions, NPSCC Assistant Director for the Southwest and Channel Islands, Andrew Freeman is currently overseeing the regional delivery of the national 10-year strategy in this 100+ year-old organisation. In his “State of the Nation – being Nationally Significant and Locally Relevant” talk Andrew reiterated the importance of working together in partnership as a nation of safeguarders. The NSPCC’s three impact goals are that everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse, every child is safe online and children feel safe, listened to and supported. The direct service development is focused on providing children and families what they want and need using the following key principles: involving families, partners and stakeholders in service design so that services deliver positive outcomes that can be replicated; innovating, and not shying away from failure - if the service is not being taken up or not generating positive outcomes for children, to use what we learn and try something else; collecting comprehensive data, evaluating our impact and conducting rigorous trials for the most promising services and forming partnerships with other organisations to implement the services that have been developed and tested to reach more children with the services that are known to work. Teacher of English, school leader and MAT CPD lead, Josh Goodrich from StepLab talked about “The Science of Instructional Coaching” and explained the importance of insight, motivation, embedding and techniques and understanding the difference between knowing and doing. Josh shared his own eureka moment after struggling with behaviour management when some simple coaching guided him in a routine for silence, entry routine and scanning that changed everything for him in his first year of teaching. Josh shared a few helpful reminders about learning. We learn by gradually building on (and with) what we know; we attend to what we value; we can only attend to a few things at once; learning by discovery is slow and effortful; repeated practice is necessary for fluency and what we don’t use, we lose. Following on from the earlier keynote by Sonia Blandford, Chief Executive of social mobility charity, CoachBright, Joe McGinn presented on “Academic Coaching as a Vehicle for Social Mobility.” CoachBright provides academic and pastoral coaching for some of the most disadvantaged pupils in the country to become confident, independent, and resilient, and to lead the lives that they wish to lead. Helpfully, Joe explained some of the different terms that can sometimes be conflated. Absolute/Total Mobility is how much movement there is, i.e. how many people ‘end up’ somewhere different to where they started. The direction is irrelevant; what counts is that they are moving. Upward Mobility is how many people are moving ‘up’ and Relative Mobility is the social fluidity or openness, i.e. how easily people move relative to others. In order to increase the chances of disadvantaged children, we need to decrease the chances of advantaged children in strengthening mechanisms by which disadvantaged children can get ahead, and weaken the mechanisms by which parents protect their children from moving down. SWIFT delivery partner Andy Ogden from Tarka Learning Partnership and Deputy Director, Chris Harris showcased our dynamic Universal Programme of Professional Development Communities, Masterclasses, Forums and Conferences and CPD events and Appropriate Body Service, Early Career Framework, National Professional Qualifications and Teaching School Hub Professional Development Department for Education Golden Thread Programmes (see the presentations at the end of this report). The final keynote, “Being Luminary - Making Our Schools ‘Safe Harbours” by the founder of Being Luminary, supporting leaders with Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Angela Browne. An interim Deputy CEO in a South West Multi Academy Trust and a Devon girl herself, Angela’s talk was at times heartening and thought-provoking. Declaring school leaders to be “Thought Leaders of DEI” and schools as “a lighthouse to withstand the DEI storms” in the post-George Floyd, #metoo, and Andrew Tate era. Everyone needs to be united on a platform and to engage in a meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders. Reflecting on the Equality Act (2010) and the ten Protected Characteristics that hold identity can be challenging in “heavy weather.” Hate crimes (race, religion, sexual orientation and others) are increasing, especially after the lockdown. It is important to look at the data and always to be aware of the impact of context and to keep up meaningful conversations. Angela cited a case study of Westminster School where more than 250 former pupils wrote an open letter about the toxic culture of racism at the school and bemoaned that their schooling had not prepared them for modern life. Education should strive to prepare all young people to think where they are going. Often a perception gap exists between the tension of what educators think they are doing and what they are really doing. Student voice can become skewed and is not their real voice. Angela refutes the claim that that you do know what you do not know – but insists that you do know as it is part of your peripheral vision. It is important to call out casual racism = microaggressions and to give yourself a line of enquiry. Understand how to create a sense of belonging and she questioned the easy-to-say “great” school narrative as we like to think that we are all having a great experience of school, staff and pupils alike. But this is not always the case. Angela looked at how to reframe the different IQs – emotional and cultural (DEI) and to go beyond policies and procedures and to demonstrate a commitment to learning the vocabulary, concepts and ideas. “What does it feel like to be you?” Change what is inside. In a spine-tingling-across-the-main-conference-hall-moment, on teacher mode, Angela was poised to cold-call the audience to explain their understanding of the definitions of race, ethnicity and racism. Humbly honest delegates admitted their lack of knowledge, how they felt entitled and ignorant and