 We are pleased to share with you the latest Laurel Trust newsletter. The Laurel Trust's Winter Update is a truly informative read, with articles from two project leaders and the lasting impact that their collaboration has had in the community. The article by Professor Jo Van Herwegan from the Institute of Education at University College London, tells of the meta-study she has undertaken into effective classroom practice and the MetaSENse database she and the team have developed. Information is shared about each intervention and goals, who it is designed to help, what the evidence says, how well it works and links to relevant resources. Look out for the next round of Laurel Trust funding opportunities towards the end of next term. The Laurel Trust is a charity with a track record of supporting schools serving disadvantaged communities to make sustainable differences to children’s learning and life chances. They provide grant-funding and work together with schools and other agencies to put evidence informed research into practice.
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10/12/2025 0 Comments SWIFT EVENTS | Issue 4 | December 2025 We are pleased to bring you the next EVENTS issue with a featured article, highlighted programmes, courses and events from our delivery partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school.
SWIFT Spring Leadership Forum Harry Fletcher-Wood will be presenting on How to Improve Teaching who will be looking at why it is hard to improve teaching, and what teachers, leaders, and schools can do to make it easier. Plus, there is an introduction to the CODE Maths Hub by Hub Lead, Laura Clitheroe, and a foreword about SWIFT by Martin Smith, Executive Director. Find out more and book here Highlighted Courses/Support:
 Now live it's the final UPDATE of 2025 and our ruby edition.
To start us off, Executive Director Martin Smith aptly considers "the collective goodwill that exists within the profession around supporting one another to develop" - not least in our role as Teaching School Hubs. Plus a special Happy Christmas message and a reminder of all the lovely aspects of being a teacher and leader at this time of year. It is proving to be very popular, so remember to sign-up for the Spring Leadership Forum in January with keynote speaker Harry Fletcher-Wood presenting on improving teaching, an intro to the CODE Maths Hub with Laura Clitheroe and a foreword by Martin. Thinking about understanding engagement amongst low-income White children in England’s schools, you can find out more in the report by The Engagement Platform with some suggested support ideas. Read up too on the latest webinar led by the South West English Hubs on the Department for Education's Writing Framework published earlier this year. Keeping it relevant, there is more guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation on Metacognition and self-regulated learning from Devon Research School. Equip yourself with the three new classroom tools to support you putting the evidence into practice. If you are looking to refine your timetabling tools, our sponsor SchoolPro TLC share their year-round timetabling approach to strengthening this essential work within school and they are available to support you if you need that helping hand. Faye Steele, our Senior Administrator for the SWIFT Appropriate Body Service is our December interviewee and how good it is to know that she is at the helm for this integral service with her “relentless unwavering determination to procure the information we need on time and to meet our deadlines and tracking.” We are only as good as our staff and systems! If you are deliberating about taking the bold step to change your contracted catering to in-house, read on as our sponsor Educatering share all the benefits of keeping your own kitchen staff, behind-the-scenes support, compliance and allergen management, staff training, bespoke menu development - and SO much more that makes sense for a fully supported service. Looking ahead to January, if you need any teacher cover, our sponsor Exeter Supply Partnership remind us why not all supply services are the same and the benefits of working with them. For a start, this not-for-profit organisation with true heart puts people first - and that means supporting local schools and teachers. We are nearing the shortest day and if you need a reading boost, remember to check out Mr T’s instructional series (AKA Christopher Tribble, Headteacher at Honiton Primary School). We like an edifying read! We are glad to work with you, support you and hope that you will end the Autumn Term on an uplifting note with the end of term Christmas celebrations. See you in 2026! Following the release of The Writing Framework, English Hubs are delivering a series of webinars specifically aimed at school leaders and teachers to ensure an understanding of the importance of writing, the key messages, and expectations for writing over the next academic year, and to help planning the next steps in their school.  The third webinar in the series last week looked at the Importance of Reception for English Leads and Early Years teachers with Vanessa Morley and Michael Kimber from the Kernow and Cornerstone English Hubs hosting the session on behalf of the South West English Hubs. The Writing Framework was published by the Department for Education in July this year and outlines a common approach to teaching writing based on evidence and existing good practice. “All our children should be successful writers able to share their ideas confidently and articulately. Enabling children to write clearly and well is critical to success both at school and beyond.” (Foreword by the Secretary of State for Education) The Framework is non-statutory guidance intended to ensure Reception children have the best possible start, feel included in a strong whole school writing culture and start to feel like writers, finding joy in communicating and writing, encouraged to enjoy writing and to experience what it is like to write.  Following a significant drop in writing skills during the pandemic, writing is at its lowest at Early Years Foundation Stage since 2022. The key objective of the Framework is to help schools meet the expectations set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the National Curriculum, and it also aligns with Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework and the Reading Framework. The Government’s Plan for Change has set a milestone for 75% of children to reach a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception by 2028. The Writing Framework is a national priority with support to schools from the RISE Teams. There is also further support around this area available to schools for free through the National English Hubs from September 2026. It is essential to build on the writing foundation in Reception to underpin children’s skills by the end of Key Stage 2 SATs. Building on foundations for success will help to build a strong writing culture and a community of writers with positive implications later in children’s schooling and GCSE Language success.
