May Day has passed and we hope that you enjoyed the Bank Holiday, but today is UPDATE May Day and we are pleased to bring you the latest news.

As Executive Director Martin Smith reflects in his introduction: 
"This May issue brilliantly exemplifies what a mature school-led system looks like...The many high-quality articles bring together expertise from individual schools, Multi Academy Trusts, education partners and the National Institute of Teaching." 

With partnership at the heart of our SWIFT work, Martin will soon be engaging with stakeholders on the partnership with our Teaching School Hub colleagues, OneCornwall to develop and widen the scope across the region. 

Read up on the recent National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) Teacher Educator Development Day led by Kyle Bailey, NPQ Lead for the South and West at NIoT and Birmingham South Teaching School Hub. The aims of the day were to strengthen the professional skills and expertise of teacher educators, engage critically with research and apply it to inform and enhance practice and build, sustain and deepen relationships between local colleagues. 

You can also catch up on some important Golden Thread programme updates to keep you informed.

If you are contemplating a smartphone-free environment in your School or Trust, Kingsbridge Community College's Principal, Tina Graham shares their journey and tips that developed as part of their wider commitment to student wellbeing, focus, and positive development. 

This month's interview is with Anthony Lees, Deputy Head of School for Marpool Primary School & EdTech Lead for the Cornerstone Academy Trust. A self-confessed tech nerd, Ant is well-placed to provide an insight into this rapidly growing area within our professional and personal lives. You read it here in UPDATE!

Devon Research School (DRS) shares a post on being one step ahead when it comes to Adaptive Teaching from fellow Cornwall Research School. As you would expect this is insightful, intentional and evidence-based and will add meaning to your practice. 

On that note, the Region's RISE Team invites you to attend the Boolean and London South West Maths Hubs’ Mainstream Inclusion Conference on Primary Maths coming up on Thursday 4 June 2026. Book here

From September, schools across England will be expected to take a more structured approach to allergy management and our sponsor SchoolPro TLC provides guidance on how to prepare.  As former school leaders, teachers and incumbent Governors, they are caring and knowledgeable. Contact the Team here

Nursery and Primary school cover service Exeter Supply Partnership are celebrating their tenth anniversary - and we commend their first decade dedicated to providing "reliable, experienced supply staff, and above all, offering an ethical, not‑for‑profit alternative that puts schools, educators and pupils first."  Contact here
 
As we have come to expect , Educatering our school catering sponsor are showcasing yet more of their delicious and nutritious food. See more pictures to feast on! If you are not yet part of the Educatering Schools Revolution contact the Team here 

Remember to book your place at the 2026 Summer Conference on Thursday 18 June 2026 at Exeter Racecourse. Five school weeks today! Designed to be relevant and memorable with presentations on: AI and Assessment, Equity, Wellbeing and Leadership, Care and Culture, Disadvantaged High Attainers, Masculinities in Schools and more. Network with like-minded colleagues and enjoy some lovely food from Goosemoor Educatering.

In the spirit of true and lasting partnership, we hope you relish a dip in this issue.
With all best wishes from the SWIFT Central Team - and a happy and rewarding onwards. 

“I feel energised as a Teacher Educator at a time when I was beginning to feel demotivated. I now want to push beyond my current remit to action system level change within my organisation and feel that the work today has helped empower me with tools and starting points for those conversations.”

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) Teacher Educator Development Day took place at the end of last month at the Birmingham Campus originally conceptualised around the themes of the NIoT rubric, with an opportunity to network and share, and learn from the dedicated research team at the NIoT.
 
Led by Kyle Bailey, NPQ Lead for the South and West at NIoT since 2024, Kyle’s other day job is Birmingham South Teaching School Hub Lead. In his NIoT role, Kyle benefits from working with great people, including members of our SWIFT TSH Team, Jen Knowles and Fiona McNeile, and OneCornwall partners; as well as other Associate Colleges, with whom Kyle has been working closely to better understand the needs of their regions.

Kyle is privileged to visit Campus Facilitators, many of whom are serving school leaders, which prompted his thinking for the day in recognising the need for colleagues across to country to meet in-person. He also wanted to give back and to amplify the work of Facilitators and to enable them to bring and share concrete resources to their NPQ delivery sessions. ​

​The audience of 80 colleagues spun the spectrum of the Golden Thread, including those currently leading the Early Career Teacher Programme, Teaching School Hub Directors, Heads of Professional Development at Multi Academy Trusts – plus representation from the Local Authority, and colleagues who currently work / do not work with the NIoT. Kyle is keen that colleagues are aware that the NIoT is more than its programmes and offers huge research opportunities.

Keynotes included Dr Chris Baker, who leads professional development at the Cabot Learning Federation (partner with Ambition Institute), on Why Teacher Educators are Essential for Sector Improvement - focusing on the role and challenges as a Mentor, Facilitator, and Head of Professional Development in school. NIoT Executive Director for Programmes, Reuben Moore led on Horizon Scanning and Implications for the Sector and Input on the Curriculum Assessment Review changes. Too often, information can be provided piecemeal and Reuben gave an overview on what is currently in place and what colleagues might need to consider and change. Finally, Margaret Mulholland from ASCL led the keynote on Supporting Other Teachers in an Educational Landscape with Greater Need, building on Reuben’s overarching themes, as well as inclusion – always a relevant focus for Schools and Trusts and a current big priority for the Government following the recent White Paper.
 
Delegates could choose to attend a variety of workshops. All of which shared the purpose of thinking through how to design and conceptualise teacher education. 

Dr Rob Nash, Head of Psychological Research at the NIoT led on Feedback Literacy and How to Make Receiving Feedback Less Awful, which was well received (not surprising perhaps with its engaging title!). Aretha Banton from Mindful Equity led the session on recruiting career changers from more ethnically diverse backgrounds and cultural competence. Leyla Palmer and Hayley Bissell from NIoT Associate College, Windsor Academy Trust, led the session on Adaptive Facilitation in Practice: Balancing Structure, Responsiveness and Instruction Synopsis. Whilst Oasis Community Learning, the founding NIoT MAT here in the South West, and One World Education, led a session together on Leading Learning: Rigour and Joy in Every Classroom. NIoT Tutors, Balli Dalli, Pete Gandon and Faye Murphy invited delegates to a session on Squeezing the Sponge: how can we provoke hard thinking and make effective application more likely in teacher education to get the most out of your practice. Finally, Chris Baker led on Making Change Stick: the Systematic ‘transfer of training.’
 
The Teacher Educator Day was a momentous day: impactful conversations and uplifting feedback on all the sessions. Feedback from attendees about the day was very positive with strong engagement in the sessions and colleagues attending from the North West and London will be hosting Facilitators at their own sessions later in the year.
 
“The best, most thought-provoking day of professional learning I have had in many years. I have made many notes and been inspired to reflect on my practices and our organisation as a whole.”
 
Looking beyond the conference, the intention is for colleagues to reference what they have learned and heard in the sessions and to mention in their NPQ facilitation training and to adjust the way they give feedback.
Equally, it has been an invaluable outreach exercise to some of the colder spots around the country and those Schools and Trusts who have yet to work closely with the NIoT - several of whom have already been in contact to request speaker details to ask them to lead on training sessions for their Trust.
 
Commenting on the day Kyle Bailey said:
“Above all, the Teacher Educator Development Day was pivotal in supporting the work of the NIoT in bringing together, connecting people, and supporting Schools and Multi Academy Trusts.
The NIoT is making a big effort here in the South West to push outwards and for members of our NIOT Team to run sessions to help boost the system overall and we are delighted to be leading on this support work.”
 
The South West region is central to supporting future NPQs and the delivery of the NIoT role by bringing people together and connecting Facilitators with Schools and Trusts. NIoT’s strong focus is on serving school leaders and it is gratifying that this aligns well with our SWIFT ethos of working with Schools and Trusts.

Teaching School Hubs will continue to play a vital, place‑based role, recognising that schools’ needs vary by geography and system context. Local knowledge in linking Schools, MATs, Research Schools and Hubs will strengthen collaboration and working alongside, listening, learning and feeding back is essential, and here at SWIFT as Teaching School Hubs, we will always be proud to exemplify this schools‑led, collaborative approach.

We are proud to partner with the NIoT for the Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

Report by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant

As the pinnacle of what the Department for Education (DfE) terms the Golden Thread, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) – to continue the sewing metaphor – have become a reputable part of the patchwork quilt of professional development for teachers and leaders (that should be noted and commended is entirely voluntary).

We currently work with Lead Providers: the National Institute of Teaching and Teach First who provide the teaching materials, which are delivered by our expert and experienced Facilitators, drawn from local schools and Multi Academy Trusts – all of which is co-ordinated by our hard-working SWIFT Central Team to ensure Programme Members keep on track.
 
As a suite of leadership qualifications, NPQs are based on the best available evidence and best practice of teaching and leadership in education. During the post-Covid recovery years, NPQs were effectively established as essential support for teachers and leaders, underwritten by scholarships for funded places.
 
This has helped to see a significant uplift in colleagues embarking on their NPQ journey. We celebrate NPQs for supporting career progression, improving quality and consistency of leadership, retention of teachers and leaders and quality of teaching (including impact on pupil outcomes).
 
You will understand from your own professional classroom practice, and your school and Multi Academy Trust improvement strategy that life does not stand still in education. Too much is at stake in our rapidly and ever-changing world with the need to equip our children and young people with optimal learning opportunities in line with evolving evidence to improve, enhance and progress.
 
With this educational evolution in mind, the DfE is undertaking a formal Review of the existing ten NPQs.
 
The scope of the Review includes, but is not limited to, consideration of the following key areas: 

• SEND.
• Leadership progression.
• Workload reduction.
• Operational leadership. 

 
Working in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the DfE are seeking to update the evidence-base underpinning the NPQs and an Expert Steering Group has been convened with representation from Headteachers, Trust CEOs, Lead Providers, and the Chartered College of Teaching, which will be complemented by other stakeholder engagement. 

As a thorough process, the Review is expected to take approximately 18 months; during which time, the existing suite of NPQs will remain in place until completed with time for implementation. 
 
Our Strategic Lead, Roger Pope and member of the now voluntary Teaching School Hubs Council is leading a National NPQs Advisory Group with regional representation from other Teaching School Hubs. The recent launch meeting provided a useful opportunity to discuss various considerations that have been presented to the DfE as part of their information gathering. A compelling reflection (amongst many) from the discussion and, something we can all relate to in curriculum delivery, is of time as the Mother of Depth with the importance of NPQ Programme Members having enough time to cover the programme content and avoiding any dilution of time should the content be expanded.
 
We are pleased to be part of the Review engagement with the DfE and we look forward to contributing ultimately, as part of our commitment to provide professional qualifications that count for our teachers and leaders.

​Report by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant 

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. 

As part of this mission, LSSW Connect runs leadership study visits.
This year sees its fifth annual programme, this time expanded to three separate visits:
 
1. Charles Dickens Primary School and The Charter School North Dulwich in London (The Charter Schools Educational Trust) 
2. The Castle School and Court Fields Schools in Somerset (Blackdown Education Partnership)
3. Ernesettle Community School and Tor Bridge Primary School in Plymouth (The Inspire Multi Academy Trust (South West))