anxious about (possibly) not knowing the answer and their need to learn. In case you were wondering and if you are asked: Race = a biological social construct based on (17th whiteness. Ethnicity = a cultural assignation. A social construct in how to organise people. Racism = the system of advantage. Angela encouraged the audience to “crack open the window of compassion” and to buck the trend in your school. Have the conversations and know your data. “Identity is harboured in our schools.” Ask the question in the community and invite staff to share their lived experiences and to map to other identity groups. Talking and dealing with Diversity Equity and Inclusion should be the same as talking and dealing with safeguarding. All good things come to an end as Headteacher of Colyton Grammar School, Tim Harris closed the conference. Colyton was the first secondary school to be rated Outstanding under the new Ofsted Framework and may be the only school in England to be consistently rated Outstanding since inspections began and is proud to play a central role in our Teacher School Hub programme delivery. Summing up of the day, Tim thanked everyone involved, as a reminder that together we can make a difference, and noted Colyton is playing its part. “Quality time to think challenge plan and prepare.” In a time of crisis and a Government in perpetual crisis with issues of pay and retaining teachers, there were reasons to be hopeful. Schools are well placed to create a sense of belonging and to consider children’s experiences from all perspectives, quoting Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird:” “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view— until you climb in his skin and walk around in it.” But how do schools know when they are successful? By being clear about what it really means and the end purpose and working together as the collaboration of teachers to make a difference. All teachers have specific skills sets and can share this expertise and have integrity to pursue brilliant outcomes for all. Schools can foster diverse communities where everyone belongs as Archbishop Tutu said: “I am a human because I belong.” As educators we need to challenge perceptions. The South West might have the largest disadvantaged rates in the country with the lowest percentage of young people going to university - “the forgotten region.” But Stephen Morgan has shown that he is keen to listen to school leaders and we need people to listen. Things are and will get better. Schools are striving to provide a world class education that children and young people deserve and with wonderful professional development on offer from SWIFT there is the opportunity to be more effective and to make a difference. Tim praised SWIFT Deputy Director, Chris Harris for his last SWIFT conference before he moves to his new post and thanked him for all his hard work and leadership. Finally, thank YOU for YOUR support. As the inspiring Nelson Mandela said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” The 2023 Summer Conference was a memorable time together with a purposeful and positive atmosphere. An optimistic collective call to action to create a sense of belonging and support in our school communities, to provide an education in which children and young people can flourish, working together and for schools to be lighthouses to withstand the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion storms. As well as time to network, it was an occasion to meet our sponsors and exhibitors. We are grateful to all our sponsors who help us to fund a range of high-profile and high-quality professional development presenters; whilst bringing another dimension with their practical and relevant products and services to support teachers, leaders and schools. Rhys Gwillym introduced Praestantia Technology who provide IT technology and audio-visual solutions and consultancy with excellence and simplicity exclusively for educational settings so that, schools and MATs can focus on providing an outstanding learning environment. With their own links to education, Praestantia provide SIMS support, Broadband and Online Safety guidance, IT Security and school servers and backup. Consider them a hands-on IT safety net. For those in the audience who had yet to be captivated by award-winning Lyfta’s photography, Rahul Karavadra took us on a brief tour of their topical, enlightening and compassionate storyworlds that reach out across the world to enter the classroom and share different cultures and perspectives. Lyfta helps teachers to nurture the global citizens of tomorrow. You can watch their intro video here Family-run school catering experts with over 60 years’ experience, Educatering, were at the chef’s table providing food demos of their delicious food cooked using local ingredients, and mindful of healthy, nourishing and good value food grown close to home within our region. Delegates enjoyed tasting their tasty food throughout the day and finding out more about how Educatering can support school catering with bespoke menus. We thank the other exhibitors for being with us and for brightening the day with their innovative and useful educational products and services: Applicaa Ltd, Cornerstones Education, Devon Education Services, Exeter Maths School, Plymouth Argyle Community Trust, PRICE Training Teaching Personnel and Volt Entrepreneurs Ltd (you can find their website links at the end of this report) and with grateful thanks to Conferences South West for organising and overseeing. Thinking green this year, our SWIFT team stood tall with a lower carbon footprint conference: reduced plastic and paper and delegates using the QR code on the conference programme for more information. Once again, we thank EVERYONE involved in this year's Summer Conference: our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors, and of course, our delegates. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team Find out more about sponsors and exhibitors here:
Our sponsor SchoolPro TLC provides guidance for schools and MATs following the recent infringements by a primary school in relation to the Article 5 (1)(f), Article 24 (1) and Article 32 of UK GDPR. The unfortunate data breach has emphasised the importance of robust Data Protection practices in schools, colleges and MATs. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) publicly reprimanded Parkside Community Primary School for infringements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Whilst this is clearly a concern for the school and data subjects involved, it also provides a valuable opportunity for all schools to reassess their Data Protection strategies. The incident involved the inappropriate disclosure of personal and special category data in a classroom setting, affecting four data subjects including three children. According to the reprimand published, key contributing factors to the breach included insufficient Data Protection policies, inadequate guidance around email security, and a lack of explicit procedures regarding the use of a case management system. SchoolPro TLC delve here into the key lessons to be learned from this unfortunate event, and provide a checklist to ensure that you are adequately protecting the personal data of your pupils and staff. Lessons to Learn The reprimand presents several key lessons that could apply to other schools in the UK: 1. Ensure Adequate Data Protection Policies The reprimand highlighted that the school lacked detailed Data Protection policies, specifically on the safe handling of personal data over emails and the usage of a specific case management system. Policies should clearly outline the procedures for maintaining data security and confidentiality, especially when it involves sensitive or special category data. Schools should have policies specific to high risk software and platforms they use, created in conjunction with risk assessments or Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs). 2. Provide Clear Procedures and Guidance The lack of written guidance for employees was a significant issue. Clear instructions need to be in place for using security and confidentiality classifications on emails, and for the usage of any case management system or software. Guidelines regarding when and where to open sensitive emails, and how to operate electronic devices securely (like electronic whiteboards), should also be clearly provided. 3. Staff Training Regular and thorough training for staff is necessary to ensure compliance with Data Protection regulations. This should include training on the operation of specific software or systems, data breach reporting procedures, operation of electronic devices, and general Data Protection principles. 4. Incident Reporting Mechanisms In this case, staff failed to report the data breach internally. An effective incident reporting mechanism should be in place, and staff should be well aware of the process to follow if a data breach is suspected or has occurred. 5. Sensitive Data Handling Emails or alerts containing sensitive information should be appropriately labelled and only accessed under safe conditions (e.g., not in the presence of children or during teaching hours). Controls should be in place on who can access highly sensitive information and when. 6. Policy Enforcement and Review All staff and stakeholders should be familiar with the school's Data Protection policies. Policies should be reviewed and updated regularly, especially in response to incidents, and staff should be required to affirm their understanding and acceptance of these policies. 7. Testing and Audit of New Processes Any new processes or procedures introduced in response to a data breach should be tested to ensure they are effective and embedded within the organisation. Action Plan / Checklist Taking those lessons into consideration, what key actions can a school, college or MAT take to reduce their data breach risk and improve practice? Policies and Procedures Review your Data Protection policies and procedures, ensuring they cover all aspects of data handling, including specific written guidelines for using software and systems that process sensitive data. Training and Awareness Develop a regular training schedule on Data Protection for all staff. Emphasise what constitutes a data breach, the importance of reporting breaches promptly, and the consequences of failing to do so. As a guide, staff should receive Data Protection training as part of their induction to the organisation, and refresher training should be completed at least biennially if not more frequently. Annual refresher training would be best practice. Email Security Implement security measures for emails that contain sensitive data, such as security classifications or labels. Provide clear guidelines on when and where such emails can be safely opened. Where possible, use alternative methods of communicating sensitive data such as access-controlled, secure, shared folders, or internal secure data transfer systems if available to your school. Software and System Security Review the security measures for all software and systems that process sensitive data. Ensure staff are trained on how to use these systems securely such as the use of strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Also, include procedures, guidance and training for those systems that could be used to view sensitive data such as electronic whiteboards and screen-sharing from staff members' electronic devices. Monitoring and Review Regularly monitor and review your Data Protection measures to ensure their effectiveness and make improvements where necessary. By following this checklist along with your existing practices, and continually investing in data protection, you can better protect the personal data of your pupils and staff, and ensure compliance with the UK GDPR. The incident highlighted by this ICO reprimand serves as a stark reminder of the potential repercussions of insufficient Data Protection, and the importance of making it a priority in your school, college or MAT. Stay safe and healthy. Report by the SchoolPro TLC Team SchoolPro TLC is led by a committed team of former school and education leaders and Governors with over 60 years combined experience across all stages of education and in a variety of contexts who worked to improve educational provision.