The webinar discussed how all children should be supported to with daily teaching to support their writing journey including letter formation and spelling instruction in phonics as well as time to ensure all children have explicit handwriting instruction in addition to this daily lesson. Phonics teaches letters in an order that will generate the most words and handwriting teaches letters in groups of letters with a similar formation. The Writing Framework encourages teachers to: 1. Foster a love of language through shared reading, storytelling, learning and repetition of rhymes, poems and songs. 2. Create opportunities for expressing thoughts and ideas. 3. Encourage high-quality interactions between children and adults. 4. Model high-quality language and echo what children say. 5. Question sensitively.  “The most successful schools teach the two distinct parts of writing – oral composition and transcription – separately in the early stages.” (Ofsted) Whilst children are developing their ability to form letters and spell in Reception, the majority of composition will be oral, and there needs to be lots of practice in how to compose simple sentences orally. Children should be supported in how to make links between talking and writing to say out loud what they wish to write, or else they are unlikely to be able to write it. Teaching needs to be explicit in how to compose sentences regularly and consistently all of which should not be rushed; but with opportunity to practise for oral rehearsal. The key is to keep it simple, thinking about developing quality rather than quantity. Writing is complex and it involves motor and cognitive skills. This can be a challenge for young children in the classroom. The physical development of writing should be supported in how children develop motor skills that underpin writing to develop consistent routines for handwriting in a considered way. Writing can also be encouraged during play. For example, writing menu cards in play kitchens, labelling instructions and activities that support the physicality of writing.  The Writing Framework encourages teachers to be ambitious for all pupils including those identified for SEND and every child should receive and be included in writing instruction. For children who find writing difficult, teachers need to identify and respond to their strengths and difficulties, and it is important that the teacher observes the children’s techniques and spots any errors and then plans on how to close this gap. Success builds motivation and self-motivation is vital to build in every child. Schools are encouraged to have consistently high expectations and to identify the needs in their own school. The English Hubs will be delivering another three Writing Framework webinars in the Spring Term. Webinar 4 will be looking further at transcription, Webinar 5 will explore Composition and the final Webinar 6 will be focusing on Pupils Who Need the Most Support. All six webinars are being recorded and schools can access these through their local English Hub for free. Report by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant   2/12/2025 0 Comments Interview with Faye Steele, SWIFT Senior Administrator for the Appropriate Body Service “With this essential relationship with our schools in place I believe in a relentless unwavering determination to procure the information we need on time and to meet our deadlines and tracking.” Faye's passion for admin systems started with her HND in European Business Administration at her local college in Torquay. Taking these new skills and deciding to pursue temporary contracts was a key factor in building resilience and learning to embrace change and the ability to hit the ground running. Faye’s roles were naturally streamlined and focused within HR and Education, and after taking a year out to backpack around the world, she returned to the world of education, joining a commercial training organisation that supported small businesses. Her skills developed beyond administrative processes, into adult training, NVQ assessing and new business advice and guidance. Life changed dramatically when her first son was born and she kept her mind busy by helping with the admin tasks for a local HR consultancy. Once her children were of school age, Faye pursued new opportunities and contacts in primary education and joined Riviera Education Trust as CPD Administrator and Clerk to the Board of Directors and is still part of the Trust today. Her role developed over the years, working within the Strategic Partnership, under the umbrella of SWIFT and the Appropriate Body for Kingsbridge Teaching School Hub. Fast forward four years and Faye was promoted to the Senior Administrator Lead for the Appropriate Body, enabling her to be involved in the integration of the Colyton and Kingsbridge Teams into one Appropriate Body Service (AB) and to design and coordinate the integral systems for the SWIFT AB Team. At this moment in time Faye feels super-lucky to be working with a wonderful team committed and passionate about education and supporting teachers to become the best teachers that they can be. To play a part in that supportive development of teachers and in turn, the future of children's education, gives Faye true meaning in her working life – not least on a December morning! 