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15/5/2025 0 Comments SWIFT EVENTS | Issue 13 | May 2025 We are pleased to bring you this next EVENTS newsletter with details of professional learning opportunities to support you.
SWIFT Summer Conference 2025 | #SWIFTConf25 The SWIFT Summer Conference is a premier event dedicated to empowering educators, fostering innovation and driving excellence in education. Taking place on Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Future Skills Centre in Exeter, this year's conference promises to be an inspiring and enriching experience for all attendees. Highlighted Courses/Support:
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 It is a shorter week after the Bank Holiday, so every second counts this week.
Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE introduces this May UPDATE issue with an invitation to consider what else is within your control to raise standards in the light of the recent report: “A system that empowers - the future of professional development” from the Institute for Public Policy Research and Ambition Institute. "It seems to me impossible to do anything other than agree with these recommendations. Of course, they make sense. But Government can be slow to act, and has many calls on its funding." Apropos, we will soon be launching our professional development offer for 2025 – 2026 with what we like to believe will be the best ever programme of excellent value courses and events, plus a greater range of exceptional national authors, experts and organisations. On that note of looking to the future, Partner Director, Blackdown Education Partnership, Tania Cox reports on the New Horizons Leadership Event last term. The South West RISE Team, Ofsted, AQA...delegates commended this was a fit for purpose session. Director of Teaching School Hubs, Jen Knowles shares the positive decision for the new SWIFT Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP) from September 2025 when we will be working with National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) as our Lead Provider. Change can bring exciting times! If you are looking to be uplifted, you will enjoy the Interview with Sam Eyre, Head of CREATE Creative Arts Academy at Coombeshead Academy who reminds us of the very real value of creativity in the curriculum. If you are inspired, you can book your place on the South West Art Teacher's Conference on Friday 4 July 2025 here There is some interesting thinking shared by Devon Research School - on angle problems - by Amarbeer Singh Gill, Assistant Director of Greenshaw Research School and teacher educator at Ambition Institute. For Teachers of Maths and thinkers, Amarbeer consider Why Sometimes the Best Goal is No Goal… Using Cognitive Load Theory to Support Maths Teaching. Our sponsor, SchoolPro TLC provides a checklist and further guidance on AI in schools that is worth a read and if you sign-up with them, you can benefit from dedicated support in this brave new world. Whilst our other sponsors share updates of their services to support you. The Educatering Team have been hosting cooking classes and themed days across all their schools to excite and expand pupils’ culinary knowledge and palettes. You can read about the conversation between Commercial VP of ONVU Learning, Matt Tiplin and CEO of Discovery Schools Academies Trust, Paul Stone who shares his insights into his Trust’s implementation of ONVU Learning's video capture technology in the classroom. And if you have yet to discover South West Education Jobs for your FREE advertising, it is time you did! You can have a look here Plus a reminder if you have yet to register for this year's SWIFT 2025 Summer Conference #SWIFTConf25 We will be there. How about you? Join us and be part of the conversation and return to school revitalised. It is all here for you and we wish you an edifying read. 7/5/2025 0 Comments Interview with Sam Eyre, Head of CREATE Creative Arts Academy at Coombeshead Academy “I credit teaching with making me a more creative person because I work in a creative environment every single day with young people that I think makes me a better artist.” A passionate practitioner and Arts educator, Sam Eyre is Head of Creative Arts Academy at Coombeshead Academy and SWIFT Professional Community and Secondary ITT Lead for SWIFT Teacher Training. Dedicated to developing high-quality Art and Design curriculum content accessible and engaging for all young people and teachers, Sam is driven by a professional ethos to provide the best possible Arts education. Throughout his career, Sam has undertaken various roles working with numerous Art Departments, teachers, and young people across the region at the forefront of Arts education in Devon and across the South West, including positions as AST for Devon, SLE (SWTSA), PGCE Secondary Course Lead (University of Plymouth), and Regional Subject Advisor for NSEAD. Sam's commitment to Arts education is evident in developing and implementing effective and engaging curriculums that achieves outstanding results and make him an invaluable asset and he has a dynamic lead of the CREATE Creative Academy at Coombeshead Academy now in its second year. Sam is also a fully trained Mental Health First Aider, supporting staff with professional and personal challenges with a dedication to resilience and balanced approaches to ensure success for teachers and students. 1. How has your journey to teaching and leading Art featured in your professional life? Essentially, the majority of my professional life has been here at Coombeshead Academy for the past 23 years, which is a long time. Coombeshead and then evolving into Education South West, have always been hugely supportive of the Arts and I feel very, very lucky to be teaching here for so long. I have always been a practising artist in my professional life outside school and that has evolved in lots of different ways and I believe teaching and my own practice have fed into each other. I credit teaching with making me a more creative person, because I work in a creative environment every single day with young people that I think makes me a better artist. It also gives me credibility in that I am able to show work to my students and I can say, “I'm not simply reading this out of a book or talking about it, I actually do this as well” and I can apply this working experience to my own practice. Back in the day when Coombeshead supported me to become an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) for Devon, when that role existed, around 2008/2009, Coombeshead, has always been supportive of the Arts, which has grown and grown, and whereas other Art Departments might not be as valued or are shrinking, we have always developed. This has made it a very exciting place to be and, on my journey, to be here, even 23 years in, I am now ready to start! In the last two years we have moved the entire Art Department from one side of school to the other, and have officially become the Creative Arts Academy. That has almost been like getting a new job within the same institution in that we are beginning. But we have got the experience and new members of staff from other schools that are very experienced and the Team are now in a very special place and the journey has evolved and developed. With that experience, we are able to create the best Art Department we possibly can. Whilst this has been part of a long journey, it has fed into the ethos here. To reference an article last week in the TES in which I quoted Bruce Lee who said that you have to be like water to navigate all the challenges and that can be tricky in providing the best level of creativity and experience you can for your young people and teachers. I think my AST work got me out to other schools and see other Art Departments and I became very passionate about supporting other Teachers of Art. It is because I feel very fortunate in my position that I want to spread that support, help and experience. 2. From your experience as a teacher and school leader, what do you believe to be the top benefits of Art in education? Firstly, and thinking big at our very core - I would say creative thinking and self-expression for humanity. When I say to my Year 7 students think about the stereotypical caveperson using handprints on a wall, we have this basic need in us to express ourselves in some way. Whether it is Music, Drama, or Art, there is a need to perform, entertain and express creative thinking, and that is part of human nature To be able to foster and develop this creativity is a big benefit. So many people walk into this Department and one of the first things they say - and often it is a member of the Senior Leadership Team, who say, “I can't draw…I couldn't do that at school.” There is sometimes a fear about creativity. Whereas primary school children and younger children love art and then something happens when you get older where you suddenly think that you cannot do it and cannot draw. The challenge for us as Teachers of Art is to open up creativity and share that it is not only about drawing. It is about photography, textiles and making sculpture and it is important to find that individual talent and self-expression. Another benefit is that the Art Department becomes a sanctuary for what might be slightly stereotypical, but true as well for some of the students who tend not to conform or feel like they do not always fit in and they can find their voice in a different way. Unlike some subjects that are necessarily more conformist in that everyone learns the same. However, I want to see 30 different outcomes in the class from 30 individuals. Because we all have different fashion sense, we all like different music and different tastes and personalities. I want to enable young people to have their own voice or identity. As well as our own identity, I think confidence is another benefit and the self-esteem to be yourself and this feeds into good mental health [I am the Mental Health First Aider for staff here at Coombeshead.] I believe it is fundamental to give people their self-esteem and confidence in being good at something. When a student might say to me, “I can’t do it,” I always adopt a positive approach: “Let's find out what you can do…what is your story…? What is your message?” We have designed our curriculum in such a way that we are the only GCSE where the students design their course. I do not act like the expert. But I show the young people the tools and how to use them and guide them in what they want to say. “What's your voice?” And that's it in a nutshell. It's the young people's voices. 3. Do you consider there to be any barriers to Art in the curriculum and if so, how are you working to overcome these barriers? Yes, there are barriers for Art in the curriculum and there are always going to be. I think there is always going to be a perception that the Arts are on the outside and on the edge and this feeds back to my last answer in students sometimes thinking, “I'm not good at this...I can't do it…There's no career for me in Art.” Whereas, in reality the creative industries are one of the biggest employers in the country. People think about artists and galleries and it is almost like becoming a famous footballer, it only happens to the few. Whereas, if you want to work in the creative industries, there are film studios, makeup artists, fashion designers, photojournalists, people who work in magazines. So, the career pathways in Art are huge. Not only do we need to overcome the perception of young people, but of parents and the community about what the Arts are about; because they might not have had a good experience in their own Art education. It is my ultimate aim to give every young person, whether or not they consider they are good at drawing or painting, the confidence to walk into a gallery as a young adult and to be able to look and understand a piece of art; and to go to the cinema or the theatre and not feel out of place. Of course, there are the logistical barriers of funding and time on the curriculum and all those aspects that we constantly face; which we have always faced and has always been the challenge. We need to find the positive solutions and these barriers are not only here at Coombeshead, but are nationwide. We are fighting against curriculum design and time being cut from the Art curriculum to feed into English and Maths, because they are seen as the more important and employable subjects to raise our profile in removing barriers; which I have been doing for the past 23 years. I think my job, along with other Teachers of Art is to give teachers the confidence to do all this and to give them the skills and the passion. I feel very passionate and responsible for this region and we are very fortunate in Devon and the South West to have an amazing network of Teachers of Art who are passionate and committed and work hard to work overcome those barriers. 4. How are your roles with SWIFT /Teacher Training enhancing your current role at CREATE Creative Arts Academy? Working on the SWIFT Teacher Training course is a privilege working as a part of a team to develop a new curriculum for a new ITT course. Because 23 years ago my PGCE course leaders were incredible and a real inspiration and have impacted not only on my career, but on my life. To be part of teaching training today and build on that experience 23 years later, is wonderful. The fact that we are hosting the Art subject curriculum days for trainees here at Coombeshead is a significant addition to the Department. We have a group of training teachers seeing real teaching life here, every Friday, which hopefully feeds enthusiasm and passion into their placement schools. For myself and my Team, it keeps us on our toes. Similar to learning to drive, you learn to drive, you pass the test and then slowly over a number of years we become slightly worse drivers, don't we?! I think we get into habits and into our own ways and it is good to keep our own learning fresh and new, and on top of our game. All the time, we are constantly reviewing our own practice. I am certainly no expert. Indeed, I will probably retire one Friday in the future and wake up on the Monday and think, I wish I had done that. It is important to try to get better and better and this is where working with SWIFT has been helpful for me in leading the Art Professional Community; having time to work with other teachers and also leading the annual Art Teachers’ Conference, and other professional development events that brings the network together, and gives teachers confidence. We can share good practice and ideas, because this is not a solitary profession. It is a team effort, enabled by this work with SWIFT. 5. What would be your number one wish for the future of Art in schools and Multi Academy Trusts (MATs)? Very simply, creativity needs to be at the heart of the curriculum. I recently saw some lovely practice in a primary school that in a local MAT that blew me away. So many schools are using iPads and technology, but this particular primary have gone in a different direction in journaling in sketch books. Not only for creative practice, but for all their learning. Imagine a sketchbook, something like Darwin would have used, as a diary of learning with drawings and annotations as experiments to show their thinking. This idea of sketchbooks as a place for all learning regardless of the subject is a collective, because students are not separate across their five periods in a day: they are the same person travelling around. So, if all that learning is in one place, I think that is aspirational and I would like to explore further that idea and I am in conversation with the Headteacher of that Trust and looking at how they have introduced this practice with their young people, because it is something I would like to do. I think we have got a lot to learn from primary education in secondary. Whereas, it is sometimes seen as the other way around. But I think we can learn from fostering and harnessing creativity into secondary education. I think my other wish would be more funding, more time in the curriculum, and all those other logistical aspects. But for my number one wish, it is for creativity to be at the heart of the curriculum; because no matter what subject you are doing, there is creativity involved. Interview by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant   Have you embarked yet on your Artificial Intelligence (AI) journey? The use of AI in schools is rapidly growing, offering numerous benefits, such as enhanced efficiency, personalised learning, and improved decision-making. However, AI also presents challenges, including Data Protection risks, ethical considerations, the risk of bias, and concerns over transparency. Given the rapid advancements in AI and the growing reliance on these technologies in education, it is crucial for MATs and schools to establish clear policies that balance innovation with safeguarding concerns. Our sponsor, SchoolPro TLC provides some helpful guidance here and a framework for the responsible use of AI in schools, ensuring compliance with UK GDPR, recommendations from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Department for Education (DfE), and guidance from Ofsted. What is Generative AI? Generative AI refers to AI systems that can create new content, such as text, images, video or audio. Unlike traditional AI, which follows explicit programming to complete specific tasks, generative AI uses machine learning to create original outputs from input data. The UK Government and the ICO define AI as technology that mimics cognitive functions associated with human intelligence, such as learning and problem-solving. AI is increasingly used in MATs and schools for both educational and administrative purposes, raising questions about responsible implementation, data security and the ethical implications of its use. Open vs Closed AI Systems Understanding the distinction between open and closed AI systems is essential when assessing risk and implementing AI within educational settings:
Can Open AI Systems Be Configured as Closed? Some AI tools, such as Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and other cloud-based AI models, are generally considered open AI systems by default. However, it is possible that they can be configured to function as closed systems depending on their settings and the environment in which they are deployed. For example, within a Google Workspace for Education environment, Google Gemini can be configured to:
In such cases, an AI tool that is generally open in a public setting may be functionally closed within a well-managed, restricted environment. Schools should consult their IT lead or Data Protection Officer (DPO) to determine whether an AI tool is configured to meet Data Protection requirements before use. MATs and schools should assess AI applications before use to determine their suitability based on these classifications and apply appropriate safeguards, such as data minimisation and access controls. Scope of AI in MATs and Schools Pupil Usage AI has the potential to enhance learning through activities such as:
However, students must be educated on the ethical use of AI, particularly in avoiding over-reliance and plagiarism. Acceptable Use Agreements should explicitly outline permissible and prohibited AI use. Staff Usage Teachers and administrators can potentially use AI for activities such as:
Staff must verify AI-generated content for accuracy and must not input personal or sensitive data into generative AI tools without prior assessment. Governors and Leadership Governors and senior leadership teams play a crucial role in overseeing AI implementation, ensuring compliance with Data Protection laws, and updating policies as AI capabilities evolve. Core Principles for AI Use Transparency MATs and schools must conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) when AI tools process personal data. DPIAs help identify risks and establish mitigating strategies to protect sensitive student and staff information. Schools should also be transparent about how they use generative AI tools, ensuring that staff, students, Governors, parents, and carers understand how their personal data is processed. Accountability Roles and responsibilities for AI use must be clearly defined and schools should:
Compliance with Data Protection Legislation Schools must ensure that AI tools comply with UK GDPR and their Data Protection Policies. To protect data when using generative AI tools, schools should:
AI and Data Protection in Schools AI use must comply with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 in order to safeguard personal data. Schools reserve the right to monitor AI usage to prevent misuse and ensure compliance with academic integrity policies. Data Privacy and Protection The use of personal data in AI tools must be handled with extreme caution. Schools and MATs should adopt the following principles:
Additionally, some generative AI tools collect and store additional data, such as:
Schools must review and disclose how any data collected by generative AI tools is processed and stored in their Privacy Notice. Ofsted Expectations for AI Use in Education Ofsted does not directly inspect the quality of AI tools but considers their impact on safeguarding, educational quality, and decision-making within schools. Schools must ensure:
Leaders are responsible for ensuring that AI enhances education and care without negatively affecting outcomes. Integration into Policies and Agreements To ensure compliance, transparency, and ethical AI use, schools and MATs should update their existing policies to include provisions for AI. We have drafted recommended text to add to key policies and privacy notices in order to support this process. This information for parts of our AI Guidance pack for schools and is included in the following document: 2 - Generative AI in MATs and Schools - Policy Updates. Report by Soton Soleye and Ben Craig, School Pro TLC   References Disclaimer
SchoolPro TLC Ltd (2025) SchoolPro TLC guidance does not constitute legal advice. SchoolPro TLC is not responsible for the content of external websites.  We are pleased to bring you this next EVENTS newsletter with details of professional learning opportunities.
