Forest Way Teaching School Alliance News Summer Term 2018 Inside this issue: School Direct Teacher Training Summer Celebrations Recently Qualified Teacher Programme (RQT) 2 2 2 FWTSA Annual Conference We were delighted to welcome Andy Buck back to our Heads/Deputies Conference this year. Andy motivated us to think about our collaboration in greater detail. Feedback was very positive. Research Groups 3 Welcome to the Hall School 3 SSIF Projects 3 Primary Languages Network Update 3 FWTSA Library 3 Meet our new Educational Psychologists What s On for Summer 4 5-7 SLE Conference Our first joint TSA SLE Conference ran successfully on 20th February. It included session on effective school support, leading research and the wider role of SLEs. Information about the work of the Leicestershire TSAs can be found here leicestershiretsa.co.uk Here we are doing the jigsaw challenge to promote cross team work. FWTSA SLEs working hard at the conference Mandy Collins giving hints and tips on how SLEs can effectively lead CPD and networks.
School Direct Teacher Training After a massive recruitment drive this year we now have 20 trainees signed up for the next academic year. Our recent open days at Whitwick St John the Baptist and Castle Rock schools were successful and we will definitely be holding this type of event again. Please continue to support us again next year by sharing our marketing materials, tweeting and re-tweeting our events and giving us a mention, including a link to FWTSA website, on your school s website. Please let us know if you would like a high resolution copy of our logo image for your website. Summer Celebrations Here at FWTSA we like to celebrate success, and it s a good excuse to eat cake! This year s Celebration Events will take place as follows: School Direct Trainees 2017/18 3rd July 2018, 4.00 to 6.00p, at Ibstock Community College. Primary NQTs at their last CPD session on Thursday 28th June 2018 at Forest Way Secondary NQTs at their last CPD session on Thursday 7th June 2018 at Forest Way Recently Qualified Teacher Programme (RQT) Primary, Special and Secondary Page 2 Continuing to develop teachers practice so that teachers excel and progress in their career beyond their NQT year, is one of the ways FWTSA retain teachers. When interviewing candidates for the School Direct programme, we ask what attracted them to us. More often than not, part of the answer is the level of support which is provided to them beyond their training year. It is a well-known fact that, nationally, teacher retention is a big problem and many teachers leave our profession within the first 5 years. Here at FWTSA, we are proud to say that we are bucking that trend. Both the NQT and RQT courses will be running again next year and will be advertised shortly. Let s continue our excellent support of our new teachers and keep our retention high!
Research Groups There are currently 2 Primary research groups within the alliance. These are based around identified needs and interests of our members. Both groups are in their infancy. The first will be focussing on greater depth in mathematics. The group will be looking at providing guidance to teachers to better support the rapid graspers in their classrooms based on recent research and working closely with a mastery specialist. A 3 half day course for teachers will be advertised soon to begin in the Autumn term so keep your eyes peeled! There has been a lot of discussions and research around teacher workload in the past few years. Therefore, the second group, led by Simone Fellows, will focus on one element of this issue. Members of the group will be looking at the recent research around 'no marking' and alternative ways of providing effective feedback to students, whilst at the same time reducing teacher workload. Welcome to The Hall School SSIF Projects The Hall School in Glenfield has recently joined our Alliance. Headteachers and Principals will get the opportunity to meet their Head, Sally Hayden at the next Head s Breakfast meeting on Thursday 26th April at. Welcome aboard! These have now started and are supporting 11 alliance schools with literacy. A further secondary bid has been submitted and the Leicestershire Teaching Schools are working with Leicester LA to submit an Early Years Bid too. Update on the NEW Primary Languages Network The first session of our new Primary Languages network was held on 9th March and session one went very well. We looked at resources, issues, and what could be helpful. Consequently, as a group, we decided that the next 2 sessions will be focused on assessment and recording progress in MFL, then using stories to support MFL teaching. As a group we picked Dear Zoo and everyone has been tasked with making a specific resource. We will share the resources during session 2 and teach the series of lesson to evaluate during session 3. The network is facilitated by Safia Imzi, MFL teacher at Ibstock Community College, and the next two sessions will be held on Fridays 20th April and 8th June, 1.00 to 3.00 at the Croft. Please email if you would like to attend. Cher Zoo Par Rod Campbell Page 3 FWTSA Library Forest Way Teaching School Alliance has a library of information books available for schools within our alliance to borrow on a 4 week loan. Schools will have to arrange to collect and return the books to Forest Way Teaching School Alliance at. The books available to borrow are listed on our website http:/// library.html Please email if you would like to borrow a book.
