SWIFT is proud to be working with Leading Schools South West (LSSW) on their soon-to-be launched Leadership Study Visit programme to national high performing Schools and Trusts.

This builds on the successful LSSW/ SWIFT partnership of supporting professional development for school leaders across the South West though the programme of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).
 
The Leadership Study Visit programme aims to:

• Observe and reflect on excellent practice beyond the South West.
• Consider how existing practice can develop in the light of this experience.
• Receive support from the group whilst implementing change.
• Develop leadership skills as part of a supportive group.

At the beginning of February, a group of 14 school leaders from a variety of contexts in Devon and Cornwall participated in a pilot programme visit looking at Implementation Coaching and a programme of group coaching to support leadership development with a view to the implementation of change during the remainder of this academic year. 

Accompanied by SWIFT Director, Martin Smith, the group visited Reach Academy, Feltham and King Solomon Academy, two outstanding, forward-thinking 2 - 18 years schools in London and met with school leaders, teachers and students, and spent time in lessons. The participants valued the opportunity to network and strengthen links and relationships; collaborate, discuss, reflect and share ideas and valued the benefits of observing good practice in action in the different and contrasting schools’ settings and discussions with school leaders about their work and leadership journeys in the context of their own settings. For some delegates, it provided an understanding of the 2 - 18 years model in action.
 
In particular, the study visit facilitated reflection on the schools’ outstanding provision, different curricula, challenging cohort characteristics and catchment areas. The LSSW/SWIFT participants considered and learned from both similar and different systems, approaches and values that helped them to gain a broader insight into education and ultimately, they benefitted from the joined-up thinking, enhancing and reinforcing their own professional development to date.​

Participants enjoyed the dedicated time to focus and reflect purposefully and identify particular strands, strategies and how improvements could help to refine and strengthen their own current practice and understand how getting the basics right, i.e. consistency and routine, can work in practice.

The clear vision articulated by the visit school leaders with plenty of opportunities to ask questions when visiting classrooms was valued and participants commended the cradle to career pathway and holistic provision at the Reach Academy. Both schools were praised for their students. Of significant note was praise for King Solomon Academy’s talented and articulate students, who spoke with confidence and passion and love for their school and were an inspiration for their ambition and work ethic. Participants also commended the aspirational children at Reach Academy and the sharp focus on community and they liked the clearly embedded routines and habits and strong school brand with values and clear and explicit purpose.
 
The clear explanation of the model of driving impactful teacher development through consistent and professional expertise was praised at the Reach Academy. For example, morning practice and fortnightly School Leadership Team (SLT) drop-ins and instructional coaching, rather than Faculty Meetings. Participants also liked the approach to Teaching and Learning through explicit Doug Lemov “Teach Like a Champion” strategies, resources and language and observing the coaching model in action.
 
It was reassuring for delegates to understand that using research works through a consistent approach delivered by enthusiastic staff, plus the ability to backward plan and maximise the use of subject expertise. It was also insightful for the participating school leaders to reflect and compare curriculum similarities and differences with their own school situations.

At the Reach Academy, the participants found the Key Stages 1 and 2 classes to be inspirational, liked the strong practice in Read Write Inc (RWI), persistent focus on reading across the school/the curriculum, the Early Years degree model and phonics teaching (and how it could be used in secondary schools), the set up for the reading book club lessons and Curriculum Design and use of booklets, and how this sits with effective scaffolding.
 
At King Solomon Academy, participants commended the relentless ambition towards university access for all and liked the tightness of centralised systems (including lesson planning and resourcing to allow for "intellectual preparation). Whole school behaviour management strategies (including residentials across all year groups and "payslips") were also commended and the clearly described and explained SEND perspective. 
 
Notably, the visit provided refreshing time away from “the daily ebb and flow of school life,” with time to think and reflect strategically.
 
SWIFT and LSSW thank both the Reach Academy and King Solomon Academy for hosting the visits and for their openness and offers to share resources. 
 
Look out for information about the programme on our SWIFT CPD Programmes Calendar.  

“Revision is for life. Not only for exam time.”

​The third SWIFT History Masterclass session was led by a popular personality in the History teaching community.
 
Carmel Bones’ credentials testify to her competence and commitment to the profession. But being in the same room as Carmel – albeit virtually – her enthusiasm and passion for teaching, plus her tried and tested experience from a 30-year teaching career (so eagerly shared) were wonderfully apparent.

​You can read Carmel’s biography at the end of this report. 

Carmel’s session on revision comes at a point when reinvigorating this fine art is proving to be a challenge in schools.

Carmel is clear that students need to get used to revision, that it requires mental effort by them as the learner and that they are responsible.

Teachers can only do so much.
Fostering independence and autonomy so that students are motivated to do their own revision is essential.
“Students, your learning needs you.”

Forget the idea of looking through folders and exercise books to recognise information.

