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 Summer Conference 2026
We are delighted to invite you to the SWIFT Summer Conference 2026, taking place on Thursday 18 June 2026 at Exeter Racecourse. View the full line-up of speakers and book here
 
Highlighted Courses/Support:

• Building an Oracy-Rich Classroom
• Primary Languages Professional Community
• Early Years Moderation
• SWIFT NPQ Update | Autumn 2026 Cohort
• Professional Communities

• Primary and Secondary Subject Briefing
• EYFS & Primary Courses
• Secondary & Sixth Form Courses
• Other events for your diary 

“When I look at my primary colleagues, my fundamental purpose in being an advisor is to help those who do not have RE as their number one subject and have never really studied it and do not feel confident. I would love to be able to feel that I have supported people to enjoy teaching RE and to gain satisfaction.”
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Ed Pawson spent 23 years as a Secondary Teacher of Religious Education and Subject Leader. He is currently the RE adviser to a number of SACREs in South West England, Programme Director for Learn, Teach, Lead RE teacher networks (SW) and the former Chair of the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE). Ed currently sits on the Board of the Religious Education Council and is the SW Lead for RE Hubs. He has published work on Islam, Contemporary Issues in RE and spiritual development.

Ed is passionate about the way RE can offer young people a unique opportunity to develop skills of critical evaluation and dialogue and he believes that an education in religion and worldviews plays an invaluable role in enabling young people to become more inquisitive, reflective and engaged members of society.
 
As our Religious Education Professional Community Lead, we invited Ed to share some of his thoughts about RE teaching today.

1. What personal and professional skills and qualities do you bring to your role as SWIFT Religious Education Professional Community Lead?
I was a Secondary Teacher of RE for 23 years in the classroom and as a teacher, I felt connected to pupils and motivated by my subject, and becoming a Subject Leader.
 
About 11 years ago I stopped teaching and became an RE consultant and advisor. I think I bring to the role, all those skills as a teacher in being committed, having a passion and a deep understanding for the subject and being interested in pupils, and fundamentally liking children and wanting the best for them in a rounded way. I believe this empathy is important (as a skill or a quality) in being interested in my subject matter and the pupils and the way that teachers can connect with them.
 
2. What do you find to be most rewarding in this role?
I am interested in networking and building a community. I think that sometimes in school, we lack a sense of belonging as teachers.

I recall when I started teaching, you felt that schools invested in you and that you could build your career and your interest in the subject within the context of the school. However, I think that we have lost a lot of that now and what I find rewarding about this role is being able to connect teachers in a way that has often been lost in not being able to do as much CPD as we might have been able to do in the past. It is often very hard to get subject specific CPD in Schools and Trusts these days because it is not offered.

I think my role as RE Professional Community Lead is linked to the subject content and subject matter and being a bit of an RE geek myself (!), in being able to give people a community who are also interested in knowing more and in working together – which is very exciting for me.

However, thinking about networking. Not all teachers are interested in networking. Personally, I love networking and I think that is why I like doing stuff outside school and the classroom. But some teachers will want to teach a 9 to 5 and that is fine. But the rewarding thing for me is where you are connecting with other people and with your shared interest.
 
3. How do you seek to motivate members in the Group?
When people come along to CPD in their own free time, and I work with the Hub and Network leaders who are doing this in their own time; you have to be very respectful of their needs and to give them space. It is important not to be demanding or certainly, to keep demands to a minimum. It is vital to understand that the fundamental aim is to help children enjoy the subject of Religious Education in school and if teachers want to help in learning more through CPD time, that is brilliant. It is about the motivation: the carrot, and not the stick.
 
4. What do you consider to be the biggest challenge for teaching Religious Education in schools?
Recent reports have shown how a significant number of primary teachers of RE feel that they lack the confidence and knowledge to teach the subject effectively.
 
Teachers often do not know enough about the subject, and that is not a criticism, but an observation as they lack confidence when they fear that they will get it wrong. Hence it is very important to help teachers know more and to encourage them to be more confident in who they are and to be open to making mistakes and not feel like they will be criticised.

