Anna Richards (left), who has worked in ITT since September 2014 and been a NASBTT Trustee since December 2017, will lead the Board of highly experienced ITT, education and commercial professionals whose core remit is to review and agree NASBTT’s strategic direction. She succeeds former Chair Ian Hollingsworth, who stepped down in October after five years in post.

“In my view teaching is the best job in the world – and now more than ever we need inspirational teachers joining our profession to inspire and support the next generation,” Anna said. “Working for a SCITT, and previously as a Headteacher for five years, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that trainee teachers can have on a school community and children’s lives. I am honoured to be appointed Chair of NASBTT’s Board of Trustees to both represent and further develop school-led ITT, and in turn support school improvement.”

Recognising the challenges brought by the recent ITT market review and accreditation process, Anna explained what she sees as the core role of NASBTT and the Board of Trustees. “Firstly, whilst needing to remain agile, it is important that the organisation does not stray from its core mission,” she said. “That means providing member support and reassurance, representing our members at the highest level and passing information on to them as much as possible, and delivering more focused services that can help with the requirements of accreditation. The opportunity to come together is also really important. As a NASBTT member I have recently attended Espresso Shot Networking Events on accreditation, Ofsted and curriculum design, and by sharing our experiences we become much stronger.”

Anna continued: “As Trustees we exist, by definition, to hold the organisation and Emma Hollis (Executive Director) to account. However, the nature of education is far more collegiate and supportive, and so I see our role as shaping the direction of NASBTT. Our Board has professionals drawn from both within and outside of the ITT sector, which means we can provide more robust challenge and supporting thinking to ensure we are giving Emma what she needs to facilitate the development of school-led initial teacher training provision, whilst navigating an extremely challenging political landscape.”

When Anna joined Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT, which is one of the biggest SCITTs in the country with 200 primary and secondary trainees every year, she immediately turned to NASBTT for support. “Knowing that the organisation is there is a huge comfort, it always has been, and actually when I started in ITT the first thing I did was sign up to NASBTT membership,” she said. “The organisation has shifted and developed dramatically over the past five years. Initially it was more of an advice/support service to members. Now we have a wide range of products and services, all of which are designed to help the sector to develop. Accessing our online CPD modules and video resources for teacher educators, mentors and early career teachers, for example, is hugely valuable as we are giving people content they had either not thought about creating or had the time to develop themselves.”

Anna spoke about her pride in working for Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT and challenged schools to “do everything you can to support the future of the profession”. She explained: “We are proud of our profession and privileged to be able to work with so many inspirational trainees as they start their journey to become excellent teachers and future school leaders. The depth and strength of our partnership with schools across Suffolk and Norfolk means that we train our trainees to be part of the whole teaching profession rather than training them to teach in just one type of school. But we know nationally that some schools do not engage in ITT at all. If everyone took that approach we would not have teachers.”

NASBTT Executive Director Emma Hollis added: “I would like to formally welcome Anna as our Chair of Trustees. Our Trustees provide incredibly valuable support and challenge, as Anna herself has for over five years’ now, and I am really looking forward to working with Anna in her new role. I would also like to take this opportunity to once again thank Ian Hollingsworth who offered unerring support during his time as Chair. Professionally, he has been my guide and my supportive challenger as I have grown in my role leading NASBTT. He has also directly helped our team to grow the organisation to what it is today.”

Blue Sky, which is based at The Lodge at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, part of the Romero Catholic Academy, welcomed more than 20 education professionals to one of its first in-person sessions as part of a bid to help teachers in the region maximise their potential.

The session saw a mixture of teachers, teaching assistants and leaders hear about the new opportunities and take part in a seminar focussed on improving pupil engagement and progress in Maths lessons.

Will Allen, Director of Blue Sky, has collaborated with strategic and professional partners to harness talent across primary, secondary and special schools in the region ahead of the launch.

The programme aims to ensure the best possible teaching standards for the benefit of children and young people in the city by providing school-to-school support in target areas.