Take a blank piece of paper and retrieve the information from the forefront of your mind.

Clearly, students have different starting points so cues and prompts maybe needed too.
But by embarking on revision skills with the younger years it is natural for GCSEs. Get students into good habits of learning and memorising and retrieving - early.

​Rather than leave revision until Easter or when the exams are imminent, revise as you go along.
Teachers need to be ambitious and do what they can do to support students, to get the information into students’ heads… and the best grades will ensue.

Try this tested technique by Carmel’s daughter.
Ciara felt that she had been “given” her GCSEs as a child of the Covid lockdown and did not know how to revise for her A Levels last year.
So, she fast-filmed herself making old fashioned flash cards, and then tried to recall what she could by mind mapping and noting any gaps, before returning to the flash cards or text books as necessary.
This method tested her memory and retrieval and enabled her to note her progress.
Ciara’s History grade A* endorses her method. Worked for her!

​But with the obvious cautionary note to put distracting mobile phones and tablets away when revising!

Referring to evidenced research.
Check out The Great Teaching Toolkit that encourages hard thinking and embeds understanding.
Lots of R words!
Reinforce the information. Review and revisit as you go along. Retrieve. Revisit. Retain. Rehearse.
The most effective revision is practising retrieval and calling the information to mind.
Use it or lose it (as they say)!

Also see Dough Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion - a study of the craft of teaching with successful outcomes.

​Memory is the residue of thought.

Make it stick.
On that sticky note, Carmel recalled her own Geography teacher guiding her to remember how liquid stays hotter for longer than the land.
He literally made it sticky with the treacle sponge principle. Perfect (and delicious!).
Other personal examples: PG Whips, à la PG Tips… to remember Parker, Grindal and Whitgift Elizabeth I’s three Archbishops of Canterbury.
Use mental models that work for the students and ask them to share how they remember.
With gusto and glee Carmel shared a plethora of top tips.
Invite students to write a song, or a mnemonic to help them remember the material. Choral speaking: sing it back!

Try the catchy Pomodoro Technique (for everyone, including Italophiles!).
Use a timer for students to recall information.
Register Wars. An idea from Lesley-Ann McDermott shared at the Schools History Project 2017.
Tee up the students beforehand.
Mix up the students’ surnames and when you call out their name for the register, they have to say a word linked to what you have been studying.
Keep it live, active and low stakes and it very quickly shows any gaps.
An added twist, include a buzz word that places extra emphasis as the golden word.
Given the register is a legal document and students have to answer for their name high participation is guaranteed.
Dare to devolve the revision sessions to the students.
Get them to lead the class and ask questions and summarise learning.
Create a supportive environment and motivate students to make them want to revise.

Build class camaraderie and collaboration by planting a secret (student) spy who reports back at the end of a lesson on who has worked particularly well.
Students look out for each other and it also means the teacher is not always on the case.
 
Check out the technology.
Use multiple choice questions with the free card activity plickers or Ankiapp flash card app.
 
Get the students moving.
Harking back to her childhood, Carmel suggested taking revision out of the classroom, say to the school hall. A different (novel) location can boost recall.
Inspired by the 1970s children’s tv show “Runaround,” invite students to select multiple choice answers by standing on mat 1, 2 or 3.
Make their thinking visible.
Go deeper and controversial and work up to an essay question or debate.

Another game. Bunch of 5ss.
Demoed by willing volunteers, Becky, Paul and Andrew, who in a classroom situation would have been out at the front.
Model the rules first:
One asks the questions.
One answers the questions.
One counts the bunch of fives.
 
Set the timer and let’s play!
Name five types of cake…
Fun either verbal and/or written, the game of 5’s creates an element of competition that students love.
They see progress, are motivated and can spy any gaps for urgent revision. This can also be a paper-based activity as inspired by Karen Knight.
 
More games. Create a simple fact board, 6x6 grid. If students land on a square they say five things about the topic.
Tarsia puzzles that connect topics.
The Bermuda triangle to fill in the missing pieces.
Summarising pyramids of information with words and phrases visually themed for the time of year.
So, lots of ideas to retain information, next to do something with it and look after it as if it is precious.
Learning is a reiterative process.
Turn it into pictures or diagrams.
Encourage students to make it their own.
 
Testing and study are interchangeable and highlights those important gaps.
Get the students to mark each other’s own work.
They will want to close the gaps in real time and it also stimulates discussion and pride in their work.
 
Look at the derivation of words that can help to remember and embed subject specific terminology.
 
In a lovely supportive way mirroring school and home, students’ families can get on board too as the teaching triangle.
The Protégé Principle, of teacher, student + someone on their side at home who supports their revision.
 
Who would have thought that revision could be such fun?
Were it not for the confines of our hour session, Carmel would have clearly raced on with even more ideas and insights.