The second thing is the lack of status in schools. Traditionally, RE has a low status in schools and there is a real shortage of Teachers of RE in schools. In secondary, for instance, only half of Teachers of RE have it as their main subject. If we compare that to English, nearly 90% of Teachers of English have it as their main subject, which is significant because it means that RE is always on the back foot and a pupil can only expect 50% of the time the teacher will really know the subject very well. This is an important difference from other subjects.

When I look at my primary colleagues, my fundamental purpose in being an advisor is to help those who do not have RE as their number one subject and have never really studied it and do not feel confident. I would love to be able to feel that I have supported people to enjoy teaching RE and to gain satisfaction.
 
Pupils love RE when it is taught well. They absolutely, love it. But I understand that a lot of teachers that I come across, especially in primary, are teaching about Islam or Sikhism or Hinduism, or Humanism, but have never actually met a Muslim or a Sikh or a Hindu or a Humanist. In creating a context where they can meet or at least learn firsthand about the topics that they are teaching is important. There are big challenges, especially in an area like Devon, where we do not have big numbers of diverse people.
 
Finally, we are hoping that RE will become a National Curriculum subject. It is in the balance at the moment; but by March or April, we should know if RE will be put forward to change legislation. All the other subjects are in the National Curriculum. However, RE is not and it never has been and I truly hope that this happens because I think it will raise the status of the subject.
 
5. What would be your greatest hope for Religious Education teaching in schools?
Picking up on the last point about becoming a National Curriculum subject, I think that we currently see a postcode lottery for the subject.
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It is taught brilliantly in some schools and yet hardly exists in others and there is very little benchmarking that Ofsted can do to challenge when they can see that RE is not being taught well. We need these national standards that do not currently exist for RE at the moment. But we would if we became a National Curriculum subject.
 
The recent introduction of a religion and worldviews approach to the subject has transformed the way many pupils respond to their lessons. This fundamental change, seeing people as central to RE, has opened up a more inclusive way to study religions and beliefs. The emphasis on looking at people's real-life lived experience, alongside understanding the structures and features of religious and non-religious traditions, makes it much more meaningful.
 
I think in raising the status of RE it would mean that teachers feel more confident about what they are doing in the classroom and the children would love that, because my experience, is that children, talk about RE as being the only subject where they can share their opinions. Pupils say there is no right and wrong answers in RE That is not quite true. There are right and wrong answers, but what they mean is that they feel listened to and a good Teacher of RE listens to people. Young people need to be listened to, and this is my fundamental mantra for schools.
 
We thank Ed for his insights interview and leadership of our Religious Education Professional Community.
Interview by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant

Often the backbones of Schools and Trusts, Business Managers can be the unsung heroes and heroines who oversee the smooth running/ working/ functioning (all!). Aptly, we were glad to start this new term purposefully with the Autumn Term Business Management Professional Community.
 
Chaired by Matt Burrell, Business Manager at St Cuthbert Mayne School, there is a collaborative and informative tone to these online sessions. Fellow Business Managers are encouraged to participate actively, share feedback, and engage in the sessions and to feel empowered through practical insights and professional development opportunities. 

Director at SchoolPro TLC, Ben Craig delivered an insightful presentation on AI and Data Protection in education. With rapid advancements in processing power, schools face both opportunities and risks and highlighted the importance of understanding AI as both a friend and foe - not least in sensitive contexts and keeping up with the children and young people in your school who are increasingly savvy about AI.
 
As experts in Data Protection and Compliance and former teachers and school leaders themselves, Ben shared the essentials of AI good use through training your staff, integrating AI responsibly, and maintaining robust Data Protection practices. 

The next EVENTS issue has landed 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. 

Coaching for Leaders
The Coaching for Leaders workshop is designed to equip leaders and coaches with the confidence and skills to make a real impact. Participants will gain practical coaching tools, receive feedback on their style, and learn how to engage teams, align goals, and navigate challenging conversations with ease.
Find out more and book here.
 