He said: “This is an exciting new chapter for Blue Sky as we expand our training and development opportunities to teachers across Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, and ultimately have a real impact on the learning experience of children across the region.

“The level of expertise we have across the Romero Catholic Academy is tremendous, and while we continue to make this accessible to our own staff members, our expansion means that we will also offer these opportunities to other schools as part of a bespoke support package, whether that’s for certain subjects, leadership skills, or for SEND learning.

“Our new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme will be one of our flagship provisions following our expansion, but we will also look to extend invites to events, seminars and workshops throughout the school year, while having the capability to visit schools to deliver training in house.

“We’d love to hear from other schools and fellow education professionals about their personal development plans, and look forward to rolling out our new and improved provision in the next academic year.”

Blue Sky is delivering CPD to schools across the city throughout the academic year, including courses on Catholic Leadership, Senior Leadership Development, Subject Leadership, Teacher Development and a wide range of additional training and workshops.

For more information visit blueskytsa.org.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference 2022 (16-17 March – Manchester)

This conference centres on the best practice for equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education. Following on from the black lives matter movement and growing inequality in our society, this conference will facilitate discussions on improving equality and inclusion. Ideally, this should help teaching professionals strategize and take action towards boosting inclusivity.

Curriculum design and practice (24 March – online)

This event invites teachers, practitioners, researchers, leaders, managers, and academics to share their analysis of the curriculum. The idea is to take a research-first approach to designing the curriculum. With workshops and panel events across the day, this should be enlightening for anyone interested in what we ask students to learn.

Learning and Teaching Conference 2022 (6-7 July – Liverpool)

The theme of this learning and teaching conference will be inclusion and belonging. This is in response to many students feeling lonely and isolated during their degree – over a quarter of students have reported feeling lonely often or always. And this has become more of a problem since the shift to online teaching during the pandemic. Indeed, this conference will focus on discussing ways to make students feel a part of their university and course. With workshops, debates and discussions, this promises to move the dialogue forward.

ECE 2022 (14-17 July – London)

The 10^th European Conference on Education is one of the biggest events in the education calendar. This event brings together leading scholars and academics for networking, renewed friendships and to spread ideas. It’s one of the headlining educational conferences, as it offers industry leaders a global platform to spread ideas. If you’re considering attending, then it’s worth exploring serviced apartments in London to stay in during your visit.

BERA Conference 2022 (5-8 September – Liverpool)

The British Educational Research Association’s conference takes place later in the year in Liverpool. This conference is all about sharing ideas and networking to find funding for educational research. If you have an idea for an academic study on education, then this can be the perfect conference to help sharpen your ideas with like-minded and contrasting viewpoints.

There are plenty of exciting educational conferences on the calendar for 2022. Wherever you live in the UK, there’s an opportunity to visit one of the above conferences and network and share ideas with leading educational thinkers and academics.

After the success of the first in-person show in 2 years in Birmingham, the show will now be back at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London on Wednesday the 27th April 2022 and you can attend for free.

The Schools & Academies Show is a staple in the education calendar and over a decade has now become the go-to event for education leaders to source solutions for their schools, meet innovative suppliers, network with like-minded peers and hear from the most influential policy makers and decision makers in education.

The Schools and Academies Show unites the biggest names across the UK’s education sector to share insights, advice and solutions. In attending, education professionals mention that it is a fantastic opportunity to discover ways to tackle the day to day challenges that arise across the sector.

All educational professionals are able to get a free ticket, giving access to 30+ hours of CPD accredited content, spanning across 9 themed theatres. Visitors will also have 8 hours of per to peer networking and access to meet with over 140 leading education suppliers showcasing revolutionary products & services for the sector.

This year, the Schools and Academies Show is proudly supported by the Department of Education and the Education & Skills Funding Agency and is set to attract over 3000 senior education leaders for networking opportunities all under one roof.