But we were grateful for the time and thank Carmel Bones for being an uplifting and enriching History Masterclass session 3 speaker. We thank Becky Bailey, Executive Director of History of Westcountry Schools Trust for organising the SWIFT History Masterclass Series and of course, our delegates for their whole-hearted participation. 

​Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team

Last week, the Department for Education (DfE) presented a live webinar to discover how to support staff at all levels and access the wide-ranging support available from the Department to improve staff experiences and ultimately improve pupil outcomes. The event also featured guest Headteachers who shared their passion for teacher development and discussed examples of how the programmes are supporting the staff and young people in their settings.

The webinar included: 

• An overview of the Golden Thread, and the high-quality, ongoing training opportunities.
• The benefits of helping to train the next generation of teachers by hosting ITT trainees in your schools, and the support available to you.​
• The advantages of the DfE-funded provider-led Early Career Framework (ECF) based programmes, what we are doing to improve their implementation and delivery, and how we are supporting schools, Early Career Teachers and Mentors to understand them. 
• The National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) available to staff across the country, the unprecedented available support , and how to access the qualifications.

To watch the webinar recording, click on the link below and you can also download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and collated Q&A document.

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.

“Every child should benefit from a broad, ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum, taught by highly skilled teachers.” (White Paper, 2022)
 
We are pleased to bring you our new Masterclass series as part of our CPD Programme for 2022 – 2023.
 
Masterclasses are subject-specific programmes with a focus on curriculum, teaching and assessment. Many are led by external subject experts with a national profile who are celebrated authors and speakers, and also include Ofsted inspector subject specialists.
 
The year-long programmes at both primary and secondary are designed to boost teachers’ subject knowledge through enjoyable and edifying topics, plus the opportunity to network with like-minded subject colleagues.

​You had to be there.
And we’re grateful to our partners, school colleagues and everyone who was with us for the 2022 SWIFT Summer Conference on the last Thursday of June, both in person at Exeter Racecourse and online.
 
As SWIFT Director Martin Smith said in his opening welcome; as well as listening to our high calibre speakers, SWIFT wished the conference to be an opportunity for colleagues to network; as well as boost their professional development “to help make a difference to what you do in connecting and sharing new ideas.”

Next up, SWIFT Strategic Leader, Roger Pope CBE led his welcome with historical highness – equipped to do so having started his own educational journey in 1979, only to be observed teaching an astonishing 40 years later! With his time-honoured thinky presentation Roger harked back to 1976 when Prime Minister Callaghan inaugurated the great educational debate about improving standards in a school system run by Local Education Authorities; followed over a decade later in 1988 by Kenneth Baker’s Education Reform Act bringing autonomy for schools with local management, Grant Maintained Schools and City Technology Colleges; hand-in-hand with greater accountability through market driven schools, a National Curriculum, all to be measured by League Tables and Ofsted. ​

Here we are, a few more decades on with the 2022 White Paper that decrees:
 
“The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds…The evidence is clear that high-quality professional development can lead to improved children’s attainment.”
 
Roger concluded on behalf of Colyton and Kingsbridge, two of the Department for Education’s national Teaching School Hubs working together as South West Institute for Teaching:
 
“Our vision is to create world-class opportunities for staff to learn, develop and connect so that all children, especially the disadvantaged, achieve the best educational outcomes. Let’s do it together.”

Without further ado, to the first keynote speaker. Diana Osagie, Founder and CEO of The Academy of Women's Leadership and author of “Courageous Leadership.” Diana presented (or rather proclaimed) on “How to be an Effective Resilient Leader in 5 Steps” with a call to cake in her empowering preamble for school leaders to “grow your metaphorical backside… as you’ll need a big one to sit comfortably, steady and not be easily rocked as the buck stops with the Headteacher.” Hard-nosed, hard-skinned, hard-everything!
 
A tour de force thanks to her 16 years’ experience leading secondary education, including six years as a successful Headteacher in a London secondary school, Diana spoke from her experience at the cutting edge of education and school improvement. For her, it wasn’t the students who gave her issues, it was the staff! Diana learned from a great Deputy who was always needlessly checking in with her: “Just do It!” and she held a Head Surgery (note the catchy title) on Tuesdays from 1530 to 1730 for six years. Ten-minute slots. For anyone about anything. She never missed it.  And that was as a teaching Headteacher (Physics, in case you were wondering – which has a certain pertinence having listened to her).

