Newsletter Achieving Excellence Together May 2018 – Issue 25

HER CANOL DE CYMRU Equity and Excellence for All CENTRAL SOUTH WALES CHALLENGE w Andrea May, Strategic Lead for Learning and Teaching at Central South Consortium For this edition, I take my inspiration from the greeting of the Masai In This Issue... Warriors: ‘Kasserian Ingera’. ‘And how are the children?' Dr Steve Creating the Climate for Munby shared it with us, at the recent secondary headteachers Change p5 conference. The priority for the Masai warriors is their children’s Teach First Participant wellbeing. All children belong to all their people. Their children’s Insights - Pedagogy and welfare is their reason for being and the responsibility lies with Literacy p6 all. As a profession, this is the moral purpose that binds all of us. Developing a Focus on Our new curriculum places all children firmly in the centre of its Creativity p8 vision. It is the reason we must all become involved; this reform will The Journey of a Pioneer transform the future generation. School p9 At the recent Culture for Learning p10 secondary Creating Urgency and headteacher Welsh Forming Powerful Government Coalitions p12 conference, Kirsty Developing the Reflective Williams, Cabinet Practitioner p14 Secretary for Working in Partnership p15 Education told Becoming a Learning us ‘We are in the Organisation p16 process of making Welsh education Language and Culture p19 history’. How exciting is that? For more information on the As a profession, we are involved in making a change; it is a change Central South Consortium or if that is unprecedented and a change that is being brought to you would like to contribute to the attention of the international education community. We are this newsletter, contact us at: learning from them; but they are also learning from us! [email protected] or telephone 01443 827500. Wow! What a time to be involved in education! Across the Central South region, nearly all schools are engaged Sign up here to keep up to date in #creatingtheclimateforchange. Schools across the region are with the latest news and updates collaborating, co-constructing and sharing their experiences like from the region in our weekly never before! school bulletin, see our CSC blog and follow us on So where are we on our journey? Twitter, Facebook, Instagram The AOLEs are taking shape. Our curriculum pioneers have and LinkedIn. stepped up the pace! They have been refining the ‘What matters’ statements and have now moved on to consider the progression steps, working closely with CAMAU (Trinity St David and Glasgow

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University) to support their thinking. They have visited international and national settings, as

PILLARS: well as engaging with research. The digital pioneers have been working on integration and mapping the DCF into the standards, as well as considering its role within AOLE’s. Both sets of Pedagogy pioneers have been asking opinions of partner schools, of their clusters and their networks, to ensure wider voices are heard! These are all our children; we all need to be involved for their future. Professional learning pioneers have been undergoing an induction period, which has involved learning about the journey of curriculum design and development. They have also been considering the process of inquiry and its place in curriculum design. A focus on pedagogy is vital and this is where the professional pioneers have focused their own energies, alongside them trying out the new professional standards and considering their schools as learning organisations. Their next steps; to carry out some work on the progression step, discussing with teachers in their schools, as well as some partner school whether they are fit for purpose. The pioneers have also been working closely with all their partner schools, holding a number of sessions to discuss ‘readiness’. The feedback from these sessions have been extremely positive; here are a few comments:

"I now have a much clearer idea of how to lead curriculum change and what will be expected."

"Excellent to hear pioneer journeys and find out how schools have been working collaboratively."

"Diolch yn fawr. It is good to know we are well on the way to creating a much more exciting time in education."

"Focused and informative- small groups meant we were able to talk about and share experiences."

"Can’t wait to get my teeth into this."

Most schools have now completed and returned the tool, reflecting on their current position. This has created a great deal of professional dialogue and has allowed many schools to take some key steps towards the realisation of the new curriculum. The outcomes have given us at CSC an indication of regional needs, which will contribute towards the professional learning offer over the next financial and academic year. We need you to keep telling us your needs. We need you to let us know what support you