19/6/2023 0 Comments SWIFT Summer Conference | “Quality time to think, challenge, plan and prepare.”We would like to thank everyone for a wonderful 2023 Summer Conference last week: our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors, and of course, our delegates. In the midst of the post-pandemic lockdown aftermath, the teacher recruitment and retention crisis, the cost of living crisis and other pressures on young people today, the conference was memorable time together - with the popular addition of our new "Question Time" feature, showing that educational debate is very much alive and kicking here in the South West. With a purposeful and positive atmosphere the conference was an optimistic collective call to action to create a sense of belonging and support in our school communities, to provide an education in which children and young people can flourish, to work together and for schools to be lighthouses to withstand the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion storms. Things are and will get better. As Nelson Mandela said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” A more detailed report and pictures will follow soon for you to re-live and enjoy the day.
But in the meantime, you can check out some of the highlights on Twitter. By Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team In this penultimate issue for this academic year, ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE is in post-Coronation reflective mode, contemplating what we can learn “about narrative, ritual and culture.”
“So, we must work hard to create the rituals that create belonging. How we celebrate key transition points and rites of passage as children grow through the school.” Read about the Early Career Framework Extra! CPD session on Inclusive Practice in all Classrooms with Professor Sonia Blandford and Wendy Casson MBE. If you need any encouragement about Courageous Conversations, you can get some insights with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training session with Diverse Educators. CEO of Riviera Education Trust Stewart Biddles is this issue’s interviewee commending the value of partnership; which, of course we echo. Find out more about the Phase 1 findings of the independent review of teachers’ professional development by Ofsted (commissioned by the Department for Education) and sign-up the Education Endowment Foundation Early Talk Boost Project. We celebrate Cultural Diversity beyond the classroom with our sponsor Lyfta and keep up-to-date with other sponsors, Educatering and SchoolPro TLC and book your place at Praestantia Technology’s Microsoft event two weeks today. As educators, we constantly strive to provide our students with engaging and enriching experiences that go beyond the textbooks and we understand the importance of promoting inclusivity, empathy, and cultural diversity in our classrooms. That is why we were delighted to see the impact of the live lessons delivered by our sponsor Lyfta in celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity. On Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 May 2023, 304 classes from schools across the UK and beyond (some 9,000 students) - including some here in the South West - participated in the latest Lyfta live lesson. Students had opportunity to explore Lyfta storyworld, Keep London Smiling, where they met Sylvain, a Transport for London station officer who moved to London from Côte d'Ivoire via France. Sylvain has made it his mission to bring smiles to the faces of commuters who pass through his station to create a sense of community. Through small acts of kindness and conversations, Sylvain is able to make others feel happy and more connected. During the live lesson, students delved into themes linked to British values, with a particular focus on mutual respect and understanding and celebrated the rich diversity of British society, whilst reflecting on the significance of experiencing different people and places. Lyfta’s in-house teacher Noel started the lessons with some discussion about London, the backdrop of the Keep London Smiling storyworld. Did you know that London is home to around 10 million people, with an astounding 250+ different languages spoken? This fascinating glimpse into London's diversity set the stage for students to share their knowledge of the city and its special places. Students were asked what they knew about the city and its landmarks - some of their responses are shown below: Through immersive 360° scenes, students were then transported to Sylvain's world, witnessing the heart-warming impact he has on the commuters passing through his station and watched the documentary "Sweet," which explores Sylvain's story.