Above all, when tackling those “wicked, knotty problems,” remember: “clarity is your best friend and assumption is the nemesis of leadership.” Or else, you risk the consequence of the issue becoming greater than the problem itself.
So, to the to the DIANA OSAGIE WAY and here’s some of her resilience top tips:
 
Understand the Steps of Growth when Guiding your Staff
1. I know
2. I understand
3. I implement
 
If your staff are not willing, you’ll always be fighting “ad hoc fires that will erode your resilience and bouncebackability” (yes, it’s a word). So, follow those three steps…
 
Deal with the Elephant in the Room
Diana told the story of a church mother at her Pentecostal church who was the church announcer, but had an unfortunate knack for saying awkward things and the church leadership didn’t know how to handle her: “gaff upon gaff upon gaff…”

However, she was influential. Diana was tasked with sorting this particular elephant and told her straight and yes…she assumed the role of church announcer! Sort of similarly, Diana didn’t like her Head of English (her best ever!) despite his outstanding exam results track record: 80% Grades A – C at GCSE in a school with language issues. But she learned how to deal with his sarcastic snidey comments.
 
Find your elephants.
 
MIC
Maintain
Improve
Rid
 
You’ll soon see the trends and patterns.
Deal with the fires that matter and know that some things that you do are “rubbish.”
Because you thought it, planned it, you might think that it should work. Wrong! That is only your opinion. It’s not a fact or “just because you have a title.” Admit it when you get it wrong.
 
Don’t Attempt Leadership on your Own
It’s foolish and dangerous.
You’ll operate more effectively with a true peer – as do famous footballers, actors, singers who all submit to their coach, and director. Their veteran seasoned leader.
Think how all the parts work together.
 
Keep Your Advocate (in the corner)
Someone who wants you to do well.
“It’s your responsibility to secure the level of support that matches your level of authority.”
 
Diana ended with a second rousing Call to Action: “Sort it out leaders!” - and buy her book!

From resilience and courageous leadership to Ofsted with the next keynote speakers, James McNeillie HMI and Regional Director, Stephen Lee, presenting Ofsted updates, findings and questions.

In his role as HMI, James shared how inspecting schools in England is “a privilege” and looking ahead to the next five years the focus will be on inspections to raise standards and the best start in life for Early Years and Foundation Stage, and testing schools’ safeguarding policies to keep children safe in school and contribute to their positive experience.
 
Fundamentally, schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum in the shape of the National Curriculum, and the Multi Academy Trusts’ rationale for their alternative curriculum will be tested during inspections.
 
So, curriculum deep dives might be what schools are doing for those children who have missed out on reading (during the Covid-19 lockdowns) and what is their long-term plan? Or for disadvantaged and disabled children who are receiving extra help, but which means they are not getting full access to the curriculum. School Leadership team are invited by Ofsted to share their strengths and issues for development and to explain any adaptations.
 
But, an important Ofsted caveat: today’s talk was not an Ofsted checklist! Rather, some suggested discussion points with leaders about their school’s implementation. 

​And interestingly, James warned against SLTs wasting money on “Mocksted” consultants. One of the best ways to get up to Ofsted speed in person is to listen directly to talks from Ofsted inspectors – such as this SWIFT Summer Conference - and of very real reassurance for school leaders, James recognised that Ofsted are aware of the impact of Covid that has been incorporated in the next Ofsted Framework.
 
So, to other updates, Ofsted will be consulting on a new framework from January 2023 and will be inviting leaders to give their views and thoughts.
 
MAT summary evaluations continue to take place (not inspections) and will involve meetings between Ofsted and SLT. 

​Stephen Lee reported on Section 5 inspections by region in which the most common judgement is Good and very pleasing for Ofsted and schools is that post-pandemic more schools have progressed from RI to Good. Perhaps of particular relevance and close to home consideration for some of our conference delegates the South West is below the national average compared to the rest of England, and some explaining factors might include, for example, the challenges of demographics of coastal areas.
 
Around 23,000 schools are inspected in a normal year and are considered by Ofsted to be “a force for improvement…” that provides “an unrivalled insight as an organisation into effective schools.”

As Education South West CEO, Matthew Shanks noted in his introduction to the final keynote, if some parts of the country might conceive of a sleepy Devon with no issues, this was immediately debunked by, Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies (who had been driven for five hours to Exeter from Blackburn) in his talk on Raising Aspirations and Transforming the Life Chances of Disadvantaged Young People:
 
“Disadvantaged children are everywhere… The label should not make a difference. Successful schools create cultures that are homogenous, unified and cohesive and an equal part.”
 

One of the essentials is to undertake interventions and to do the same as you do for everyone, but remove the barriers. This helps to close the gap and provide equal access for Pupil Premium children and young people.
​
An impassioned Sir Hamid told how his Trust had bought school uniform for their disadvantaged children and going even further had organised for the uniform to be collected, washed and ironed and returned to those most in need. And times are getting harder. For one of their Bolton Trust school, a school trip to London was considerably subsidised. Some of the children had never been on a train! Their parents were invited to pay £5 a month and the school subsidised the remaining 75% of the trip costs. Making life-changing experiences a reality.
 
“Set them up for success. Many are set up for failure.”
 
