WTSA Newsletter 2018-19

Newsletter Summer 2018/2019

Breck Road, Wallasey, CH44 3HS 0151 631 4415 jordant@weatherheadhigh.co.uk

@WeatherheadTSA

weatherhead_tsa

Weatherhead Teaching School Alliance

INTRODUCTION

The academic year 2018-19 has been one of the busiest and most successful years for Weatherhead Teaching School. In this report, we outline the activities that have been undertaken, they demonstrate the importance of partnership work and how it is helping to improve standards and opportunities for students.

The School Direct (Teacher Training) aspect has developed extremely well and over the year we have had 38 trainees in 15 schools. Our partnership with Liverpool John Moore’s University continues to thrive and they deliver a significant proportion of the professional studies aspect of the programme and also assist with Quality Assurance, undertaking lesson observations.

A major aspect of our work this year, has been the leadership and management of the DfE Phonics Project, involving 21 Wirral primary schools. I have been delighted with the success of the project and the additional resources and training has enhanced the delivery of phonics teaching for a large number of Wirral pupils. This project will continue through into the next academic year.

Our Professional Development Programmes have increased in number and we are a major provider of training and Inset within the community. We are already planning an annual conference for the next academic year and will continue to deliver our leadership courses and National Professional Qualifications.

Our Teaching School’s reputation continues to grow and I am very grateful for the contribution made by all the Weatherhead team. Mr Joplin is moving to take up a Deputy Headteacher post at Archbishop Blanch School in September 2019 and Dr Debbie Moore will take over his role in leading the School Direct (Teacher Training aspect of the Teaching School).

N Dyment CEO Peninsula MAT Director of Weatherhead Teaching School 1

PHONICS PROGRAMME

The DfE Phonics Project – Run and Managed by Weatherhead Teaching School, is nearing the end of its first year of implementation and we are extremely pleased with the way the project has developed and how the activities have influenced the teaching of phonics in the 21 Wirral schools that are involved in the Project.

The Project has been led by Mr N Dyment and Mrs R Littler (Headteacher of Liscard Primary School) and supported by Mrs E McGunigall (Empower Teaching Alliance, based in Birkenhead) and Ms S Radley (Headteacher of Rock Ferry Primary School).

The Project commission partner was the CLPE (Centre for Literacy & Primary Education) based in London and this organisation through Anjali Patel, has organised 5 high quality training sessions delivered to staff from the primary schools and supported by our team of 6 Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs), who have visited the schools approximately every 2 weeks over the year. After each visit, an evaluation is completed by the SLE and forwarded to our Management Team and the implementation of the programme is tracked and adjusted to meet the needs of each school.

The funding for the project and outcomes are monitored by the DfE and a visit by Emma Ibberson from the DfE took place on 13 February 2019 and Mr Dyment and Mrs Littler accompanied the DfE representative to Castleway Primary School. DfE Returns are completed termly and the project will continue through until 2020.

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PHONICS PROGRAMME Continued

A Phonics Assessment Tracker has been purchased and data is now being collected from primary schools which will provide evidence of pupil progress. In addition, information will be available regarding the National Phonics Screening and we are waiting to see how the schools that have been involved in the project have succeeded.

In June, Mr Dyment visited Christchurch Primary School Moreton and met with Julie Pinnington (SLE from Liscard Primary School) who is supporting Christchurch. It was evident that the school had benefited greatly from the training and also from the materials and resources that had been provided by the CLPE. Children were engaged and enjoying their morning session on phonics.

A comprehensive system of monitoring school visits by the SLEs for the 21 schools and payment of SLEs and other training activities has been developed by Miss K McArdle (Business Manager, Weatherhead High School) and supported by the Teaching School Administrator, Mrs T Jordan.

We will be arranging a workshop conference for schools in the Autumn term 2019, to celebrate the achievement and commitment to the phonics programme and it is also hoped that we can widen the number of schools involved.