1. What skills and experience do you bring to your role as Senior Administrator of the SWIFT Appropriate Body Service? I think being organised is a key function of my job. From my working history, I have undertaken a number of admin roles in different settings, and I liked learning something new in every role. I always apply myself and enjoy learning something new and I consider tasks like project management. I look at the end goal and the end of the academic year and think, what do we need to achieve by the end of this year and work backwards to complete task on a termly basis. Having worked in the role with SWIFT for four years, it works well to breakdown those tasks and achievements each term. I think it helps that I am reflective and constantly looking at our systems in place and thinking how can we make this work better? How can we easier track that information? How can we manipulate the information we have to make sure that all the parties in our AB Team can access the information they need to be able to do their job effectively. Being reflective and constantly reviewing our practices to be as efficient as possible for all participants is something I have refined. My job is very much about tracking all of the information and based around an integral system, which was essential when we recently joined the two Appropriate Body Services to become SWIFT AB, it was helpful for me to apply that reflective approach to the systems to ensure that we have learned lessons from the two AB Services and looking and deciding what works best from both. 2. What do you find to be more rewarding? That is tricky! Lots. I feel very lucky because I get to work with ECTs, Induction Tutors and Headteachers, as I am the first port of call for them for the SWIFT Appropriate Body Service. Most ECTs glide through their induction period, but some have a little wobble, and some wobbles can sometimes snowball, so I am glad that I am their contact to advise and help them with the guidance that we use and to signpost and allocate them to either our primary or secondary leads where necessary. Where I am not entirely sure of a query, I can always contact the Early Career Teacher Programme Team. I find it rewarding knowing that I have made the ECTs’ induction a bit easier and proactively supported them when they needed some help, because my job revolves around those integral systems. As a tracking and spreadsheet queen, I can also help my Team by smoothing the work of SWIFT AB Leads: Tania Cox, Chris Barnett, and Jen Knowles. So, I like to think that I get rewards from all ends of the scale. 3. How do you ensure compliance with Department for Education statutory induction requirements? Obviously, I need to understand the statutory requirements in the first place and keep up-to-date every time anything changes. The biggest factor for me is building good relationships with our ECTs, Induction Tutors, and Headteachers to start with, which probably begins with good communication and ensuring that their first email communication from me is friendly and straight to the point. We understand that our colleagues in schools are busy people, and it is important to provide the right information at the right time, and obviously always offer support, and that they know that I am here to help them and to build on the relationship. With this essential relationship with our schools in place I believe in a relentless unwavering determination to procure the information we need on time and to meet our deadlines and tracking, and that all the tracking information is available so that we know whom we need to contact, by when, and what information is missing. 4. How do you develop your relationships with Schools and Mentors? Yes, so building on the previous question, it starts with effective email comms, and making sure all stakeholders have all the right information they need from me at the right time, as we understand they are busy people. It is also about acting promptly if they ask a question or need something, that it is provided promptly and followed up in a timely manner with a continual offer of support. Always understanding that we know what we are asking of them, especially at busy times. 5. What have you found to be the most significant update from the new statutory guidance issued earlier this year? I think the most significant update is that the Early Career Framework has changed to the Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP), which integrates Initial Teacher Training (ITT). Although ITT is not my strand of work, there has been a huge change in vocabulary and terminology, and I had learned to navigate and understand the changes and what they mean, but also understand that our ECTs, ITT Induction Tutors and Mentors are going to reach out to us and ask when they are uncertain too. I understand that there is an obvious learning curve here for us all, but I think what has impacted on my day-to-day work the most is that the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) and Department for Education (DfE) have changed the core tool that we use to report. Working through these changes was a huge piece of work last summer, and also the way that we report our ECTs induction start dates and pass dates when they leave and move onto a different school. It has been necessary to adjust our admin processes accordingly and ensure that we are recording the correct information at the right time and manipulating it in a format that we can easily upload and report in time for the DfE. We thank Faye for an insightful interview, and it is reassuring to know that SWIFT Appropriate Body Service is managed with such thoughtful care and insight adapting to all the updates and changes as they occur.
Interview by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant 13/11/2025 0 Comments SWIFT EVENTS | Issue 3 | November 2025 We are pleased to bring you the next EVENTS issue with a featured article, highlighted programmes, courses and events from our delivery partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school.