This inspiring film sparked profound reflections amongst the students, who highlighted the universal power of kindness and compassion: “A smile costs nothing and it speaks every language” “His level of kindness is something we could all replicate” “No matter where you are you can be kind” What made these lessons even more impactful, given the theme of diversity in the UK, was the participation of students from across the country and beyond. We heard from students from schools in Cardiff, Portsmouth, Canterbury, Newcastle, and Bletchley Park - as well as from Murcia in Spain. It was wonderful how students shared insights about their local communities, unique landmarks, and the diverse cultures that make their communities special. We heard about La Manga beach in Murcia, the historic dockyard in Portsmouth, the Haribo factory in Pontefract and the sense of community in Doncaster. Lyfta live lessons have been delivered to a total of 1,500 classes in the last 12 months (some 45,000 student sessions). These live lessons, delivered Lyfta’s resident teacher via Zoom, bring together schools from different regions for a shared Lyfta experience. No preparation is required, teachers can just sign up and join via a link on the day. There are more Lyfta Live lessons in the coming weeks. Sign up below to be notified for the next dates. Lyfta are also exhibiting at the SWIFT Summer Conference on Thursday 15 June 2023. So, if you are attending, be sure to speak with the team there! Report by Penny Othen, Director of Marketing at Lyfta “Every child should have the opportunity to succeed regardless of their background, challenge or need.” This was the second session in the SWIFT ECF Extra series led by Professor Sonia Blandford and Wendy Casson MBE with the objective of exploring the meaning of inclusion in educational policy and practice with practical strategies to develop inclusion in classrooms. Wendy has experience of working with the “forgotten child” in her previous role as the Head of a PRU where she learned about barriers to learning and Sonia teaches Music every Friday where she practises inclusion across her teaching groups. The following provides a summary of their views and insights on the theme of inclusion. As teachers, it is important always to have high expectations of all children. Part of this is positive relationships across all the dynamics between pupils, parents and teachers in order to get the connection to help them move forward. Be curious. Think as a teacher, is there something I could do differently? Why is the pupil struggling? Are they distracted? Have they got other issues? Consider a trauma-informed approach. What could you do to support them? Children learn differently. Look at other practice near and next to you. Consider external factors out of your control: lesson disruptions, what happened last night, family dynamics, the previous lesson, significantly, the weather and the child’s health that particular day. In practice, “inclusion is the action or state of including or being included within a group or structure. In a school or education setting, it means that every child and every adult who works or learns in a school is valued and whose personal needs are being met.” The four stages of inclusion are:
Inclusion fosters a sense of belonging for everyone - both pupils and teachers. Good schools who deliver inclusive practice value every member of the school community and help parents and carers to be the best parent they can be. Sometimes we kick against being led. But when led effectively, it brings belonging and purpose. Make time to talk and listen to colleagues and to share knowledge and practice. The inclusive classroom should not teach to satisfy Ofsted or to meet the Teacher’s Standards, but teach to meet the needs of the pupils. Allow the pupils to guide you. Keep reinventing yourself, push to do different things. When a lesson does not go well reflect on the effectiveness of your lessons and approaches to teaching and try something different. Embrace the trips and slips! In this fourth industrial (digital) revolution we do not know what the future holds in terms of climate change, and the economy; so it is important to think about an alternative approach and achievable goals for schools. System leadership should work across the Year Group, Key Stage and/or whole school as a shared vision and a commitment to each other for collaboration and improved communication with school leaders and teachers. Consider the foundations of:
Meritocracy has been around for 45 years and has been shown not to work on the premise that those that can will succeed and those who cannot fail. This is not where we want to be in education and we must foster values that include everyone. All children and young people should feel part of what is happening in school. Regrettably, the National Curriculum does not always support inclusion with its one size fits all approach. SEN and disability should not be a barrier to inclusion. Sonia noted that over the last 20 years, educators and parents have all become more aware, but have attached too many labels to too many children. Whereas, we should be more inclusive and integrate children despite their background, challenge or needs. Similarly, Multi-agency teams: SENDCO, SLCN, Ed Psych, CAMHS, Mental Health Practitioners, Social Care and Looked After Teams need to work together more effectively as they are rarely effective Currently, Sonia and Wendy are contributing to research led by Monash University in Australia to consider the approach to inclusion. Results from the student questionnaire found that 44% of students were satisfied to some extent, revealing that they did not feel included and were not happy in school, feeling teachers were not interested in them, they did not have a friend and did not have an advocate for them. Ultimately, they did not have a sense of belonging. The research found that teachers and Leaders listed the following barriers that currently hinder inclusion in their classroom:
Teachers can however take the following steps to support inclusion:
Know the child you teach. Children feel cared for when teachers know their name and know things about them. Know your students’ strengths and areas for development (do not say weaknesses!) and find the balance. Remember to confront without confrontation. Take the problem away, for example, children who arrive in school without a pen to write with. Some of whom are ready to battle with the teacher and waste time in the lesson. Simply, provide a pen for them (and be ready for the serial offenders) so that there is no challenge and disruption to the lesson. The child might not know why they have barriers to learning and it is often the child who needs to belong who does not belong.