Throughout the day the most talented voices in the education sector will be sharing their knowledge, expertise and guidance on how schools, academies and MATs can better adapt to the changing landscape.

There are already a great selection of speakers confirmed to be speaking at the show including:

• DOMINIC HERRINGTON, National Schools Commissioner, Department for Education
• AMANDA SPIELMAN, HMCI – Children’s Services and Skills, Ofsted
• SOFIA COSTA, EdTech Policy Advisor, Department for Education
• TIM BOWEN, National President, NAHT
• STEPHEN MORALES, Chief Executive, Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL)
• RACHEL SYLVESTER, Political Editor, The Times, Chair – The Times Education Commission
• SERDAR FERIT, Co-Founder & CEO, Lyfta
• ANDY MCHUGH, Teacher and Editor, HWRK Magazine
• HANNAH STOLTON, CEO, Governors for Schools
• SHARON WARMINGTON, Founder, National Black Governors Network and National Association of School and College Clerks
• TOM GOLDMAN, Deputy Director, Funding Policy Unit, Department for Education
• Plus many more

Each speaker, dedicated to their respected craft across the education sector will lead in either a keynote session, live debate or discussion, or tailored workshops, ensuring visitors feel empowered, inspired and ready to implement key techniques, guidance and resources at the forefront of their institution.

New for 2022, the show have also launched Schools & Academies Show Extra, an additional virtual day on their platform, ConnectEd, on Thursday the 28th April. This extra virtual day is exclusive all show registrants and will provide visitors & exhibitors with the chance to take part in virtual 1-2-1 meetings the day after the in-person show. Schools & Academies Show Extra will also include limited on-demand content that does not get covered at the face-to-face event.

Registration for The Schools & Academies Show is completely free for those working in schools, multi-academy trusts, charities, and local and central government.

Register for free here: https://hubs.la/Q014t7Pk0

By registering early, you’ll be the first to receive the latest insights, initiatives and guidance on the changes shaping the ever-evolving education sector.

Roughly three quarters of recruits are over 25 years old – as the National Institute’s any time, any place model attracts second-career recruits.

And against worrying warnings from NAHT and others of a possible exodus of school and college leaders following the pandemic, courses to enhance the expertise and skill of experienced staff are showing a rise in interest and applications.

Core to these achievements are the National Institute’s flexible programmes, which blend online learning with local school-based practice, giving aspiring teachers access to nationwide sector-leading training. Meanwhile, multiple start points, part time routes and modular courses are attracting older and second-career recruits, further expanding the pool of skilled teachers.

All National Institute courses are apprenticeship-approved, meaning schools can use their apprenticeship levy to fund training at no additional cost. This is providing a convenient and financially-effective route for experienced teachers to enhance their skills – with a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Senior Leader Apprenticeship, alongside coaching and CPD courses, providing cradle to grave development for teachers at every stage in their career.

• The West Midlands saw the most applications to the National Institute, followed by London
• 31 is the average age of its initial teacher training student
• While the more traditional ‘tuition fee’ route is the most common route into teaching here, salaried and apprenticeship routes are growing in popularity, indicating an increasing trend towards training on the job
• 96 professionals enrolled on the National Institute’s Masters course in its first year, and around a third of trainees on its leadership courses are below 35

Professor Geraint Jones, Executive Director and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, National Institute of Teaching and Education, said: “Recruitment and retention issues in teaching have been getting worse over the past two decades. The new National Institute of Teaching and Education is aiming to help address these issues and is demonstrating that high quality courses, combined with more flexible training models, can attract more teachers into the profession, and also upskill and inspire those further into their careers. We need to make it easier for teachers and school leaders to access the best training that can be completed at a time and location suitable for them. Continuous professional development for teachers is the one way to develop a truly world class education system in this country.”

www.nationalteachinginstitute.org

The Hub officially opened on 1st September to provide high-quality training and professional development to support teachers and leaders at every stage of their career, with the objective of raising teaching standards and contributing significantly to school improvement.

