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:

• South West Art Teacher's Conference
• Advanced Coaching Programme for School Leaders
• New SWIFT NIoT Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP) | Starts September 2025
• The Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher (MTPT) Project
• Addressing Educational Disadvantage through Social and Academic Inclusion
• Professional Communities 
• Primary Subject Leader Briefings

​

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.

With the promise of spring and hope in the air, we are pleased to bring you this March UPDATE.

True to this spirit, Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE considers professional generosity following the LSSW Connect study visit last week to Court Fields and The Castle Schools, part of the Blackdown Education Partnership Multi Academy Trust. Not least in the context of other examples of leadership on the international stage. 

"Both the schools and Trust build their culture on the relationships they build: whether with pupils, staff, parents or communities. Warmth and kindness, with of course, a toughness in the love that goes hand-in-hand with firm and high expectations, is clearly evident in everything the Trust and schools say and do."

Thinking about professional generosity, remember to get your ticket for the Summer Conference 2025
on Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Future Skills Centre. Find out more and book here
 
We report on the National Professional Qualifications Framework Review by the Department for Education and our involvement as part of our Golden Thread delivery. 

In advance of the presentation at the SWIFT Spring Leadership Forum on Thursday 20 March 2025 you can read some of the thinking about the ambitious new SWIFT CPD offer.  

We are pleased to interview Robin Scott, CPD & Marketing Coordinator with Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance and one of our valued delivery partners and champions of SWIFT CPD. It is always interesting to discover insights and to celebrate those working diligently behind the scenes. 

Hannah Cox, Co-Deputy Director of Devon Research School considers using exam wrappers to encourage Year 11 Students to reflect on the effectiveness of their revision and wondered how she can encourage students to be reflective about the revision techniques they use, and how can their reflections feed into the revision homework tasks I set?

Our sponsors, meanwhile, showcase how they can support you, with SchoolPro TLC subscribers able to book a Data Protection audit.  If you are looking for supply with a heart, Exeter Supply Partnership offer a not-for-profit ethos and a service that is much more than supply cover supporting teachers/teaching assistants and Schools and Trusts.

Educatering celebrates with food some exciting events for the 2025 Chinese New Year and today's World Book Day (can you spot the famous children's book translated into food?).  Whilst, ONVU Learning empowers educators with their thoughtful and dynamic video capture technology.  It is another way and worth a look.

We hope you find something that adds value for you. 

“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.  

We are pleased to bring you this next EVENTS newsletter with details of professional development opportunities. 

Supporting your Professional Development  
This issue includes the following programmes, courses and events from our partners for your professional development intended to support and enhance the work of your school: 

• '12 Dialogues for Boys & Young Men' Being Safe & Safe to be Around
• FREE Support for Pupil Premium Key Stage 2 Pupils
• Outstanding Curriculum Design for Primary Languages Programme
• Understanding and Monitoring Early Years - for Subject Leaders
• An Introduction to Trauma Awareness for teachers and leaders
• Lego Therapy Workshop
• Leading Effective Disadvantage Provision for Primary School Pupils
• Professional Communities
• Primary Subject Leader Briefings
• The Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher (MTPT) Project
• Events for your diary

SWIFT Autumn Term 2024 Leadership Forum | A WEEK TODAY | Thursday 21 November 2024
Committed to bringing together leaders from all educational settings within the area, our online Leadership Forums link to the best of local, regional and national.

For our 2024 Autumn Term event, we have two speakers:
Sarah McGinnis, Ofsted Assistant Regional Director and Professor (Dr) Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Dean of Place and Social Purpose and Professor of Education, Plymouth Marjon University.

Find more information here 

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.  

With the Summer Term well underway and a Bank Holiday afoot, we are pleased to bring you this May issue of UPDATE.

Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (ESW) Roger Pope CBE opens with thoughts on the different contexts for teachers, doctors and surgeons:

"Think of the complexity of a school, where in a class, 30 people are all interacting with one another, or a school where hundreds are interacting. Factor in the added complexity of the family and friendships context. The fact that every child learns slightly – or even hugely – differently, brings an infinitely varied range of previous learning and experience to any given moment in a lesson, an infinite range of emotional responses and is growing and changing by the day…hour…minute. Add in the complementary complexity of the teacher"

​Read some of the highlights from the The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project and WomenEd The Mother of All Pay Gaps Conference and the Summer Term Estates Management Professional Community.

Newly appointed Regional Lead for the South West for Whole School SEND, Emma Vyvyan Find shares some of her good intentions in our interview and their professional development offer to support you and your children and young people.

Helen Thorneycroft from the Kingsbridge Research School guides on teachers emphasising the ​‘Why’ while modelling: ​“Teacher discussions that allow students to elaborate on their ideas or their methods, to reason out their thinking and question their strategies, have been associated with progress measured in the form of improved test scores.”

Sensitive to staff data sharing in mental health emergencies, data experts SchoolPro TLC outline essential guidance based on recent updates from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and provides some key takeaways for you.

Our other sponsors provide details of their services. 
Educatering awakens appetites with new menus this Summer Term and photos to prove it and also prove their local credentials with supplier appreciation for their valued partnership with Dartmoor Farmers, who have been farming the land for thousands of years and who provide beef and lamb for school lunches.

ONVU Learning considers the merits of teacher-led continuing professional development and championing autonomy in professional development and challenges traditional professional development models. You can meet ONVU Learning in a FREE Excellent Teachers Create Excellent Memories Webinar on Thursday 11 July 2024 from 0830 – 0900 and at our Summer Conference on Thursday 13 June 2024. 

And Exeter Supply Partnership Teacher provides top tips for getting into primary supply teaching with their professional support and care. "There are many supply teaching agencies out there, so you need to find the one that suits you and your needs best."

We wish you a fulfilling remainder of this term and a lovely Bank Holiday weekend. 

As this half term draws to a close, we are pleased to bring you this February issue in which Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE contemplates the merits of weighing a pig and of being average:

"We all use athletes in our staff training and assembles as aspirational role models for improvement. We talk of the values of perseverance, hard-work, practice, and coaching. But doctors and teachers share something that athletes do not. If an athlete does not perform well, he loses a competition. If we do not perform well, a patient loses his present life, and a pupil the potential of his future life. Our professions have a moral dimension that athletes do not."
​
Get tuned in on some of the highlights of forthcoming legislative changes addressed by Browne Jacobson at the recent SWIFT School Business Management Professional Community meeting with tips to prepare your school and staff. 

Deputy Head for Scholarship at Colyton Grammar School, Fiona Harvey is our interviewee and shares her insights into her role as a SWIFT Facilitator for the National Professional Qualifications. Hot on the heels of the Cohort 2a assessment good news. 

Kingsbridge Research School share their wisdom on implementation and planning to sustain and reflect how, ​“practices often lose effectiveness when they are scaled up, a phenomenon known as ​‘voltage drop.’" Data Protection experts and SWIFT sponsor, SchoolPro TLC bring you guidance on handling freedom of information (FOI) requests. How prepared is your school?

We are pleased to introduce our new sponsor, ONVU Learning and their 360-degree video and audio lesson capture solution to help you reflect, collaborate and analyse your teaching and learning process.
We are also grateful to our other sponsors for bringing opportunities to enrich and support your work in schools. Find out more about Educatering's food service operations, how Exeter Supply Partnership can support staff absence for your Multi Academy Trust, and join Lyfta for a free webinar on Learning from Life: Unlocking Meaningful Learning through Immersive Human Stories on Wednesday 28 February 2024. Fergus explains how Volt Entrepreneurs has changed his way of thinking about running a business and other life-boosting skills.

And, if you are intrigued about our lovely SWIFT artwork, you can enjoy finding out more about this happy design journey. 

Finally, we wish you a lovely half term break. 

“Working with SWIFT, I enjoy collaborating and creating high-quality CPD provision that fulfils our desire to do the best for our schools and our children that comes through our programmes.”

Proving the benefits of our SWIFT partnership model in motion, Andy Ogden is one of our valued Delivery Partners.
 
Developing people so that they can confidently and expertly carry out their classroom and office roles and benefit from professional and personal fulfilment and ultimately, provide the best education for children is a lifelong passion for Andy.
 
Based at Devon Training School Partnership at Tarka Learning Partnership, Andy has gained nearly 30 years’ expertise and experience in education through a variety of roles, not least - Headteacher, School Improvement Advisor and National Strategy Consultant. He has designed the Subject Leader Apprenticeship for the Tarka Learning Partnership, led the Devon Teaching School Partnership and was previously Director of Devon Primary SCITT.
 
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at Tarka Learning Partnership is described as providing “inspiration leadership that models and secures outstanding personalised training, professional development and pastoral support.”
 
Working with SWIFT, Andy is hands-on in delivering high-impact CPD training opportunities as a Lead Facilitator for the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), delivering the Teach First ECT programme and is a key player in the SWIFT Membership Services Team.
We asked him to reflect on this positive working relationship.

1. What do you believe to be most important in supporting schools?
Fundamentally, I think it is starting from where schools are and empowering them to do the job that they need to do.

Clearly for schools this is making sure that the right environment, the right people, and the right training are in place so that children receive the best education.

I believe the role of SWIFT is in supporting schools to do their job in the way that is right for them and their children and communities as a service relationship in understanding the needs of schools, and how best to support them. Schools will then have choices available to them about the way in which they operate and this goes beyond professional development and includes the benefits of collaborative networks.

I would also hope that by listening to schools they feel the SWIFT offer is more bespoke to their needs, rather than simply generic training, and they are genuinely supported in their school improvement work.

2. What do you perceive to be the current challenges for schools in North Devon?
I think one of the biggest challenges that is probably true of all schools nationally, but particularly for Devon, is our provision for special needs children, and the training of colleagues who work with our most vulnerable children and the need to access services for alternative provision.

In North Devon, there is a shortage of specialist provision available exacerbated by funding restrictions and falling roles in some rural areas. Hence, we are having to source a lot of support from within our own schools and settings and make the best of what we have available to us and the importance of working collaboratively.

Given our North Devon location, we can feel isolated and sometimes because we are not near some of the major urban centres we need to look and reach outwards to ensure that we are abreast of the best that there is nationally in terms of education.

I think we recognise that for a long period of time there has not always been the infrastructure to support North Devon and therefore we have to do a lot of this work ourselves. Therefore, the challenge is how to form partnerships and to create an infrastructure that is sustainable in North Devon and meets our local needs; whilst still recognising that we have a lot to learn beyond North Devon.

Linked to this challenge is the recruitment of teachers, Teaching Assistants and support staff to the area; which is clearly another nationwide challenge.

But we like to think that North Devon is a lovely place to live and come and work; and although housing is expensive, we have a lot of new housing and would hope that this will bring more children to our schools. In fact, I am sitting in a brand-new school as we speak that has an intake of 60 children a year. So, there are reasons to be hopeful!

But in some of the surrounding areas outside Barnstable in particular, the pupil projections are of rolls beginning to fall off. Although I am not quite sure of the reasons. Possibly the increase in second homes common to the Devon area as a whole.

3. How does Tarka Learning Partnership benefit from working with SWIFT?
I am pleased to talk about this partnership and I would go back to the history of working with SWIFT when there were previously around ten of the original Teaching Schools across Devon and Torbay and Plymouth. I remember some of these first meetings where it was clear that the educational landscape was going to change.
 
The fundamental wish was that we all needed to work together for the benefit of all schools and children and this became our guiding vision. What we also gained from those meetings was that colleagues had developed their own capacity and specialisms and expertise in certain areas, and together, we were greater than the sum of our parts (the SWIFT symbol!).

I think the biggest gain as a Trust is the fact that we have other colleagues who are very willing to collaborate with us and to think through challenges and opportunities, to design training and support that will help us all. For example, we have not all got the capacity to run our own subject networks. But by collaborating with other SWIFT partners, we can deliver this work. We, at Devon Training School Partnership, are now facilitating across most of the primary phase, but our secondary colleagues are leading other work, which becomes more viable because all schools can participate.  It also gives us access to the Golden Thread programmes with the Appropriate Body Service, the Early Career Framework, and National Professional Qualifications, which again, we support, but we could not deliver on our own.

The other benefit is bringing opportunities for our staff. For example, we have two safeguarding leads who were funded by SWIFT to attend the NSPCC six-day programme to train other staff and are now running those programmes which are very highly evaluated and have brought their own experience and expertise to the NSPCC training and are leading meaningful safeguarding training as trainers in their own right.

Similarly, we have another member of staff who is running the Writing Moderations training in North Devon and we are able to link with fellow SWIFT partners, Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance and Riviera Training School Alliance who run these sessions in their localities as well; so that every primary school teacher has got access to a moderation group.

I think also for our staff, they benefit from a very comprehensive professional development offer, which they would not otherwise enjoy because we are able to tap into and fill the gaps through the entire SWIFT programme, combined with some of our own internal training, and we can additionally signpost to other opportunities.
 
As an employer, we believe that we our staff have a wide ranging CPD offer, and one that we could not necessarily do on our own in magnifying on the biggest scale.

4. What are your hopes for future working between Tarka and SWIFT?
Essentially, it is probably doing more of what we have been doing to date so that we are working towards a comprehensive and cohesive offer of training.

in addition, considering the educational landscape has become quite fragmented for different reasons - different sorts of schools and approaches, SWIFT can become a democratic voice, in drawing schools together in what we can do together and our commonalities and help to provide a forum that is shaping the landscape. Increasingly, the partnership that is SWIFT is becoming a voice for leaders, staff, and children to have their say in how the education landscape should evolve.

5. What do you find to be most rewarding from working with SWIFT?
Above all, I think it gets me outside my own echo chamber by being involved with other people beyond my own Trust, School, and locality, which is always an enriching experience.

It obviously increases my knowledge, skills and understanding by being in contact with a wider network of educational professionals and conferences, which I really enjoy. SWIFT procures some excellent national speakers who provide relevant and up-to-date training and thinking as well.

Personally, I think that it has given me training and professional development opportunities in the same way as I mentioned previously for our staff. I enjoy being a Facilitator for the NPQs and I have always loved working with the Early Career Teachers and having my own cohorts.

Also, there is the enjoyment of working with other colleagues to shape and design programmes that will benefit schools and to play my part in shaping the SWIFT vision. There is a true feeling of togetherness; that we are all responsible for developing our school staff. For instance, I could feel this last term at the Early Careers Teachers induction conference and with the NPQs Facilitation Team. It did not matter which school the Early Career Teachers or NPQ Leaders attended, or their locality; we were all helping to grow the next generation of teachers  and leaders and doing it together.

It is this common goal in what we are trying to do for all of our schools, children and leaders.

I am very proud to be part of SWIFT and I believe that it is a good way forward and we should celebrate what SWIFT has achieved to date in quite a short space of time to support schools.

Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the Executive Team and Governance  

In this penultimate issue for this academic year, ​ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE is in post-Coronation reflective mode, contemplating what we can learn “about narrative, ritual and culture.”

“So, we must work hard to create the rituals that create belonging. How we celebrate key transition points and rites of passage as children grow through the school.”
 
Read about the Early Career Framework Extra! CPD session on Inclusive Practice in all Classrooms with Professor Sonia Blandford and Wendy Casson MBE.  If you need any encouragement about Courageous Conversations, you can get some insights with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training session with Diverse Educators.

CEO of Riviera Education Trust Stewart Biddles is this issue’s interviewee commending the value of partnership; which, of course we echo.

Find out more about the Phase 1 findings of the independent review of teachers’ professional development by Ofsted (commissioned by the Department for Education) and sign-up the Education Endowment Foundation Early Talk Boost Project.

We celebrate Cultural Diversity beyond the classroom with our sponsor Lyfta and keep up-to-date with other sponsors, Educatering and SchoolPro TLC and book your place at Praestantia Technology’s Microsoft event two weeks today.

In this issue, ​ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE reflects how history can be traced through the evolution of language and the context of the reasons behind the teacher strikes.

"Never have we had such need for sensitive, subtle, nuanced school leadership as now."

You can also read about the Spring Term Curriculum Forum, the ECF Extra session on High Expectations and Behaviour and as part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work, read an interview with Louise Jaunbocus-Cooper, Co-Founder of MixEd. Have your say in the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) Consultation on Professional Development and catch-up on the Mother of All Pay Gaps 2023 Conference. 

We introduce our new sponsor Praestantia Technology and their IT services for school and SchoolPro share insights into Marginal Gains impacting attendance and how they could help your school.

Discover more about our sponsors' services from Lyfta who celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and Atomi who provide engaging curriculum content to to find better ways to make learning fun. Educatering share their healthy food innovations for schools and find out about working as a supply teacher in the nursery/primary sector in Devon and Torbay with Exeter Supply Partnership. 

Already February, and in this latest issue, ​ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE considers the case of Beth and her experience with her school leadership that contrasts with our SWIFT schools and partners: "By engaging with professional development, you are exploring the evidence-based principles of good teaching rather than slavishly following a mantra."

Read the entire feature in the newsletter link below.

Find out about our DEI work with Diverse Educators, plus the recent History Masterclass on Revision Strategies led by Carmel Bones. And, if you have yet to encounter The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project you can read an interview with the founder and lead, Emma Sheppard.
Discover our sponsor, Atomi's curriculum-aligned content library ideal for GCSE students and we introduce the National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy (NCELP). 

In this January issue and the first for 2023, ​ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE reflects that "teachers would make great robins."
You can find out why in the newsletter link below.

Back in the classroom, rather than the garden, you can also read about our continued work to build on success through our partnership, the key principles from the Making the Difference for Disadvantaged Pupils programme and Curriculum Leads can find out how to apply to be lead a workshop lead at our Spring Term Curriculum Forum and discover more about our sponsor, SchoolPro TLC's upgraded Data Protection portal. 

ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West Roger Pope CBE opens this October issue reflecting on the concept of a servant leader in the context of the recent passing of Her Majesty the Queen:

"The very fact that you are reading our SWIFT newsletter suggests to me that you have a predilection for this kind of leadership. To be passionate about staff development means at least two of those servant leader traits are core to your vision and purpose as a leader: commitment to the growth of people and building community."

In this first issue of the new school year,  you can read about the launch of the SWIFT WalkThrus programme, the first SWIFT History Masterclass on Literacy and Vocabulary: The Power of Words led by Josh Vallance of Oasis Academies and gain an insight into the role of one of our Directors + more besides PLUS features from our sponsors.

ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West Roger Pope CBE opens this July issue by considering whether we're facing a return to the 1970s. But...

"Research now trumpets that a culture of professional support and development in a school is what makes the difference to the effectiveness of teachers. Finally, we have a White Paper that values that culture, the funding to underpin it, and a system of Teaching School Hubs to help you to make it happen."

This final issue of the school year includes a report on the SWIFT Summer Conference, A Theory of Change as an Implementation Tool for Professional Development, Michael Rosen's reading for pleasure top tips, an interview with NPQ Facilitator, Esther Best + more besides AND features from our sponsors.

In this May issue at the start of the Summer Term, ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West Roger Pope CBE considers where the immediate and the strategic compete for time and attention. 

"The immediate and urgent concern is the final preparation of children for tests and exams, and ensuring their smooth transition to the next phase of their education. At the same time, our eyes are on the horizon. Where do we want to be at the end, not of this year, but the next…and the one after that? What are our dreams and goals for the future? And if we want to achieve that gleaming castle on the hill, what do we need to be doing before the summer break in order to lay the foundations?"

You can also read how the WalkThrus Programme has transformed the school culture of Haringey Education Partnership, and catch-up on the Cornerstone Academy Trust EdTech Festival and the Early Career Framework and Appropriate Body engagement event webinars; as well as features from our sponsors.

In this April issue before we break for the Easter holidays, ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West Roger Pope CBE reflects on the Department for Education 'Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child' White Paper:

You can also read about the Teach First Early Career Framework (ECF) Survey that shows the effective work of the SWIFT ECT Team; as well as a report on our Spring Leadership Forum last month; plus an interview with an Appropriate Body Induction Tutor, along with the current services from our sponsors.