www.cscjes.org.uk 2 require as the curriculum reforms gather pace. And it is gathering pace! Here are a few examples of how schools are using the readiness tool: • Involving governors in the reform process, explaining how the school is preparing • Taking elements of the PILLARS and asking departments/key stages to consider where they would place themselves • Creating a dialogue about the language of the new curriculum • Revisiting the school vision, ensuring this aligns with the vision of the new curriculum • Choosing key targets that are achievable in the short term • Developing their partnerships to see what other schools are doing • Looking at their internal organisation structures to ensure professional learning can take place • Using the tool as a baseline for their SIG or Innovation work, using pedagogy as the key driver for collaboration • A secondary SIG has used it to identify its priority areas • Read how the Special Schools are using it in this newsletter. We shall be issuing further support and guidance and we hope you will continue with your efforts to embrace the changes. Pioneers will provide you with updates of their work and continue to support the process. As the curriculum development comes to an end with the draft curriculum due in the new academic year, professional learning will become central to the work of the reforms. This will be vital if we are to realise this new curriculum. Alongside this, the discussion around assessment, evaluation and accountability is also hotting up! We are learning lessons from international work. Whatever system we have, its purpose and function must be clear. It must be reliable. It must be sustainable. It must be continually reviewed. Leadership is vital! And as Graham Donaldson shared with us at the recent secondary heads conference, we need to focus on what matters most and declutter! We need to see our evaluation system as LEARNING. ‘Self-evaluation needs to be for learning and not for looking good!’ This is our challenge as a profession. We need to look at the culture in our schools. Leadership is vital! The National Leadership Academy will help us to achieve this. The Associate Headteachers have been appointed and will help to drive the vision of the Academy and support the voice of schools! The profession has also started to create a dialogue for sharing and support. Are you following the chat on twitter through @networkED? They are asking many pertinent questions and engaging the profession in professional discussions. Hopefully you were able to get to their event at the Tramshed. If you could not make that one, what about

www.cscjes.org.uk 3 the free #Teachmeet in Newport on 23rd May? So many opportunities are out there for the profession to engage in developing their own learning; to support each other; and to share the excellence going on in classrooms across Wales.

Central South Consortium's Teaching and Learning Team

We are pleased to welcome Dominic Broad to the team. Dominic is seconded from Barry Island Primary School to work with us as an Associate Pioneer Lead. His first task will be to visit our Pioneer Schools, to see how the curriculum readiness is progressing and identify some practice worth of sharing. He will also visit some partner schools. There is so much going on in our region - we really want to capture as much as possible.

Dominic Broad Associate Pioneer Lead [email protected]

Debbie Lewis Andrea May Richard George Senior Lead for Strategic Adviser for Strategic Adviser for Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning Curriculum Support [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Exciting times! Let us continue to #createtheclimate. Teachers are change makers. These are all our children; let us build equity and excellence for all and start using the Masai greeting: ‘Kasserian Ingera’

www.cscjes.org.uk 4 Creating the Climate: Using the Readiness Tool to Support Change PILLARS: Gwyn Daniels, Assistant Head, Greenfield School, Merthyr Tydfil Pedagogy In preparing for the changes that are driven by The National Mission, the school has revisited its values and created opportunities for discussion about the shape of a curriculum that will be specific in serving the learners of the school. The Readiness Tool was useful in providing a baseline from which progress in this journey may be measured whilst providing useful reflection for the school self-evaluation process. Following the training provided through the SIG network in the Spring term, strategic planning meetings were organised to reinforce understanding of the Four Core Purposes of the curriculum and to construct the necessary professional learning groups that will prepare and develop the Areas of Learning and Experience throughout the school. Teachers and support staff have received training to widen perspectives on Successful Futures and to become more familiar with the twelve pedagogical principles and how these might look in a connected curriculum that will foster knowledge and understanding with functional skills. Responsibilities for curriculum leaders have been planned in addition to the creation of an Innovation Group that will drive on pedagogy, interventions and action research.

The Pillars within the Readiness Tool have provided useful themed headings that have given focus for self-evaluation and the statements within each section point to the ‘next step’ priorities in that continuum. The tool has provided confidence and reassurance when the statements have reflected our developments that are aligned with current national guidance. For example, this year, case studies on pedagogical principles and digital competence have provided focus for professional learning and collaboration between schools. In addressing 'Innovating Learning Experiences' statements in the Readiness Tool, reference to the 'What Matters' for each AoLE has provided the rationales that form the basis of strategic thinking for each area and the context for pupil voice in the development of our curriculum. More than ever, the meaningfulness and relevance of that curriculum to our learners will be crucial in motivating and attracting their investment in the provision that supports their learning.