Highlighted Courses/Support:

• SWIFT Secondary Leadership Professional Community
• Adaptive Teaching: primary staff meeting series
• SWIFT Sixth Form Professional Community
• The Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher (MTPT) Project
• Professional Communities

• Primary and Secondary Subject Briefing
• EYFS & Primary Courses
• Secondary & Sixth Form Courses
• Other events for your diary

We are pleased to bring you this next EVENTS newsletter with details of professional learning opportunities to support you. 
 
SWIFT Summer Conference 2025 | #SWIFTConf25
If you have yet to sign-up for our SWIFT Summer Conference 2025 on Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Future Skills Centre in Exeter, we are pleased to invite you now.

This is a premier event dedicated to empowering educators, fostering innovation and driving excellence in education, the 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
• Passive Intervention and Prevention Strategies (PIPS) Training 
• The Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher (MTPT) Project
• FREE Support for Pupil Premium Key Stage 2 Pupils
• Professional Communities

• Primary Subject Leader Briefings
• Events for your diary

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 

It was a lovely and uplifting way to end the penultimate Monday in November.
 
The Character Education Professional Community is designed for all Primary (and Secondary) School Leads who wish to develop the ethos, culture, curriculum and personal development of pupils within their own school setting.
 
At the heart of Character Education is teaching character and embracing a characterful approach to teaching and learning. This second session in the series followed the inaugural event that explored ‘why’ we should teach character and embrace a characterful approach to learning and teaching, and now explores the next step of ‘How?’
 
Andy Ogden, Director of Tarka CPD & Director of Devon Training School Partnership welcomed delegates to the session and introduced session lead, Lyndsey Bolton, Character Education Lead at Alumnis Multi Academy Trust.
 

For Alumnis, it was their new CEO Neil Moir who gave leaders and teams the opportunity to “refresh” the direction of travel and Trust identity after the Covid lockdown, which led to a reframed a holistic curriculum, termed the “C360.” Alumnis is passionate about and committed to personal development for their pupils and young people and has developed a character led way of working across the Trust.
 
The Mission at Alumnis is a commitment “to providing an education that is unsurpassed: developing in students the academic skills, intellectual habits, character virtues and wellbeing that enable each unique individual to flourish as a global citizen” and the C360 is based on four essential cornerstones:
 

• Academic
• Character
• Innovation
• Community 

We all colloquially use the phrase, s/he/they is a “character” to describe our students and fellow human beings. But if you are wondering how to define character, here are some helpful pointers:
 

• Character traits are the qualities that define and enhance us as individual people.
• Character Education builds characterful children who are more aware of themselves, how they learn, how they feel, act, respond, and how they engage with others socially so they are more aware of the role they play within communities (local, national and global!).
• Character Education helps learners to make sense of what is ethically important in different situations and deciding how to make the right decision at the right time for the right reason (practical wisdom)
• Character Education's aim is to develop flourishing schools who foster flourishing individuals who contribute towards a flourishing society.

 
Character Education allows learners to understand who they are and how they impact people and the world around them and supports learners to develop positive personal strengths
 
As Character Lead, Lyndsey Bolton developed a Character Education approach for two – 11-year olds, which was rolled out across all the Trust schools in 2020/2021 This approach is rooted in Aristotle virtues and based on the work of The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues (part of the University of Birmingham) Across the Trust character is taught explicitly as well as caught and taught as part of a 'flourishing for all' curriculum.
 
The heart and soul of Alumnis Character Education is that the children become inspiring changemakers.

With Character as the foundation, children are encouraged to seek to put a wide range of virtues into action. They “live the virtues” (rather than laminate the virtues).
Change is inspired through a layered approach.
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Consistent language is used throughout all the schools and feeds directly into the Conduct Policy, and is the basis for behaviour and all relationships – both between pupils and staff; but also, in how adults talk to each other. This way, the children know and increasingly understand the language of virtue in every situation and the whole school learns, discovers and acts out the same virtue and ultimately reflects on it. Hence, the Alumnis logo of the tree with character at the core; nourishing all learners at the roots and encouraging them to seek to put virtues into action as the fruit.
 
And the best bit?
The children are proud of their character virtues and proud of the differences they can make, no matter the size. They can talk about how they develop their character. They even delight in spotting when characters in a story are not showing good character virtues.
 