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SCHOOL TO SCHOOL SUPPORT

A significant amount of work has been undertaken by the Teaching School in relation to its commitment to providing support and advice to other schools. When providing guidance and support, confidentiality is important, as often, the Teaching School is involved in delicate situations where leadership and the quality of teaching are being developed. The Teaching School has been involved with 5 schools and I outline below, a summary of some of the activities that have been undertaken.

School A - Work in the following areas: Whole School Development Planning, English and Science Weatherhead Teaching School has been involved with this school for a number of years and advice and guidance has been provided by Mr Dyment (NLE) working on behalf of the DfE and also the Local Authority. Three SLEs from Weatherhead Teaching School have also been involved and a full review has been provided for curriculum areas of Science and English Language/Literature. These reviews often involved school classroom visits, observing teaching, analysing student examination and in-school results and providing direction and support for improvement. Excellent relationships have been formed with senior colleagues in the school and this work will continue through into the next academic year. Weatherhead has been commissioned to provide an outline teaching schedule, along with ongoing support for Schemes of Work and Assessment Systems for English Language. The positive impact of the Teaching School was noted in the school’s last Ofsted report and we are looking forward to using the SLEs from Weatherhead to help continue to improve the outcomes for students in this school.

School B - Work on DfE programmes, English Literature and Language Development Project A commissioning programme was discussed at the start of term and the school Governors agreed a £9k commission to provide guidance, support and material to help improve the teaching of English Language and Literature at KS4. The deployment involved Mr N Dyment (NLE) and two SLEs from the English Department – Mrs C Walton and Miss S Deeble. Lesson observations, interviews with staff, work sampling and analysis of outcomes produced a plan for improvement and this work will continue into the next academic year.

School C - Coaching and Leadership Support The school commissioned Mr N Dyment (NLE) to undertake coaching and support for a recently appointed Deputy Headteacher. The work has involved a number of school visits, a skills analysis, evaluation, 1:1 coaching, observations of leadership in action and reports provided for the Headteacher and also the Deputy Headteacher.

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SCHOOL TO SCHOOL SUPPORT Continued

School D - Pupil Premium Review and Report A full Pupil Premium Review was commissioned by the Governing Body. 3 days of work, involving school visits, analysis of information and student outcomes and production of a report was completed. Governors accepted all aspects of the report and further commissioned some work, which is to be completed this Summer term, where senior staff from the school will visit Weatherhead for a presentation in relation to curriculum organisation and monitoring activities.

School E - School Attendance - Strategies for Improvement Weatherhead Teaching School received a commission from the Regional Schools Commissioner/DfE for 6 days work from Mr N Dyment (NLE) to support the school in raising attendance. 3 school visits have been undertaken and 2 Reports produced to help the school improve their provision for attendance. Some of this work will be ongoing, with an opportunity for staff from School E to visit Weatherhead to see the work in action.

Other Activities There have been a number of other, smaller support activities, mostly organised and undertaken by Mr N Dyment, however, other staff from Weatherhead have contributed to the support provided in Wirral schools. Most of our activities are negotiated with funding that compensates Weatherhead for time commitment from NLEs and SLEs, we are unable to meet a wider demand for SLE support because the staff only have a very small amount of non-contact time assigned to the external SLE work.

Teaching Schools receive limited levels of funding from the DfE, approximately £40k pa. This money is to provide the infrastructure and staffing to deliver the teacher training element, (ITT), School to School Support and Training and CPD programmes. The DfE have recognised the difficulties that Teaching Schools are in and have decided to look at a model where regions have Teaching School Hubs that will receive up to £200k pa in funding. These ‘Super Teaching Schools’ will be responsible for the organisation and coordination of the work of other Teaching Schools, in the delivery of school to school support and other relevant issues. The proposal currently, is to have 9 operating in the next academic year across the country and there will be a Teaching School Hub serving Liverpool, Warrington and Wirral.