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Developing Cross-Curricular Pedagogy PILLARS: The experiences of Jessica Nelms - Teach First Participant 2017 - Pedagogy Willows High School, Cardiff The first element of the new curriculum for Wales introduced was the Digital Competence Framework (DCF). As defined by the Welsh Government, Digital Competence is “the set of skills, knowledge and attitudes that enable the confident, creative and critical use of technologies and systems”. In a world where technology plays a pivotal role, it is unsurprising that Digital Competence is one of three cross- curricular responsibilities alongside literacy and numeracy. Since joining Willows High School last September, I have been passionate about using the DCF as a mechanism of bringing opportunity from the outside into the classroom. The proportion of pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at Willows High School is 44%, significantly higher than the national average of 17%. Research by Teach First has shown that “disadvantaged pupils are almost twice as likely to find themselves no longer in education, employment or training after they finish school”. It is therefore crucial that schools discover ways of embedding digital skills to a wide range of subjects and experiences to create opportunity for a range of pupils. Teachers must also help pupils see how easy the use of this technology can be. In order to study a text, it is vital for pupils to consider its historical context. In this instance, I needed to cover the Wall Street Crash to a class of GCSE English Literature pupils. Whilst planning such a lesson for Year 10 I began to think about ways of bringing the Stock Exchange to life for the pupils. A simple opening of Street View would enable us to walk down Wall Street and not only see the prominence of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) but also the towering sky scrapers and grand buildings. I Snapchatted the NYSE, explaining we were a school from Cardiff and asking them how the Exchange had changed over the past 100 years. I admit that this was a bit of a gamble, but to my astonishment they read and subsequently responded to my message, explaining how “a lot has changed over the last 100 years”. The next day, the class and I were walking down Wall Street using the interactive white board and reading the Snapchats. The pupils could not believe that the NYSE had been in contact with us and had provided us with a video of what goes on inside the Exchange. I now embed learning through technology into as many lessons as possible. My pupils are lucky to be embarking on a partnership with my former employer, Hugh James Solicitors, a top 100 UK Law Firm based in Cardiff, which has offered to mentor pupils in terms of further education and beyond, as well as supporting our DCF work. It is encouraging that firms like Hugh James are willing to do this, especially in light of the introduction of the DCF. Many of us take for granted the simplicity of sending an email or even opening a webpage, however for many pupils who do not have access to a computer or WIFI outside of their schools, such activities can transform their lives. I do not believe that the DCF is meant to mean huge changes within the classroom but should be used as a stepping-stone to introduce and explore what technology can do for young people today.

www.cscjes.org.uk 6 Developing a Focus on Literacy The experiences of Nia Oatley - Teach First Participant 2017 - PILLARS: Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda, Porth Pedagogy The impact of pupils’ ability to write well — that is, to write clearly, coherently and with creativity — on their life chances is immeasurable, and thus it is imperative for schools and teachers to develop the capabilities of pupils to write well in preparation for their adult lives. A 2014 Estyn report on English in key stages 2 and 3 noted that in a significant minority of secondary schools ‘pupils lack an understanding of the writing process, including editing work to improve the content’ (Estyn 2014: p. 2).

The Rhondda Valley’s first Welsh Medium Comprehensive School prioritises consistent and creative efforts to raise standards of literacy across the curriculum. I sought to contribute to the school’s wealth of work by employing techniques in my classroom which combined two pedagogical approaches which are often understood as on opposite ends of the pedagogical spectrum, metacognition and subject knowledge. I observed that my Year 9 pupils in particular had difficulties that arose from their limited understanding of the language used in questions and of what is required to craft a successful response to an extended writing question. I considered that these weaknesses could be addressed effectively by the metacognitive foregrounding the skills of planning and prioritisation of information. Thus, I decided to plan, resource and evaluate my lessons with Year 9 from November onwards using these strategies. Secondary school English teacher Andy Tharby writes that ‘Work is admin. Practice, on the other hand, has a destination’ (2017: p. 120). By employing a metacognitive and knowledge based approach, I sought to empower pupils to write in a more meaningful and productive way. By giving pupils a repertoire of carefully curated strategies (namely planning, organisation, redrafting and creative/lateral thinking) to employ during writing practice, I have found that both teacher and pupil are empowered to engage with subject content in a more responsive, productive and creative manner. When pupils are made aware of the array of benefits available to the proficient writer (improved KS3 levels, higher GCSE attainment, and improved longer term educational and career prospects), pupils are empowered to utilise academic knowledge in a more personally meaningful way. Following the initial intervention all pupils saw an improvement in their ability to write well, especially those who tended to perform least well in their writing assignments at the very beginning of the academic year. Such results spurred me to prolong the intervention and to continue to explore its efficacy, a process which continues to see improvements in pupils’ writing.

References: Estyn (2014). English in key stages 2 and 3. June 2014. Cardiff: Estyn Publications. [Online] Available from: https://www.estyn.gov.wales/thematic-reports/english-key-stages-2-and-3- june-2014 Tharby, A. (2017) Making Every English Lesson Count. Six principles to support great reading and writing. Carmarthen: Crown House Publishing Limited.