It supports schools in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – primary, secondary and alternative provision – with the Early Career Framework (ECF), National Professional Qualifications (NPQ), Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

360 ECTs and 341 mentors (school teachers overseeing the ECTs) have attended local group sessions on the ECF, which gives all new teachers a funded entitlement to a structured two-year package of high-quality professional development at the start of their careers, and feedback from delegates has been hugely positive.

93% of ECTs and 89% of mentors rated the quality of their training as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ and 92% and 89% (respectively) ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they would be able to apply their learning to their practice. These sessions have been undertaken by ECT lead provider partner, Education Development Trust (EDT), and now plans for ECT and mentor regional conferences in January 2022 are being finalised.

The Hub is also offering all six NPQs for teachers and leaders via its lead provider partners Teach First and the Church of England, and 43 school professionals having signed up to programmes beginning in November. And with the DfE’s confirmation on 1st December of reforms to ITT courses, including the role of Teaching School Hubs “to support training providers, especially locally and in disadvantaged communities”, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub will step up its work with the three School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers in the area.

Meanwhile, a range of wider DfE and Hub approved CPD opportunities, including those with specialist Curriculum Hubs around subject-specific knowledge, have been accessed by around 40 primary and secondary school teachers.

“Our first quarter supporting teacher development from EYFS to Key Stage 5 has brought a strong start for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub,” said Hub Lead Lynne Birch (pictured). “We have had a high level of engagement with schools in the area and actually exceeded the number of ECTs and mentors we were anticipating to support by around 160. Initial Teacher Training has been provided by our partners: CTSN SCITT, The Cambridge Partnership SCITT and Teach East SCITT, which is a wonderful example of expertise being drawn together through the Hub model. Recruitment to NPQs has also been very pleasing indeed and we are moving forward with all other areas. Our children deserve high-quality education and by being a centre of excellence, working collaboratively through strong, supportive partnerships which promote and value fairness, equality, inclusion and diversity, we can achieve our stated objectives.”

The Cam Academy Trust has engaged with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub on several levels. “We hope and expect that both the support for ECTs and the access to NPQs will be important and significant professional development for many of our staff,” explained Chief Executive Stephen Munday CBE. “All our ECTs are registered with the EDT, the named provider for ECF support for ECTs, which has been sorted out through Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub and is a crucial area of teacher support for us. Many of our staff will be registering for NPQs through Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub, as well as other Teaching School Hub providers. These are an important source of leadership development.”

Mr Munday added that he was looking forward to exploring other opportunities with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub. “We hope that we will be able to engage with further and wider areas of staff professional development, including contributing to the delivery and even design of these,” he said. “These would go beyond NPQs and ECT support. We will also continue to play a central role in overseeing a major SCITT that will provide much ITT in the area. Positive working relationships with key people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub mean that we can work well and appropriately with seeking to move forward with the Hub.”

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub, which was awarded to Histon and Impington Junior School (now Histon and Impington Brook Primary School) in January, is part of a strategic partnership called Iceni Teaching School Hubs alongside Saffron Teaching School Hub (Braintree, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow, Uttlesford) and Unity Teaching School (Forest Heath, Mid Suffolk, St Edmundsbury, Suffolk Coastal). It also works with Alpha Teaching School Hub, Chafford Hundred Teaching School Hub, Inspiration Teaching School Hub and Julian Teaching School Hub, as well as local authority partners Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council.

Children and young people will be able to take part in the debates in school through the Smart School Councils’ Big Debate Club, a model which provides teachers with a range of free classroom and online activities.

The debates will engage students of all ages and abilities with questions and topics about the different elements of the restoration and renewal programme, enabling children to learn more about the Palace of Westminster and express their opinions and perspectives on the importance of the project.