School leaders were encouraged to triangulate when making judgements. Don’t compromise on quality. Work harder, smarter to make it count. 

Seek lots of small donations, rather than big donations to finance projects and make them happen.
Decide five/ten (your number!) character-defining opportunities that you want the children and young people to experience: be it poetry, theatre, mountaineering, and that will have a positive impact on their confidence, self-esteem, resilience and cultural capital and link to the core curriculum.
 
Don’t go to Ofsted for inspiration. They are the regulator for QA.
Have the confidence to share ideas and bring to life real innovation and collaboration to transform outcomes for young people regardless of their backgrounds.
 
Hold Careers Day with positive role models and a speakers’ programme (SWIFT knows about that!).
Avoid “one-year wonders” as flash-in-the-pan SLT ideas. Do less, but consistently and regularly, year in year out. And do it well. Think about sustainability, scalability, and onwards delivery so that the change becomes part of your school culture.
 
The Marginal Gains motto! Continuous improvement in all aspects.  There are small gains to be made – everywhere! Think long-term about your school’s three, four, five-year plan.
 
Sir Hamid told of James Bond "Jim" Stockdale, a US Navy Vice Admiral and Aviator and prisoner of war for over seven years in the Vietnam War and awarded the Medal of Honour. His optimism wasn’t like some of his fellow prisoners who were hoping to be released in unrealistic short timeframes. Stockdale “confronted the brutal reality on the ground” and was optimistic over a long time and that’s why he survived.
 
Get your staff to commit: “Be a bit better than last year.”
Maybe work with your RI teacher to help them get better, rather than get rid and start again.
Celebrate what staff get right, not wrong.
 
Underperforming, broken schools tend to be broken across the whole school.
Build on an RI school’s strength – find any “nugget” to re-build and create an action plan for improvement.
 
Seek to improve – even the small things. For example, a Sports Day letter to parents.
Don’t simply use a repeat letter and only change the date and resend. Improve it. Format it well. QA it!
Teachers always tell children to present their work well.
 
Think about weekly briefing notes. Use as an opportunity to plan the week well.
Workload issues are often last-minute changes that create unnecessary stress for staff.
Be mindful of those event dates that are known in advance, for example, the annual World Book Day… plan in advance!
 
Disadvantaged children have lots of challenges, so overcommunicate to support them and consider how you serve your evidence base.
 
“The best schools are thinking schools…and all schools should be thinking schools.”
 
It was both humbling and heartening to listen to Sir Hamid (not least a northern girl) and we thank him for making the journey to us and for sharing some of his tried and tested tips to raise aspirations of our disadvantaged young people wherever you may be. A memorably enriching part of the conference.

As part of the well-rounded conference experience, delegates also enjoyed the opportunity to attend the following morning and afternoon workshops:
 
A Year of Change in the EYFS: Impact and Opportunities
Phil Armstrong | Head of Regional Development for the South of England, Early Excellence
 
Effective Teacher Professional Development
Sam Sims | Lecturer, Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO) at UCL Institute of Education
 
How will our children feel about diversity if they live in an area with none?
Ruhaina Alford | Executive Headteacher, The Carey Federation in Devon
 
School Improvement: The Strategy and The People
Sufian Sadiq | Director of Teaching School, Chiltern Learning Trust
Lorraine Hughes | Director of Education, Chiltern Learning Trust
 
Interrogating the English Curriculum
John Tomsett | Former Headteacher of Huntington School in York and “This Much I Know” blogger
 
Key Implementation Practices for School Improvement
Jon Eaton | Director, Kingsbridge Research School and Research Lead, Education South West
 
The Golden Thread' - three years on from the recruitment and retention strategy, the reality of implementation
Graihagh Crawshaw | Director of School Leadership Programmes, Teach First
Faye Craster | Director of Teacher Development, Teach First
 
What really works for disadvantaged children?
Jean Gross CBE | Popular speaker and writer and national expert on tackling disadvantage.
 
You can read more about the workshop leads in the Conference Booklet at the end of this post. 

“Together, we’re better than the sum of our parts” - and like Chris’s three-year-old son, when asked what did he do at pre-school; today, we can also reply, “we did some learning.” Lots of learning.

​Martin Smith continued the thank yous and commended the speakers for their “rich eclectic leadership experience” and thanked SWIFT delivery partners, Cornerstone English Hub and Science Learning Partnership for being with us.

​​Thank you to Martin Drew and Robin Scott of Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance for their excellent event management and for making the conference such a positive experience and to Alex Wren from Bitpod for the slick and seamless technical support.

A big and important thank you to our delegates for attending the conference today. SWIFT was honoured and humbled to welcome you. Your time was not taken for granted.
 
A grateful thank you to the SWIFT sponsors whose support enabled SWIFT to provide the conference at a reasonable cost.
 