Passive Intervention and Prevention Strategies (PIPS) Training PIPS training is aimed at all staff working in Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Special Schools and Alternative Provisions. It aims to support staff in developing a consistent, effective and acceptable team approach to managing behaviour, while, crucially, maintaining positive relationships and minimising risk for all. Find out more and book here Highlighted Courses/Support:
It always counts to make the front page and the lead teacher feature in the first edition of the 'My AQA' termly newsletter is a powerful shout out about the Arts in the community.
In "Legacy, community and creative journeys" Sam Eyre shares his vision for how Art projects can help communities to hear young people’s voices. Head of CREATE at Coombeshead Academy, Sam is also the Lead for the SWIFT Art and Design Professional Community and Art Lead for SWIFT Teacher Training. Well-known in teaching circles for his passionate, inclusive and hands-on approach to teaching the Arts, you might recall meeting Sam as our May UPDATE interviewee (you can read his uplifting interview again here). The article follows the successful South West Art Teachers Conference in the summer and showcases a collective voice in working to ensure that the Arts are impactful across communities beyond the classroom. "Through SWIFT, our PGCE programme, and projects like CODEX, we are building a professional community that is resilient, innovative, and united. Our vision is to support teachers at every stage of their career, strengthen subject knowledge, and advocate for the value of the arts in young people’s lives." This year's conference at the Phoenix Arts Centre in Exeter was bigger than ever, opened by visual artist, David Shrigley with panache and purpose. David reminded the audience how teaching Art "is not only about technique or curriculum – it is about nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and courage." Through workshops, delegates shared ideas, challenges, and successes across their own Schools and Trusts, and counties. Inspiring Art Leads, including Sara Elston (WEST Trust) and Renata Fry (Ted Wragg Trust), shared their stories about how to sustain passion and purpose in their careers, and the transformative impact of working with artists in schools. One of the most personal and powerful parts of the day for Sam was sharing the CODEX Project: a collaboration between Sidmouth School of Art, Sidmouth College, artist Emma Molony and Sam himself. This marked a moving return to Sam's roots to his old school where Emma’s mother, Liz, was his Art Teacher. "To go back, not as a student, but as an artist and teacher, and to work with the next generation of young creatives was incredibly moving." This conference was a new chapter, built on a strong foundation over the past decade by Sam and Tim Wightman as co-lead of the Devon Art Teachers’ Conference, continuing the legacy of Phil Creek and Chris Wightman (Tim’s father). Inspired by their vision of "a connected, collaborative community of art educators," this year they took that vision a step further and expanded the reach across the South West, bringing together educators from all phases, settings, and provisions - from Early Career Teachers to experienced Subject Leads. "The day was a celebration of teaching as an art form in itself, and a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to the future of art and design education." We thank Sam for his engaging enthusiasm for the Arts and for all that he does to support creative journeys in the classroom and the community. Report by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant Be part of the Arts Journey If you live in the South West and want to get involved in this growing network of Art Teachers, or learn more about CODEX and future events, we encourage you to contact Sam Eyre. Watch out for details of the 2026 Summer Art Conference.  2/10/2025 0 Comments Interview with Jayne Miners, Primary ECTP Mentor at Halwill Primary School (The Carey Federation) “It is great that units of learning can be adapted to align with the school’s own development, which means that the ECT’s areas for development are rooted in the context of a “real life” school. The impact of the ECT’s development will be tangible, observable and practicable.” Our Teaching School Hubs Team have been busy leading the Early Career Teacher Programme induction conferences this week and we seized the opportunity to interview Jayne Miners, a Primary Mentor at Halwill Primary School. Jayne qualified as a Teacher of the Deaf over 20 years ago and has taught most year groups across the primary phase. She also has a Master’s in Educational Audiology and an NPQ in Leading Teacher Development. Jayne returned to mainstream teaching at Halwill Primary School, part of The Carey Federation led by Executive Headteacher Ruh Alford and in 2014 became the Head of Teaching and Learning. Jayne recalls her excitement teaching her first class of children armed with a PGCE qualification and endless enthusiasm. Luckily, she took to teaching and loved it then and she still loves it all these years later and is grateful to have worked with a fabulous team of teachers where personal and professional support was unwavering. However, thinking back to her NQT year (as it was called back then) her experience was very different to that of an Early Career Teacher (ECT) today. Her development as a teacher was measured through formal lesson observations, and this felt very much like a judgement rather than an opportunity for professional development. There was little space in the system, at that time, to sit and reflect on best practice and ways to develop skills needed to ensure each child was getting the best possible teaching. This is why Jayne believes the Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP) framework offers the ECT a very different and much needed experience that scaffolds and sequences learning across a well-planned two-year cycle. 