Seek to understand their emotional wellbeing. It is often the things that you do not see that can make the difference. But remember the high-performing child. They might be good in your lesson. But stretch them further with targeted work. To conclude, successful inclusion has a shared vision as a core set of values and beliefs shared by all staff, with a commitment to creating an ethos and culture of achievement across the whole school with positive collaboration with parents, children and young people and others within and beyond the school, including other schools, in order to develop and share best practice. Good communication throughout this process encourages modelling positive engagement with all stakeholders. We thank Sonia and Wendy for this uplifting can-do presentation on Inclusive Practice in all Classrooms that makes sense in order to support positive outcomes for all children and young people. The final session in this three-part series takes place online on Thursday 6 July 2023 at 1600 and will focus on Parent and Carer Engagement to Improve Student Outcomes (register on the link below). Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team "When people feel safe to talk this becomes self-perpetuating and positive." More than a catchy course title, this training session part of our on-going Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work with Diverse Educators was set to be a life-affirming session for the SWIFT Central Team and Delivery Partnership Group. How do we empower everybody to ask questions, share views, and things that should have been said? Typical examples of Courageous Conversations include handling conflict, confronting a colleague, expressing an unpopular idea on a team, asking for a favour, saying no to a request for a favour, asking for a raise, or trying to have a conversation with someone who is avoiding you. Research shows that in particular, many women find such ‘courageous conversations’ to be challenging. Think of the language that betrays who can “get away” with certain behaviours. Men are labelled the boss and women as bossy. These mindsets are reflected in the workplace and how women have been conditioned. Too often, the premise of courageous conversations is associated with conflict, fills us with dread and we descend into a defensive, blame culture that magnifies the existing tension and struggle and becomes a negative scenario. Whereas we need to act in a neutral, open way, without bias and to show a willingness and openness to learn. The fear zone of hurting someone risks inhibiting us and we can worry more about having the courageous conversation than the act of doing it. We waste energy attempting to mind-read what people are thinking and feeling that boxes us in. Know your strengths and what you bring and learn to control yourself. Consider the power in having a conversation. No-one shies away from safeguarding conversations. It should be the same for a courageous conversation that whilst often difficult and necessary, when done effectively, it can have a dramatic impact on how we lead ourselves, the team and/or the organisation. It can be difficult to find a time to talk in a busy school and it is important to book in time and to reframe as part of the workplace culture that builds positive psychology and a collective commitment. But for many of us, we have to step out of our comfort zone to discuss a topic that can be emotionally charged and we fear an emotional response. Whilst we might seek to avoid such conversations, they can help to build an inclusive workplace and push through to the learning zone to learn about ourselves, our team and the wider culture and ultimately, to ensure growth. See Matthew Syed’s book, “Rebel Ideas” that asks if we are open to ideas and the importance of learning how to reframe and negotiate. For example, in asking for flexible working, or a salary raise. We need to build our confidence to build our competences as strategic intent and a framework of training. Intentional psychological safety should be for everyone in the workplace. The ideal reset opportunity is in September at the start of a new term, building in “contracting” for courageous conversations at a neutral and unemotional safe point. All staff should be trained. Not only the dominant, senior and more confident members of staff. Experience shows when all staff are trained, the best response is from operational staff who have never had a voice in the school. Sub cultures across an organisation need careful navigation. By building psychological safety in a school, all staff will have the courage to speak out and share how it will be received and processed with positive intent. Practically, this means creating a subtle and private space, especially in an open office and equally on the telephone. Tell the other person that you are in a confidential space to show mutual respect. There are many advantages of psychological safety (door open policy). Staff feel valued, and are more productive and creative with higher wellbeing, thriving and a feeling of