DIRECTORY WELCOME TO THE SOUTHAMPTON EDUCATION FORUM (SEF) WELCOME TO THE SOUTHAMPTON EDUCATION FORUM
The Southampton Education Forum (SEF) is a gateway to Southampton's educational community. SEF work reaches 15,000 young people across Southampton and is one of the largest, most coordinated movements of educators in the South of England. SEF was created more than a decade ago (then a traditional 14-19 consortium), as an alliance of leaders who actively champion education in the City. SEF was re-shaped in 2012 in response to the changing needs of the group and through the evolution to 'mixed-economy' education. SEF members represent secondary to university level education from providers across the City and include key civic partners from Southampton City Council. Primary education is also represented on the SEF Executive by Amanda Talbot-Jones (Headteacher and Chair of Southampton Primary Headteacher Group).
At its heart, SEF provides a comprehensive source of learning through sharing. The group 'thinks-and-links' policy into practice and collectively exchanges ideas to improve teaching and leadership across the City. SEF also provides a valuable personal support for its members.
SEF makes a strong contribution to the educational profile of Southampton and Hampshire and our group is highly regarded by local and regional leaders. We are current partners with the Institute for Group Analysis (IGA) who challenge our thinking and deepen understanding across our diverse group through a psychotherapeutic lens. This approach offers Southampton leaders the edge in managing themselves in a rapidly changing education sector.
Led by Kali Warwick (Chair, Operations Group) and Jill Lueddeke (SEF Co-ordinator), SEF has a central core of senior and subject leaders who drive collaboration and key priorities through regular network activities. SEF ensures its direction is equally relevant to colleges by ensuring the Executive Vice-Chair role is fulfilled by a post-16 principal - currently Sarah Stannard (Principal and CEO of City College). The group's work throughout COVID-19 is testament to our commitment to do whatever it takes for our young people. Priorities for 2020/21 include curriculum development and working together to further improve standards across all settings. This directory has been designed to provide an insight into the SEF. For further details, please visit our website: www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk
Stuart Woods
Chair of Southampton Education Forum OUR
AMBITION A CITY OF OPPORTUNITY WHERE EVERYONE THRIVES
SEF exists to secure the highest standards of education for Southampton and to raise the achievement of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. We strive to secure the best collective outcomes for our students and our goal over the next three years is to attain top 50 ranking for key performance headlines. We are committed to achieving this goal whilst sustaining inclusive and appropriate curricula across our group.
Each educational institution offers expertise in its field so that SEF partners benefit from proven experience in what works best locally, regionally and nationally.
Working together with the common moral purpose of school improvement, current activity is now focused on the development of a self-improving system, drawing on deep partnerships between schools, colleges and the universities. At SEF, we are proud to foster an elected accountability model which is based on high levels of open dialogue, challenge and professional trust.
Opportunities to work within SEF arise directly from roles within schools, colleges and our first-rate universities. If you are seeking your next career step and want to make a demonstrable difference to the lives of young people, look out for vacancies across our City.
OUR
VALUES DEEP COLLABORATION. DEEP TRUST.
The Southampton Education Forum unites civic leaders within a framework of shared values, positioning members to gain individual and collective advantage through integrity, openness, commitment and capacity to work for the collective good.
The Forum seeks to establish and maintain meaningful and deep-rooted support and trust between institutions and across phases by honouring confidentiality; championing excellence; valuing diversity and inclusion; recognising differing needs; and encouraging honesty and openness.
If these values resonate with you, then look out for vacancies in Southampton schools and colleges and join us.
www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk SEF SEF STEERING GROUP OPERATIONS GROUP
The Steering Group comprises the chair, the vice-chair Comprised of senior leaders from across the City, the Operations (from a post-16 provider), the treasurer, the chair of the Group drives the strategic direction set by SEF. The Group organises Operations Group, the chair of the Secondary Heads Forum, TeachMeets for newly and recently qualified teachers, as well as the chairs of SEF working groups, representation from HE, events for mid-career professionals. There is a well-established special education, the local authority, a teaching school, and programme of learning walk visits, where senior leaders share the SEF Subject Network Co-ordinator. This group enacts the expertise across the City, focusing on issues of importance to main functions of setting the strategic direction for SEF, individual schools and colleges. Quality assurance of the City- monitoring/evaluating the impact of the various groups and wide continuing professional development programme is activities and managing the financial business of the also carried out by the Operations Group. There are Forum. The Group also serves as a first point of contact for programmes for professionals at all levels: see the Professional external professionals. Offer. During these recent challenging months in 2020, we have been For the past two years the Institute of Group Analysis in a situation we could never have imagined. It has been difficult (IGA) has been working with the Steering Group to further for all, as we adapt to find a 'new normal'. The Ops Group develop and enhance our impact and effectiveness. To read has remained strong, supportive, connected and collaborative. I more about IGA, visit https://www.groupanalysis.org/ am privileged to work with such an outstanding group of senior leaders who are so committed. The group has adapted and found solutions enabling the work to continue, with professional learning at the heart of all we do.