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SCHOOL DIRECT PROGRAMME

Recruitment for our School Direct programme 2019/20 has been going well and we continue to attract a large number of applicants. The alliance has held a number of primary information evenings throughout the Autumn term. We also commissioned an advertising campaign with the Mirror Group, which ran for three weeks in May. Although it has been difficult to measure the impact of this campaign, we have seen an increase in the number of applications, compared to the same period last year . From September 2019, we will have nine salaried trainees starting their training programme with a variety of schools. Four trainees will be based in primary schools, which is an increase compared to the previous year. In total, the profile of our September intake will be 28 secondary trainees and 6 primary trainees.

Mrs J Roden has been employed by the Alliance to support the School Direct Lead and offer another level of pastoral support to our Associate Teachers, in addition to the Liaison Tutor from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). Mrs Roden has acted as a link between the Wallasey Primary Alliance and the School Direct Lead and LJMU, which has allowed our primary partners to deliver an outstanding school-based programme.

Weatherhead Teaching School Alliance (WTSA) has continued to develop our very own weekly professional studies programme, coordinated by Mrs Roden, which has been well received by all our Associate Teachers. Overall, each session has been graded as 'good' or better. The programme is delivered by key staff from across Weatherhead High School and The Mosslands School.

Sessions have been planned in relation to the teacher standards and for the individual needs of the trainees. As the year progresses the programme changes, to meet the 'gaps' in the Associate Teachers' knowledge. We have also used some outside agencies, for example, Hayes Recruitment and a first aid provider.

This programme has also been important as it has allowed the School Direct Lead to maintain contact with the Associate Teachers, on a weekly basis.

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SCHOOL DIRECT PROGRAMME Continued

Our Associate Teachers have successfully completed their school-based training days, which allowed for visits to other schools for specialist sessions, e.g. Clare Mount Specialist Sports College for an SEN Day and The Heath School for Assessment training. As well as our own Associate Teachers, we have teamed up for a number of sessions with Associate Teachers from The Heath. Â At the beginning of the calendar year, all the Associate Teachers spent six weeks with their alternative placement schools, spending time in a contrasting school-based experience. This gave them the opportunity to see how other schools operate and how they need to adapt to different teaching styles, which also helped provide key evidence for teacher standards. Â So far to date, 79% of our Associate Teachers (Secondary) have secured employment, with 54% in Wirral schools. What is even more pleasing is that 39% have secured a job in an 'Alliance school'. Two trainees have decided not to follow a career in teaching and will be returning to their previous industry employer. To their credit, they have completed the programme, gaining valuable experience.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL DIRECT PROGRAMME

This year there are six Associate Teachers completing the Primary, Schools Direct Programme including one on the EYFS course. They have been based in four Wallasey schools: St.Georges Primary, Mount Primary, Park Primary and Liscard Primary and have successfully gained valuable experience teaching a range of ages and abilities.

Throughout the year the six Associate Teachers have attended professional studies sessions, planned and delivered by all four schools, which have covered all eight teaching standards. They have found these most beneficial, as the training has been delivered by Headteachers and highly experienced teaching staff. This provided the Associate Teachers with a further insight into all aspects of teaching, in conjunction with their university-based training. It has also allowed them to visit other schools, where they have enjoyed meeting colleagues to share their experiences and gain support.

All six Associate Teachers have also been involved in school visits and residential trips which again have provided invaluable experience. They have attended staff meetings, school Parents' Evenings and Wallasey Schools Moderation meetings, as well as taking part in extracurricular activities for the children in their home schools.

Now the course is coming to an end, the Associate Teachers are focusing on preparing themselves for their individual 'Triangulation Meetings' and ensuring they have evidence to support each teaching standard and achieving the best possible grade they can. In addition to this, the Associate Teachers are beginning to seek employment and so far five out of six have managed to gain employment, all in the local area. To support them in this process, we held a ‘mock’ interview day. This allowed the Associate Teachers to learn how to apply for NQT jobs and gain experience of the interview process.

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CRAIG BARTON MATHS CONFERENCE

On 1st March Weatherhead Teaching School Alliance welcomed Craig Barton, Maths teacher, TES Maths Advisor, author and host of the Mr Barton Maths Podcast. We were joined by 34 primary, secondary and FE colleagues from across the region for a day of fantastic professional development and discussion.

