This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: Devon Pupil Premium Support Network Developed for existing and new Pupil Premium Leads in Early Years, Primary and Secondary settings, this series of workshops provides structured support to design, write and prepare an effective Pupil Premium strategy. SWIFT Celebrates Diversity, Equity and Inclusion As part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment SWIFT is working with Hannah Wilson, co-founder of Diverse Educators. Learn more about the support and training that they offer. Highlighted Programmes:
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March, and spring is in the air.
In this issue, ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE reflects on the broader picture of the teacher strikes: "Strikes are a result of that unspoken social contract breaking down. What you do ceases to have the satisfaction of a vocation, and has become instead just work." Roger commends the Holy Catholic Family MAT for their intentionally designed five key steps strategy for making work rewarding. Read the entire feature in the newsletter link below and see the Data Protection guidance for schools relating to the strikes from our sponsor, SchoolPro TLC. Find out about the LSSW Study Visit Programme, the first session of the How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School programme led by Teacher and Author, Mark Roberts and if you've ever wondered about the story behind our SWIFT artwork, you can read an interview with our artist Olivia. Discover more about our sponsors' services. Lyfta's rich human stories that open up a world to young people to build their cultural capital, curiosity and oracy, Educatering's lovely food for schools and working as a supply teacher in the nursery/primary sector in Devon and Torbay with Exeter Supply Partnership. “Boys should be happy and successful and able to contribute to society and make it more fulfilling.” Hosted on behalf of SWIFT by Caroline Sherwood, Deputy Headteacher at Pilton Community College, the idea for this professional development programme came from a love of reading and an understanding that the power of a shared text can make anything possible. The programme takes its name from “The Boy Question: How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School” authored by Programme Lead, Mark Roberts, Director of Research and Teacher of English at Carrickfergus Grammar School in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and is the follow-up to “Boys Don't Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools” co-authored with Matt Pinkett. Cognisant of the EEF’s Implementation Guide and based on research and evidence, the five sessions will consider the following key areas to implement change:
The plan is to focus on fewer issues, but meaningfully and deliberately to ensure the highest leverage priority. Delegates are invited to think precisely about characterising challenges in their own schools to work towards achieving positive improvements with the opportunity to revisit and act on ideas discussed in the programme. Mark began with the call to action that the well documented gender gap cannot be allowed to continue. Nationally, boys are underperforming compared to girls. Locally, the percentage of boys attaining strong English and Maths at GCSE is 6% below that of girls in Torbay, 7% in Devon and 10% in Plymouth. This first session looked closer at Expectations, Motivation and Relationships. Myhill and Jones’s study at the University of Exeter on “Troublesome boys' and 'compliant girls': Gender identity and perceptions of achievement and underachievement” (2004) asked teachers whether they thought that boys should do as well as girls at school. The results were significant. 80% of teachers from the collection of primaries, one middle and one secondary schools in the study said yes, boys should do as well as girls; which might, at first, appear to be positive. However, it calls into question the 20% who had clearly “written off” boys before they had even started. Teachers were found to refer to attitudes to girls and boys achieving well or not well at school as “typical” behaviour and if they performed better or less than expected, often noted this as an anomaly. In particular, the interesting disconnect was when teachers said that they believed in boys, yet commented negatively, reflected in how they responded to boys in the classroom. Research found more negative perceptions of boys than girls. Recurring words used to describe boys were “fidgety, immature, lazy, disruptive, noisy and apathetic.” Labels, as we know, can be damaging and become generalisations. Labels do not help boys who are switched off and need to find new motivation. Teachers’ preconceptions were found to impact on student performance. Myall and Jones led a follow-up study a few years later and asked students, “Do you get treated differently depending whether you’re a boy or a girl?” 62% said yes, boys get a “raw” deal from teachers in their school with the following key differences:
The delegates considered ways that this different and detrimental gender treatment might look in the classroom:
Negative messages to boys can lead to low expectations and the risk that the academic potential of boys is side-lined due to the focus on their behaviour, which can cloud the judgement of their academic potential. Jackson’s research at the University of Lancaster on, ‘I have a sense that it's probably quite bad … but because I don't see it, I don't know’: staff perspectives on ‘lad culture’ in higher education” (2021) looked at “laddish” behaviour and listed the following behaviour characteristics:
High expectations from teachers are vital. Mark considered the Pygmalion Effect of the self-fulfilling prophecy, in which situations with high expectations lead to improved performance and low expectations lead to worsened performance. Teachers will not admit that they have low expectations. It is often unconscious. But the good news is when pupils sense that teachers believe that they can do well, they notice and respond to expectations. A study by Green, Martin and Marsh at Western Sydney University on “Academic motivation and engagement: a domain specific approach” (2005) described academic motivation as: “Students’ energy and drive to learn, work effectively, and achieve to their potential at school and the behaviours that follow from this energy and drive.” Motivation can be either extrinsic and intrinsic. Generally, girls are more intrinsically motivated and boys extrinsically motivated. Often, girls do not believe that they are clever and work harder in terms of quality and quantity of work and have better concentration and evaluation skills; whilst boys respond better to external rewards. Success leads to motivation, not engagement and there needs to be more consistency amongst subjects. Mark shared his practical tips on how to motivate boys in the classroom: 1. Feed for fulfilment (scaffolding an answer). 2. Rephrase to amaze (add in extras to make it sound like a great answer). 3. Let them write like you (show what excellence looks like and narrow the gap). 4. Do not focus on grades (relieve the external pressures and obsession on goals, encourage boys to enjoy learning instead to reach the goals). And remember, it takes time! Boys can fall back. As part of considering relationships, Mark presented a series of scenarios of misbehaviour and invited delegates to consider how they might respond. In avoiding a confrontation at the start of the lesson e.g. for a uniform infringement, teachers would avoid a public confrontation, regular shouting and be aware of their body language. Time would be given for boys to cool off and reflect and the teacher would use polite, insistent language (“thank you”). Wherever possible, Mark advised the group to depersonalise boys’ behaviour and to deal with it discreetly. Avoid using individual names. Pluralise, so that one particular boy is not centre stage for a telling off. This can be powerful to remove any theatre /drama from the classroom in front of peers. Another pragmatic tactic in the classroom, instead of speaking, Mark highlighted how boys often respond better to non-verbal gestures (see how many you recognise here): How teachers praise boys can also make a difference. Boys prefer private praise. Mark advised against praising for basic behaviour, as it undermines boys’ confidence, as if teachers do not expect them to do anything more complex. Boys like and respond well to positive contact with home for genuine praise and Mark shared his routine of phoning home to parents on a Friday afternoon to end the school week on a positive note. Importantly, praise ideas and the boys’ work, rather than them, as an individual. Research has found the most effective form of communication in helping boys to behave well is direct, but non-threatening, with honestly articulated thoughts and feelings; not using blame, and considering the other’s needs, and trying to patch things up and being firm, but fair. In conclusion, teachers often have lower expectation of boys’ behaviour and academic potential and in order