Sarah Johnson, CEO, Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body said: “As we get on with the job of developing the plan to restore the iconic Houses of Parliament, it is important to remember that children and young people are the future custodians of this historic building. I am delighted that we are working with the Smart School Councils charity to hear the views of young people about the restoration and renewal of the Houses of Parliament.”

Schools will be able to upload their responses on a range of aspects of the restoration to the Big Debate Club website and these views will be used to inform the detailed and costed restoration plan which is being developed by the Restoration and Renewal Programme.

A further two Big Debate Club questions exploring the restoration of Parliament in relation to sustainability and accessibility will take place in June 2021. There will be a future series of activities later in 2021.

Schools that sign up to the Big Debate Club will also be provided free continued professional development (CPD) webinars giving an additional layer of support to help teachers to facilitate meaningful classroom discussions on the topic of Restoration and Renewal.

These activities are part of a range of work planned to engage the public across the UK with the Restoration and Renewal Programme.

Schools can participate in the debates for free by visiting https://bigdebateclub.com/

Wellspring Academy Trust held its annual Festival of Learning virtually, showcasing the future of trust-wide interaction and shared learning. Whilst the shift was necessary due to Covid restrictions, the process has revealed how effective, engaging CPD can be delivered on a large, geographically diverse, trust-wide basis.

Natalie Hardman, chief administration officer, at Wellspring explains: “Our Festival of Learning is a highlight of our year, and a fantastic opportunity for our community of 25 schools to get together, be inspired and share their knowledge. There was no way we could let Covid stop that!

“Moving online proved hugely successful. We had 1,696 people all online together to watch the live stream of our keynote speaker and attendees booked 5,182 sessions in total. As well as colleagues from across the trust, we also welcomed colleagues from a further fifteen non-Wellspring schools.

“Sharing best practice across a trust that is spread across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and eight local authority areas can be a huge logistical challenge, but our virtual Festival of Learning has demonstrated quite convincingly how technology can overcome that challenge. One of the clear benefits of being part of a large trust is the vast amount of experience contained within it. By developing online opportunities for collaboration, we can really make the most of that.

“We are now exploring more options for online learning, including broadcasting of expert knowledge sessions for educational professionals across Wellspring and beyond. Professional generosity is an important part of our charitable purpose and we are committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise to benefit all. The opportunity for increased online sharing and CPD within MATs and the education sector as a whole is a really exciting prospect.”

Wellspring’s Festival of Learning was held on 12 February and attendees benefited from workshops on a huge variety of subjects ranging from behaviour management approaches to how to best use the Google Education platform. A keynote speech was delivered to all by Jaz Ampaw-Farr before attendees than joined their chosen four sessions throughout the course of the day.

Wellspring currently manages 25 schools, with that figure set to grow significantly over the next few years. It operates in mainstream primary and secondary, as well as having extensive experience in delivering special and alternative provision. Wellspring also manages a portfolio of complementary services, include mental health support services, community projects for young adults with special needs, and a host of training and consultancy services around behaviour management in schools.

Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA said: “During the first national lockdown BESA members provided over £30m of free support and resources to schools. We don’t expect that our members will be able to offer the same level of free support this time around, so we are directing schools to three initiatives that will help them identify the products and services for remote learning that are recommended by their peers, so that they can put in place the measures they need as quickly as possible.”

Firstly, the LendED platform is an online tool offering teachers the opportunity to search, select and trial education technology resources for free, to determine their suitability before committing to purchase. As additional support, BESA have worked with their member companies to offer a wide range of additional resources that are specifically designed to support home learning. LendED has the full support of the Department for Education and was included in their list of recommended remote learning tools. All resources on the LendED platform have been provided by BESA members, trusted suppliers who have signed up to the BESA Code of Practice, so schools can be confident in their quality and service.