Craig’s book “How I wish I’d taught Maths” has become a key read for all Maths educators and during the conference delegates were able to hear first-hand the teaching strategies and techniques which Craig has researched and practised. During the day Craig focussed on atomisation, silent teacher, example-problem pairs, intelligent practice and problem solving. All delegates went away with practical examples of how to implement improvements to Maths teaching in their setting and feedback on the event was overwhelmingly positive.

FUTURE LEADERS' CONFERENCE

We held our ever popular Future Leaders' Conference on Thursday 20th June, this was delivered by Andrew Newton, former Deputy Headteacher and current leadership consultant. Mr Newton provided colleagues from Weatherhead High School, Wirral, Liverpool, Halton and Cheshire East with a leadership toolkit to use now and in the future. This included time management and how to deal with challenging people by considering a range of scenarios.

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HOW TO BE AN AMAZING MIDDLE LEADER CONFERENCE

We welcomed Caroline Bentley-Davies back to Weatherhead High School again this year, to host Caroline's 'How to be an Amazing Middle Leader' one-day training on Tuesday 25th June. Caroline was able to inspire Middle Leaders from primary and secondary schools across Merseyside, giving them practical strategies for leading a team for success and how to self-evaluate and develop their strengths.

Each delegate received a copy of Caroline's best selling book that accompanies the training, to help them excel at being a middle leader. Colleagues find the course to be insightful, engaging and interactive with lots of excellent ideas and tips to implement.

STEPPING UP

As part of Leadership Development Programme, our Senior Assistant Headteacher, Miss R Byrne, provided colleagues from Weatherhead High School, with an insight of how to deliver leadership. This course looks at how staff can develop their own leadership behaviours and styles, whilst offering practical support with time management and prioritisation as a leader.

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CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

National Professional Qualification (accredited programmes) NPQML (Middle Leaders)

NPQSL (Senior Leaders)

In partnership with Best Practice Network and Outstanding Leaders Partnership, we offer both NPQML and NPQSL at Weatherhead High School. The programme leader is Mrs A Maney, Assistant Head to the Principal, Our Lady of Pity RC Primary School.

Teachers from Wirral schools have successfully completed their National Professional Qualifications and it is pleasing that our Teaching School facilitates these training opportunities Leadership behaviours are explored during these face-to-face events, with each day looking at a different key area.

Event 1 - Strategy & Improvement Event 2 - Teaching & Curriculum Excellence Event 3 - Managing Resources & Risk Applications for both courses are currently open, registration closes on 26th July 2019.

Our partner allocation code is: WHEAD-TSA

AQAÂ Science Hub Throughout this school year, we have hosted three AQA Science Hub meetings at Weatherhead High School, where our local science community discuss strategies, best practice, share resources and exchange experiences. Each term's meeting focused on a different area on the exams.

Autumn Term 2018 - Reflection on the GCSE Science Summer 2018 exams Spring Term 2019 - Student examples, accompanying documents & marking schemes Summer Term 2019 - Understanding assessment of analysis and evaluation at GCSE 11

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

NQT Induction Programme Mentor Training New and existing primary and secondary mentors attended our training session on 12th September 2018, instruction was provided in the following areas: How to undertake lesson observations and provide feedback.

How to complete Assessment Reports.

How to ensure all administration is completed so that trainees can qualify to teach.

NQT Programme Weatherhead Teaching School Alliance offered a NQT Programme over the first 6 months of the academic year to secondary schools in the area, to assist newly qualified teachers in their first year of teaching.

Along with Weatherhead High School's NQTs, 14 delegates attended a series of twilight training sessions, designed to give NQTs more of an insight into areas that can be used in and outside of their classroom. Some of the different areas are listed here: High expectations: Managing your classroom & routines Teaching & Learning strategies Differentiation & SEN strategies Questioning Making it stick Behaviour for Learning & Expectations E-Learning Student engagement

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