Thank you to Computeam and Arbor and to Account Director, Shamoon Dean for presenting on how Computeam can help to improving outcomes for schools through technology and the four P’s: People, Passion, Purpose and Proud.
 
Thank you to award-winning immersive learning platform Lyfta for their powerful, interactive and curriculum-aligned lessons that help to bring learning to life with a 360 degree “window into the lives of people;” and whose vision is that children will feel like they have been to every country in the world and understand we are all interconnected.
 
Thank you to Adrian Henley from Towergate Insurance who works with schools in the necessary world of insurance and tailors policies for schools - be it for cyber insurance, travel, staff sickness, contracts and engineering. 

Finally, thank you to SW Conferences for organising the conference market-place and all the stall-holders for sharing their dynamic and exciting products: 

Applicaa Ltd
Babcock LDP
Computeam – Sponsor
Cornerstone English Hub
Courageous Leadership
Create Development Ltd
dbdplay Ltd
Fun & Active Playgrounds
Goosemoor Educatering
InVentry  
Lighthouse Media
Lyfta
Mighty Writer
Milsted Langdon
Nayamba School
SchoolPro
School Spider
Science Learning Partnership
Teaching Personnel
TME South West Ltd
Towergate Insurance
Wolferstans LLP

Earlier this term, Director of Kingsbridge Research School, Jon Eaton led a professional development session for SWIFT Directors based on the Education Endowment Foundation’s Professional Development Guidance report.

The recommendations from the report state:

• When designing and selecting professional development, focus on the mechanisms.
• Ensure that professional development effectively builds knowledge, motivates staff, develops teaching techniques, and embeds practice.
• Implement professional development programmes with care, taking into consideration the context and needs of the school.

Kingsbridge Research School Teaching and Learning Series 2022 - 2023 

Session 1 | Designing Effective Professional Development | Friday 14 October 2022 | 0930 – 1100 | Online
Session 2 | Effective Modelling in the Classroom | Friday 20 January 2023 | 0930 – 1100 | Online
Session 3 | Designing a Theory of Change | Monday 17 April 2023 | 0930 – 1200 | Coombeshead Academy​

Listening to celebrated poet, children's author, presenter and former Children's Laureate, Michael Rosen makes me wish I were a primary school teacher, a Secondary Teacher of English – or even better perhaps…a child hiding in a corner with a book, or looking forward to my bedtime story with a loved one.

This Reading for Pleasure session introduced by Ilsham DfE National English Hub Lead, Danni Cooke, and Early Years and Phonics Specialist Leader of Education with the Learning Academy Partnership was always going to be a treat like reading a gripping good book.

In this value-added talk, so, to the takeaway tips and Michael Rosen’s Top Strategies to create a reading culture in schools – all of which are doable and dynamic, so without further ado... 

1. Home School Liaison
Mindful that some parents might not be literate, might have language difficulties, might have their own preconceptions of schools and teachers, there’s value in developing a home school culture.
Set up a Home School Reading Committee to act as “Book Champions.”
Organise bring and buy sales to encourage parents and pupils that sharing books is normal - and reach out to parents!
 
2. Hold Book and Reading Events
Get everyone excited!
Book sales. Book swaps. Second-hand bookshops.
Enact book dramatisations and invite parents to watch and play out a story.

3. Appoint a School Librarian
But what about sharing a School Librarian across a number of schools in a Trust or locally?

4. Share Information on Local Libraries
Yes, we know the story about our national library service…
Keep parents informed. Some might think they have to pay to use the library. Tell them they can borrow the books!

5. Set Up School Book Groups
Let the School Book Group influence others with their reading ideas and discussions.

6. Adopt an Author or Illustrator
Why not?!
A win-win for the school and the author!
 
7. Making Books
Dignify the making of books.
Make the children the authors and celebrate the joy of books and reading.

8. Regular Activities
Nourish activities with books.
Think fiction poetry, music, guides to sites.

9. Show your Emotion about Special Books
As teachers and staff, share books that mean so much to you.
Bring in cherished books, talk about them and say why they are cherished.
​
10. Book Reviews
To get started online, see:
https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/
http://www.lovemybooks.co.uk/
https://www.lovereading.co.uk/
https://www.booksfortopics.com/

Print and pin-up in the classroom book reviews from newspapers and magazines AND of course, get children to write their own

11. Train Colleagues and Children on Children’s Literature
Set up reading for pleasure groups and study children’s literature.
20 minutes after school.

Booklovers always like an insight into a favourite author’s favourite books. You heard it here that Michael’s favourite books are “Emil and the Detectives” by Erich Kastner (for older children) and “Clown” by Quentin Blake (for younger), and in the realm of poetry, Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce and Decorum est” and “Down Behind the Dustbin” by Mr Michael Rosen no less.

We thank Michael for his uplifting talk that makes reading for pleasure palpably so and to Ilsham English Hub for hosting this event. Watch out for the Goldsmiths, University of London “Children’s Literature in Action” free e-book due to be published in September.