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Developing a Focus on Creativity PILLARS: Chloe Maddocks, Pencoed Primary School Innovating Initially, after focusing on the school improvement plan for 2016/17, numeracy was our key Learning area of development. Improving the pupils' number skills had been the main focus of this Experiences project. We identified which pupils within the year group needed further support within this area of learning and selected 18 children accordingly from previous data. We then sent out invitations to creative practitioners within the area, to come along to an interview day; a day conducted by some pupils who were involved directly with the project, as well as our Year 6 Ambassadors. This gave us the opportunity to discuss our brief as a school and to talk about any ideas or concerns the artists may have had about the project. We then selected Haf Weighton, a textile artist from Penarth, who worked above and beyond with all staff and pupils. Through careful planning, as a year group we worked closely with the practitioner to expand this project throughout the whole of Year 4 (involving all 60 pupils). Our Year 4, spring term topic was ‘The Stuarts’ and Haf and myself did a lot of research around the early days of afternoon tea– which was made fashionable by the Stuarts.

Haf had some wonderful links which really supported our school and broadcasted how great Pencoed Primary School is. We were fortunate enough to have the pupils' work exhibited at Llandough Hospital in Penarth. We also held a community skills day where S4C came in to interview some of the pupils about the project. This was also a lovely opportunity for members of the community to also come in to school to work with other Year 4 pupils on traditional art methods such as sewing and we also had a candle maker from West Wales to come and do some candle making with the pupils. To end the project, we then held a Stuart themed afternoon tea party for all involved, including the parents of the pupils. Each parent had the opportunity to take part in a literacy or numeracy activity during the afternoon. Throughout the project, the pupils' numeracy skills developed dramatically; each week we would look at a variety of numeracy skills that lend themselves to everyday life, i.e: measuring, doubling, working out costs for the afternoon tea party, budget and profit, numerical reasoning, measuring, halving and working with higher order numbers. As well as a development within their numeracy skills, the project also developed their sense of identity, self esteem, wellbeing and creative thinking. We are very fortunate and grateful for the marvellous opportunity to have our pupils' work displayed at the Saatchi Gallery in London. This year, we have taken a new approach with the project, where foundation phase and key stage 2 are working collaboratively together. We are seeking to develop Outcome 6 Personal and Social Development alongside developing writing at Level 3 in boys. We are working alongside two creative agents, a story teller and a carpenter and the boys are working hard on creating new prompts for our new schools, which can be used to inspire stories, from nursery right through to Year 6.

www.cscjes.org.uk 8 Innovating Learning Experiences: The Journey of a Pioneer School PILLARS: Helen Jones, Headteacher, Maesteg School Innovating Learning In September 2015, I was mercilessly nagged by my two Assistant Headteachers to give them Experiences permission for Maesteg School to sign up to become a Pioneer School. I did so with, if I’m honest, a limited understanding of what it was I was committing to. However, Maesteg School staff have always been up for a challenge and I welcomed the prospect of being involved in the creation of a new curriculum which would replace the tired, content-heavy, cumbersome KS3 National Curriculum. In the following few months we began in earnest and took our role as Pioneers seriously, unearthing research papers on skills curriculums, reading the ‘Trivium Theory’ and other academic texts and researching how other countries developed skills. After reading an article in the Times Educational Supplement, we worked closely with Great Torrington School in Devon who had developed an integrated curriculum in Year 7. Their staff were extremely helpful and attended our joint Inset day in January 2016 where we collaborated with our cluster primary schools. At this event we developed cross-curricular challenges that encouraged pupils to solve real-world problems and showcase their learning to real audiences. These ‘Challenges’ were the basis for our Pioneer Curriculum that went live in September 2016. Our aim was quite simple – to develop a Year 7 curriculum that built on progress pupils had made in primary school; to improve the level of challenge; and raise teachers’ expectations of what our pupils could do. We hoped to remove unnecessary repetition which can so often happen when children start secondary school subject-based timetable and at its most basic level, engender in our children a voracious appetite for learning as a result of the ‘irresistible learning’ experiences we afforded them. We were also keen to continue to build on best practice learned from foundation phase. After spending two days in our feeder primary schools’ foundation classrooms, we designed a classroom that was more suited to active learning similar to those seen in primary schools. Now, our pupils are encouraged to ask questions at every opportunity to guide their own learning and to write them literally everywhere! Humanities, Creative Arts, Science and Technology are part of the Challenge Curriculum, whilst PE (Health & Wellbeing), English, Maths and MFL are delivered in the usual way. Teachers from different subject specialisms, work in teams of 3 to deliver the Challenges on a rotational basis (a new challenge every 6/7 weeks). Although this means that our teachers become ‘experts’ at delivering that challenge, what we lose is continuity with pupils. Next year, the team will remain stagnant, and teachers will deliver all Challenges to their classes.

