CPD Offer
We would be delighted to tailor our CPD provision to suit the needs of the organisations we work with. Below is a list of sessions we have delivered recently, for both our own staff and those at other schools and colleges.
Stretch and Challenge
In this session we explore CNC programming courses and how we can use our unique expertise and subject knowledge to breathe life into our lessons and share our passion for our subjects. As busy professionals, with many boxes to tick and content to cover it is understandable that we may sometimes wonder whether we are passing on this love for the subject. We will discuss manageable ways to stretch the more able and ensure that every student feels challenged.
Engagement
A fun and interactive workshop in which teachers are given a range of practical ideas and strategies that they discuss and try out themselves. We look at why engagement is so important in helping our students participate actively in deeper learning, and how to address some of the obstacles to engagement in education.
Directed differentiation
Directed differentiation is about direct and targeted differentiation that stretches each member of the class and challenges them to reach their potential. We will delve into how we can apply differentiation in all parts of the lesson, from the starter to the plenary and discuss how it can be used as a motivational tool.
Closing the assessment loop
How can we help students reflect on their performance on assessments in a meaningful way? How can we encourage them to make immediate steps forward in their progress? These are some of the questions we try to answer in this CPD session. Closing the assessment loop is a tried and tested process in which students are guided through a structured reflection on their personal targets, after which they make small changes that have immediate impact. We will also explore research done by the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity that conducts rigorous evaluations of teaching strategies to discover the ones that really make a difference to attainment.
Making the learning stick
A look at the theory behind how we can deepen learning and use brain-friendly techniques in our teaching. ‘Sticky learning’ involves not only using these techniques ourselves, but also exploring some of the misconceptions that our students have about what good learning and revision is.
Planning Outstanding lessons
What makes an Outstanding lesson? Under the latest OFSTED guidance, there are many routes to Outstanding teaching and learning. The aim of this session is to inspire teachers to experiment with their lesson planning and empower them to have the confidence to respond to the needs of their learners in a flexible way, while still covering the basics.
Literacy across the curriculum
An interactive, discussion-based session that examines current trends in education surrounding the focus on literacy and communication skills across the key stages. You’ll never have to be embarrassed about not knowing the difference between an adverbial phrase and a subordinate clause again!
Effective questioning and developing dialogue
Passive students beware! This session explores how to cut down the unnecessary ‘teacher talk’ and get your students participating in meaningful classroom discussion. We will reflect on what outstanding questioning is, how to ensure all learners are actively involved and how to challenge them to ask the big questions.
Growth mind-set
What makes people resilient? How can we encourage a growth mind-set in our students? This vital life skill can benefit learners inside the classroom and beyond. This focus encourages staff to think about the language we use when talking about success, failure and progress and offers practical tips for ways to build reflective and confident students who take responsibility for their own learning.