BESA has also released access to video recordings of the recent LearnED Online CPD event, which took place in November. LearnED brings together teachers from around the regions to share best practice and deliver peer to peer learning. The November edition focused on the challenges of delivering remote learning and featured case studies and panel discussions which highlight those schools and teachers who have managed the process well, and offers support for any educator looking for guidance. The videos can be accessed for free via LearnED.org.uk

In August BESA published a report on Learning after Lockdown that featured school case studies on the products and services that they had found useful during the first lockdown, and signposted additional measures that schools might want to consider as they started the new academic year. The lessons learned the first time around serve as a good signpost for any school looking for a starting point, and covers key areas such as blended learning, mental health, safeguarding and wellbeing. The pack can be downloaded free from the BESA website.

In a report published today, the IOP is urging governments across the UK to commit to establishing an entitlement for teachers which ensures at least half of their professional learning is subject-specific. The report, Subjects Matter, says this change would raise student academic outcomes, and ultimately economic prosperity, through increases in UK workforce productivity.

Governments can seize this opportunity, IOP recommends, by building a world-class system of subject-specific CPD to ensure that all teachers are able to improve their subject knowledge throughout their careers. Such a system would provide all students, in all schools, with access to high-quality subject teaching. This would increase the number of well-educated students and consequentially increase overall UK economic productivity, the IOP says. It would also reduce the current disparity of academic performance between UK regions, presenting government officials with a high-value opportunity to continue building on the ‘levelling up’ agenda. The additional investment would represent about 1% of the salary budget.

Jonathan Flint CBE, IOP President and a former managing director at BAE Systems, commented on the pressing business case to invest in teachers: “Great teachers inspire the best outcomes in their students, whatever their subject. They are key to the UK’s future prosperity, and this proposal to raise teaching standards is an opportunity we must seize as soon as possible.

“Governments across the UK have a real chance here, to improve student outcomes over the long term while also tackling the economic emergency posed by the pandemic. By investing in the teaching workforce of today, we can better equip more students with the knowledge, understanding and abilities that will fuel the industries of tomorrow. Now is our opportunity to act, particularly given the UK already has a critical skills deficit, serious teacher recruitment and retention challenges, and ingrained inequality.

“This is the time to be investing in great teachers – giving them the tools and support they need to help students to realise their full potential. If the UK is to fulfil its ambition of becoming a research and innovation-driven knowledge-based economy by the end of decade, UK PLC will need to see this kind of investment in the teaching workforce in the next Comprehensive Spending Review.”

Pointing to a wealth of evidence, the Subjects Matter report states that – in terms of improved attainment and progression rates – teaching quality has been shown to be the single most important school-related factor in determining student outcomes. It also has a larger influence than class size or teacher salaries. Unlike other professions such as doctors and lawyers, however, there is currently no UK-wide requirement for teachers to develop knowledge of their specialist subject through accredited CPD after they qualify at the start of their careers.

According to the 2018 Department for Education Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), fewer than 50% of teachers in England had participated in curriculum-related CPD in the twelve months prior to the survey, compared to almost 90% of teachers in Shanghai and 80% of teachers in Singapore.

In addition, the survey found teachers in England engaged in less CPD overall than in most other high performing countries, and were less likely to engage in subject-specific CPD. Further DfE data shows that CPD expenditure varies hugely between schools and local authorities, with the highest expenditure-per-student in England being nearly ten times greater than the lowest.

Emily Perry, Professor of Education at Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University welcomed the publication of the Subjects Matter report, saying: “There is a strong body of evidence which shows that many teachers lack access to high quality CPD. Therefore, I welcome this report from the Institute of Physics, which draws together the evidence to propose constructive, achievable ways in which the UK governments can improve the quality and provision of teacher CPD.

“It’s very helpful to see how teachers can be better supported to engage in subject specific CPD, through changes in the culture, provision and its quality. The IOP has provided recommendations that will result in all teachers gaining access to high quality support to improve their subject and pedagogical expertise, thereby increasing their retention in the profession and improving the educational outcomes of children and young people.”

https://www.iop.org/about/publications/subjects-matter