Report by Jude Owens, PA to the Executive SWIFT Team 

More RFP CPD from Ilsham English Hub

Ilsham English Hub are providing the following FREE TO ACCESS Reading for Pleasure offer of support for the next academic year:
 
Teachers as Readers Group
A Open University/UKLA evidence informed practice CPD.  Open to all!
​
There will be six informal, friendly and supportive sessions to help develop evidence informed practice, widening our knowledge of children's literature and other texts, enriching or Reading for Pleasure pedagogy and documenting the impact of children as readers. 
 
Session 1 | Wednesday 12 October 2022
Session 2 | Wednesday 23 November 2022
Session 3 | Wednesday 18 January 2023
Session 4 | Wednesday 15 March 2023
Session 5 | Wednesday 24 May 2023
Session 6 | Wednesday 21 June 2023
 
From 1600 to 1730 | Zoom
There is an expectation that attendees try to attend all the sessions.

​Transforming your School Reading Culture (TSRC) Programme
​The TSRC programme is a sustained, research based CPD programme aimed at Primary English Leads. 
During the course of the programme participants will engage deeply with reading for pleasure pedagogy and leadership theory to transform their school’s reading culture.  
 
Participants will attend five sessions and complete gap tasks in between sessions:

Core Session 1 | Wednesday 12 October 2022 | Reading for Pleasure: a whole school culture
Core Session 2 | Wednesday 23 November 2022 | Creating whole school change
Core Session 3 | Wednesday 18 January 2023 | Creating a reading school: structural changes
Core Session 4 | Wednesday 15 March 2023 | Creating a reading school: behavioural changes
Core Session 5 | Wednesday 21 June 2023 | Celebrating impact and sustaining change
 
From 1230 to 1500 | Zoom
There is an expectation that attendees try to attend all the sessions.

The gap tasks will be related to developing participants’ own knowledge of children’s literature, understanding of reading for pleasure pedagogy and developing the reading for pleasure culture in their school. 

Audits
Work is underway for Autumn Term audits where Ilsham English Hub might be able to help your school with further personalised support and access to funding.  
 
For more information contact Ilsham DfE National English Hub Lead, Danni Cooke.

It was exciting to hold our second SWIFT Literacy Conference in-person at the end of last term and to welcome a huge range of delegates at Exeter Racecourse with with as much buzz as in 2019.

David Didau, author and expert talked knowledgeably about the importance of reading and of building a reading culture within our schools.
 
“Reading: there are few things that are likely to make as much of a difference.”
“Reading aloud is gap narrowing.”

Other keynotes including John Tomsett, author and erstwhile Headteacher of Huntingdon School who explored the complexities of the 0 to 19 curriculum - explaining how curriculum development must rest on teacher development.
 
“A child's vocabulary at five predicts how well they'll learn to read, how well they'll do in the school system. We really have to get that right; that's our number one priority.”
Dr Julian Grenier, appointed by the Department for Education to lead on the revision of Development Matters (quoted by John Tomsett).

Helen Prince, author, developer and contributor to Oxford University Press’s Word-up Podcast Series, explored the power of Oracy through prosody and provided delegates with specific takeaways they could use within classrooms.
 
“There’s a causal relationship between oracy and improved behaviour.”
 
Our keynotes also delivered effective breakout sessions, and and other breakouts included the Director of Primary Literacy from OUP; AQA provided an expert on Language in the form of Lance Hanson; Anna Szpakowska from LYFTA contributed towards cultural capital and Bedrock’s Ellie Ashton explained the power of Disciplinary Literacy. WeST’s Executive Director of English, Scott Davies paired with Vicky Thornton to explore the implementation of Forensic Reading.​

If you attended this year’s Literacy Conference and would like to feedback to inform future conferences, we would welcome your feedback by clicking on the link below: 

“The NIoT is going to revolutionise the way teachers receive training in this country, with cutting edge research alongside training delivered by national experts.” The Rt Hon. Nadhim Zahawi MP, Secretary of State for Education

At the end of last term, the Department for Education announced that the School Led Development Trust had been awarded the contract to deliver the new National Institute of Teaching (NIoT).
 
The National Institute of Teaching is a new, ambitious, Government-funded body that sets out to transform teacher development. It is led by a school-led partnership of four Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) with outstanding track records in school-led university-accredited teacher development:
Harris Federation, Oasis Community Learning, Outwood Grange Academies Trust and Star Academies.
 
Each of the founding MATs will lead one of the four Regional Campuses, and each campus is supported by three Associate Colleges. We are delighted that Education South West (ESW) has been appointed as one of the founding Associate Colleges and will be working directly with Oasis Community Learning. As an Associate College, ESW will be responsible for supporting the Regional Campus to ensure scale, reach cold spots in current provision and deliver the NIoT training programmes.
 