Putting virtues into action includes the children engaging in adventures, research projects, preparing their own TED talks, using the UN goals on sustainable development for research talks and fundraising as they work towards a certificate and celebratory badge at the end of the year.
 
Small and big successes are all rewarded and recognised.
 
Characterful approaches are explored that go beyond the ‘taught,’ which shape the culture and ethos of schools, and impact on curriculum evolution, and have positive effects on pupil attainment and radiate out to impact on parents and the wider community.
 

St Helen's Church of England (one school within the Alumnis Trust) can vouch for the value of the Character Education approach that has been developed. Headteacher, Bex Northcott is also the Character and Curriculum Lead and shared how St Helen’s is explicitly and effectively implementing Character Education with a positive impact on school improvement. Pupils at St Helen’s engage in an enquiry-based curriculum from the moment they arrive, which is underpinned by the Church of England Christian, as well as civic and moral values. For example, at the moment, the whole school is currently investigating what it means to show courage.
 
Bex had countless moving and motivating examples. To name but a few, Year 4 are leading an enquiry into why people move, migrate to/ from the UK through the context (lens) of courage.  Year 6 are looking at why people live where they live, and are inspiring inclusive, character-driven researchers looking at what is necessary within 20-minute community.  As well as in the classroom collective worship is an important vehicle to reiterating the termly and in-the-moment virtues.
 
Genuine opportunities are sought for the children to practise and access a character virtue every half term, enhanced across curriculum areas, looking to what is happening in the world. Keen volunteers and fundraisers, the children have recently taken the initiative to create Christmas boxes to donate to the local Ukraine refugee point.
 
The children are inspired changemakers.
But of equal value, it is when the best character is not shown that the children learn the most.
 
One story should be retold.
A Year 6 pupil was a committed and able sportsperson, but was unhappy about what she perceived to be an injustice in how women’s sport was portrayed in the media. She took it upon herself to write to the England Rugby CEO. A well-structured and thoughtful letter.  But she warned not to expect a reply. 
 
However, she received a reply from the CEO and CFO who asked to visit her rugby club and invited her to be a young ambassador. This characterful pupil is now in Year 8 and she and the English Rugby CEO have kept in contact and there are currently 21 rugby girls playing in her team.
 
Another must tell. A Year 5 boy read a news article about the risk of cardiac arrest and was concerned that the nearest defibrillator in the village was in the local pub. He put his mind to raising money and reached out to crowdfunding. He raised £1700 that was match-funded and there are now three open access defibs in the village.
 
So many uplifting stories thanks to the value of Character Education.
Cake sales run by the little ones donating toys and clothes.
An inspiration across the whole Trust to so many children.
A recent Ofsted inspection in a local school looked deeply into personal development and noted that the children were living the vision of virtues.
 
The Behaviour Policy is now called Attitudes to Learning Character Development and demonstrates that it is powerful to praise children for having the confidence to be honest, and for having a sense of justice. Even when there are challenging conversations around forgiveness and restoration, to be able to praise children when things have gone well is life-enhancing.

SWIFT sponsor, Lyfta presented on how they bring Character Education into school through an immersive digital platform.
 
Director of Education and Impact, Harriet Marshall explained how Lyfta provides a platform for young people to explore and understand the world and themselves better. They can develop their own character through storyworlds and connect across the world in a social and interpersonal sense. 

Director of Schools Engagement and Partnership, Andrew Pettit from the Association for Character Education (part of The Jubilee Centre) provided an insight into their bespoke consultation work supporting schools, based on the unwavering belief that character development is essential from nursery to Post-16.

Andy Ogden concluded the session by acknowledging schools are often so busy in curriculum development that they need to pull out the core themselves and focus on the internal character of the child and how they see themselves. It is a useful exercise in pushing the reset button after Covid with essential links to identify and a sense of belonging.
 
“It’s not what you put on the plate, but the plate itself.”
Schools are re-evaluating and starting a powerful conversation.
 
The SWIFT Character Education Professional Community will continue to build a network of leaders and practitioners across the Southwest who are passionate about designing and implementing holistic educational provision that acknowledges the importance of personal development as well as the importance of academic attainment.

Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team