to support boys’ and build motivation, they need to taste success in a subject. The best way to support boys to behave better is for teachers to adopt a calm and direct teaching persona that is ultimately motivating. Delegates asked questions based on their own experiences of teaching boys. Does research show that boys have a dislike of being taught by female teachers? Reassuringly no! Research shows that boys want kind teachers who know their subject. There may, of course, be some openly misogynistic boys; but this would be a question of deeper issues that need unpacking and guiding boys to understand why this attitude is unacceptable. This would raise potential safeguarding implications and additional support for teachers, particularly female teachers. Similarly, how can teachers deal openly with boys’ views on the controversial Andrew Tate? Mark acknowledged that context is key and individual teachers are not expected to work on their own. Work is required school-wide through dedicated staff professional development training, and assemblies etc to convey a positive ethos and culture that deconstructs and unpacks perceptions of what boys seem to like about these negative role models. Is it genuine or provocative? If, it appears to be a genuine obsession, Senior Leadership and safeguarding input may be needed. Importantly, however, boys need to feel that they have been listened to; otherwise, silencing could belie conspiracy theories. One teacher noted their work on the transition from primary to secondary school and how boys can struggle more than girls. Mark agreed that peer pressure in anti-school attitudes can be a big issue for boys in how they perceive reading and writing to be uncool and complete homework with the bare minimum of effort. Notably, boys tend to be less organised; possibly, in part due to the way that they are raised and socialised and expectations on them and they will need to work harder, which takes longer. Is there research that shows boys respond differently to rewards for good work compared to girls? Research shows that boys are more motivated by rewards than girls. But in the long-run, research shows that extrinsic rewards are not good for boys. The risk is that when these tangible rewards cease, boys might stop working. At Mark’s school, they have removed merits and instead, have introduced a small square card presented to pupils: “A positive note awarded by Mr Roberts…” which they can show their parents. This moves away from the idea that boys need to receive something tangible for working and behaving well and is a healthier nudge towards intrinsic motivation. One teacher asked for guidance on how to manage a disruptive Year 11 “boy heavy” (caution the use of “burdensome” language!) double lesson that boys struggle more with. Mark suggested separating the two hours by building in periods of silence as standard expectations and explaining the reason is to work hard and to focus and to incorporate expectation reminders. In seeking advice in how to fight against laddish culture and counterbalance toxic masculinity, Mark encouraged the group to be kind and gentle and to celebrate the good aspects of being a boy; which needs to be school-wide and revisited constantly in tutor time, PSHE etc. Another delegate asked why boys present their work less well. Clearly, teachers like to see all pupils’ work neatly and well presented. Graffiti on work/books can show a lack of focus and poorly presented work can be an act of rebellion. But to maintain motivation, teachers need to balance priorities and feedback on content and not over-obsess and make presentation the main focus. We thank Mark for this launch session that opened up an encouraging discussion in how to teach boys to succeed in school. The next session is on Wednesday 8 March 2023 from 1545 - 1715 and future sessions will deep dive into the key issues that are the most important for delegates’ own contexts: whether behaviour, motivation, and raising expectations. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team
“As an artist, my own style is constantly changing, so it's a good process for me to be forced to stay consistent over a number of weeks and months.” Behind every organisation’s artwork, there’s a story. Or that’s our happy experience at SWIFT. We proudly believe that our distinctive artwork across communications, documents, and socials reflects our vision and values to support schools in achieving the best educational outcomes for all children. The creative process of bringing to life vision and values into pictorial format is an exciting task and this is where our SWIFT artist, Olivia has worked her magic so effectively. We spoke to Olivia to find out more about her creative evolution as our SWIFT artist. 1. How did you come to be the artist for our SWIFT artwork?
I like to think that it has been a series of chance opportunities which have led me to being asked to illustrate for SWIFT. So, it's great to feel that I’ve taken up the opportunities that have been presented to me along the way, which have led to this project. Art has always played a part in my life. At school, I studied Art GCSE and A Level and for fun, I have kept a sketch book alongside my coursework as a space for therapeutic doodling and jotting down ideas. A turning point in my artistic explorations was when I was gifted a tablet for a joint birthday and Christmas present, where I soon discovered a new Apple software digital platform, Procreate, an app which has allowed me to experiment with and progress my style very quickly. I also like to trace my involvement with SWIFT to Year 11 at school, when I entered a Science Department competition to design a post card - which I won! On the back of that competition, other Departments started asking me to undertake designs to represent their subject: English and Geography, Science and Psychology and a few others until I gained the status as a kind of resident digital artist for the school. I don't really agree with the idea of natural talent. Though, as a child, my interest in art was largely encouraged by being told I was 'so talented' etc. It definitely comes with consistency and not being too hard on your own style in comparison to other creators. Having somewhat tunnel vision with regards to my work has foster my skills and, though I have always appreciated other people’s praise and positive comments, I try not to let them define whether a piece of my work is worth sharing or not. It was after I left school that I was contacted by Chris Harris (SWIFT Deputy Director) who had seen some of my designs and asked if I might be interested in designing some artwork for SWIFT. It was a natural leap and I said yes (of course)! 2. Your artwork is lovely and looks and feels right for our SWIFT ethos and identity. But how did you develop this style? It was an iterative process working in a series of calls with Martin Smith (Director of SWIFT) and Chris Harris to discuss what they were looking for. Truthfully, to start with, the SWIFT artwork was not really my core style. I'd describe mine as more detailed and textural, I often use a digital brush which mimics pencil led and include more detail in faces or illustrate patterned clothing or background elements. After a few discussions about what style SWIFT were keen to express, I was able to adapt my work to the current SWIFT style and I think the more abstractified forms and use of block uniform clothing and pupils and staff better conveys the work of SWIFT, and better suits the messaging based on the Teaching School Hub, of say, progress, teamwork etc. It also allows me to express more of a fun element with lively and colourful playfulness. I develop the designs by starting with a few thumbnails, (small compositional sketches the size of a thumbnail) before moving to the development with mood boards and images and a colour palette with more detailed drawings. At this stage, the designs are very loose as I map out the composition by hand using paper and pen, before I use the tablet to sketch out digitally. 3. What have you found to be most challenging in creating the artwork? The most challenging part has definitely been creating a consistent style; not only as this is new territory for me as an artist, instinctively wanting to add more detail and embellish to unnecessary lengths. I kept the importance of keeping a recognisable uniform SWIFT style in the front of my mind and managed to get into a good workflow in order to produce consistently-styled illustrations. 4. What has been most rewarding? Definitely seeing it all come into fruition on the SWIFT website and it was wonderful to see a picture of a SWIFT promotional billboard that featured my style in print; seeing the physical manifestation as it is being used as a product is very rewarding. Also, more recently, I enjoyed designing the SWIFT Christmas cards and refreshing the designs into a new theme and I am currently working on some initial teacher training designs. 5. Do you have any plans to use your artist skills in your career? At school for my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) I wrote and designed a poetry anthology with my own illustrations. So, I'd quite like to pursue my own writing and illustration work; perhaps with children's or young adult fiction. I am also interested in working in film concept art as a character designer that plots out the look of a film, which would involve being on the creative team working behind the scenes on the film aesthetics and designing what the characters might look like conceptually as a series of studies and ideas before settling on the final look which appears on screen. Whatever and however Olivia uses her art, we are sure that it will be enjoyed as we enjoy her SWIFT artwork designs. Watch out for more to come in the future. Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team 28/2/2023 0 Comments Introducing the Leading Schools South West (LSSW) Leadership Study Visit Programme“Brilliant thinking and learning opportunity that we all need sometimes to reflect and get perspective on what we are doing already.” 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:
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. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team
24/2/2023 0 Comments SWIFT Events Newsletter | Issue 22This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: Curriculum Forum | FREE to SWIFT Members SWIFT Curriculum Forums are termly meetings that bring together middle and senior leaders from diverse educational settings to examine latest approaches to curriculum. Keynote Speaker: Mary Myatt | Refining the Curriculum SWIFT Summer Conference #SumConf2023 Taking place on Thursday 15 June 2023 at Exeter Racecourse, the amazing line-up of speakers, including Stephen Morgan MP, Shadow Schools Minister, reflects our vision to create world-class opportunities for leaders to learn, develop and connect. We are passionate about enabling schools in the South West to have access to the best of regional, national and research as we know many school leaders experience varying degrees of rural and coastal isolation. Highlighted Programmes:
SWIFT Summer Conference #SumConf2023 Thursday 15 June 2023 | 0900 - 1545 | Exeter Racecourse We are delighted to launch early details of the SWIFT Summer Conference #SumConf2023 when the following line-up of speakers will be leading the discussion on educational topics of the day:
+ More speakers to be announced soon! New this year! A "Question Time" style session. Watch out for more details. This year's Summer Conference reflects our vision to create world-class opportunities for leaders to learn, develop and connect. We are passionate about enabling schools in the South West to have access to the best of regional, national and research as we know many school leaders experience varying degrees of rural and coastal isolation. We also know your time as leaders is precious and funding limited in schools. Our conference programme will provide choice so that you can select what best meets your interests and priorities. And because SWIFT is not-for-profit, we can offer this high quality experience to members for £80 and £120 for all other colleagues. Great news too if you are one of the 800 leaders currently training on one of our NPQs with LSSW: you are entitled to a 50% discount. A full conference programme will be published in March, but this is an early opportunity to book your place. You can read about our previous SWIFT Summer Conferences HERE Make #SumConf2023 on Thursday 15 June 2023 a date for your diary! Martin Smith, Director of SWIFT This event will be supported by our valued SWIFT sponsors, Goosemoor Educating, Lyfta and others.
10/2/2023 0 Comments SWIFT Events Newsletter | Issue 21This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: SWIFT Summer Conference #SumConf2023 We are delighted to launch early details of the SWIFT Summer Conference #SumConf2023, taking place on Thursday 15 June 2023 at Exeter Racecourse. The amazing line-up of speakers, including Stephen Morgan MP, Shadow Schools Minister, reflects our vision to create world-class opportunities for leaders to learn, develop and connect. We are passionate about enabling schools in the South West to have access to the best of regional, national and research as we know many school leaders experience varying degrees of rural and coastal isolation. Curriculum Forum | FREE to SWIFT Members SWIFT Curriculum Forums are termly meetings that bring together middle and senior leaders from diverse educational settings to examine latest approaches to curriculum. Keynote Speaker: Mary Myatt | Refining the Curriculum Highlighted Programmes:
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). 1/2/2023 0 Comments Interview with The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project Founder and Lead Emma Sheppard“The MTPT Project wants to support parents in balancing being a teacher with being a parent in their life plan." Emma Sheppard has a lot of be proud of. As well as an experienced Middle Leader and Teacher of English, she is mum to two young children under the age of seven, and also the founder and lead of The Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher Project (MTPT). As the UK’s only charity working on behalf of parent teachers, The MTPT Project provides support for teachers as they become parents and continue to combine work and family. In December 2022, The MTPT Project were proud to publish “A Guide to Teaching, Parenting and Creating Family Friendly Schools” that provides guidance for teachers and school leaders who are thinking about starting a family, to expecting a baby through to taking parental leave, then returning to work, and what a family-friendly school looks like and returning to the classroom after a career break, plus ideas on how to contribute to education if colleagues feel teaching is not for them after they become a parent. 1. How did you come to launch the Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher Project? I had been working as a lead practitioner in a Harris Federation school in South London serving a disadvantaged community. Teach First trained, I’ve always been ambitious and a career teacher is part of my identity. It was when I was on my first maternity leave and everyone told me to stop thinking about teaching during this time off with the narrative that I would not be able to do any professional work at the same time – including reading a book – and that I was unlikely to get out of the house and put my thoughts together in a cohesive way and instead, the strong narrative was to treasure the precious moments with my baby defined as “good motherhood.” This was not a definition that matched me. Hence, I started blogging about my professional development activities - whether online or visiting a museum, for example; or discussions with friends over coffee across the wider working sector, including charities, with some friends working for the Teacher Development Trust. I knew that I enjoyed using my brain. But I also knew the more I looked into it, the more I perceived that maternity leave could present a barrier to my career progression. Whereas my vision was that it could be an enriching time for my professional and personal development, networking and growth and I believed that it could benefit my development to be an effective leader. I decided to set up a Twitter handle and invited similar thinking from other parents to network and get on board and share experiences. This was partly for my wellbeing and mental health as motherhood was still (partly) scary for me and it was important to me to maintain something I could understand, feel confident about and was fulfilling. It was also a way of grounding myself during this unknown experience that new parents can sometimes feel they are failing at – as well as part of the feminist battle! I returned to teaching after six months off with my first baby and I was empowered that it was my choice about when it felt right to be back in the classroom. Meanwhile the positive online community was growing and I began doing in-person coffee mornings and engaging in regional networks that explored coaching plus regional representation with volunteers who were thinking the same way. For my second maternity leave in 2018 the network was firmly established and I was still the only voice speaking in this space with lots of revelatory moments from new parents who were pleased to have found me and our group and were encouraged and empowered by the network and gratified that it was “ok” for them to continue studying for a qualification, reading and using their professional head whilst on parental leave. This gave me the courage to take the next steps for The MTPT. By this time, I was getting into the bigger literature about gender equality and the gender pay gap, teacher mental wellbeing, and recruitment strategies and I was looking to the bigger picture to provide a solution. A notable fact was that there was not much data. However, in 2016 the Policy Exchange published “The Importance of Teachers” which, found that women aged 30- 39 years - a fifth of the teaching workforce – are the most likely group to leave the profession after retirees. But there was no evidence that this stark fact had been followed up. On this basis I decided to start my own research project, “Women Aged 30-39: why are they the largest demographic to leave teaching every year?” I ended up with more than 1000 responses from women who had stayed and those who left the profession. We were neither academics nor attached to a university or research organisation. I called it “Doing the Washing Up Badly.” The aim was to do something to draw attention and give voice to our community, rather than nothing, with the hope that someone more serious than one Lead Practitioner with a tiny baby, would take it further and do it properly. By 2021, from our huge data set, 70- 80 qualitative interviews were completed into why women were leaving and what was helping them to stay. Motherhood had a lot to do with it. Amazingly, The MTPT Project was still the only organisation giving voice to this research, despite lots of interest in wanting to find out more. Far from doing the washing up badly, we were still the only ones keeping the plates clean! By this time, The MTPT Project was gaining momentum with coaching and regional coffee mornings and speaking at WomenEd events and the team was growing in terms of volunteers and coaches, plus a big research base. I returned to school full-time seven months after my second baby and two years later I decided to work to four days in order to work on the MTPT Project on my free day. But it was when we relocated as a family to France in 2021 that I decided to devote myself full-time to The MTPT Project and began organising return to work workshops and training for schools for Line Managers who were welcoming back colleagues, using the research to refine some of the processes to ensure they were fit for purpose. The MTPT Project full-time was born. 2. Coaching is clearly a key dimension of The MTPT Project. How have you developed this work? I have always personally benefited from coaching through Teach First (TF), which has been profoundly helpful in supporting me when I was pregnant and in some difficult circumstances when solutions seemed impossible. I like working on the premise of empowering individuals to find solutions. It was powerful for me that during my maternity leave everyone was telling me what to do as a new mother. Whether to breast feed or not, the ideal height, weight etc of my babies. There were so many instructions. When life is changing and new parents do not always know who they are, and coaching asked, what does the parent want and provided a powerful space, time and attention to talk through what they needed and cut through cultural, social and family narratives. We now have six one-to-one and group coaching programmes: Return to Work, Transition, Sustain and Grow Group, Parental Leave and Group Coaching and also The MTPT Project Accreditation designed ourselves that certifies teachers completing any personal development. In addition, there are podcasts, opportunities to visit sites of interest – professional development that might go unnoticed or unrecognised and which should be acknowledged. The costs are manageable and the cohort group coaching feeling is lovely. 3. The blogs are an uplifting feature on your website. What has been the feedback to The MTPT project? It is interesting because our activity is online due to the geographical spread of our audiences and knowing that babies can trap parents inside the house, and can sometimes mean the full impact of what we do is not always seen. We keep posting and what is lovely is the chance meetings that support the work of The MTPT Project. I met a lady at a conference. I did not know who she was, but she told me that our blog posts had given her the courage to apply for a Head of Year post on four days a week and to work flexibly and that she was the first middle leader to work in this way. This was an example of how it is important for us to role model. Case studies and blogs give permission to someone else to do what someone else has done. Other examples. New parents who wish to take extended periods of parent leave but do not know anyone else who has done it. We can cite examples of current Headteachers or school leaders who wish to be a Headteacher, but are considering parenthood in five years’ time. This is permission-granting through role models and case studies with The MTPT Project providing powerful inspiration and signposting. There is important research into leaders who did not have any role models when they were becoming parents or trying to return to work as parents, or wanting to do something different with their life. Relationships have broken down from the stress of teaching and un-nuanced role models who wish they had spent more time with their children. Teachers who were upset because they were not allowed to attend their children’s’ special assemblies. SLTs with no women and the lack of role models. Fathers who want to do things differently as a parent. We have a podcast voicing experiences from nine SLT members; all of whom took periods of maternity leave and who answer key questions in response to explicit research that says women have no role models. 4. Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of The MTPT? We are very committed to the products that we offer and how we help schools and are keen to continue to raise our profile as there are still lots of schools yet to hear about us and who need us and would benefit from our community, in the same way that they know about teaching unions, School Direct, and WomenEd etc. Mindful that half our teachers are parents, we would like to be a bigger voice supporting working conditions, working alongside the unions and Department for Education. We are keen to drive more systemic change so that parents feel courageous and schools are more solution-based to ensure greater adaptability and better systems for career choices. Gender equality, family-friendly schools and sustainable career choices are all at the heart of what we do. We want to support parents in balancing being a teacher with being a parent in their life plan. Ultimately, The MTPT Projects seeks to ensure parents can continue in the profession so that education benefits from their experience and passions as a teacher and parent. Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team Booking now open for The MaternityTeacher Paternity Teacher Project 2023 Conference: "The Mother of all Pay Gaps and what we can do about it." Saturday 18 March 2023 | 0900 - 1600 | Online Join The MTPT Project and WomenEd for this FREE online conference. Benefit from a day of sessions that identify the motherhood penalty in education, how it contributes to the gender pay gap in schools, and the concrete actions we can take as individuals, school and systems leaders to tackle it. The MTPT thanks their generous sponsors for supporting this event. 31/1/2023 0 Comments SWIFT History Masterclass Session 3 | Revision Strategies in History with Carmel Bones“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 Carmel Bones | Biography
Carmel Bones is an Honorary Fellow of the Historical Association. A regular conference contributor she spoke at the Historical Association National Conference in Bristol May 2022. During the lockdown, Carmel formed part of the national BBC Daily Bitesize lockdown team producing tailored content for home learning used by millions of families and collaborates extensively in schools across the UK and Europe focusing on all aspects of learning and teaching; real and remote. 2023 Sees the launch of the ReTeach History Podcast series with Carmel as host and two new BBC Bitesize GCSE History series focusing on USA in the 20th Century and Crime and Punishment Through Time. These followed her highly acclaimed ‘Explain This’ and ‘Cluetubers’ Series’ for BBC Teach. In 2020 she was listed in the prestigious Edtech50 for her innovative work bringing the historic environment to life through virtual visits as part of teacher and student webinars and was a finalist in the Teach Secondary Awards Best CPD Category 2022. Carmel’s secondary content work with Clickview and Hodder was nominated for the Bett Awards 2020 and Teach Secondary Awards 2020. Her work on curriculum design was published in Teaching History Magazine in December 2021 and she was appointed to the ReTeach Content Board. She has co-authored two Amazon best-selling Hodder books in the ‘My Revision Notes’ series for GCSE History. Carmel is proud to be a long-standing trainer and team leader for the Osiris Teaching Intervention leading the first secondary and whole school cohorts in Scotland. 27/1/2023 0 Comments SWIFT Events Newsletter | Issue 20This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events. from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: Exeter Supply Partnership A service set up by schools, for schools with their interests and staffing at the heart of their operation. Highlighted Programmes:
Exeter Supply Partnership is a growing primary Teacher and TA supply service working with schools across Devon. In order to enable more schools to access their ‘not for profit’ services they are looking to recruit more teachers, teaching assistants and nursery practitioners across Devon and Torbay.
Three things that make ESP unique:
As part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commitment to creating a sense of belonging for everyone, SWIFT is working with Hannah Wilson, co-founder of Diverse Educators. Initially a grassroots network, Diverse Educators is now a training company working with all types of schools to support their DEI strategy and training needs, in the belief that schools are stronger, and can go further together, in collaboration with national and international organisations. VISION | Everyone is celebrated in every classroom in every school. MISSION | A collaborative community that celebrates the successes and amplifies stories of diverse people. VALUES | Promoting acceptance; increasing visibility; encouraging celebration; creating belonging and enabling learning. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion celebrates the nine Protected Characteristics identified by The Equality Act (2010) SWIFT is endeavouring to understand the needs of all the nine Protected Characteristics groups and seeks to improve a sense of belonging. As part of this pledge, we have created consistent branding and are creating new representative artwork and photo images as improved imagery on our website and socials that and humanises our community. DEI should be about celebration, not tolerance (as in the hero image below): For Diverse Educators, DEI is about the three Cs: Consciousness, Confidence and Competence. Diverse Educators will be providing training and support for SWIFT, our partners and schools; incorporating the development of our DEI Policy and Procedures, strategy and vision and we are embedding DEI through a partnership committee to leverage insights and diversify perspectives. Improving our DEI awareness and how we use inclusive language will increase our confidence and enable us to increase our competence to share within our team, and also help us to raise awareness of our shared goals and approaches with everyone we work with: our partners, school leaders and teachers, Early Career Teachers, Mentors, trainers and trainees. We want to breakdown any barriers so that everyone feels included. For our training events we are seeking to make reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility and we have been striving to increase the diversity of speakers at our SWIFT conferences, Curriculum and Leadership Forums and CPD events. Last Autumn Term, we provided menopause training and maternity / paternity training and established a SWIFT Equality & Diversity Professional Community led by Ruhaina Alford, Executive Headteacher of The Carey Federation (find more information about the April meeting here | free to SWIFT members and £25 for other colleagues). We are reviewing our staff recruitment and retention policies so that everyone feels welcomed and a sense of belonging with equitable opportunities for career advancement. The number of people being promoted in education to senior leader positions is low, especially here in the South West, particularly for women and black people and as part of our initial teacher training responsibilities, we will be putting DEI at the centre of our new SWIFT SCITT. Ultimately, at the heart of our affirming, validating and celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion, we understand that this will positively impact on our pupils and young people and we welcome news of any interesting DEI work undertaken by our partners. More Information and Resources To support the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey in your school, you can find lots of free resources on the Diverse Educators website, including a toolkit, a DEI Directory organised by the nine Protected Characteristics, and key words and acronyms. When scheduling events in your organisation, you can find a list of awareness and celebration days/weeks/months of religious and cultural significance. Listen to the #DiverseEd Podcast in which co-hosts Nick Kitchener-Bentley and Yamina Bibi interview a contributor from each of the 10 chapters of “Diverse Educators: A Manifesto.” For regular news and views, read the Diverse Educators blog. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team 13/1/2023 0 Comments SWIFT Events Newsletter | Issue 19This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events. from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: Spring Leadership Forum SWIFT are committed to bring together leaders from all school settings in the area to connect with each other. Our Autumn and Spring Leadership Forums, as well as our Summer Conference, are some of the ways we fulfil this. Highlighted Programmes: · How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School · Masterclass Series · The Link Between Physical and Emotional Wellbeing · Dyslexia SEND Training · Events for your diary 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. 5/1/2023 0 Comments Interview with How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School Programme Lead, Caroline Sherwood“We have a huge responsibility to make sure our classroom practice is effective, robust, challenging and rigorous.” Caroline Sherwood is currently Deputy Headteacher at Pilton Community College, and has taught at a range of schools across Devon and Somerset, as well as in Kent where she grew up. A passionate Teacher of English, Caroline teaches English and relishes her time in the classroom where she can share her love for literature. An aspiring writer in her own right, Caroline is a regular contributor to educational magazine, SecEd; writing articles on subjects including Teaching and Learning and Leadership and she is currently writing her own book on leadership. Caroline is excited to be leading our SWIFT How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School CPD programme with Mark Roberts, author of “Boys Don't Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools” and “The Boy Question: How to Teach Boys to Succeed In School.” 1. How did you come to be involved in the SWIFT “How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School” training programme? in 2017, I wrote an article for SecEd about the gender achievement gap, exploring how boys and girls assemble constructions of gender based on what they are exposed to in order to “fit” social norms. I have been interested in the topic of gender constructions for some time, including how we give preference to particular behaviours, interests, and the school subjects that girls and boys are expected to like (see: Gender Issues in School: What works to improve achievement for boys and girls, DCSF, 2009). It is interesting how these behaviours based on gender construction can impact on achievement. Recent studies suggest the environment we create for our children has the greatest impact on the way boys and girls learn and what they learn. So, as classroom practitioners, it is reassuring that teachers can play a positive role. It is not simply a case of being at the mercy of our genetics or, significantly, being limited by our gender. Our cognitive ability, personality, interests and preferences are not only determined by our gender. Rather, our response, consciously or subconsciously, to the environment, including the gender stereotypes to which we are exposed can make a difference. Research shows that both nature and nurture help to shape us. An interaction which biologists refer to as epigenetic. As classroom practitioners, we understand that our pupils are not always armed, as we are, with the critical tools to analyse, challenge or scrutinise information and what is presented to children by adults as fact, is often absorbed by children and young people as irrefutable and incontestable. As teachers in the classroom, we need to be careful not to pass on our inherited assumptions about gender to our pupils about what they are good or not good at learning. Children’s brains are significantly more pliable and malleable than adults’ brains, which means that what happens on a daily basis in your classroom shapes your pupils’ brains and ultimately their futures. We have a huge responsibility to make sure our classroom practice is effective, robust, challenging and rigorous. 2. As the programme facilitator, what are your success criteria for the How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School programme? The sessions will follow the content of Mark's book “The Boy Question”:
It is hoped that delegates will feel equipped to action sustainable change in their setting and we understand that this might vary from delegate to delegate depending on their context. A real strength of the course will be to provide space and freedom to ensure the learning and takeaways fit delegates’ context and this is where the experience of Mark Roberts will be valuable, given he is the expert and has invested time into research and his own personal experience. The programme will, I hope, answer some big questions including, how to get boys reading more; as well as considering a curriculum best placed to help boys to acquire powerful knowledge. Running in parallel with the programme we will explore the EEF implementation guide and the following foundations for successful implementation: (1) Process: treat implementation as a process, not an event. (2) Environment: create a leadership environment and school climate that is conducive to good implementation. (3) Explore: define the problem you want to solve. (4) Prepare: create a leadership implementation plan, judge the readiness of the school to deliver that plan, then prepare staff and resources. (5) Deliver: support staff, monitor progress, solve problems, and adapt strategies as the approach is used for the first time. (6) Sustain: plan for sustaining and scaling an intervention from the outset and continuously acknowledge and nurture its use. “Schools are learning organisations. They continuously strive to do better for the children and young people in their charge. In doing so, they try new things, seek to learn from those experiences, and work to adopt and embed the practices that work best…Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how great an educational idea or intervention is in principle; what really matters is how it manifests itself in the day-to-day work of people in schools.” (EEF) There will be opportunity for discussion about the actual problems faced by teachers in their schools, with time to think about how to implement strategies and how best to do so based on research. 3. What do you hope to bring to the programme from your own classroom experience in motivating the boys that you teach? I do not claim to be the expert. But I am proud to say that I am relentlessly looking for ways to improve - both in the classroom and as a school leader. As a Teacher of English, I ensure that all my students, including the boys that I teach produce consistently good academic writing. Mark Roberts is best placed to discuss this and it is, in fact, something that we will be exploring on the programme. Explicitly teaching boys at every stage of the writing process; focusing on word, sentence and whole text level work; and ensuring students - including boys, of course - have lots of opportunities to engage in challenging and successful deliberate practice. 4. Are you looking forward to working with Mark Roberts on the programme? Yes! As an author, Mark Roberts is an inspiration for me as it is where I want to be, as I enjoy engaging with academic research and writing and having a voice through my writing. At the time of Mark’s first book, “Boys Don't Try” we had the Covid pandemic and this inevitably strengthened the focus on operational priorities of keeping children safe and this focus on boys’ underachievement slowed down or stopped. So, Mark’s next book, “The Boy Question” comes at a good time to pick up again with purpose and for teachers and leaders to start making changes to tackle underachievement. I like that the book directly tackles some of the real challenges schools face every day, and provides tips for teachers. This has become all the more important to me in my role as Deputy Head, as I feel a sense of responsibility for all students we serve. 5. Finally, with your enthusiasm for teaching English, how do you foresee sharing this love on the programme? I love that the programme is essentially a book club with time and space to engage with academic texts, meaningfully and critically. Leaders are readers, so it is important to engage with academic texts. At Pilton I am proud to have set up a reading group for our leaders to network and share an academic reading focus. Our middle leaders are currently reading “Fierce conversations” by Susan Scott and our SLT are reading Mary Myatt’s “Huh: Curriculum conversations between subject and senior leaders.” I know that colleagues find these dedicated discussion times to be valuable and insightful and are keen to put the thinking and theory into practice. We thank Caroline for explaining more about her interest in supporting boys to succeed and we thank her in advance for leading our How to Teach Boys to Succeed in School programme with Mark Roberts. The programme starts in February and will focus on the following themes:
Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team If you have yet to book, our sponsor Lyfta, are offering pupils and children, and of course staff, the opportunity to go to the theatre tomorrow, Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 December 2022. With budgets and purse-strings stretched to breaking this year, many children might not have the opportunity to experience festive outings; so Lyfta is offering a virtual theatre trip instead! Join a #LyftaLive lesson and travel to Helsinki in Finland to the Opera and Ballet for this exciting end of term treat. Students will go behind the scenes with this exciting virtual school trip and explore the interactive 360° spaces, including the main stage, orchestra pit, ballet studio and much more. These live lessons provide an excellent way to build social and cultural capital in the classroom and will provide pupils and children an experience of the theatre to which they may not otherwise have access. Click on the picture above for a preview! . 12/12/2022 0 Comments Events Newsletter | Issue 18This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events. from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Kingsbridge Research School are hosting this conference which will help delegates gain a better understanding of metacognition and self-regulated learning, one of the most accessed strands of the EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit with on average an impact of 7 months’ additional progress. Highlighted Programmes:
In this December issue (and the final one for 2022), ESW Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools | Education South West, Roger Pope CBE shares his insights into "the notion of a rogue hero as leader" inspired by his viewing of the BBC “SAS Rogue Heroes” series.