Two new Educational Psychologists join the team Forest Way Teaching School Alliance are delighted to welcome two new Educational Psychologists, Rachel Griffiths and Sarah Godwin, to our team to work with schools within the alliance. Rachel Griffith I have 28 years experience training and working in a combination of social care, educational and psychotherapeutic roles and have been working as a Local Authority Educational Psychologist for 11 years. My main work and life ethic is about integrity, equality and empowerment and I aim to make these show through all aspects of my work. Always committed to growing as an EP, I consider this a life-long event. My specialist training is in mental health and coaching and I am also a qualified organisational with young people from a diverse change practitioner. My main EP range of cultural, socio-economic, experience has been within highly diverse and challenging and often complex backgrounds. communities where it is important My work is tailored to the specific to work with the complex, School often Direct Class of 2017/18 systemic, factors that affect children and young people s learning. For me, this puts relationship at the heart of everything, so this will always be my start and end point. According to the vast range of people I have worked with, this appears to be one of my main strengths! Dr Sarah Godwin My experience as an educational psychologist comes from working needs of the young person and the school, drawing on a wide range of assessment, consultation and intervention methods. I have worked across all areas of SEN. I am effective at helping schools find pathways through complex problems by developing open and supportive relationships with those whom I work with and using a naturally calm and pragmatic approach to problem solving. I take a solution focussed approach, which can be applied across group consultations. I also deliver training sessions, such as emotion coaching, precision teaching, and working memory. Training packages are developed in a bespoke manner to suit the needs of individuals and schools. One of my current interests focusses on supporting schools in becoming aware of mental health issues and promoting emotional wellbeing in their settings. Please contact Pam Lord at FWTSA plord@forestway.leics.sch.uk Tel: if you would like their assistance. Don t forget to check out our website for up to date information on Dates and times of Network Groups On-line course booking Information about School Direct ITT NQT and RQT courses Links to all our partner websites and see our Facebook and Twitter pages too. Page 4
What s On for Autumn Summer Term 2017 2018 Date/Event Time Venue Thursday 19 April 2018 CPD Training for Secondary NQTs 1.30pm FWS Friday 20th April 2018 Primary Languages Network 1.0pm The Croft, FWS Monday 23rd April 2018 CPD Training for Secondary RQTs 1.30am FWS Tuesday 24th April 2018 KS2 Guided Reading 9.30am FWS Using Symbols to support behaviour and inclusion 1.30pm FWS Thursday 26th April 2018 Heads Breakfast Meeting 8.00am FWS Friday 27th April 2018 Social Stories 9.30am FWS Monday 30th April 2018 Right from the Start 9.00am FWS Tuesday 1st May 2018 Developing Mastery in Maths with SEN Context (B) 9.30am Birkett House School Using symbols to support behaviour & inclusion 1.30pm FWS STELLAR Primary Science Network (TELA) 4.00pm Thomas Estley CC Wednesday 2nd May 2018 Primary Literacy Network 1.30pm FWS Friday 4th May 2018 NPQSL Face to Face Training 9.00pm FWS Tuesday 8th May 2018 Phonics Training 3.45pm FWS Wednesday 9th May 2018 KS2 Guided Reading 9.30am FWS Primary Computing Network 1.30pm FWS Thursday 10th May 2018 STELLAR Primary Science Network (TELA) 4.00pm FWS Tuesday 15th May 2018 Makaton Beginners Workshop 9.20am FWS Page 5
What s On for Summer Term 2018 Date/Event Time Venue Wednesday 16th May 2018 HLTA Network Group 1.30am The Croft, FWS Friday 18th May 2018 Cover Supervisors Network 1.00pm FWS Monday 21st May 2018 Deputies & Asst, Heads Network 8.00am FWS SENCO Collaborative Network 1.30pm FWS Tuesday 22nd May 2018 Makaton Beginners Workshop 9.30am FWS Mastery in Maths with the SEN Context 9.30am Thomas Estley CC Wednesday 23rd May 2018 Phonics Training 3.45pm FWS Thursday 24th May 2018 DRB Primary Heads Briefing 9.00am FWS Governors Network 4.00pm FWS HALF TERM Monday 4th June 2018 Professional Network for English Subject Leaders 1.30pm FWS Tuesday 5th June 2018 Professional Network for Maths Subject Leaders 9.15am FWS Wednesday 6th June 2018 Prof. Dev. For KS1 Teaching Assts. GRAMMAR 9.30am FWS Prof. Dev. For KS2 Teaching Assts. GRAMMAR 1.30pm FWS Early Years Practitioners Network 4.00pm FWS Thursday 7th June 2018 ELSA Training Follow Up Supervision 9.30am FWS CPD Training for Secondary NQTs -Celebration 1.30pm FWS Early Years Practitioners Network 4.00pm FWS Friday 8th June 2018 Primary Teaching Assistants Network 9.30am FWS Primary Languages Network 1.00pm The Croft, FWS Page 6
What s On for Summer Term 2018 Monday 11th June 2018 Date/Event Time Venue Assessing pupils working below national standard 9.30am FWS Tuesday 12th June 2018 Primary Maths Network 1.30pm FWS Wednesday 13th June 2018 STELLAR Primary Science Network (FWTSA) 4.00pm FWS Friday 15th June 2018 IT Technicians Network 1.30pm The Croft, FWS Tuesday 19th June 2018 STELLAR Primary Science Network (TELA 4.00am Thomas Estley CC Cover Supervisors Network 1.00pm FWS Wednesday 20th June 2018 Makaton Follow Up Training 9.30am FWS Tuesday 26th June 2018 Primary Literacy Network 1.30pm FWS Wednesday 27th June 2018 Makaton Follow Up Training 9.30am FWS Thursday 28th June 2018 Heads Breakfast Meeting 8.00am FWS Primary NQT Training Celebration 1.30pm FWS Friday 29th June 2018 Deadline for return of NQT Assessments to FWTSA Tuesday 3rd July 2018 Talk Boost Key Stage 1 9.30am FWS School Direct Celebration Event 4.00pm Ibstock C C Wednesday 4th July 2018 Mastery in Maths with the SEN Context 9.30am Thomas Estley CC Thursday 5th July 2018 Mastery in Maths with the SEN Context 9.30am Birkett House Friday 6th July 2018 NPQSL Face to Face Training 9.00am FWS To book for courses and events please go to our bookings website https://bookwhen.com/forestwaytsa Page 7