www.cscjes.org.uk 9 By Year 8, the Challenges are less cross-curricular in nature and more aligned to Donaldson’s 6 Areas of Learning. The AoLE we have been allocated to develop is Humanities and this is certainly an area where we have witnessed significant improvements in terms of pupil progress and outcomes. We have found that pupils in Years 7 and 8 are more engaged in their learning and teachers’ expectations of them are far greater than they have historically been. The quality of extended writing throughout Year 7 and 8 is much better and our learners are more confident in these learning environments. Challenges? Although we are making learning more enjoyable for our learners, we are keen not to lose the subject specialist element within our challenges. We are also still agonising over how we measure progress as we are still accountable for KS3 outcomes – there are no obvious solutions as yet! On the whole I am happy that we are involved in this pioneering process and proud that Maesteg School is trying to find an alternative to our children’s current educational experience. Exciting times lie ahead no doubt.

PILLARS: Culture for Learning Innovating Adam Speight, Head of ICT and Computer Science and Teaching and Learning Learning Coach, Mary Immaculate High School, Cardiff Experiences In the business world it is often said employees are your most important asset, relate this to the world of education and we can translate this to say that in a school environment, learners are our most important asset. Learners are our most important asset as if we can allow them to develop in an environment which suits them, we can get the very best out of each of them. As educators we’re empowered in our classrooms to do this and to do this we must initiate a culture for learning, a culture for learning which not only reflects our own expectations and values but one which ensures no learner gets left behind. Creating this culture whether it’s at classroom, department or whole school level rests upon the collective aspiration to achieve excellence. Excellence in terms of creating a culture for learning rests upon three key principles known as ICE. The first principle of ICE is interaction, a culture for learning needs interaction between learners and their educators to not only be

www.cscjes.org.uk 10 respectful and professional but to be enjoyable. For us as educators this means taking the time to get to know your learners. Getting to know your learners takes time and it might involve asking them a question about how their weekend went, or mentioning something they said to you previously i.e. “how was that concert?” These interactions are not about being friends with learners, nor is it about ignoring learning, it’s about taking time to get to know them. Once you know your learners you will know what makes them tick, once you know what makes them tick you can make them work harder without them realising they’re even doing it. Once you’ve got learners working for you the next part of ICE is to challenge them. Challenge within a culture for learning isn’t just about getting the more able pupils to complete some flashy and impressive extension activity it is about challenging learners to make the next step with their own learning. This element of challenge needs to link back to interaction as learners need to be challenged not just by the educator in the room but also by their peers. To do this, learners need to be given the freedom to explore open-ended learning objectives and should be encouraged to support each other so that the educator becomes the facilitator in the room. To become a facilitator within a culture for learning the final principle of ICE is required and that is expectation. Learners need to learn in an environment whereby challenge is an expectation, learners need to see that through challenge they can succeed and if they don’t succeed at first, it doesn’t matter. Within this concept of expectation learners have an expectation of educators and that is for us educators to make them feel safe. To make learners feel safe we need to interact with them correctly and instil a philosophy that it is ok to make mistakes, providing we learn from them. We need to show learners consistency in what we do.

Consistency within a culture for learning is more than just a PowerPoint at the start of the year which outlines your expectations, it is about modelling for learners what is expected of them. Learners need to see leadership from their educators, leadership which enables them to ask questions, leadership which recognises their achievements and leadership which ultimately enables them to succeed. If leadership is shown from educators and consistency is achieved the “loop” within this concept of ICE can be closed. This loop is all about educators delivering their message and learners interacting and acting on that message. When one of these parties fails to fulfil their role that is where the loop in culture for learning widens, where ICE cannot be implemented effectively, and which causes learners to get left behind, something which should never happen. All learners deserve the very best and the very best involves the implementation of a culture for learning at all levels through this model known as ICE.

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PILLARS: Leading Collaborative Professional Leading Learning: #creatingtheclimate Collaborative Professional Creating Urgency and Forming Powerful Learning Coalitions Andrea May, Strategic Lead for Learning and Teaching at Central South Consortium At this point, I normally give you an update of hub work! We are currently working on the next professional learning offer so in its place, I thought I’d update you with lots of other excellent work that is going on across the region. With collaboration and co-construction, key themes of curriculum reform, as a region we should be celebrating how our schools are embracing change and using the system, structures and processes already in place in the region as a vehicle to enhance this work further. Here is a flavour of some of this work. Innovation funding In February, we gave all schools the opportunity to receive additional funding to support some innovation work. The criteria for this was very simple: 1. Focus your work on pedagogy, linked to the new curriculum 2. Collaborate with each other. We were inundated with requests, with schools eager to work with each other to continue our climate for change! So what are schools working on? Here is a flavour of some of the requests: • DCF and its cross curricular nature • Developing provision in a 3-16 context through cluster collaboration • Collaborative and co-operative learning- utilising Kagan principles and peer-peer coaching • Involving pupils in the four purposes as part of collaborative learning groups • Exploring the connectivity between knowledge and the process curriculum through the work of Lamov • STEM based activities through triad approaches • Foundation phase leaders are exploring the transition to Curriculum for Wales building upon their existing and developing FP pedagogy We have also tried to support schools with developing other key aspects of curriculum reform:

Leadership The Special Schools network are considering the elements of system leadership and growing their network of support.

www.cscjes.org.uk 12 Research and Inquiry Cathays High School are developing their work on action research, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups. The Bryntirion cluster are building on the work that some of the schools have been engaged in with the Fern Federation, exploring reflective practice and inquiry, thus supporting their communities move towards using the PTS in an expansive way. Assessment for Learning and Reducing the Workload A group of 19 schools are exploring key elements of assessment for learning principles and utilising the cross regional workshops on reducing the workload to reflect on practice in their own settings and carry out inquiries to improve their teaching, whilst also supporting the reduction in their workload and giving pupils more responsibilities for their learning. This work is being led by Katy Edwards, Headteacher in Palmerston Primary and Louise Muteham, Seconded CSC officer from Whitchurch Primary School. Also involved are members of our Challenge Team- Sue Prosser, Carys Pritchard and Mandy Sturnam. A group of RCT Deputy Headteachers are working with their Challenge Adviser, Sue Evans, to improve aspects of AfL principles. They are currently reviewing key areas of practice, to ascertain a clear focus for development in order to improve practice in this area. A group of 3 schools in the Vale of Glamorgan are working collaboratively to identify and develop the most effective forms of feedback in their settings, supporting pupils to understand the next steps in learning. Supporting vulnerable learners The Outreach team in Merthyr are exploring how the different settings are adapting for the transition to the new Curriculum. As well as all this, our SIGs continue to work collaboratively on areas of school improvement, with many focusing on key aspects of Curriculum for Wales. Secondary SIG 2 recently held a joint SIG schools learning event, involving staff from all of their schools.

INSET Day brings together Secondary SIG Colleagues On Friday 16th February 2018, Fitzalan hosted a School Improvement Group 2 INSET day with Llantwit Major High School and Cathays High School. The SIG joint INSET day was a product of the learning and teaching SIGlet who had been working together on cross school learning walks to identify strengths and areas for development. From these learning walks, a number of workshops were identified to engage over 380 secondary colleagues in interactive workshops to ensure the highest possible delivery for all of our teachers, and in turn the pupils they work with. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, reporting a productive day in a supportive and inclusive environment. A huge thankyou to all involved. This is just a flavour! We know there is so much more going on! Tell us! We are happy to share in your journey and experiences! #creatingtheclimate Let's make this change happen… together!

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PILLARS: Developing the Reflective Practitioner: Leading Why Bother? Collaborative Professional Andrew Manley, Executive Headteacher, Fern Federation, RCT Learning When faced with the question 'What does it take to become a good teacher?' we need to evaluate the processes of training and professional learning that is undertaken. Students enter University with a range of experiences that will support them in their journey, however logic dictates that these experiences are rarely sufficient to develop the complex range of skills required. Students then begin a process of complying with knowledge based lectures and practical experiences that rarely link, but rather provide confusion and lead to questions regarding the value of the course. On arriving in school, practitioners embark on the “real” journey to becoming a teacher. However with 25% of NQTs leaving the profession there appears to be an issue at this point. The National Mission requires Teacher Agency; in that Teachers become drivers of change based on learning in an ever changing system. For current and aspiring teachers this poses a significant challenge as it follows an extended period of compliance based practice. So what do we require from our practitioners to meet the needs of the National Mission. Teachers will • Need to have extensive knowledge of pedagogy and how in turn to apply that knowledge into the classroom setting. • Need to understand the theory of curriculum design and again apply that knowledge in the practical world. • Require the knowledge to reflect on action • Need to be flexible. • To become engaged in the research process. Simply put, if we accept that reflective practice is the ability to reflect on one's actions so as to engage in a process of continuous learning then we will require all practitioners to behave in this way. Teachers will require far more opportunity to reflect on action in order that they may reflect in action whilst in practice. Thus ensuring the link between theory and practice is much sharper. To facilitate this change, schools will need to develop more structured processes to enable practitioner development. As Schon (1973) states:

“We must make the capacity for undertaking them integral to ourselves and to our institutions. We must, in other words, become adept at learning. We must become able not only to transform our institutions, in response to changing situations and requirements; we must invent and develop institutions which are ‘learning systems’, that is to say, systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation. The task which the loss of the stable state makes imperative, for the person, for our institutions, for our society as a whole, is to learn about learning.”

www.cscjes.org.uk 14 Therefore, schools will need to adapt to facilitate individual professional learning that builds on collaborative, reflective and innovative practices. Professionals will need to be empowered through school and wider systems to celebrate developments that place the learners at all levels at their heart. In order to achieve this the ability of our teachers to reflect on their practice successfully is the single most important enabler in moving forward in achieving the National Mission.