This is exciting news for the SWIFT partnership and SWIFT's collective expertise and experience will play a key role in the design and delivery of the NIoT programmes within the region and evolve and build on our Teaching School Hub responsibilities within Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
 
So, what is the National Institute of Teaching?

• A truly school-led organisation: the NIoT will be run by schools for schools. Programme participants will have an experience that is school-based with programme design and delivery benefitting from the input of current practitioners – teachers, senior leaders, Headteachers and Executive Leaders– who understand the demands of teaching workloads.
• A best practice incubator: the NIoT will find, interpret, generate and communicate research, applying the insights to the design and delivery of professional development programmes.
• A substantial investment in teacher and leader training research in England: the NIoT will make its research available for free to all teacher training providers so that it can be applied to improve teacher development across the country.
• An impact-focused organisation: its unique position gives the NIoT the opportunity to link data on teacher and leader development with data sets on pupil achievement, enabling it to see what truly makes an impact on children’s outcomes. This is something not done anywhere in the world outside North America.
• Once Degree awarding powers are granted, the NIoT will become the only university in the UK solely focused on the development of teachers and school leaders combining academic awards with outstanding practice in schools.
• A key provider of the full “Golden Thread” of qualifications throughout teachers’, school leaders’ and system leaders’ careers, setting exemplary standards in the delivery of courses from initial teacher training onwards. This will mean participants seamlessly progress from one programme to the next throughout their professional lives.

 
What opportunities does the NIoT create for the SWIFT partnership?

• It enables us to be part of the design and delivery of world-class professional development for teachers and leaders.
• A new ITT programme will be available from September 2022 for first delivery from September 2023; which will support the creation of excellent choices for prospective applicants between high quality local, regional and national programmes.
• Extend the role of SWIFT, so that it has a part to play in training and support NLEs and in supporting research into best practice.
• Make a significant contribution to developing an evidence base about what works for teacher development.
• Opportunity to access degrees that bring together research and school practice in innovative ways.

 
These are very early days, so there is much to develop our thinking around and we look forward to future developments of the National Institute of Teaching.

Whole School SEND are now recruiting for an exciting opportunity to join eight tailored, regionally-based professional development groups funded by the Department for Education.

“I must say it was one of the most purposeful and useful things I have been a part of in my professional career.” (2021-2022 PD group participant)

Participants from the 2021 - 2022 programme were found, after completing the programme, to have:

• Increased confidence and awareness for SEND
• Better resources to support staff
• More inclusive policies
• Improved SEND governance
• Improvements in Teaching and Learning

Outcomes for children and young people with SEND continue to be below outcomes compared to those with no SEND; exclusion and absence rates are higher for those with SEND, and there is growing concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people with SEND in particular. Improving SEND provision across all schools is key to improving all outcomes.

To help tackle these issues, Whole School SEND is running a programme of regional professional development groups. The aim of these groups is to build a model of sector-led improvement that will support participants to undertake their own school-improvement project within their setting. This is an opportunity to access free, Department for Education-funded CPD with a proven record of success.

Each group will be facilitated by a WSS Regional SEND Lead, but will be driven by its members, providing a space for peer-to-peer reflection, challenge and support.

Participation is encouraged from school-based colleagues in all roles and across all school types, including colleagues from Further Education, and particularly those with an interest in leading projects within their schools. Participants are not required to have an established interest or background in SEND. Participants are particularly welcomed from under-represented groups as it is hoped that each group will include a broad range of experiences and perspectives to inform discussion.

By joining these groups, participants commit to:

• Designing, implementing and evaluating a school-improvement project within their setting.
• Attending five virtual group meetings across the summer, autumn and spring terms.
• Undertaking between one to three one-to-one professional conversations with a WSS Regional Lead.
• Becoming part of a specialised network of professionals.
• Creating a professional development log which will record details of your project and contribute to public outputs published by March 2023 on the Whole School SEND website.

Each regional group will be loosely arranged around one of the themes below:

• The inclusive classroom: high quality teaching in every setting
• ​Leadership of SEND: building a culture of collective responsibility

However, participants are encouraged to undertake a variety of projects and the discussions and aims of the group will be driven by its members.

In return, participants will receive support in developing their projects from the experienced Regional SEND Team, as well as individual support tailored to their role, school and setting. ​

Information Webinar 
To help schools decide whether to apply for a place, Whole School SEND will be hosting a short information webinar on Wednesday 8 June 2022 | from 1630 to 1645.

It is recommended that the Headteacher and SENCO from your setting attend.

You can, of course, register your interest for the project prior to this session, and webinar attendance is not a prerequisite for participation.

Register your Interest 
If you wish ​to participate in the  professional development groups, please complete the following online form by Tuesday 14 June 2022 | 0900.

For more information see the job advert and specification here: