Learning & Teaching Training Professional Development Menu

Courses are based on the modules in the one-stop learning and teaching manual. All modules interrelate but do not duplicate.  Most can be combined very well on a pick and mix basis to form longer training sessions of a day or more.

Audience - all courses suitable for teachers and teaching assistants individually or in groups (ideally no more than 20). Content negotiable for each school.

For further information about these courses, please go to contact, rates and terms and fill in the form available.

What makes an outstanding lesson?

A better understanding of the Ofsted learning and teaching judgement.

A course for experienced class teachers. How can you produce an outstanding lesson? How are Ofsted judgements made? What strategies and components do you need to include?

Duration: Twilight or half day sessions. Small group support and advice for fast track teachers has proved very successful.

 

Assessment for Learning

• Sharing learning objectives
• Sharing success criteria
• Modelling
• Questioning
• Feedback policies, using self-evaluation and peer assessment

Duration: Negotiable but a minimum of 3 two hour sessions or combined into a day or half days. Follow up strongly advised. Small group support and advice with planning has proved very helpful. The most popular course by far.

 

Personalised Learning

• What is personalised learning?
• Employing long term goals
• Using learning logs
• Ensuring learning is relevant

Duration: Half day

 

Optimum Learning

• Employing the most effective lesson structure
• Providing for different styles of learning
• Engaging the whole brain
• Effective modelling and demonstrating
• Assessing and developing knowledge and thinking through skilled questioning
• Making good use of exposition to inspire through knowledge and passion

Duration: Two hour sessions available on each aspect or pick and mix combined into a day or half days.

 

Balancing a broad curriculum for all round development

Recognising and valuing learner achievement in all areas of the curriculum - multiple intelligence theory.

Duration: Two hour session

 

Effective study skills programmes

• Effective recall techniques
• Knowledge of mind mapping

Duration: Two hour session on each or add to a pick and mix.

 

Effective thinking skills programmes

• A clear understanding about how to teach thinking skills
• Problem solving
• Reasoning

Duration: Whole or half day depending on depth and detail wanted.

 

Developing creativity

• Knowing what you mean by creativity
• Effective teaching of creativity
• Making the whole school a creative environment
• Effective creative planning across the curriculum

Duration: Two hour introduction, half day or whole day depending on depth and detail wanted. Links well with questioning and/or thinking skills programme.

 

Providing emotional security and developing emotional intelligence

• Being relaxed and stress free
• Encouraging social skills

Duration: Two hour introduction, half day or whole day depending on depth and detail wanted.

 

Planning surgeries

• Planning advice given to individual teachers or a group (usually in the same cohort) to improve planning and therefore teaching
• Advice ensures that all Ofsted requirements are met and especially helps to support the understanding of AfL and differentiation in practice

Duration: groups released over a half or full day.

This is what teachers had to say about the Learning & Teaching Training:

The training that Sue ran today at St. Mary's was excellent, and all staff, including teaching assistants, were able to access the content and learn something from it.

The feedback from all staff has been very positive.

Her approach has been very effective in moving staff forward.

Sue provides effective, focused discussion that stimulates teachers to be analytical of their practice and want to improve class performance. Through well modelled guidance we clearly understood the real difference specific feedback to children can make and how this is fundamental in raising standards. Sue doesn't tell you what to do; she shares with you the experience.

Thank you in supporting and working with us as a team.

Kingston teachers

Sue - Your INSET has certainly enabled us to move forward with AFL at Stover Preparatory School. Last Monday we had a follow up session and teachers discussed progress made and shared ideas that have worked for them. We have a few 'working walls' in place and there is much more evidence of Success Criteria and Learning Objectives in pupil books and being discussed in general.

The teachers filled out a new copy of your questionnaire and it was exciting to see that they all feel they have moved ahead with their implementation. I have also noted good developments in my lesson observations.

Thank you again for coming to assist us with this important initiative.

Caroline Coyle, Assistant Principal, Preparatory School, Stover School, Devon