References: Donald A. Schon (1973) Beyond the Stable State, Harmondsworth: Penguin. Pages 28-9

Working in Partnership: PILLARS: Leading Teach First New Approaches Collaborative Yvonne Roberts-Ablett, Fitzalan High School, Cardiff Professional Learning (Teach First Base School) ‘Teach First exists to ensure that no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background’. This is a statement that resonates strongly with us at Fitzalan. We work hard to serve our local community and provide the best possible learning outcomes for our pupils. Having been a Teach First placement school for four years, it appealed to us to be able to contribute more to the training and leadership potential of future participants who pursue the two year school- based initial teacher training programme offered by Teach First Cymru in either maths, English or science. Through a partnership with Teach First and being a base school for the Teach First Leadership Development Programme, Fitzalan is able to have an increased influence over the wider teaching profession. We support our own Teach First participants as well as share our experiences and success with participants from other schools in the region. We hope that this will help to create the next generation of school leaders that uphold these principles and ensure success for the pupils of Wales. As a Teach First Base School we are responsible for providing training to participants from the Central South Consortium region, complimenting the training provided by Cardiff Metropolitan University. In close consultation we are able to provide practical, school context driven training that enables participants to be successful in their own classrooms. We utilise the expertise and experience of staff at Fitzalan High School as well as our partner, Hawthorn High School, to provide the best possible learning experiences for our participants. Such areas have included delivery on behaviour for learning, assessment for learning and aspects of the new Curriculum for Wales. These training opportunities have been received very well by the participants, whose evaluations signal an appreciation of a school centred context that enable them to design practical learning opportunities for their pupils as well as opportunities for the pedagogical discussion and reflection necessary to be an effective classroom practitioner.

www.cscjes.org.uk 15 As a Base School we also share the responsibility of delivering the Summer Institute (SI) curriculum. The 6-week Summer Institute experience 2017 began with an opening ceremony at Hawthorn High School and was designed to support participants to understand the importance of reflection, personal vision and practice, whilst gaining an initial understanding of the pedagogical principles that secure pupil learning. The SI curriculum itself was based on six key areas; Vision, Pedagogy, Subject Knowledge, Leadership, Social and Local Context, and Professional Context. The Secondary Professional Studies & Practice allowed the new participants to plan lessons collaboratively and receive formative feedback from experienced teachers on their strengths and areas for development.

Time spent in school provided exposure to teaching and leadership, allowing for observation of practice, and teaching episodes in a real classroom setting; an invaluable start to teaching in a protected and supported environment. In addition to the teaching episodes, the university led sessions on secondary subject studies and curriculum content to ensure the participants deepened their knowledge and understanding of the subjects they would be teaching. The summer institute provides a safe platform for developing practice in a relatively ‘low stake’ environment and is a unique form of professional development that prepares participants for the new school term and career path ahead. We are currently planning for SI 2018 where we look forward to continuing our partnership with Teach First Cymru and welcoming a new cohort of participants to the teaching profession.

www.cscjes.org.uk 16 Becoming a Learning Organisation: Managing Change in Schools and PILLARS: Leading Organisations Collaborative Andrea May, Strategic Lead for Learning and Teaching at Central South Professional Learning Consortium Teamwork makes the dream work! Andrew Carnegie can be considered as the father of modern philanthropy, with the foundation he established supporting innovation across the world, aiding millions of people. He is not alone in this of course but one of the concepts that Carnegie placed at the heart of his work was ‘teamwork’ “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Andrew Carnegie This quote from Carnegie summarises the importance of ‘teamwork’ and really asks us to consider where individuals fit in the bigger picture of innovation and change. So let us consider this in the context of the changing picture of Welsh education we find ourselves in at present. Kirsty Williams, at the recent Secondary Headteacher conference, alerted us all to the fact that we were making history! At the same conference, Dr Steve Munby talked of the Masai warrior greeting ‘Kasserian Ingera; ‘And how are the children?' Completing any planning process is not easy! What have we achieved? What do we need to achieve? By when? How much will it cost? What resource do we need? Who will be involved? What hasn’t worked so well? These are just a few of the questions we consider in this cyclical process. The musings of all three individuals gives the reasoning and context for the principle of Schools as a Learning Organisations to take a worthy and prominent place within our business plan for the forthcoming year. Essentially, it cannot not be there! Why? It is very simple really! If we are to make education history, all tiers of the system must work together! If we are to make education history, we must place equity and excellence as a central feature of all of our mindsets! If we are to make education history, we need to do things differently! You will notice that I use the term ‘Schools as a Learning Organisation’ above - but the ambition in Wales, outlined within the Education Mission is that the principles within this concept are put into practice across all tiers of the system, including Welsh Government and us here at the Central South Consortium. This is no mean feat for any of us! It requires self-reflection. It requires honesty. It requires considerable communication. It requires resource: investment of time, manpower and money. It requires taking risks. Is it worth it? Totally! Hence its inclusion in our plan! There is no point having something in the plan that will not impact on our pupils in classrooms! But how can putting the principles of SLO do this? To answer this, let us just consider the 7 dimensions and the visual representation that has recently been designed and released.