SWIFT Summer Conference 2025 We are delighted to invite you to the SWIFT Summer Conference 2025 (#SWIFTConf25). A premier event dedicated to empowering educators, fostering innovation and driving excellence in education. Taking place on Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Future Skills Centre in Exeter, this year's conference promises to be an inspiring and enriching experience for all attendees. Highlighted Courses/Support:
 As we edge ever-closer to spring, we are pleased to bring you this February UPDATE.
Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE reflects on the recent LSSW Connect study visit to The Charter Schools Educational Trust in London with a feature later in this issue. The simple and succinct vision for the Charles Dickens Primary School is that greatness begins with academic excellence, creativity and social intelligence as Roger reports how he saw this in practice in the school during the study visit. In a part one feature, our Director of Teaching School Hubs, Jen Knowles recently met with the SWIFT Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnership Group to consider how SWIFT can address DEI across our Golden Thread programme delivery. We will report back once the DEI Group have processed the analysis phase of documents and communications, and share how the SWIFT Teaching School Hubs Team can take action on this important dimension of our work. We report back on the joint initiative working with Colyton Foundation and Atom Learning to promote Free Pupil Premium support for Key Stage 2 children across our South West schools. Take-up has been very encouraging and we hope that schools are seeing the benefits. If you are interested in finding out more about Atom Learning, you can watch a short demo video in the feature. Working with national Lead Providers is key to our delivery work as Teaching School Hubs and in this February issue, we interview Amy Lingfield, Director of Partnerships at Teach First who shares how we align as organisations. You might have spied the new name and logo, but Jon Eaton, Director of the newly rebranded Devon Research School explains what this means for you. Our sponsor, SchoolPro TLC shares their expertise and knowledge about data sharing with school immunisation services. You can meet Director, Ben Craig at next week's School Business Management Professional Community on Tuesday 11 February 2025 between 1300 – 1500. Ben will be presenting on Biometrics, Immunisation Data, SAR Guidance and AI. Book your place here This session is FREE to SWIFT Members or £25 for Non-Members. Our other sponsors are also here to help life in your classrooms and schools to be even more effective and enjoyable. ONVU Learning have developed Smart Moments as part of their lesson video capture technology that allows teachers to flag seamlessly key classroom moments in real-time designed to make post-lesson review easier than ever. Find out how in their feature. Meanwhile Exeter Supply Partnership are heading north of our region and are busy recruiting in North Devon for outstanding primary teachers and Teaching Assistants and working with schools as a not-for-profit organisation who invest in their supply team. Endlessly enthusiastic about all things food, Educatering showcase a special "out of this world" themed catering and show how they care about pupils having a hot school meal every day. Not only to benefit the school kitchen, but to boost concentration for pupils’ afternoon learning. Similarly, if you are thinking about a change to your school /Multi Academy Trust's catering, you can meet Educatering's Head of Catering, Rob Stevens at next week's School Business Management Professional Community (as detailed above). It is all here for you. Thank you for taking the time to read and relish our latest.  We are pleased to bring you this next EVENTS newsletter with details of professional learning opportunities.
SWIFT Spring Leadership Forum | Thursday 20 March 2025 Our keynote speaker, Peps Mccrea, will be presenting on ‘The Science of Motivation’. In this session, Peps will provide a framework of five big ideas from the evidence on motivation plus five key practical strategies we can use to boost attention and effort in the classroom and will include video footage of great teaching in action. In addition, SWIFT Executive Director, Martin Smith will set out an ambitious SWIFT offer for the next academic year and provide delegates with the opportunity to put forward their own requests for speakers and courses. Highlighted Courses/Support:
15/1/2025 0 Comments Interview with Justin Coombs, Executive Director of Assessment Technology at Exam Board, AQA “Looking back now, I’m really grateful that my learning and exams gave me structure, motivation and skills for my working life.” Justin Coombs joined national awarding Exam Board, AQA nearly ten years ago and is presently Executive Director of Assessment Technology, with responsibility for the design and development of the software systems used to deliver assessment, including administration of candidate entries and results, and scanning and marking of scripts. Prior to joining AQA, Justin worked in software development roles in financial services, data science and medical technology. In his role as Director of Systems Implementation at dunnhumby, Justin led the international rollout of their core data science platform through a significant phase of expansion. Whilst Justin cannot now recall in any great detail his experience of exams as a learner – apart from an uncomfortable French A Level exam when he was poorly with a terrible bug - he certainly excelled in his exams; and embraced the content and skills learned from his subjects. At A Level, Justin studied Maths, Further Maths, French and German and then went on to study Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Oxford. We are pleased to find out more now about his role and insights of working for AQA. 1. What do you find to be most personally rewarding working for AQA? For me, the most rewarding part of working for AQA is when we get to the annual A Level and GCSE results’ days. As exams run through the Summer, we see huge volumes of exam papers arriving at our scanning centre in Milton Keynes, which provides an insight into the scale of the job that we do for the nation. So, it is great when we get to results day to take a moment appreciating the media coverage showing millions of learners across the country getting the grades they have worked for. We can also enjoy listening to stories about them progressing onto university and college and, whatever comes next and reflect and be thankful for the fact that we have been able to help to move them forward. 2. What was your own experience of learning for GCSEs and A Levels? I was fortunate in that I engaged with most of the subjects at GCSE and A Level; and much of this learning has been invaluable in my subsequent career. There is hardly a subject area that I have not applied – from the core skills of Maths and Computer Science typically associated with IT careers to the Geography, Modern Languages and Science, which have all helped me along my career journey. 3. What do you consider to be the most significant change in the exams system in recent years? This is an interesting question, because aside from the COVID pandemic, where we obviously had to operate in a completely different system; the exams system has largely been stable since the last round of reform in 2017/2018. However, at AQA, we have been working to refresh all our systems in order to make the lives of teachers and Exams Officers easier with the introduction of new technology and features, such as the digital media portal, which released new features for uploading audio and video over the last two summers. 4. What do you believe distinguishes AQA from other awarding bodies? Fundamentally, the fact that AQA is a not-for-profit charity, rather than a commercial organisation. Hence, at our core is our charitable purpose of delivering fair and accurate results and never to let a learner down. This means that we wish to ensure accurate and fair results for learners on results day that reflects their performance. It means that we offer some qualifications that other Exam Boards would not be able to offer, because we are driven by doing the right thing for education, rather than doing the right thing for shareholders. 5. How would you like to see exams evolve over the next ten years and how realistic is this thinking? We anticipate that exams will evolve gradually over the coming years. We are planning for an incremental shift towards digital assessment, as we recognise that digital skills are critical for today's young people who will be entering the workplace in the 2030 and 2040s. We know that many of today's students are used to doing a lot of their work on digital devices, but we still recognise the ‘digital divide’ in access to technology, so want to make sure every step we take drives greater equality. But these evolutionary changes can only be within the boundaries of what schools can support. Furthermore, we completely recognise the challenges of teacher workload – so, we want to make sure that whenever we’re ready to introduce technology it has a positive impact for teachers and school leaders too. We thank Justin for his dedication to all those learners who will be sitting and who have sat AQA exams in their educational career.   Starting 2025 with good communication intentions, we are pleased to bring you the January UPDATE.
Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE rings in the news year with good news that scholarship funding is being repeated for Cohort 4b: "For many schools and Trusts, they are a key outcome of annual progress and development discussions with an allowance of funding built into annual budgets. In short, they are becoming an entitlement for staff." You can find more information and how to apply here For our January interviewee, we find out more about working for Exam Board AQA from Justin Coombs, Executive Director of Assessment Technology. If you are currently on parental leave, or you have colleagues in your school/Multi Academy Trust (MAT), we encourage you to read more about The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project’s (MTPT) FREE return to work workshops - with the next session coming up on Monday 3 February 2025. Our Data Protection expert sponsor, SchoolPro TLC unpicks the recently updated Subject Access Request (SAR) Department for Education guidance. As former school teachers and leaders, they are standing by to help you. Meanwhile with our other sponsors. Goosemoor Educatering share some festive food and 2024 visual highlights and do feel able to get in contact should you like to find out more about catering for your school/MAT and/or foodie nutritional input to your curriculum. Exeter Supply Partnership are ready for the new year to support your primary supply teaching needs with their ethical not-for-profit ethos and ONVU Learning are also ready to support you with their dynamic teaching and learning classroom tool. Intrigued? Click the UPDATE link below to find out more. Welcome back! With our warmest wishes for a happy and hopeful 2025. 7/1/2025 0 Comments 2024 Counted for SchoolPro TLCIf you already work with our SWIFT sponsor, SchoolPro TLC, you will already know about their services to schools and Multi Academy Trusts. As experienced teachers and leaders, we like to think that they know what it is like working in education.  Here, the team reflect on the challenges and triumphs of 2024 as a celebration of the endorsement of positive working together.