1. How does your role as a Primary Mentor for the ECTP benefit you personally? First and foremost, being a Mentor is something that I greatly enjoy. To be able to support an Early Career Teacher (ECT) to begin their journey into education is a privilege. Building relationships and providing a safe place for the ECT to share their experiences, is at the heart of it all. I enjoy dedicated time to read relevant research material, and, in all honesty, this could be lost were I not a Mentor. My thinking is focused on how pedagogy and teaching materials can be best utilised. Better informed, I can help the ECT to find those active ingredients needed to facilitate effective teaching with vison and clarity. 2. How has the role and training supported your work in school? As Head of Teaching and Learning, planning for and leading professional development is key. The reading and the training I receive as a Mentor helps me to reflect on the ways I can support staff to build knowledge, develop teaching techniques, motivate and embed practice. The material presented by the National Institute of Teaching’s platform, PRISM allows us to develop that evidence-based approach and aligns with the explore, plan, deliver sustain cycle of development. 3. What do you consider to be the advantages of the new Early Career Teacher Programme? There is a clear structure and expectation that enables Mentors and ECTs to focus on improving skills to improve outcomes for pupils – and that is what it is all about! It is great that units of learning can be adapted to align with the school’s own development, which means that the ECT‘s areas for development are rooted in the context of a “real life” school. The impact of the ECT’s development will be tangible, observable and practicable. 4. How do you tailor your mentoring to support Early Career Teachers in your school/Trust to apply the ECTP framework within the primary classroom? Once we had both attended our induction seminars, we met to discuss the logistics of meeting space and times and the use of use of PRISM and when would be best to carry out weekly observations. Also, we had an honest conversation about the way information should be relayed. Every Mentor is different. Some like to muse over observation notes, whilst some can happily digest there and then and the way they like to share ideas, even as small a point as the way we sit – opposite each other, or side by side. This is all with the aim of allowing the ECT to feel most comfortable. This transparency has always been so effective and allows the ECT to take ownership of the pace and delivery of the meeting. Then we looked carefully at the Self Study units and how electives would be selected following diagnostic tools. Following this, the ECT and I discussed our observations. I stress the “our” because once notes are taken, it becomes a collaborative process where granular elements for practice can be discussed. We talked about the need for each precise practice to be small enough so that it can be easily implemented and have the highest leverage very quickly. This is a truly great way to approach development and very different from way back in 1993! 5. What are your hopes for this academic year? To continue to sustain high expectations in my own practice and behaviours to show how much I care about the education of the children in the Carey Federation School and to continue to develop as a Mentor to ensure that I am best placed to support all staff including those very first steps of the ECT at the beginning of their exciting journey.   The penultimate week of term and we are pleased to bring you the final UPDATE for 2025 - 2026.
It is also the final introduction for Roger Pope who steps down at the end of this term from his SWIFT Strategic Lead role. We hope you have enjoyed Roger's reflective intros as much as we have and we thank him for being such a stalwart and dedicated deep thinker that has steered us on our SWIFT journey over the past five years. Aptly, Roger's final feature begins at his beginning when he was on teaching practice in 1979 and brings us right up to date with the brave bold world of AI, ending on a buoyant note about the role of teachers: "I cannot think of a time when the job of teachers is becoming more crucial. Teaching people how to think. Guiding young people in making career and life choices in a rapidly changing and complex world." We report on the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Strategy Group for Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay case studies exploring best practices in supporting primary ITT placements in rural schools and secondary schools offering placements to multiple ITT providers. If you were with us a few weeks ago at our 2025 Summer Conference, we hope the positive energy is lingering for you. If you need a re-boost, you can read the report and relive some of the highlights in this issue. On the theme of professional development that counts, it is the final week of the early bird offer to sign-up for SWIFT CPD and Membership for 2025 - 2026. Benefit from discounted and free CPD to enhance the work in your school bringing the best of local and national - featuring energising names such as Dan Fitzpatrick, Mr P ICT, Craig Barton and The Engagement Platform. To name but a few. Find more information and register here Whether you know him from his books full of wisdom and good karma, or from the teaching world, you will know that Christopher Tribble has spent his professional career largely engaged in school improvement. Read and relish his wisdom in our July interview. The Colyton Foundation are on a mission here in the South West to help disadvantaged pupils overcome some of the steepest barriers to educational success due to the unique combination of geographical and socio-economic challenges. Find