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.