On a heroic, rather than rogue-ish note, you can also read about Lee Elliot Major's keynote on Levelling Up the South West at our Autumn Leadership Forum, discover what being a SWIFT member means to Aimee Mills from The Park Community School; PLUS features from our sponsors, Educatering, InVentry and Lyfta. And more besides. 30/11/2022 0 Comments Interview with SWIFT Member | Acting Deputy Headteacher (for Quality of Education) at The Park Community School, Aimee Mills“It’s about allowing teachers to be lifelong learners, which in turn, allows students to be lifelong learners.” Recently promoted to the leadership role of Acting Deputy Headteacher (for Quality of Education) at The Park Community School in Barnstaple, North Devon; Aimee Mills builds on nine years as an Assistant Headteacher, two of which were in West London before moving to Devon. With her past experience of a big educational community and sharing good practice, Aimee is pleased to be actively involved as one of SWIFT’s member schools. 1. Please can you provide an overview of how you and The Park Community School are involved in the SWIFT partnership? Firstly, the Early Career Framework (ECF) programme in which I am currently a Delivery Lead for Years 1 and 2 Early Career Teachers (ECTs) across the region. It is great to be part of the delivery of this flagship Department for Education statutory programme and we have a Year 2 ECT teacher here at The Park School, so we are hugely part of the programme. I am even in the process of training up our ECF Co-ordinator to (hopefully) be a Delivery Lead next year. Secondly, we benefit from the SWIFT Continuing Professional Development programme. Highlights for me include the Summer Leadership and Literacy Conferences and also this school year, I am involved in leading the new North Devon Professional Community leadership group. It is exciting! As part of this network, I am really keen to develop school-to-school support as the way forward working with at least five local North Devon schools. Thirdly, the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). 14% (13) of our teaching staff are currently enrolled on an NPQ – including myself! I am undertaking the NPQH, and we have staff on the NPQSL, NPQLT, NPQLBC, and the NPQLTD programmes. This is excellent professional development for our current and future school leaders. Our staff have also been involved in Professional Communities (PC) and currently in the Geography and History PCs; which are invaluable subject networks. We have also enrolled on some of the Maths CPD sessions, which have been great for our staff development and the learning experience of our pupils. I like to think it is a well-rounded partnership as The Park School is part of the Tarka Trust – a key SWIFT delivery partner - as the secondary school, alongside seven primary schools (our main feeders), all benefitting from the SWIFT CPD opportunities. In fact, I was invited to get involved in the ECF by Tarka Trust Deputy CEO, Andy Ogden. So, I am delighted to say that The Park School has taken opportunity of ALL of SWIFT’s membership offer. Finally, as Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs working together, I know that SWIFT acts as an effective facilitator and is part of the levelling up within the region. As a rural school, professional development options can be limited in terms of travelling beyond the South West to London and elsewhere with a significant impact on school budgets and staff time. Hence, SWIFT is playing a key role in providing professional support. When I worked in London, we had 14 schools within a six-mile radius. Here in North Devon, we have six miles between each school. 2. How is The Park School benefitting from working with SWIFT? As noted above, really. Our role in delivering the Early Career Framework programme, including our own participating staff; is proving to align the rest of the staff with our core CPD. When our ECTs progress through the programme it ensures a continuity of learning and supports career development of our staff, which underpins the work of our school. As so many of our staff are taking part in the CPD on offer, particularly the NPQ programmes, we have managed to create a coherent development path right from the start of a teacher's career through to Middle Leader and Senior Leadership level. The opportunities SWIFT have provided has meant that our staff are encouraged to take on additional responsibilities and to further their careers. 3. What are the main benefits for you professionally? For me, I like to think that my involvement with SWIFT and engagement in the NPQH has helped me in part to get my promotion! So, for me, my career progression and enhancing my leadership skills. For example, my attendance at the SWIFT Summer Conference in July was pivotal and sharpened my view of our school vision and school improvement plan. Keynote speaker Diana Osagie was inspirational. I learned a lot from her in the time that she spoke and I liked her clarity and (as she promised) I read her book in an hour after the event! 4. How do you see this partnership developing in the future? The main thing is our ITT programme and we are looking forward to working with SWIFT in their new role as a SCITT. I used to run the North Devon TSA secondary ITT programme, but now that this has ceased to exist the number of trainees, we have has regrettably taken a hit, impacting significantly on recruitment. In the past we have employed so many of our qualified trainees and we are missing them. We also look forward to networking school-to-school through the North Devon Professional Community as an opportunity to share events, speakers, conferences and local networks. Thinking about the geography of our region, The Park School could be used as a central location for the North Devon group and we would like to explore this further. 5. What words of wisdom would you share with other schools? Seize as many opportunities from the SWIFT partnership as your school setting allows. Make time and invest. I encourage schools that they get more from the SWIFT membership than they pay. Here at The Park School, we find that it builds buy-in to the school culture for staff and as a non-specialist leading on a specialist area, SWIFT provides opportunities to learn (and I like learning). For instance, I took our Head of English to the SWIFT Literacy Conference and we both listened to lots of different speakers and then collaborated afterwards on whole school foci. SWIFT membership opens doors to opportunities that being isolated in North Devon that have not always been there before. We thank Aimee for her insights into SWIFT membership and thank her for her enthusiastic contributions to our programmes. Interview by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team 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:
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 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. 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. Meaning to “lift up” from the Nordic word, Lyfta attempts to lift the world into view for students. The platform uses carefully curated short documentary films that support character and values through a connection with real-life stories. Schools across all the phases use Lyfta storyworlds as educational resources linked to their curriculum, working with teachers to develop into subject and PSHE Schemes of Work to support lessons and help boost an all-important sense of belonging. Lyfta shows how it is powerful for young people to feel included. At a West London Primary School with 49 different languages, one pupil was moved from watching the storyworld about Deenpal, a young football-loving Sikh growing up in Denmark who tells his own story about striving to be a famous goalkeeper and finding the courage to dive after the ball. It is perhaps the words of a Year 10 student at Upton Court Grammar School who wonderfully encapsulates the work of Lyfta: “I think what you're doing is brilliant… I love that you can learn about people. Because there's a word, it's called sonder. It means, the realisation that everyone has their own story, and everyone has their own life as complex as your own. And that we are all like ants crawling around an anthill, trying to figure out where to go, without looking at other people. And some people, they look at other people and dismiss them, some people look at other people and want to know the story behind them, and Lyfta makes all of us the second kind of person.” Find out more about trying Lyfta for free and benefit from training and access to all the storyworlds for a trial month. 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 29/11/2022 0 Comments SWIFT Autumn Leadership ForumLevelling Up the South West | Lee Elliot Major OBE “All the secrets are within our own system.” Thanks to the ease of online forums, we were delighted in early November to be joined by Lee Elliot Major OBE as keynote speaker at our Autumn Term Leadership Forum in transit home to the South West from a trip to Norway. As Britain's first Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, Lee spoke with practical passion on “Levelling Up the South West.” An essential issue that is adding traction to the North-South Westminster debate. Delegates were particularly privileged to be in the audience the day before a hot-off-the-press feature in Schools Week. Lee hardly needed to remind school leaders that the classic images of the South West’s beautiful coastlines and landscapes - and not forgetting, the time-honoured cream tea, can too often mask the level of disadvantage within our region. As his starting point, Lee explained his involvement in the pivotal “Social Mobility in the South West | Levelling up through Education” report. Supported by the Cobalt Trust, the report published in April 2022 highlighted the region’s poor social mobility and unique challenges, and offered practical and impactful recommendations. Very pleasingly, the report is proving to be a call to action, and has clearly “lit some fires;” successfully bringing people together who have been thinking about the same issues and are now working together to find realistic solutions. The report figures were stark. Educational outcomes for poorer children in the South West are very low. In 2019, disadvantaged pupils in the South West were furthest behind at the end of both the primary and secondary stages of their education. Fewer disadvantaged pupils attained basic English and Maths GCSE qualifications and fewer went on to university than in any other region nationally. Recommendations focus on the following:
Data is being published on the disadvantaged for MATs across the region and nationally, developing a “school scorecard” that is more than the binary free school meals. Lee’s energy and excitement about implementing the report’s recommendations was evident. Aptly, he is an advocate for more explicit policy on levelling up in order to understand disadvantage at a deeper level and to seek how to address some of the issues and “best bets” for improving progress. Lee is working beyond the South West and speaking to lead national providers, as well as presenting to the Labour Front Bench, and the current Government. In case you were wondering (like one of our audiences), what in Lee’s opinion is the single most important thing that schools can do to better support their disadvantaged pupils without any extra funding?