out how the Foundation can support your students in Director Nick Wakeling's article on The South West Landscape: Isolation, Overlooked Talent, and a Region in Need. Our sponsor SchoolPro TLC have been busy compiling some useful FAQs for schools about the new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 that gained Royal Assent last month. It is worth a read as there will be some implications from a DPO perspective for schools over the next 12 months. Meanwhile our other sponsors are all here to support you. Be ready for your September staffing with Exeter Supply Partnership working with local schools across the county providing a friendly and efficient service. Educatering celebrate their fourth birthday and are going from strength-to-strength providing children in schools with delicious, nutritious, restaurant-quality meals and helping school Catering Teams to feel confident and in control of their kitchens again. Whilst ONVU Learning continue the third conversation with Discovery Schools Academies Trust CEO, Paul Stone and consider how bold educational change is not only envisioned but implemented. It is all here for you and may it count. For this final issue of 2024 - 2025, on behalf of the SWIFT Team, we wish you all a happy and rewarding end of term and a lovely sunny summer holiday. You can see here the programme for our 2025 SWIFT Summer Conference TODAY, Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Future Skills Centre in Exeter:  This year's conference is set to be memorable and momentous focusing about relevant educational issues bringing the best of regional and national: Artificial Intelligence | Trust Leadership | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Pupil, Parent and Staff Engagement | SW Regions Group | Resilience and more. 
Every year we build on the success of the previous conference and the feedback speakers for itself: "This is the best conference I have attended. Every session was brilliant. I left feeling inspired.” 66% delegates Strongly Agreed that the conference made a positive impact on their understanding of educational practices. 71% delegates Strongly Agreed the conference provided a high quality experience. 88% of delegates rated the conference as Very Good. With special thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors:
Elementa Support Services Exeter Supply Partnership Educatering ONVU Learning SchoolPro TLC Whole School SEND  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 final few places are available for the SWIFT Summer Conference 2025 on Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Future Skills Centre in Exeter. As our premier leadership event dedicated to empowering educators, fostering innovation, and driving excellence in education, this year's conference promises to be an inspiring and enriching experience. Highlighted Courses:
 We are back! The start of a new half term with an added impetus as the final chapter of this school year 2024 - 2025 - but with an eye on the next year around the corner.
Strategic Lead Roger Pope is in contemplative mood prompted by a 40th wedding anniversary party invitation, looking back on some of the changes in education: "So, have times changed? Yes, schools are much kinder places, with greater mutual respect and much more driven to be for the benefit of all their students whatever their circumstances. Call it inclusion if you like – it is something much more precious than the word implies." We bring you details about the Resilience, Equity and Inclusion in Education Conference in November. This is guided by our collective purpose as educators, understanding that equity and inclusion in education are important to ensure that every learner, regardless of their background, location, or situation has the support and resources they need to thrive. We hope you will take a closer look at the line-up for this event and join us if you can. Ever striving for the best, we are pleased to be working with the Colyton Foundation on Leading High Attainment - a rigorous year-long development programme that equips school leaders to drive systemic improvement in provision for high attainers in their schools. Our interview for this issue is with Sarah Plowman, School Catering Manager and Helen Vincent, School Business Manager at Whipton Barton Infant and Nursery School who share their enthusiasm for school dinners working closely with our sponsor Educatering. You can also read some of Educatering's top tips on reducing food waste in school. Devon Research School explore how to reduce or optimise cognitive load based on the guidance of the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) Cognitive Science approaches in the classroom: a review of the evidence We like these features intended to support us in refining good practice. Our sponsor, ONVU Learning share the second conversation with Discovery Schools Academies Trust CEO, Paul Stone and reveal how thoughtful planning, transparency, and a focus on teaching and learning can drive meaningful change in schools. Exeter Supply Partnership explain how supply teaching can unlock doors to permanent roles and do take advantage of their free recruitment support service to schools that provides teacher profiles, arranges a trial supply day, meeting or interview, before you make a final decision about temporary cover arrangement in your school. You can meet all our sponsors and discuss with them in-person their services and products at our SWIFT Summer Conference on Thursday 19 June 2025. The final few places are available if you have yet to book. Find out more here We very much hope that you will find something of interest and relevance in this month's issue that adds value to your work in school. We are here to support you. 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:
 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. |
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