Team Achievements The SchoolPro TLC Teams have their own expertise and are proud to have excelled in various projects with a commitment to deliver exceptional results and ultimately, to strive to exceed client expectations. Special recognition goes to the Data Protection Office Team for their outstanding performance in supporting schools with: 892 data breaches 671 Subject Access Requests 181 data decisions The Data Protection Impact Assessors (DPIAs) saw a 74% increase on last year with 73 completed. PLUS, numerous compliance checks and audits undertaken by the team and this does not even include an attempt to count the number of emails and phone calls responses! The Training Team have supported (through the SchoolPro TLC online training platform) 11,922 school staff course completions across Cyber Security, Data Protection and Safeguarding training courses. They have also run onsite and remote staff training sessions throughout the year and developed a number of new training courses focused on different Data Protection topics, including Subject Access Requests (SAR) management and How To Be A Data Protection Champion. Finally, the launch of the ‘After School Sessions’ enjoyed a successful first in a sequence of training events on Safeguarding and Data Protection in the SchoolPro TLC Gloucestershire HQ in November. Community Engagement School Pro TLC are proud to have strengthened their commitment to corporate social responsibility, and participated in several initiatives that have made a positive impact on our community. They continue with the SME Climate Hub Commitment and hope to carry on reducing emissions into the new year and beyond with a target to achieve net zero by 2030. Partnering with The Ocean Network in support of Surfers Against Sewage, this is an exciting relationship as they become a voice for the ocean in helping to protect the UK’s unique coastal environment. A cause that is close to the Team’s hearts. Click on the logos below to find out more!
Looking Ahead | Strategic Goals for Next Year Planning is in earnest for the launch of the new portal, which will increase team capacity with the intention of best serving schools and Trusts, whilst building on successes, and exploring new opportunities with partnerships to support SchoolPro TLC clients with even more cost-effective and high-quality services. If you have yet to meet SchoolPro Safety, this new brand was launched in September, and offers a range of Health and Safety services; and will be joined by the upcoming SchoolPro Safeguarding, due to launch early this year. Upcoming Events If you want to find out more about SchoolPro TLC services, the Team will be hosting several important launches and events, including further FREE After School Sessions at HQ in Staverton, Gloucestershire; providing valuable networking and learning opportunities. The next session will focus on SENDCo Support, date TBA. ALSO, representatives will be presenting at the SWIFT School Business Management Professional Community on Tuesday 11 February 2025 AND the SWIFT Estates Management Professional Community on Tuesday 11 March 2025. More Information  "Enabling schools to use the best in locally sourced, restaurant quality products to provide exciting, child-led, nutritionally balanced meals."  Our SWIFT sponsor, Goosemoor Educatering has shown how their ethos and aim to provide the very best in quality fresh food, exciting child-led meals all within school budgets, can really make a difference.  Looking back on 2024, there has been an uptake in school meal numbers across their school sites, driven by pupils’ excitement for school lunches; which in turn benefits both the pupils and schools. Research shows that children who enjoy a hot meal for lunch are often better behaved, calmer and able to concentrate more in afternoon lessons.
The proof of delicious healthy food is certainly in the pictures, as you can see here some of their foodie highlights from 2024.  Because they care, Educatering Team build on their love of food with positive healthy relationships with School Catering Teams. As well as using the best produce, Educatering also provide two or three-week rolling menus for School Catering Teams. They believe the best way to maximise the uptake in school meals, other than by providing better produce, is by creating exciting meals which the children will enjoy whilst also being nutritional. Menus can be tailored and pupil voice and staff feedback is always well received. Menus are updated termly or twice a year based upon preferences to move with the seasons allowing more local and seasonal produce to be used .
More Information Opportunity to Meet the Educatering Team Head of Catering, Rob Stevens will be presenting at the SWIFT School Business Management Professional Community on Tuesday 11 February 2025 AND the SWIFT Estates Management Professional Community on Tuesday 11 March 2025.  We are pleased to introduce The Laurel Trust, a national charity who provide grant-funding and support to schools and other agencies to put imaginative evidence-informed research into practice.  The Laurel Trust is committed to raise hopes and horizons for vulnerable children and their families across the South West region and is keen to support schools serving disadvantaged communities to make sustainable differences to children’s learning and life chances. In recent years, through grant funding and support, the Trust has worked with cohorts of schools and other agencies to put evidence-informed research into practice and supported projects across the country in diverse settings, including areas of deprivation and disadvantage in cities, urban, rural and coastal areas from Okehampton to Blyth and from Ipswich to Blackpool. The opportunity to apply in the current funding round is now open and will remain open until: Friday 28 February 2025 at 1700. The theme for projects this year is: Effective Transition | Educational readiness for every school at every phase.
The grants are designed to support groups of schools to work together to re-imagine education in our current world, and to place emphasis on a culture rooted in emotional and academic resilience. The proposed research must focus on improving the life chances for children and young people from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. With this in mind The Laurel Trust is looking to support imaginative collaborations between schools, which develop innovative approaches that foster collaboration and creativity to promote continuity of learning, well-being and resilience, and which build sustainable relationships between teachers and families to support the readiness of children and young people for the next phase of their education. Applications are encouraged from all stages of educational transition, including Early Years and Special Schools. This year The Laurel Trust are particularly welcoming applications from the areas in which they have had fewer applications in the past – and this includes the South West! If you have an exciting project that you feel would be of interest to The Laurel Trust and you would like to apply for a grant in this coming cohort, you can find more information, an application form and guidance on making your application on the links below. You can read summaries of all previous projects, funded by the Trust and the project findings and recommendations are freely available for use in your own setting. The Laurel Trust sends a heartfelt thank you to every school for all they have achieved for children and communities and as this Autumn Term draws to a close, they wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and a very happy new Year. By Derrick Brett, Director of The Laurel Trust For More Information   We are pleased to bring you this next UPDATE.
Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE reflects on the work ethic of his former pupils (working on his house) in the context of the current Department for Education (DfE) Curriculum Review and the Government's announcement to tackle the problem of the high number of people of working age not in work: "I find myself in the position of, as it were, consuming my own product. Does our school produce people who are not only good at their job, but good at relating to their clients and good at making the most of their lives?" A theme close to our hearts here in the South West, we report on the recent National Institute of Teaching study into the experiences of delivering Early Career Framework (ECF)-based programmes in different school contexts across England, with a particular focus on schools in rural and coastal communities. This resonates with the report on educational isolation at our Autumn Leadership Forum by Professor (Dr) Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Dean of Place and Social Purpose and Professor of Education, Plymouth Marjon University. Ofsted Assistant Regional Director, Sarah McGinnis reports back on the Big Listen commitment to help to build a better Ofsted. We interview Ilsham English Hub Lead and Early Years and Phonics Specialist Leader of Education, Danni Cooke with the Learning Academy Partnership South West whose dedication to reading, English and all things literacy is abundantly clear. This issue features exciting educational opportunities. If you are looking for a professional learning opportunity to visit other schools, you might wish to apply for the LSSW Connect Leadership Study Visit Programme taking place in January. School-centred charity, the Colyton Foundation is offering support for Sixth Forms for competitive Higher Education applications. Worth a read for those schools considering applications for their students to Oxford, Cambridge and universities in the USA; plus those applying for Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry. If you have yet to meet The Laurel Trust, you can find out more about the work of this national charity to support schools with a funding opportunity. The theme this year is Effective Transition | Educational readiness for every school at every phase. On the topic of considered collaboration, Kingsbridge Research School provides a thoughtful feature on why it is important to engage people in planning. Our sponsor, SchoolPro Safety presents some excellent guidance on staff mobile phone safety and safeguarding in school that is a very worthwhile. We need them, but we need to use them safely and sensibly in school. Also, Exeter Supply Partnership are here/ there if you need them and with their caring ethic to support your school and the supply teacher. You can step into the world of ONVU Learning with a video demo of the 360-degree camera technology by VP Matt Tiplin and see how this can support professional development in your school and Trust. If Educatering has yet to reach your school kitchen, the pictures say it all in this issue. Healthy and exciting that bring alive school dinners with an international twist this time and support for Children in Need 2024. We hope you enjoy reading and discovering in this issue of UPDATE and we wish you all a rewarding end to the Autumn Term and a Happy Christmas very soon.  “Schools are doing so many wonderful things, but to get children to access that curriculum independently then we have to focus on getting them reading.” Danni Cooke is the Hub Lead for Ilsham National English Hub which is one of 34 designated by the Department for Education since 2018. She is also an Early Years and Phonics Specialist Leader of Education and works for the Learning Academy Partnership South West. A Graduate of Education, Danni then qualified as a teacher and for her first three/ four years she taught in Somerset, before moving to Devon and joining Ilsham C of E Academy as the Early Years Lead. At this time, Ilsham was a national support school and Danni supported other schools and nurseries before becoming one of a small number of Specialist Leaders in Education (SLE) in the first recruitment round in 2012. You can read more about Danni’s journey throughout her career in question 2. 1. What do you find most personally rewarding as Ilsham DfE National English Hub Lead? The rewards come from being part of each school's journey and sharing their successes along the way. I am lucky to work with a large team consisting of literacy specialists, audit team members and the English Hub leadership team. Together we work with the other national English Hubs to help everyone in schools to make a difference in the main three Hub aims of supporting learning to read through systematic, synthetic phonics, building the love of reading and supporting early language. We focus on the main English Hub aims enabling children to reach their full potential and flourish. It is knowing that we are making a difference to children’s reading outcomes and building children as readers. Seeing the impact of everyone’s hard work is rewarding. 2. How has your own journey guided you in your role? I have been very lucky in my opportunities in the 18 years of my teaching career. I became a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for Early Years and Phonics in 2012 and since then I have undertaken different school improvement roles, supporting schools in teaching and learning, classroom practice, assessment, phonics etc. I was also an Assistant Head and have led the Early Years across a range of schools, as well as being a classroom teacher. So, I understand what it is like on a daily basis in the classroom and I understand the challenges. In the past, we have led a strategic school improvement Department for Education (DfE) funded project in the South West to raise phonics attainment through a train-the-trainer model. I have also undertaken work previously with Ofsted on phonics. Our work on phonics and the outcomes of the children's early reading at Ilsham, the hub school supported our bid to become a National English Hub. I have been the IIsham National English Hub Lead since it was formed in 2018. Ilsham Academy is the English Hub school base which is part of the Learning Academy Partnership (South West) Multi Academy Trust of 18 schools, where I oversee the Early Reading and Phonics leadership. I think I am fortunate to have such a fulfilling job. Every day I can help support the futures of so many children. Across the years my role has changed, I have had a multitude of opportunities and I feel proud to have been able to provide support to both teachers, support staff and leaders. My role has enabled me to work together with hundreds of other schools across the South West region where everyone is dedicated to supporting children to succeed in learning to read, giving them the best possible chances and this is rewarding for me. 3. If we were to visit your school, how would you wish us to perceive English and literacy? The first thing we want anyone to experience when visiting schools is to see that the love of reading is everywhere, and is at the heart of the school, the bedrock. Children can be seen immersed in books, both choosing and wanting to read independently. Staff read and share books with children, expanding their vocabularies and supporting them in reading for pleasure. Crucially all staff know their children really well and see them as readers in their own right. Staff know the importance of teaching children the mechanics of learning to read, giving them their crucial next steps to success and ensuring that every child is successful, regardless of background, needs or abilities, overcoming whatever barriers that they may have. Staff focus on keeping children reading as we collectively know that reading changes lives. Once children become independent readers, we know then the curriculum is unlocked, and only then can they independently access all those amazing opportunities that schools are providing. Because, even in Maths, for example, children need to have basic reading skills as an independent reader to comprehend what they need to do. Staff understand that those children with barriers can get frustrated and too often, rely on someone else to help them to access their work. The key is continually working hard to ensure that this does not happen. We know that if we systematically teach and support every child to read early whilst facilitating and growing that love of reading, being aware of the importance of supporting early language development, then we can close those barriers early. We can support all children to flourish and get the best outcomes by the end of primary school. The main three aims of the English Hubs are supporting getting children reading, focusing on phonics as their route to learning how to read independently. Building children’s love of reading, creating volitional readers who want to read and keep reading. Finally focusing on the early language gap, vocabulary and oracy, the importance of interactions and sharing stories; particularly post-COVID we know there are increasing numbers of speech and language challenges in our schools. 4. From your experience, what do you consider to be the most significant challenges to foster good literacy in primary schools? The most important challenge I feel is to build relationships with schools, to work closely to get buy-in from the Senior Leadership and the whole team. We talk about unlocking the curriculum for our children. Schools are doing so many wonderful things, but to get children to access that curriculum independently then it is important to focus on getting children reading. We have to know that if we do not get it right for early reading, this has a knock-on effect in every subject area. I know that a huge challenge for schools at the moment is time. If only like Bernard's Watch, we could stop time and had extra time! Everyone needs to find what works for them and their school. We might need to think more creatively about how to overcome some of the barriers we are facing. As an English Hub we work collectively to support schools and build the whole staff team expertise; rather than focusing on only one staff member being the ‘spotlight of excellence’. It is about reading being everyone's responsibility and on everyone's agenda. We know that we have so many excellent people in our schools and it is making sure that we are building that whole team together. The importance of spending time supporting training and ongoing professional development, to give people time to monitor what is happening, coach and to support. Thinking about those small incremental steps to support staff, building confidence in the delivery of what is being taught so it can be of the highest quality. This then supports every child to get to their age-related expectations. I am a firm believer that, everyone is in the teaching profession for a reason. Staff are passionate and dedicated to making a difference. They are improving children's outcomes and supporting and helping them with their next steps. It is a job where there are never enough hours in the day, thus making it crucial to think about how we can provide support to schools about small next steps with the mantra of working smarter rather than harder. We know within all schools that staffing is a challenge. How can we retain staff and help teams overcome barriers together? Working alongside, coaching and championing staff to help them overcome challenges. This is not about us telling people what to do and then leaving them to it, this is about teamwork, working together, thinking creatively paving the next steps together. 5. What are your three top tips for promoting literacy? Number one: read, read, and read some more. Get to know your children's books and your old and gold, your new, diverse and bold. This will support you making recommendations to children. Become a reading influencer! Number two: get to know your children as readers. What do they like? What do they dislike? The American author, James Patterson said that there is no such thing as a child who hates reading. There are children who love reading and there are children who are reading the wrong books. I am very passionate about finding the right book for every child to ignite that love of reading. We need to continue to support our staff in order to boost their subject knowledge of appropriate texts. We work hard to get our children reading. However, we also need to think about what we are doing to keep them reading, wanting to read and loving reading. How can reading be seen as a positive social habit? Number three: thinking about the reading routines. We brush our teeth every day, twice a day, because we are programmed to know that it is important. So how can we think about habits and the importance of routines, systems and structures for sharing books and making independent reading routines. As soon as children can independently blend sounds together to read a simple word how are we encouraging that practice? Building the habit of reading. The more we practise, the better we get and the better we get the more we want to practice. How can we help children to find time to practise, because practice is important and practice makes permanent. Once we get our children reading, if we keep them reading, we are going to change their life chances. If we can target children as soon as gaps arise and daily work towards closing those steps then we are supporting them in accessing the curriculum. It is a bit like footballers or playing the piano and lots of other different skills, the key is repeated practice, every day, little and often. And I would add a number four, if you have yet to contact your local English Hub, please do so. There are 34 national English Hubs. We can provide free support, advice and funding to schools. This is about knowing where to go to tap into knowledge and support, working together, problem-solving to make a difference to ensure the best outcomes for every child to flourish. More Information about English Hubs Department for Education National English Hubs offer a range of support and continuing professional development (CPD) to primary schools to improve the teaching of early reading, with a particular focus on systematic synthetic phonics, early language and reading for pleasure through tailored support from a literacy specialist, professional development and funding to buy phonics and early language resources.  6/11/2024 0 Comments Interview with Tania Cox, Director of Blackdown Education Partnership Training School / Blackdown Education Partnership "Personally, the thing I enjoy the most of working for a Teaching School Hub is the diverse range of schools and colleagues I get the opportunity to work with and their absolute wealth of expertise and experience shared with me.” Tania Cox is the Trust Director of Training and Learning for Blackdown Education Partnership and works with schools across the Trust, as well as schools across the South West, linked with her SWIFT Teaching Hub Partnership roles of Appropriate Body Service for Early Career Teachers (ECTs), Early Career Framework Facilitator, Initial Teacher Training Campus Lead and Course Facilitator, and Membership Services Lead for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). After graduating in Environmental Science, followed by a PGCE, Tania has 20+ years of primary teaching experience, having worked across all primary Key Stages in a range of teaching and leadership roles, including a recent Headship of a primary school in the First Federation Trust in Devon. Last year, Tania successfully completed a Masters Degree in Education Leadership & Management (MSc). Tania has always been passionate about supporting staff at all phases of their careers to progress in a way that supports their interests and bespoke career pathways, and has been involved in supporting trainees, Early Career Teachers and Mentors, and draws on this experience to support her current role to oversee trainee and ECT induction and development. The driving factor behind Tania’s work is knowing that the support and investment in staff at all stages, but particularly in the early stages of colleague’s careers, enables staff to thrive, grow as expert practitioners and ultimately benefit the children in our schools. 1. Drawing on your experience as a former Headteacher, what key skills do you bring to your roles with SWIFT? The main benefit of my experience as a former Headteacher is a living and breathing understanding of the challenges faced by schools. As a result of my first-hand experience of these significant challenges, I can bring this understanding into my various roles with SWIFT; Membership Services, Appropriate Body and Initial Teacher Training. This is particularly true when thinking about regional and individual challenges faced by schools. For example, I can help to shape the SWIFT Membership Services CPD provision based on local Trust and School Improvement Priorities. We know that a significant challenge faced by schools is insufficient funding and resources, and this insight informs how we can help schools to find the most cost-effective, value for money sources of professional development opportunities for staff by understanding school needs as a starting point. This also contributes to my support for Early Career Techers (ECTs), Mentors and School Leaders in the work I do with the SWIFT Appropriate Body Service, in trying to find creative solutions to challenges that may occur during their induction. My role as Headteacher has also guided my strong belief in investing in people and ensuring the Golden Thread of professional development supports staff to grow from trainee to ECT, to middle leadership and beyond. I have always been proactive and proud to support colleagues either to progress through the leadership scale or to develop a specialism or an area of expertise. Having that understanding helps me to think about my work with SWIFT Membership Services in considering appropriate training we can provide colleagues that enables them to progress most effectively, which benefits staff significantly and ultimately, the children we serve. I have experienced teacher recruitment and retention challenges, and enjoy working with SWIFT Initial Teacher Training to ensure that we are recruiting and training the best people to work in our schools, leading through to helping ECTs to continue their teaching profession journey. It is my hope that this investment provides a solid foundation for teachers to thrive, and not only survive their early career stage and to remain in the profession in the future. In terms of skills that I bring to my work with SWIFT from my role as a Headteacher, I would add empathy, diplomacy and negotiation skills; because my current role can sometimes place me in situations where I have to support schools and teachers and to find a positive outcome. Finally, my direct work with colleagues in schools benefits me because I am no longer primarily based teaching in a school, and I could otherwise find myself quite distanced. But the work that I undertake with trainee teachers in delivering training, and delivering seminars for the Early Career Framework as well as visiting schools and supporting ECTs and trainees in their schools is an enjoyable aspect of my role with SWIFT and also keeps me connected to the classroom environment. 2. What do you find to be most rewarding as a SWIFT Appropriate Body Service Lead? As already mentioned, there are times when things do not always go smoothly for a number of reasons. There are occasions where ECTs can find their two-year induction to be a particularly challenging time. Understandably, they are suddenly removed from having a lot of support as a trainee teacher, to having a full-time class, and many of the roles and responsibilities of their 20 + years experienced colleagues; which can be very challenging for some ECTs. This is why I enjoy supporting ECTs who might be finding this a challenge and supporting those schools who perhaps have not had an ECT in their school until now. Helping Induction Tutors in schools to navigate all the systems and procedures to help them have a good experience through induction. For example, helping schools to develop a support plan and finding that teachers can meet the Teaching Standards at the end of that journey is particularly rewarding. Continuing this work, I love my training facilitator role for ITT, and Early Career Framework Delivery Lead for Year 1; working directly with trainees and ECTs; seeing how theory delivered in seminars links with their practice, watching them grow and develop over the year. 3. From your experience working with SWIFT, what do you consider to be the current biggest challenges in education? As mentioned earlier, I think the current biggest challenge in education is funding and therefore providing resources in schools, which is becoming increasingly difficult. Even though schools wish to invest in professional development for teachers and available services, it is becoming increasingly challenging because of limited funding. We know that here in the South West there is quite a high level of disadvantage for our students in many of our schools for one reason or another; which is another big challenge, of which I am aware, certainly when I am working with trainee teachers and Early Career Teachers. Another significantly reported challenge that I experience through my work is the high level of need in schools balanced with available resources when we think about Special Educational Needs, and some of the challenges that presents due to the lack of available agencies and support services, which can consequently impact on workload and well-being for staff. 4. What do you most enjoy about working for a Teaching School Hub? I have now been in this role for exactly a year and personally, the thing I enjoy the most about working for a Teaching School Hub is the diverse range of schools and the colleagues I work with and their absolute wealth of expertise and experience shared with me. Being a primary practitioner, I have learned a lot from secondary colleagues and am also fortunate to have access to the most up-to-date research and thinking through the work that the teaching hub provides. The training that I deliver through the Early Career Framework and initial teacher training enables me to access the most current thinking in education. Being a facilitator also encourages me to continuously reflect on your own leadership and practice, drawing on my prior experiences to share will colleagues - both what has worked and not worked! I value working with colleagues across the whole of the South West, in addition to my work within Blackdown Education Partnership, which is mutually beneficial in building networks and collaborations. I can support schools in providing the optimum professional development opportunities. Schools can also be supported with their teacher recruitment challenges through trainee placements. I also enjoy drawing on the expertise within those schools. For example, people who might lead Professional Communities and who can mentor trainee teachers. 5. What are your three main hopes for the future of the teaching profession? How to narrow this to three things?! Thinking about the teaching profession, I would have once said reforms to Ofsted; but I would probably not prioritise this as highly now that there appear to be some positive adaptations in progress. Firstly, I would focus on teacher retention and improved retention, with schools offering more competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, specialist training, promoting leadership, a work-life balance and better well-being, in addition to alternative routes to gaining QTS. I have worked with some amazing colleagues, but they do not have a degree and many Teaching Assistants who have been in the role for years and are virtually, teaching classes, but do not have that specific qualification to progress into teaching officially. Hence, I think we need to be looking at alternative routes, which seems to be beginning to happen, and I would like to see that happen more rapidly. Secondly, increased professional development and collaborative practice. Having more time dedicated for professional development, including that important follow-up. Not only sending someone on the training, but giving thought to how the training will be implemented and most impactful so that afterwards, the specific training has supported and upskilled teachers. Thirdly, more opportunities for collaboration and sharing good practice and expertise. I am a very strong believer that shared practice and collaboration can be hugely impactful and we should be outward-looking, outside of our Schools and Trusts, at all levels, by ensuring we are equipped and confident to make the best decisions to suit the learners in our school, to serve our communities as a common goal. That is why I love working with SWIFT and my role supports that idea, and ethos of collaborative working together, networking and partnership strengthened by those common goals. We thank Tania for sharing insights into her roles and for her valued contributions as a SWIFT Partner. Interview by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant   We are pleased to bring you this next UPDATE.
Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE muses on how politics sits within leadership following a post-budget discussion about inheritance tax: "The very best school leaders that I know lead from a position of deeply held beliefs and values. It is this passion which gets them out of bed in the morning and enables them to motivate others. It drives the sense of authenticity that enables others to trust them." Find out more about the the new Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator's (SENCO) National Professional Qualification (NPQ) in which 85 Programme Members are currently engaged. You can also learn about Social Stories following the recent workshop led by South West Autism Support Services and be guided to starting a story with your pupils and young people. If you have yet to do so, remember to sign-up for the Autumn Term Leadership Forum on: Thursday 21 November 2024 from 1530 – 1715 (online). Ofsted Assistant Regional Director, Sarah McGinnis will be sharing updates and opportunity for Q&A, whilst Professor (Dr) Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Dean of Place and Social Purpose and Professor of Education, Plymouth Marjon University will consider place-based disadvantage and the way it reduces coastal and rural school access to resources, especially teachers. FREE for SWIFT Members and £35 for all other colleagues, book your place here Director of Kingsbridge Research School, Jon Eaton provides clarity on schools as complex adaptive systems: "As school leaders will know all too well, there are no end-points to complex problems, where we can confidently down tools and declare things solved. For instance, literacy improvement in schools is not something that can be declared “done.”" Our sponsor SchoolPro TLC provides some excellent timetabling for success advice for those colleagues tasked with this mission and who might be already thinking about next year. Valid point by point tips for clear planning. Meanwhile our other sponsors have been busy. You can see some of Educatering's seasonal and cultural foodie goodies with children hands-on in the kitchen, and find out how Exeter Supply Partnership can support your primary teaching supply needs. You can download ONVU Learning's new White Paper "Unleash your Teachers’ Superpowers" that outlines strategies for fostering high-performance teaching and learning environments. We wish you all an enjoyable and rewarding half term and thank you for taking the time to read this issue. Last month we hosted an in-person workshop on Social Stories™ led by Lisa McCullagh of South West Autism Support Services.  Lisa first discovered the value of Social Stories nearly 25 years ago when she used her son’s special interest in Mr Bean with the aim of helping him to learn the social requirements of lining-up in the playground. This was followed in 2006 when she attended a workshop by Social Stories pioneer, Carol Gray who shared how she invented the concept to “describe a situation, skill or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives and common responses in a specifically defined style and format.” Back in 1989, Carol began writing stories for her students to share information with them that they seemed to be missing. Information that we so often take for granted and many of these stories resulted in immediate and marked improvement in her students’ responses to daily events and interactions. Social Stories are based on a social understanding approach, which assumes that to teach “appropriate social responses” to a student with an autistic spectrum disorder could hold little meaning if others do not understand the student’s perspective, or the student does not understand what is occurring around them and why. The first step to teaching social skills is to ensure, beyond all assumptions, that the student has accurate and specific social information. A Social Story is not something that tells a child they are doing wrong. But rather, it informs and guides. It is not to be referred to in a punitive way and it may also be seen as a social demand for those young people who experience demand avoidance. Before you commence a Social Story, Gray recommends essential information-gathering via the art of observing, talking and collaborating with the aim of promoting understanding; rather than changing behaviour and the goal of sharing the information. The aim of a Social Story is to share accurate social information in a patient and reassuring manner that is easily understood by its audience. Half of all social stories developed should affirm something that an individual does well. It should never be intended to change the individual’s behaviour, but to improve the individual’s understanding of events and expectations may lead to more effective responses. The Ten Defining Criteria and Guidelines for Writing a Social Story 1️. Meaningful | A Social Story meaningfully shares social information with a child in a reassuring way and at least half of the story applauds achievements. 2️. Structure | The story has an introduction that clearly defines the topic, a body that adds detail and a conclusion which reinforces and summarises information. A beginning, middle and end. 3️. Questions | A social story answers the “wh” questions (why, what, where, when and who). 4️. Perspective | It should be written from the first or third-person perspective (I, my, and he, she, they) and not second person (you!). 5️. Language | Use positive language with descriptive sentences, with the option to include any one or more five remaining sentence types (perspective, cooperative, directive, affirmative and/or control sentences). 6️. Perspective Sentences | Consider sentences that refer to, or describe, a person’s internal state, their knowledge, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, opinions, motivation or physical condition and health. 7️. Description | Describe more than direct. 8️. Format | Consider a format that is tailored to the abilities and interests of the audience that is usually literally accurate. 9️. Illustrations | Use individually tailored illustrations to enhance the meaning of the text. 10. Title | This should meet all the applicable Social Story criteria and share accurate information. The topic may pose a wh- question, and is written in the first or third person, uses positive language or announces something the child does well and is easily understood /interesting by/to the audience and contains/ is accompanied by illustration.
Guidelines for Initial Writing of Social Stories 1. Observe a targeted situation. To take Lisa’s example from her own experience, this could be lining-up in the playground. 2. Take plenty of notes, ask questions. Do people line-up differently, say in morning break or to go to assembly? What are the sensory and social demands involved? 3. Speak with all adults involved, parents and school staff, Mealtime Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Teachers etc. 4. What do you feel is the “motivation” for the current response or learned response? 5. Consider anxiety responses, transitional difficulties and sensory needs. What does the child say is happening (their perceptions)? The child’s perception is key to addressing the issues. 6. State what usually occurs, then state what may change. Let children know what they often can expect but what sometimes may happen. It keeps the information honest and realistic and as predictable as can be. 7. Keep the information well within the child’s comprehension level. Use font size and vocabulary within their abilities. 8. Avoid using term such as “always”, “will” or “never.” Instead try to use words such as “usually,” “often,” “sometimes” and “occasionally.” 9. Always use the present tense so that it is relevant to current situations. Some Social Stories can be used in the future tense if it is a preparation for something that may happen. For example, as an upcoming school holidays, a trip, going to an appointment. 10. Illustrations can be helpful a visual reminder to reinforce the written word, but should not distract from the message of the story. For example, use photographs to demonstrate an area such as a classroom, playground, or toilet. It can also be illustrated via a theme of a child’s special interest. 11. If it is a lengthy Social Story, break it down into steps by using a separate page per “stage.” 12. Remember the aim is to use the Social Story as a reminder and in a manner that increases the child’s confidence and skill level and reduces anxiety or unfamiliarity. 13. Keep a laminated copy availability once you are able to fade out the Social Story for any reoccurring incidences.  Making Sense of the Sentences Descriptive sentences objectively address the wh- questions: where, the situation takes place, who is involved, what they are doing, and why they may be doing it. Descriptive Sentences are accurate, assumption-free statements of fact. For example:
Perspective sentences give a glimpse into the minds of those involved in the story and can provide details about the emotions and thoughts of others. This is a type of perspective sentence that may appear in a Social Story. Most of the time, perspective sentences describe the thoughts and feelings of other people. For example:
Directive Sentences suggest desired responses tailored to the individual and identify a possible response/solution, and/or gently direct behaviours. If possible, try to avoid the use of words like “must,” “need” or “should.” Using the word try opens the space for the student to learn the appropriate behaviours for a social situation. For example:
Control Sentences are used as a mnemonic device and are often authored by the student himself. It can be a sentence to help remember the story or to deal with the situation. Control sentences may not be used in every story and may be specifically paired with a visual cue to be used as a reminder for the individual of the focus of the story. For example:
 Using Comic Strip Conversations Created by Carol Gray, Comic Strip Conversations (CSCs) are simple visual representations of conversation using stick figures and symbols to represent social interactions and abstract aspects of conversation and colour can be used to represent the emotional content of a statement or message. By seeing the different elements of a conversation presented visually, some of the more abstract aspects of social communication (such as recognising the feelings of others) are made more 'concrete' and are therefore easier to understand. Comic strip conversations can also offer an insight into how an autistic person perceives a situation and can show the things that are actually said in a conversation, how people might be feeling and what people's intentions might be. Comic Strip Conversations can help autistic children to understand concepts that they find particularly difficult. By drawing as they talk, CSCs can be used to learn about different social situations. In a comic strip conversation, the autistic person takes the lead role, with parents, carers or teachers offering support and guidance. Comic Strip Conversations can be used to plan for a situation in the future that may be causing anxiety or concern. For example, an exam or a social event. However, remember that plans can sometimes change and it is important to present the information in a way that allows for unexpected changes to a situation. How to Create your Own Comic Strip Conversation 1. Start with small talk (for example, talking about the weather) to get the person you are supporting familiar with drawing whilst talking and to mimic ordinary social interactions. 2. Ask a range of questions about a specific situation or type of social interaction and the autistic person answers by speaking and drawing their response. 3. Summarise the event or situation you have discussed by using the drawings as a guide. 4. Think about how to address any identified problems or concerns. 5. Develop an Action Plan for similar situations in the future; which will be a helpful guide for the autistic person. 6. For complex situations, or for people who have difficulty reporting events in sequence, comic strip boxes may be used, or drawings can be numbered in the sequence in which they occur. 7. You can use paper, pencils, crayons and markers, and computer word processing applications, or use an app. Ask the person you are supporting to choose what materials they would like to use. 8. You can prepare your Comic Strip conversations in a notebook, or save on a smartphone or tablet to refer back to as helpful, and to recall key concepts. Thank You and More Information
We thank Lisa for leading this informative workshop session and for the useful notes here. For more information, you can click on the links below. 3/10/2024 0 Comments Teaching School Hub (TSH) Annual School Leader Satisfaction Survey for 2023 - 2024The results are in from our annual Teaching School Hub (TSH) School Leader Satisfaction Survey for 2023 – 2024. School leaders were invited to complete a short satisfaction survey on how they believe they have been supported by SWIFT on the Golden Thread programmes plus other Continuing Professional Development, including the High Prior Attainment training day led by The Colyton Foundation.  We are consistently committed to listening and responding to our school leaders and teachers and are grateful to those of you who took the time to feedback about what matters most so that we can improve our programme delivery. Working together as SWIFT, Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs seek to deliver programmes intended to upskill staff in order to boost teacher recruitment and retention; ultimately, to promote better educational outcomes for all pupils in schools, especially the disadvantaged. Hence, it is important to us that our programme delivery is high-quality, relevant and adds value to the endeavours of busy schools in our constantly changing times. A key survey question was whether leaders had been able to access professional development relevant to their setting’s needs and development goals. Certainly, this has individual implications for us as a starting point – although future planning would benefit from more detail. However, a resounding 63% completed agreed, 31% somewhat agreed and a thoughtful and very honest 6% neither agreed or disagreed. School leaders were also invited to note their satisfaction with their school’s overall experience of working with Teaching School Hubs last year. 69% completed agreed, 30% somewhat agreed and 1% neither agreed or disagreed. The numbers speak for themselves. But clearly prompt a deeper thinking about the sometimes-subjective understanding of survey dynamics. With opportunity for further comments, we are very grateful to those school leaders who took the time to share their thoughts. Overall, the prompt, supportive responses and smooth administration and organisation by our SWIFT Team was praised. Several leaders praised our support for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) as part of the Appropriate Body Service and the guidance and advice provided for them to fully support the ECT and help them to make robust progress and they liked our platform to upload and provide evidence for their ECTs. Particularly positive was a comment about benefitting from being part of our wider SWIFT network and appreciation of professionalism and core values. Partnership is at the heart of our SWIFT work and it is rewarding that is reflected back at us. Another school leader commended our seminars as productive, meaningful and relevant, which is very positive. One leader had yet to work with the Teaching School Hubs, which is a valid consideration for us about our marketing and how we present SWIFT to schools. We certainly understand that the educational landscape can be cluttered and confusing. Guiding comments were constructive about improved clarity of our communications. For example, dates for expected termly ECT progress forms to assist time management and planning for schools. Although interestingly, another praised the clarity of ECF assessments etc. Given the variety of communications from different members of the SWIFT Team, one school leader would ideally prefer to have a single point of contact. We also value the reflective comment about SWIFT emails being crisper and concise in view of numerous email communications and we will take this point seriously in considering the reading workload for school leaders and teachers. And finally, in tune with the modern time, one responder was interested in climate awareness training for leaders. It is important to us that we bring meaningful training to you, so watch this space. 64 school leaders responded to the survey and we are grateful for your honest feedback and reflections that will helpfully steer us in our onwards work. 61% leaders responded from Devon schools, 23% from schools in Plymouth and 16% in Torbay. Primary school leaders were the highest responders at 55%, followed by 34% from secondary, and 6% from Special Schools, 3% Alternative Provision and 2% from the private sector.
Questions were based on the following Golden Thread programmes:
Of those school leaders who responded to the survey, 52 had accessed the Early Career Framework, 37 the Appropriate Body Service, followed closely by the National Professional Qualifications at 30. Of course, when you do the maths, you will note that schools might have accessed more than one of the Golden Thread programme mainstays. Seven accessed our professional development offer, which is perhaps slightly lower than we might have hoped and we will certainly consider the implications. But it was positive that all school leaders had accessed some aspect of our services. For the Appropriate Body Service, we are pleased to provide various aspects as part of our Teaching School Hub statutory duty. ECT registration with the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) was the number one service accessed by 40 responders, followed by 30 for formal assessments, 26 who had accessed information/support for meeting induction requirements, whilst six benefited from ECF fidelity checking (which it is worth noting is only applicable to schools not accessing Department for Education-funded induction). We understand the importance of teacher induction for schools and we are heartened that those school leaders who responded demonstrated that they find practical value in our Appropriate Body Service. Looking in more detail at what professional development school leaders had accessed, allowing for the fact that they were able to select as many aspects that they considered to be applicable, the results were interesting. Online training sessions were more popular than in-person events at 24 to 17; which we have perhaps come to expect, even in our opened-up post-Covid lockdown times. Education conferences where teachers and/or researchers present their research or discuss educational issues were attended by eight colleagues. Participation in a network of teachers formed specifically for the professional development of teachers by TSHs was accessed by four school leaders; which might be fewer than thought, although very often these events, such as Subject Leader Briefings and Professional Communities are attended by teachers and other colleagues, rather than school leaders.  Nevertheless, the results were encouraging and thoughtful feedback and we are grateful to all those school leaders who took the time to respond.
Beyond the survey, please feel able to message us with any comments, reflections and/or suggestions about how we can work better and smarter to serve you. We are always pleased to hear from you and you can click on the links below to contact us. Report by Jude Owens, SWIFT Executive Assistant 25/9/2024 0 Comments Teach Like a Champion (TLAC) | Building Strong Classroom Culture | Exciting New ProgrammeFor those of you familiar with teaching technique guru, Doug Lemov, you will already have an understanding and appreciation of his compelling work and wisdom in the classroom.
This Autumn Term, SWIFT are champion-pleased to introduce the “Teach Like a Champion - Building Strong Classroom Culture Train the Trainer Training” programme for schools. Led by the US-based Trainers from Doug Lemov's worldwide training team, this exciting new SWIFT programme will be using some of the strategies from his best-selling book, 'Teach Like a Champion 3.0' to train up your designated leader to be a Champion in your school. By ‘Building Strong Classroom Cultures’ the programme is designed to build school cultures and practices that enable joy and academic achievement for your learners that aligns with your School Improvement Priorities to drive tangible high-quality teaching and learning outcomes. Your champion will master research-based pedagogical approaches and key skills in creating classrooms with strong and engaging cultures that lead to rigorous and engaging academic instruction so that your pupils and young people thrive (and by extension, your teachers too).  Structured as a series of five 90-minute online Tuesday train-the-trainer interactive training sessions with the following intentional and appealing titles: SESSION 1 Radar/Be Seen Looking | 5 November 2024 | 1600 - 1730 SESSION 2 Least Invasive Interventions | 10 December 2024 | 1600 - 1730 SESSION 3 What to Do and Do It Again | 11 February 2025 | 1600 - 1730 SESSION 4 Systems and Routine and Strong Voice | 25 March 2025 | 1600 - 1730 SESSION 5 Positive Framing and Precise Praise | 10 June 2025 | 1600 - 1730 Each session is led by Teach Like a Champion Trainers based on an impactful implementation model to encourage a motivating momentum for your TLAC Champions-in-the-making. In addition, there will be opportunity to attend optional termly Professional Community Forums to review impact and share good practice with fellow programme members.
  We are pleased to bring you this final UPDATE of the academic year 2023 - 2024.
Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE begins by considering the secret behind the atmosphere of purpose and calm on a recent LSSW Connect Study Tour Visit to Dixons Academy Trust in Leeds and Bradford: "I was struck by how clearly the leaders articulate what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they are doing it. They speak with a confidence and clarity that is inspiring. They have developed systems that work for every aspect of their operation. They check those systems are working. They invest in staff training and growth. And everything is rooted in the transparent vision and values of the Trust and the individual schools." And ends with a rallying cry to end the year - inspiring all school leaders and staff to return energised after a good break this summer. We look back on the 2024 Summer Conference with collaboration at its heart, knowing that some events are worth reliving. We thank, once again, all our speakers, sponsors and of course, the delegates for being with us. “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” (Henry Ford) Primary and Secondary Teachers of Art recently enjoyed their very own dedicated Devon Art Teachers' Conference with an enriching and engaging agenda, plus inspiration from the Bovey Tracey’s annual Craft Festival. As a thank you to all Governors, but celebrating this one as he prepares to retire, we interview Paul Brooks, Chair of Kingsbridge Community College Governing Body and SWIFT Trust Board who shares his thoughtful insights into education over the past 40 years. With the ever-important issues of attendance, Kingsbridge Research School explains the Education Endowment Foundation’s new guidance on supporting schools with attendance structured around six evidence-informed themes. Another readable feature is from our sponsor SchoolPro TLC who shares their GDPR and Data Protection expertise in understanding the Birmingham Children’s Services Data Breach and the implications and guidance for school and MAT leaders. Our sponsors have been busy too. The foodie pictures say it all as Educatering whets our appetites in showcasing their menu of delightfully nutritious and exciting food in its school year wrap up. Lucky schools. Exeter Supply Partnership understands the importance of professional development for teachers, but appreciates access whilst working as a supply teacher or Teaching Assistant is not always easy. This is why they provide access to FREE courses and webinars to support their Supply Team to keep up-to-date whilst working and to help them to prepare for the next step in their career. ONVU Learning reflects on excellent teachers creating excellent memories and the characteristics of great teachers. If this sounds like something for you, you can meet and find out more about ONVU Learning in a FREE webinar on Thursday 11 July 2024 from 0830 – 0900. Register here Wherever you are, we hope that these final few weeks will be enjoyable and fulfilling for you all. We are not there yet, but the summer break awaits and we wish you the loveliest holiday and thank you for working with us this year. 3/7/2024 0 Comments Excellent Teachers Creating Excellent Memories | Reflections on the Characteristics of Great Teachers with ONVU Learning Why did you become a teacher? Which teachers do you remember? Our sponsor, ONVU Learning thinks deeply about the dynamics of teaching and learning and reflects here on excellent teachers to inspire the next generation of teachers. We all remember that one teacher who was more than an educator. A Mentor, a guide, and a catalyst for personal and intellectual growth. Their passion for their subject matter was infectious, igniting a similar enthusiasm in you. They possessed an uncanny ability to recognise and nurture your individual strengths, encouraging you to pursue your dreams with confidence. Their lessons may have extended beyond textbooks, imparting valuable life skills and wisdom that resonated long after the school bell rang. Through their unwavering support and belief, they instilled a sense of purpose and self-worth, with memories of their kindness, patience and innovative teaching methods remaining a source of inspiration. Perhaps it was that inspiration that led you to teaching. Creating Lasting Impressions Excellent teachers have the unique ability to create lasting, positive memories for their students, shaping their lives in profound ways. As educators, they transcend the traditional role of a subject teacher. Through dedication and enthusiasm, their classrooms are transformed into spaces of inspiration and discovery. They foster a love for learning, ignite passions, and build confidence, leaving an indelible mark on their students. For some, the absence of such teachers in their own education becomes a powerful motivator to be the teacher they never had. These reflections underline a critical truth: inspirational teachers are not only transmitters of knowledge but are pivotal in nurturing well-rounded, motivated individuals who carry their influence long into adulthood. Empowering Teachers for Excellence: Strategies to Create a Supportive, Judgment-Free Environment Empowering teachers to excel requires a clear vision and a nurturing environment that supports their growth without judgment. Schools must foster a culture where teachers feel valued, heard, and encouraged to innovate; which means creating collaborative spaces for sharing best practice, challenges, and successes. By involving teachers in decision-making processes and policy development, schools can cultivate a sense of ownership and commitment. Recognising and celebrating teachers' achievements can significantly boost morale and motivation. Ensuring teachers have access to necessary resources and a supportive administration creates a foundation where they can focus on what they do best: teaching and inspiring students. Tailored Teacher Professional Development: Introducing Practical, Customizable Tools Effective teacher development must be bespoke, in recognising the varying stages of a teacher's career and their unique classroom dynamics. Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and the Early Career Framework (ECF) establish foundational practices and habits. However, further professional development needs to be adaptive, helping experienced teachers maintain good practices whilst responding to new challenges, such as changing student demographics. Practical examples include coaching approaches to fine-tune teaching practices, growing teacher agency to encourage confident, well-chosen risks, and making it standard practice to discuss teaching methods alongside insights from authentic lesson observation feedback. This approach ensures that professional development is not a formality, but a meaningful, growth-oriented process that aligns with the evolving educational landscape.  Sustainable Strategies for Teacher and Student Success: Actionable Steps for Schools To sustain and enhance teacher development, schools must implement strategies that ensure continuous growth and competitive advantage. 1. Keep whole school training days focused on vision and policy, rather than granular, practical implementation, allowing for a clear, unified direction. 2. Middle leaders should be equipped to evaluate the impact of actions, moving beyond mere box-ticking to genuine, impactful assessments. 3. Teachers should be provided with the tools to play, practise and perform, and the confidence to know that they will be supported and judged fairly - including fostering an ingrained understanding of their cohort's needs, interests, curriculum demands, and expected outcomes. By embedding these sustainable strategies, schools can create an environment where both teachers and students thrive, ensuring long-term success and a lasting positive impact on the educational community.  How is ONVU Learning Supporting Teachers and Schools to Create Lasting Impressions ONVU Learning’s complete 360-degree lesson capture solution helps educators to reflect, collaborate and analyse the entire teaching and learning process. By using 360-degree cameras, your teachers can capture the entire classroom allowing them to review and share clips of best practice from our web-based platform, to improve teaching techniques and empowering teacher autonomy. Schools across the country have been implementing ONVU Learning to enhance their Early Career Framework programmes, to enhance and scale effective Teacher Continuous Professional Development programmes, and ultimately, to improve teaching standards and learning outcomes. Learning is a complex process in which teachers are pivotal. If teachers are to be effective contributors to children’s change in behaviours, attitudes, knowledge and skills then they need a tool that helps them see teaching and learning inside their classroom with clarity and without judgement. By putting the teacher in the driving seat, ONVU Learning allows you to customise your professional development by choosing which lessons to record, choosing what to share and what to keep private, tag and comment on key moments during your lesson and collaborate with colleagues without taking up valuable resource time. To Find Out More Join ONVU Learning at a FREE webinar on Excellent Teachers Create Excellent Memories on Thursday 11 July 2024 from 0830 – 0900. Hosted by ONVU Learning’s Matt Tiplin and Stella James, you will explore transformative strategies that empower teachers to excel in order to enhance student achievements. You will also look at personalised development plans that combine the best practices of memorable teaching with innovative growth opportunities tailored for teachers.  2/7/2024 0 Comments Data Breach | Implications and Guidance for School and MAT Leaders with SchoolPro TLCOur sponsor SchoolPro TLC shares here their GDPR and Data Protection expertise in understanding the Birmingham Children’s Services Data Breach and the implications and guidance for school and Multi Academy Trust (MAT) leaders. In May 2024, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued a reprimand to Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company (BCTCIC) for an inappropriate disclosure of a child’s personal information. This unfortunate incident underscores the critical importance of robust Data Protection practices, especially when dealing with sensitive data related to children and criminal offences. As leaders in schools and MATs, understanding the implications of this reprimand and implementing key actions can help safeguard your institutions from similar breaches.  Overview of the Incident
On 10 November 2022, BCTCIC experienced a significant data breach involving the inclusion of sensitive information about another person in a Child Protection Plan (CP Plan) sent to a family. This breach occurred within the Child Protection and Review (CP&R) department, which routinely handles both personal data relating to children and criminal offence data. The specific incident involved two neighbouring families. Family A had raised concerns about interactions between their child and Child X from Family B. During the formulation of a Child Protection plan, information from a separate strategy meeting with West Midlands Police, containing serious criminal offence allegations against Child X, was inappropriately included and this sensitive data was subsequently disclosed to Family A, resulting in a violation of Data Protection regulations. Key Findings and ICO Reprimand The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that BCTCIC had violated Articles 5(1)(f), 32(1)(b), and 32(2) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Articles that mandate personal data must be processed securely to protect against unauthorised or unlawful processing and accidental loss, destruction, or damage. Several key issues were identified:
Implications for Schools and MATs The ICO have highlighted that Schools and MATs must be vigilant to avoid similar data breaches: 1. Develop Robust Policies and Procedures Ensure that your Data Protection policies include specific, detailed guidance on handling sensitive personal data. This should cover what data is appropriate to share and under what circumstances. 2. Implement Role-Specific Training General Data Protection training is essential, but it should be supplemented with role-specific training. Staff should understand how Data Protection principles apply to their roles within the context of their setting. SchoolPro TLC are developing SEND and Designated Safeguarding Lead-specific Data Protection training to help boost staff confidence when responding to information requests. 3. Conduct Regular Audits and Reviews Regularly review and audit Data Protection practices to identify and mitigate risks. Look at who the school has shared information with, how much and the method for exchange. 4. Regular Records Review Create time to review the records you hold, checking the quality and accuracy. Feedback to staff to support the development of a safer culture within the school. Actions and Recommendations Based on the ICO’s recommendations and the lessons from the BCTCIC incident, there are specific actions for schools and MATs to consider.
Conclusion The reprimand issued to Birmingham Children’s Trust serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust Data Protection practices, especially when dealing with sensitive information related to children. By understanding the implications of this incident and implementing the recommended actions, schools and MATs can better protect their data, ensure compliance with data protection regulations, and better safeguard their students. As leaders, it is our responsibility to foster both a culture of Data Protection and Child Protection within our settings, by going above and beyond to ensure the safety and privacy of all individuals whose data you handle. Data Protection is Child Protection. By Ben Craig, Director, SchoolPro TLC Ltd 2/7/2024 0 Comments 2024 Devon Art Teachers Conference | plus a FREE creative opportunity for Torbay SchoolsLed by the inspirational Art Subject Specialist, Sam Eyre, from Coombeshead Academy, and supported by Joe Long, Art Lead at The Spires College, Primary and Secondary Art Teachers attended the 2024 Devon Art Teachers’ Conference last month with an informative and inspiring agenda.  Attendees benefitted from updates and feedback on the AQA assessment objectives from Aly Diggle-Perry and Sandra Allan from AQA Examination Board, who provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to see an exhibition of exemplar work from students to support assessment.
There were lots of resources and links to tap into about grants, funding and projects by freelance artist Claire Harmer; a former teacher, who uses South Devon as the inspiration for her work and works directly with schools (find more information here).
Teachers were challenged to delve into the world of AI, as Sam presented opportunities and challenges of implementing artificial intelligence in the art classroom, such as how to use AI to create digital pictures. Enriching information that may help to keep us one step ahead of our learners! One of the most valuable parts of the day centred on networking with colleagues and sharing from experiences, with teachers having an opportunity to share their challenges and find solutions to improve their practice for their pupils.  There was also time to explore the vast array of arts and crafts at Bovey Tracey’s annual Craft Festival and to meet many crafts people and observe workshops, demonstrations and talks, taking away ideas to use back in their own settings.
 A must for all training days is the refreshments, and Rodney’s café, based at MAKE Southwest, provided delicious lunch and cakes. Feedback from the day was enthusiastic praising: "The range of presentations and passion from each presenter.’ "The opportunity to network with fellow Art Teachers, connect with potential future projects/funding and links with teachers for future CPD links.’ "To hear about relevant issues for Art and Design." "The contacts and varied resources and speakers." Planning is already underway for next year’s conference and looking forward to sharing with primary and secondary Art Teachers across South West schools. With thanks to Sam and Joe for their leadership. Report by Tania Cox, Partner Director, West Country Training School Alliance
MAKE Southwest Hosted by Educational Manager Ian Wilkins at MAKE Southwest in Bovey Tracey, this craft education charity is funded by Arts Council England with a thriving membership of over 300 crafts people, with an engaging exhibitions programme and retail gallery, championing the highest standards of craftsmanship since its formation in 1955 and has become a leading advocate for crafts education. A FREE Creative Opportunity for Torbay Schools Craft Council Material World Project - a funded opportunity for school teachers Outreach Programme Craft School is open to all schools nationwide, but other geographical areas have been identified where they would like to increase participation in Blackburn, Kirklees and Torbay with a wish to boost participation from schools with higher levels of Pupil Premium funding. The Craft School Outreach programme will offer additional training to prepare and support teachers through the delivery of Craft School working with 12 teachers from six schools in each region over two academic years. The programme is offered to schools free of charge and will aim to:
Two members of staff from each school, notably Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Technicians or other support staff are all welcome to participate and will be able to attend professional development sessions, which will include an element of practical making.  Torbay Project Timeline Thursday 11 July 2024 from 1630 – 1830 | First face-to-face professional development session. September 2024 | Second Torbay professional development session. September 2024 | Enrol in Craft School: Material World. October 2024 | Third Torbay professional development session. September / October 2024 | Start to deliver Craft School: Material World with learners. To make use of Craft School Teacher toolkit, professional development sessions and other resources. December 2024 | First Torbay online support session. February 2025 | Second Torbay online support session. April 2025 | Submit evidence of learners’ work and making journeys to Craft School: Material World (online portal). May 2025 | Judges select work for awards (one per Key Stage). June 2025 | Online celebration event for all participants. Commitment from Schools Participating schools will be asked to commit to the following:
For More Information Contact Hassina Khan or Ian Wilkins.   “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” (Henry Ford) This time last week, it was lift-off for the SWIFT 2024 Summer Conference at the new venue of the Future Skills Centre in Exeter. Hosted by Executive Director, Martin Director and Jen Knowles, Director of Teaching School Hubs, delegates fastened their seatbelts for what was to be a supersonic day. Education South West (ESW) CEO, Matthew Shanks’ welcome set the tone for the conference in considering the current challenges and key themes for schools and leaders - with a call to action for collaboration across schools in the South West. “Our job is to help every single child.” Matthew reflected how alas, the system is not currently built for collaboration due to disincentivizing league tables and a lack of support and funding for children’s services. However, with ESW the lead Trust for the Kingsbridge Teaching School Hub, Matthew echoed the SWIFT ethos of selfless collaboration that helps to make a better society and fulfils our vision of creating high-quality opportunities for staff to learn, develop and connect. So that all children, especially the disadvantaged, achieve the best educational outcomes. After the fantastic first three years as Teaching School Hubs, the statistics are splendid to behold. 3,295 teachers and leaders have engaged in over 80,000 hours of training with SWIFT that importantly, practicably, and hearteningly has a direct impact on the quality of education and lives of young people in South West schools. And the good news is that SWIFT is committed to building on this successful support.   On that stirring note, the first keynote speaker took to the stage. Presenting on “Why nice isn’t working: why relational currency supports positive behaviour,” teacher, behaviour specialist, author, education reformer and advisor, Paul Dix began by sharing his own experience as a 24-year-old teacher. Re-living the case of the humbling home visit to his pupil, Robert; Paul recounted the discovery of his positive notes that Robert had previously crumpled up (and Paul assumed to have been thrown away) and yet were pinned-up on Robert’s bedroom wall, in an otherwise nearly empty home. Heart-rendering. In a talk that was entertaining and energising with visual props, Paul highlighted the importance of relationships being predictable, systematic, consistent and habitual. Think of the primary children who slipped happily into the habit of shaking the hand of their teacher every morning on arrival into class and who were disappointed when she suddenly stopped this hands-on habit. Such was this happy habit, even parents came into school to shake the teacher’s hand as well. Relational practice begins with the easy actions. The positive noticing, in a pure and nuanced way and it is this emotional currency that leads to trusting relationships. “There’s no teacher in the world who doesn’t know the power of positive noticing.”  In an endearing peer-to-peer relationship-building story, Paul shared the example of the school who gave all their Year 8 pupils a brown postal label. With echoes of much-loved national treasure, Paddington Bear, the pupils were all invited to write something nice about each other on the label, which they then swapped and tied onto their bag or tie. Instead of teen uneasiness, these positive peer labels stayed visibly tied on for a long time. Get your labels ready, and make a date in your diary on Wednesday 13 November 2024 for Positive Noticing Day to celebrate in your schools and organisations. By looking at the behaviour of adults first, this starts the change. It can be hard work to do the right thing and some people might prefer the easier route. But as Paul reminded us, it is the children who suffer when adults take the easy route and ultimately, scripted intervention does not work. Clear away the bindweed! Remember the leadership gauge of what you are doing, the why and the priorities. Paul invited delegates to consider three behaviours that work with children and the suggestions were uplifting. Smiling, clarity, resetting, listening, curiosity, emotional acceleration. Hands kept popping up. Be ready, respectful and safe and know that consistency is worth fighting for and understand how you define this consistency. Knowing adults will listen and knowing there will be a positive response is essential. In terms of implementing relational practice and bringing the whole school together, Paul compared the tortoise and the hare leaders. The hare leaders could lead a two-minutes pupil spotlight in staff meetings where colleagues with the best knowledge present a 360 view on individual pupils to provide and show how the child learns best and gather strategies from other members of staff. A bank of small spotlights builds up, and is a practical way before going into the classroom to equip all teachers with strategies, even if they do not teach a specific child, it helps to build relational practice across the school.  Another top tip was the use of termly Threads that state three rules to start a whole school conversation to encourage commitment from both staff and students, that builds each half term on the previous Thread. In a memorable film clip, Paul showed the young football team standing stoically in the rain and how one-by-one in an image of wraparound love and care, each teacher put their own jacket around the child in front of them to protect them from the rain. Back to the hare and the tortoise, the slower of the duo builds their knowledge before making changes, with high-quality flexible training and then drip feeds strategies each half term. In other words, there is a place for both the hare and tortoise.  SWIFT works with select sponsors who provide a range of educational services to help boost our high-quality professional development offer to schools. As the first of the two conference sponsors, Vice President, Matt Tiplin introduced ONVU Learning: deep thinkers of teaching and learning translated into classroom technology. Teachers are empowered to review their own practice to provide a better methodology by outcome and with his own story as a past teacher, Matt invited the audience to remember a good teacher from their own life. Find out more about ONVU Learning at the FREE Excellent Teachers Create Excellent Memories webinar on Thursday 11 July 2024 from 0830 – 0900.  Delegates could then choose one of two morning breakout sessions. Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, Institute for Employment Research (IER) and Founding Director of CareerChat (UK) Ltd, Deirdre Hughes OBE led the session on “Leading with Vision: transforming education for tomorrow’s workforce.” Leadership, is an opportunity to make a difference as transformational leadership. Even if there is no single way to transform the educational system, it is a line of sight to work. Otherwise, divisions can widen. Deirdre encouraged leaders to find the value in understanding the relevance of education in our fast-changing world of work with spiralling issues, such as multiculturalism and wellbeing. Find personal development for decisions and pathways and changing attitudes to the workforce for life-long learning and ways to inspire amidst the uncertainty and change. Learn collaboratively with a commitment to projects and how to develop skills for the future.
Consider changes to relaxing the curriculum to foster flexibility and see the relevance of learning. With her background expertise in career guidance, Deirdre noted the value of rooting career development into the curriculum and bringing employers into the classroom. Education is no longer only about didactic teaching; but rather about learning through collaborative, experimental, and community-based projects that address issues about which students care deeply. There is a need for places and spaces where parents see the relevance and want to help the children in their care and to personalise the learning experience with digital tech. But what can AI do for us to help us to do together?  “The need for education is to prioritise what it means to be human.” Find out about CareerChat (uk) at the FREE Intelligence Revolution and How We Can Help Young People Prepare for a Transformed World of Work webinar on Thursday 4 July 2024 from 1400 – 1530.  Former Chair of Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, and author of “The Mentally Healthy Schools Workbook,” Dr Pooky Knightsmith led the other breakout session on “A Whole School Approach to Mental Health.” Pooky outlined the following six areas of focus in schools with lots of helpful tips and invited the audience to consider where they fit on a scale of 1-10: 1. Staff are Happy and Healthy If schools do not get it right for staff, it is challenging to get it right for children and community. Leaders are role models and look after themselves first as children learn from what they see adults seeing and doing and sustainable change must have staff at its heart. Happy staff feel heard: their opinions matter, whatever their background and diversity. Happy staff are mentally and physically healthy. Think about small changes to ensure staff get fresh air, access to healthy food, have time to eat. Think how you acknowledge teachers' workload. Mastery is every member of staff turning up to do their job and do it well, which in turns supports their wellbeing. Passion will make the difference in our job and help to connect with colleagues. Look beyond Ofsted and ticking boxes. 2. Our Setting Feels Safe and Welcoming The biggest difference to support a child is a calm adult. Meet children with a smile. Walk through your school in the shoes of a stranger and be honest about all the things you see/feel/hear/smell. Children need to know their school is safe place. Make your school a calm environment that meets the needs of neuro-divergent children. Be predictable. Meet the needs of all children and look out for the quiet students too. Be brave to share when things do not go quite right. Be an authentic and brave leader.
3. Every Learner Feels Heard Think how you hear the quiet voices and the angry voices. Think about inclusion and diversity and any groups who are missed out. Think how you listen and how to help those children who are reluctant to put their hands up. 4. We Recognise and Support Our Most Vulnerable Learners Work with the child, not for them. Hear their ideas and think how you can support them. Quality first teaching. Think how you get your classroom to be engaging, exciting and accessible for all learners and what universal approaches can be in place. All staff ‘keep a child in mind’ on rotation and ensure each child has at least one trusted adult. Let them choose and be led by them. 5. Families Positively Engage Parenting is hard. Have high expectations of parents and if they do not live up to them, question what we are doing that is letting them down. Make sure you use their time well. Be approachable: see parents as people and humans. Use their names, ask connecting questions, share good news with homes not used to hearing it. Think what you can do tomorrow to make a difference. 6. Help is Sought When Needed Show children there are no barriers. Celebrate and role model help -seeking and problem solving.   Educational journalist, former teacher, and co-founder of Teacher Tapp, Laura McInerney presented the next keynote on “Education Trends.” It was Laura’s form tutor and Teacher of French, Miss Watson who inspired her to become a teacher; noting that the best teacher gets you an A*, even when you do not necessarily like the subject. It was Miss Watson who brought a newspaper article into school on Laura’s favourite author, Terry Pratchett and her positive noticing made Laura want to be a Miss Watson - and she has followed her example ever since in always wearing a jacket. Ten years ago, Laura’s yellow jacket (plus yellow six-inch heels) had a special outing when she was taken to court by Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings for being "vexatious" about a Freedom of Information Act request on the hot topic of free schools. (A longer and highly entertaining court case story cut short, it ended well for Laura). Teacher Tapp came about from Laura’s editorials in Schools Week based on discussions on a minority of teachers and schools. In 2017, Laura combined forces with Professor Becky Allen who wanted to survey teachers to gather data and the dynamic duo created the highly popular and successful Teacher Tapp. Signed-up teachers are sent daily questions that gather data and help to stop misinformation and spot trends. One of the most controversial questions, would you believe, is whether the school provides free tea, coffee and milk.  Turning to another popular conversation topic for us all, the weather, Laura related her own experiences of living in Michigan, part of Tornado Alley. Unlike the UK, where the weather stops play, and people get angry, in the USA, everyone stays at home and does not get angry. The same could be said of reactions to education policy. When the weather turns stormy, we need to change the response, and seek shelter until it has passed. There is no point shouting! With her evident instincts for spotting trends, Laura considered some of the big challenges in education with simple causes.  Consider recruitment and retention as a familiar educational trend. Teaching is not any less good, but there are basic challenges. Fewer 22-year-olds are joining the profession, and are not offsetting those exiting the workforce. Hence lots of squeezing on teacher numbers. Consider the high number of 12 – 13-year-olds coming through to secondary, and increasing pressures on schools with increasing behaviour issues and levels of complexity. Whereas at primary, pupil numbers are falling over the next 10 years. The recruitment of Teaching Assistants, Receptionists and other administrative staff needs a re-think due to societal progress. To date, these low-paying roles have been taken by women who needed term-time work. But as the employment market is changing, this trend is also changing as there is more career choice. Vexatious complaints about schools are rising because there are more children, medical advances, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) have been de-stigmatised and Local Authorities have been given responsibility for 19 – 25-year-olds. There has been the shift in parental expectations from this educated parent group with a louder outcry. Schools cannot change this, but need to have the response and robust communications and complaints processes in place.  Looking to the future, Laura looked to the past and reflected on former Education Secretary, George Tomlinson in post after World War II from 1948 and 1951. Facing bombed schools, a high baby boom in 1946 and no university graduates in his inbox, he made the decision to raise the school leaving age. It was considered outrageous. Not least from an Education Secretary who had not attended secondary school. However, it was a timely reminder to us all with the shared purpose to provide an education for all children and young people. The metaphorical tornadoes are coming, and it is for schools to try and work out the response.
After that insightful weather warning, SWIFT Delivery Partner at Tarka Trust, Andy Ogden introduced the benefits of SWIFT Membership and highlighted the value of professional development as an investment in staff and the school. Further to the questionnaire to schools at the end of last year, in the next school year, new programmes on offer will be directly related to feedback from colleagues. New Professional Communities will be an opportunity for teachers to access a network in their phase/subject to support their development. Paul Dix and Tara Ellie will also be leading a session on “When the Adults Change – Behaviours Change.”  Looking to support teacher recruitment within the South West, this year, SWIFT has been working with Exeter Consortium/South West Teacher Training, Plymouth Marjon University, SWIFT Teacher Training and the University of Exeter on an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Area Strategy. The initiative requires all Teaching School Hubs (TSHs) to deliver new strategic roles to support local ITT delivery across their area as an important regional role working with schools and accredited ITT providers to understand the local market, context and challenges. TSHs can also offer information and support to schools who wish to engage in ITT for the first time or to increase their engagement in ITT. Led by the ITT Strategy Team, Andy Ogden, Fiona Bosley and Matthew Wharf who are working together to develop a collaborative ITT Strategy to support the next generation of teachers.
This year SWIFT has been evolving our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) endeavours so that it is intentional and integral to all that we do. Further to an advert to schools and partners earlier in the year appealing for volunteers from all backgrounds who wished to connect their experience and enthusiasm for DEI, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnership Group was born. Krisha Gandhi, Caroline Leigh and Tom Pether attended from the Group and shared how their work is shaping up.  The trio shared their own stories as a person of colour, a working mother and a white middle class male and encouraged the audience to think about their own school cultures and any unconscious bias. Through their Theory of Change the Group intend to share best practice and research, provide relevant and inclusive training and proactively listen to diverse viewpoints across our region to foster a sense of belonging that will be felt by our communities and there will be supportive connections, sustainable choices and opportunities for all.  If you would like to find out more and/or get involved, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnership Group would like to hear from you. Our very own Roger Dimbleby (Pope) led Question Time with questions including what priorities would panellists propose for the new Education Secretary on Friday 5 July 2024; what would creativity in the curriculum look like, and whether there is a future for written exams (expanded to writing in schools). The final question: What gives you optimism for the future of education, certainly maintained the momentum of the conference with panellists celebrating schools and Trusts coming together to work through challenges, schools as relational places, overcommunicating the positives messages, sharing joy, talking to families and believing in staff who care.  Continuing the caring theme, second conference sponsor, Goosemoor Educatering, Head of Educatering, Rob Stevens whet our appetites for the lunch feast that was the follow with an introduction to their bespoke food service for schools. Rob told how he was leading an onboarding session at a school and a child asked her mother if the food tasting was free. Speaking from the heart, Rob shared his pride in how good food makes a difference to all families and knowing children are going home “with full bellies.” Not dissimilarly, conference delegates were to go home having eaten a delicious lunch and we are grateful to Goosemoor Educatering for a feast.  The first of the afternoon breakout sessions was led by Chief Executive, Paul James and Director of Inclusion, Katherine Walsh at the River Learning Trust on “Leading Inclusion: What works?” The River Learning Trust spans big secondary schools to small primary schools in a high pupil premium area with complex learning and disability needs. The Trust have aligned autonomy, but are not “a cookie cutter Trust” as that would not be a good fit for the diversity of their schools.  Paul's first top tip would be the immediate appointment of a Director of Inclusion as the impact for their Trust over three years has been immense, and working on six key areas.   An increasing number of children have special needs. 52% who have EHCPs are in mainstream education, and year-on-year there is a 1% increase of children with SEND in mainstream schools. This brings inevitable challenges. It is important firstly, to boost staff confidence and to support teachers to develop this confidence and secondly, to distribute leadership as the SENDCO cannot be the font of all knowledge. Rather than the SENCO leading all parent meetings, the Form Tutors can also lead and who has a holistic overview of the child and consider how Teaching Assistants are deployed. The Trust have an Inclusion Strategy that is built on knowing schools well and understanding the school context. The Education Endowment Foundation makes the following five key recommendations to meet the needs of children with SEND: 1. Create a positive and supportive environment for all pupils without exception. 2. Build an ongoing, holistic understanding of your pupils and their needs. 3. Ensure all pupils have access to high quality teaching. 4. Complement high quality teaching with carefully selected small-group and one-to-one interventions. 5. Work effectively with Teaching Assistants.
There is no magic SENDCO tree. We have to make it a motivating, engaging and wonderful job as a role that can make a huge difference. SENDCOS can move into Headship as SEND runs through all we do.
Be prepared to do things differently. Walk into lessons and think ‘which child is this lesson not working for.’  The second afternoon breakout session was led by CEO of The Woodland Academy Trust, Nav Sanghara on “The Art of Compassionate Leadership.” “It is important to be a kind leader. But it is also important to focus on execution and do hard things. This is about how to do hard things in a human way.” (Raasmus Houggard) In a talk that was infused with wise and wonderful mantras, Nav considered what compassionate leadership looks like. Leaders need to be kind to themselves in the first instance so that they bring energy into their leadership. There is value in knowing and overcommunicating your purpose and redefining and re-evaluating this purpose. With a calm tried and tested wisdom, Nav encouraged leaders to have a core principle and to live by your values that drives actions and decision-making and connects with your organisation. Model these values to children and staff. “Who we are is who we lead.” Psychologically safe teams have real and open conversations. Build one culture and trust together with equity and collaboration and understand the shared vision as a promise to staff and children.  It is not always possible to be excited and energised, but good habits can help to live life better. Challenge is to be celebrated and accepted and establish good structures and systems to provide time to pause and respond. As a clarion call for the conference, Nav highlighted how true belonging is where space is created to come as you are and celebrating others to do the same and to see the good in others in your community. To demonstrate a living example of compassionate leadership, Nav shared a video from the School Under the Bridge in Delhi founded by Rajesh Kumar for children from poor families who cannot afford to send them to school. Seeing is believing.   The final keynote speaker was to end the conference on a moving high. For nine years Chris Lubbe was Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard after a chance meeting and a five-minute interview, followed by a gruelling six months training with the SAS. Speaking on “My Journey from Apartheid to Truth and Reconciliation,” the audience listened intently as Chris shared his first-hand story of working closely with the revered Nelson Mandela. It was a way for us to feel close to the brave leader who devoted his life to bring apartheid to an end in 1994. Chris spoke with a heart-stopping serenity bringing to life the Nelson who did not believe in black and white; who showed no anger for his imprisonment and maltreatment; but with an enduring charisma and belief in forgiveness as the key to freedom, he reached out to bring everyone together. As his boss and mentor, Chris recounted how Nelson once told him to write down all the angry things in his heart and then told him to put the pieces of paper onto the fire to burn.  Describing his own upbringing in a shanty town, finding thrown-away books to read in the local dump, the two-tier education system and segregated beaches with demeaning signage to match. The stories flowed with a serenity that comes from an inner peace perhaps, and the courageous re-telling. Yet the horrors of the police still sent shivers down our spines. Eight-year-old Chris witnessed the shocking treatment of his diabetic mother taken ill on the bus and pushed off a WHITES ONLY bench by the police that led to three months in hospital in a coma and a long recovery. As a child, Chris bought a map of the world and once a month he wrote to world leaders to ask for their help – including our very own late Queen. Chris was angry, but wanted to do something to inspire peaceful change. As a young man, alongside anti-apartheid and human rights activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chris stood tall as a peaceful protester, even when it led to arrests and imprisonment and torture. Terrible times. Fast forward to working for Nelson, there were however, moments of glamour. Chris met many celebrities during his time with Nelson – including the Spice Girls who were most miffed when Chris pretended not to know who they were (on the advice of his boss!). But it was at a dinner with the Queen that reminded me of many of the values shared at the conference of hope, compassion and collaboration. A silver platter was presented to Chris. Inside, the envelope was another envelope and inside that envelope was Chris's letter to the Queen that he had written as a boy. A faithful letter writer, the Queen had replied to him, as well as writing regularly to other world leaders for their support. The South African authorities had obviously intercepted her reply to Chris that he never received until that grateful moment all those years later.
To a standing ovation, Chris ended the 2024 Summer Conference on a note of hope, forgiveness and togetherness. Nelson Mandela used to say that words are important. But with his humour and humility, like toothpaste, he said, you cannot put them back into the tube. So, choose your words carefully. “We must never remain silent.” Yet words fail me to convey how uplifting it was to be present in that moment.  To echo the warmth that enthused our SWIFT 2024 Summer Conference, we thank all our speakers for their thoughtful presentations and for bringing a meaningful momentum. We also thank our delegates for making time and for sharing in the event with us. A grateful thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors: BCR Associates, CiCI Empowering Careers, Goosemoor Educatering, InVentry, Nasen, ONVU Learning and PHP Law for attending the day and spending time speaking to our delegates about their products and services that add value to schools and thank you to Conferences Southwest for their organisation. Finally, we thank Mark Drew and Robin Scott from our partner, Exeter Consortium Schools' Alliance, for their excellent conference administration and making it all work so well. Report by Jude Owens, SWIFT Executive Assistant
We are delighted to open registration to Schools, Federations, Multi Academy Trusts and other organisations to join SWIFT Membership for 2024 - 2025.  SWIFT Membership goes from strength to strength and this academic year over 220 schools are members of SWIFT. SWIFT Membership offers Schools and Trusts outstanding value. Our low-cost, £2 per pupil fee offers you unlimited access to the following highlights:
 SWIFT Membership saves staff time as well as money. Our booking system on Eventbrite enables quick access to all our events and makes it quick and easy to register. Many of the 2024 - 2025 courses are live for bookings now HERE and many more will be added across the year. Increasingly, schools are using SWIFT to support staff training linked to appraisal, providing a quick, one-stop-shop for staff development needs. Powering SWIFT Membership is the dynamic SWIFT partnership of Schools and Trusts that curate, design and facilitate courses, Professional Communities, Forums and Conferences. We are proud to work with these brilliant teams from across the Devon, Plymouth and Torbay area reflect the best of the school-led system. 
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