Parental engagement. Too often, it is a weak spot for schools in how they interact with parents. So…as starter advice from Professor of Social Mobility, Lee Elliot Major OBE. Develop a focused parental education strategy: re-think home visits, home school agreements, and parents’ evenings and offer dedicated advisory sessions. Consider neutral meeting venues for those parents who never come into school and communications with parents. Reassuringly, Lee reminded school leaders that excellent practice is already in existence in all schools. Be innovative. Not least as schools face straitened funding in the future. “All the secrets are within our own system.” We thank Lee Elliot Major for joining us at our Autumn Leadership Forum and for sharing his insights and positivity into levelling up the South West. Report by Jude Owens, PA to the SWIFT Executive Team 24/11/2022 0 Comments Events Newsletter | Issue 17This issue includes a featured article and some highlighted programmes, courses and events. from our partners to support your professional development and enhance the work of your school. Simply click on the booking link, to the course or event you are interested in, to get more details or book straight on! Featured in this issue we have: Invitation to Lead a Workshop for SWIFT Curriculum Forum | March 2023 The SWIFT Curriculum Forum brings together curriculum leaders that have responsibility for building curriculums in schools and trusts. We would like to invite teachers and leaders involved in the design and delivery of curriculum to submit a proposal to lead a 30 – 40-minute workshop at the next Forum in March 2023. SWIFT Secondary Masterclasses SWIFT are excited to be offering subject specific masterclasses to secondary teachers, with keynotes delivered by experts in the field. It is not too late to book on to the Geography and History Masterclass series. You will receive recordings and presentation slides from previous sessions and be able to join the future sessions live. Our sponsor Lyfta recently presented at our SWIFT Character Education Professional Development Community on the topic of "Flourishing for All – Implementing and Embedding." Character Education is one of the core Lyfta focus areas, and is at the heart of education - and it could be said to be our true legacy as teachers. Lyfta considers here how character and values-based learning can be made part of the curriculum. When you were at school, who was your favourite teacher and why? When I ask teachers this question, they often focus on those who were kind or caring or passionate. Qualities and values that went well beyond knowing their subject well. As teachers, we want to help young people realise the best version of themselves, particularly in our ever-changing world. Character and values-based learning equips students for the future and sits at the heart of what we do as educators, but it's not always easy to embed it into classroom practice. When I was working as a secondary teacher, my Headteacher used to encourage us to ‘teach the children in front of us’. Sounds obvious doesn’t it? But ultimately, we often teach to our own style, our own tastes and preferences. What we have to do is consider every individual we have in front of us and what they need, based on their experiences. “Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author.” RUDINE SIMS BISHOP Academic, Rudine Sims Bishop, explored children’s literature and the extent to which children's literature is written by African American authors and represents African American characters. In her work, she advocated for books to become more than simply windows, allowing us to look in at other people. Instead, she suggested that stories should act as mirrors, allowing children to see themselves reflected back at them and even better is when they act as sliding glass doors, allowing us to step into another's life – to experience what they do, and learn to empathise with them. As teachers, we can develop values and character in our children by giving the opportunities to both see themselves reflected and experience the lives of others. Beyond our own moral obligation to support students to become the best version of themselves, there are also statutory requirements that every school must adhere to. For example, the Ofsted framework expects students to behave respectfully and courteously, as well as the school providing lots of opportunity for personal development. The newest RSE statutory guidance, released in 2019 and updated in 2021, outlines the ways in which schools must teach and support students to develop healthy and respectful relationships. There is also an expectation for all schools to provide spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, which includes moral and social skills and values. Lyfta gives teachers the opportunity to nurture the whole child, build character and embed values, including resilience and service. Its immersive platform can help you to embed positive values in your classroom and equip your students for the future through its world of positive human stories. Each story has its own 360 degree environments, unique soundscapes and powerful short films to immerse students fully in a world beyond their own. Students meet with individuals from communities across the globe, connect with their inspiring stories, and reflect on their values. Our Kids’ Cup storyworld, which features the journeys of five young people competing in an international children’s football tournament, is one of many that helps teachers introduce values including perseverance, resilience and leadership to students. Independent research conducted by the University of Tampere has also shown that Lyfta’s immersive human stories help students to develop empathy and understanding for those who are different from themselves. By Anna Szpakowska, Lyfta Professional Development Lead Explore Lyfta for FREE when you register for the Lyfta starter, no-obligation trial. You may wish to explore the Department of Education’s Character Education Framework Guidance. Whilst it is not mandatory, it provides a possible starting point for schools considering how they embed character education into their curriculum and wider school life. |
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