www.cscjes.org.uk 17 Notice that the four purposes are place there firmly in the centre. This is in keeping with all our beliefs that pupils should be at the heart of all we do! Therefore, any of the organisations around the outer circles should all be working towards this. The 7 dimensions gives us a number of opportunities. The first is to reflect and self-evaluate. Where are we as schools or as organisations for each of these areas? How well developed are the principles? Do all people involved in the organisations have the same understanding? The second opportunity is they give us next steps. Each principle offers an explanation of what it means, what it entails; therefore, as organisations we can move towards developing the culture required and embedding the principle as a natural everyday process, inbuilt into what we do. Why does this help pupils? Staying focused, working towards a vision, goals, creating opportunities, modelling learning and leadership to name but a few, are all essential ingredients we need to model for our young people. They aid in developing aspirations, in showing that learning is not just about the classroom, that it is lifelong and never ends. It aids in showing that, as a team, everyone achieves more. But for this to happen, attitudes and mindsets are essential! As individuals, we cannot achieve everything alone; we have people, systems and processes that enable us to achieve. We can dream alone…. but realisation of the dream comes from both within - the attitude and mindset - and through the help of others. Throughout 2018-19, as an organisation we will be using the 7 dimensions (principles) to support us in the realisation of our goals. We will both mirror and support the work that will be going on in Welsh Government and our schools. Putting these principles into practice will aid in supporting the changes we are facing and rising to the challenges they present. Some

www.cscjes.org.uk 18 of our pioneer schools will showcase how they have been working with the principles. We will be working with the OECD to support us here at Central South with development discussions for all of our colleagues. We will attend the International Conference which takes place in July, allowing us to both learn on behalf of and support our schools in realising the vision set out in Our National Mission and our own goals. In our #creatingtheclimate and the preparations for curriculum reform, we have suggested that schools work towards these principles. Many have been doing this. We urge this to continue and for others to consider the dimensions. Welsh Government’s ‘Schools in Wales as Learning Organisations’ interactive document is available here. An OECD report and new supporting materials are due to be published later in the summer term. Teamwork makes the dream work! Together we can make the world look on and see our children flourish and compete on the global stage. Together we can and will make Welsh education history. Find out more about the Central South Consortium’s current improvement priorities in our 2018-19 Business Plan.

A Focus on Language and Culture: PILLARS: Spanish A Level Workshops Language Y Pant School, Llantrisant and Culture This academic year we launched two inspiring A level Spanish workshops at Y Pant School. The first one was all about Spanish culture in the classroom and ideas of how to introduce the culture into the daily classroom routine. Displays and presentations can be found at Hwb Y Pant. The feedback from this workshop was extremely positive and encouraging. ‘’Excellent session! Valle was very helpful and informative!” and even “ I will put in to place in each lesson, above all in oral lessons!” Our second workshop was all about Franco and Theme 4 of our new specification. We had two magnificent professionals from Cardiff University, Dr Carlos Sanz Mingo and Ana Carrasco delivering this workshop. Dr Mingo delivered a “detailed and very enthusiastic talk” about Civil War and Franco time in Spain. His presentation can be found at Hwb Y Pant. Ana Carrasco provided us with a very interesting, highly informative and valuable presentation about ‘’La casa de Bernarda Alba’’. We were all so impressed, we were even considering changing our book options! In general, we all thoroughly enjoyed both talks from Carlos and Ana and we felt ‘’ready and very confident’’ to introduce Franco (or Paquito as Carlos jokingly calls him) to our Year 13 students! Also it saves loads of preparation time! Delegates agreed they would like to have “More workshops like this one in the future”. As you all know these workshops were completely free. We are open to suggestions for next academic year and hope to support you in teaching A level confidently!

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