belonging, leading to better staff retention. Energy is conserved as there is an agreed way of talking and less frustration, with more flexible working that is very positively mirrored in the classroom. The negatives of psychological safety (doors shut) are damaging to an organisation. It can result in high absence; staff have a limited sense of purpose and connection and disengagement of staff. When it comes to courageous conversations with parents and carers, it is not always possible to plan for what are often unexpected meetings. Understandably, a parent is emotionally attached to their child and might be defensive if they perceive the conversation to be a challenge. But it is encouraging that this generation of students seem to be more open to courageous conversations. Essentially, understand that we have the responsibility to raise the courageous conversations if an issue or something has happened. Pre-empt. But be aware that one conversation is not the same for everyone. Make the time for the conversation. Be intentional and think through and reiterate the key points. Listen actively and hear through it and do not take it personally and strive to be objective. With the Radical Candor model (Kim Scott) the balance is towards growth and to bring awareness to the person you are having the conversation with. “When you said this, it made me feel like this…” and join up the dots in the conversations. Part of the problem is letting someone behave badly. But if you have a courageous conversation, you can do it in a caring way, “I care about you so I am going to challenge you…” and this can disarm people in a positive way. Think how we modify ourselves to other people and our relationships and the use of language. This modifies from the early phase of a professional relationship in the opening interactions and evolves over time when you have a positive track record. Use a buddy as a sounding board. Then, if difficult situations arise you can leverage the relationship capital from your authenticity, credibility and integrity. Move from impulsion to intentional. With the Fierce Conversations model (Susan Scott), “Create an organizational culture where candor and curiosity are the expectation…Think passion, integrity, authenticity, collaboration. Think cultural transformation. Think leadership.” “Get curious rather than critical.” Part of coaching, reframe questions to how or what – not why. Meet in the middle and learn from it and learn some awareness from each other and tackle the challenge, contracting how to move forward. “It’s the conversations that we don’t have, that cause the biggest problems.” The key principles of fierce conversations are:
If you are good at regulating your emotions you can guide the other person to stay regulated too. Preparation before the courageous conversation is essential to anticipate how they might respond. For example, lesson observation feedback in the person's classroom. If it is good or bad, they will be in their own space. Use emotional intelligence of how and where they are sat in the classroom. Or book a phone call later to suit you both and use an out of office sign, and phones and emails off so that you can give your full attention. “The conversation is the relationship.” The impact of not having a fierce conversation can be the breakdown of employee relationships and a lack of respect for them and us and damaging the organisational/school culture. There can be a mismatch and an unhealthy dissonance culture between what they say and what they do and bad situations can fester. Learn also how to manage the emotional wake and the emotional wake of others. Useful sentence starters can allow time to process. “Am I hearing you correctly to reclarify?” “Can you tell me more..” “What I hear you saying is..” Remember the power of the pause and encouraging comments and always regulate yourself as how you respond will dictate how they respond. Do not hijack their story or interrupt. Do not play one-upmanship and minimise the difference or discount and explain away. Do not get defensive or take it personally or try to validate assumptions. Remember also, self-reflection after the conversation about what went well. A strong strategy is to build opportunities and routines into the way we work. For example, a mid-year appraisal and create an expectation as the norm. As deliberate practice courageous conversations can become the Code of Conduct and working proactively helps to make the workplace a psychologically safe place to work. “We make the weather in our own environment.” Radical candor = consistent behaviour. Proactive to the workplace culture.
Fierce conversation = to resolve something. Not all the time. Reactive to challenge something specific. We thank Diverse Educators lead, Hannah Wilson for guiding us through this empowering session on Courageous Conversations and reminding us of the value of a shared collective, close to our SWIFT heart founded on partnership. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team |
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