SEF SEF EXECUTIVE FORUM SUBJECT NETWORKS
At Executive level, the Southampton Education Forum draws Subject leaders benefit from termly, subject-specific meetings together its links with both primary and HE partners to drive with their counterparts from other schools and colleges to share the City-wide strategic direction of its work and inform shared best practice. As well as providing subject-specific CPD, the curriculum dialogue in secondary schools and colleges. A networks: key work stream is Peer-to-Peer Review, which represents a • organise intervention work (Science Intervention Day, for City-wide approach to a self-improving schools system, whereby example), providing a wealth of knowledge and experience leaders in City schools and colleges work together to effect from across the City to support student development; system-wide improvement. An annual conference focuses on • lead student enrichment and celebration events (the Annual key educational issues and provides opportunity to identify Film and Media awards; One City: No Barriers event, to name strategic goals for the academic year ahead. but two); • provide an arena where colleagues can share best practice, moderate and standardise student work (particularly useful for lone practitioners) and exchange approaches to implementing new subject specifications/assessment strategies.
www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk NQT/RQT PROGRAMME
The NQT/RQT Programme is an additional programme of support for newly and recently-qualified teachers. Working with others from schools across the City, teachers focus on fine-tuning their practice with respect to THE differentiation, behaviour management, effective teaching strategies and more. They also have the opportunity to observe other new teachers in different contexts, thus developing observation skills and providing new tools for self- evaluation and reflective practice. 3 PROFESSIONAL LEAD PRACTIONER PROGRAMME In the 2017/18 academic year, SEF agreed to fund collaboratively the training of 12 lead practitioners, to share their specialist expertise to support improvement across the City. Now qualified, the 12 lead practitioners will be OFFER deployed across the City. ASPIRING MIDDLE LEADERS PROGRAMME
Through the Operations Group strategic work on Continuing Professional Development, SEF offers an Aspiring Middle Leaders’ Programme. This programme provides opportunity for aspirational teachers who aspire to lead in their schools/colleges to work with other teachers on areas of interest and relevance to middle leadership roles.
Led by experienced senior leaders and using a combination of group work, presentation and professional discussion, colleagues will focus on key leadership concepts, such as the nature of the team, fulfilling HR obligations, interpreting data and the story it reveals, managing difficult conversations, to name several. Teachers have the opportunity to hear from others and to bring their own insights to the discussions.
ASPIRING SENIOR LEADERS PROGRAMME
This programme is aimed at experienced and successful middle leaders who are looking for opportunities to progress to senior leadership, but who still require experience of whole-school approaches to leading and managing.
The programme provides senior leadership experience, as candidates are seconded to their respective school/ college senior leadership teams for half a term and then to a host school/college senior leadership team for another half term, to provide experience of leadership and management in a range of contexts. These two ‘placements’ will also help to gather information and data for the Research Project.
The Research Project requires participants to lead a whole-school/college research project, the focus of which is identified in the application proposal. It will most likely link to an area of further development in the candidate’s home school/college, and the outcome should ultimately benefit both home and host contexts.
Participants are provided with a coach in their home school/college, and a mentor in their host school/college. The programme operates over seven half-terms and is the fruit of a partnership of Southampton secondary schools, FE colleges and the University of Southampton’s School of Education.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR There are CPD programmes to support your development throughout SENIOR LEADERS OF CPDL your career. In September 2019 the South Coast launched its first Teacher Development Trust Regional Hub at Oasis Academy Mayfield. This launch marks the first professional development programme within SEF for senior leaders with responsibility for leading professional development in their respective organisations. The TDT Regional Hub at Many of the senior and executive leaders in Southampton have grown Oasis Academy Mayfield provides high quality CPDL throughout the year, consisting of one twilight session each from within the City; their progress is testament to the many opportunities half term from 4.00pm – 6.00pm. This exciting opportunity is open to all leaders of CPDL across the region and will enable colleagues across phases to engage with research around professional development, share best practice and available for talented and ambitious teachers. build cross-regional relationships to improve the quality of professional development in their own organisations. The programme will also enable colleagues to reflect and evaluate their own CPDL programmes and explore the ways that CPDL is evaluated to meet the needs of the students and staff. Please visit the SEF website for further details or contact Kali Warwick – Chair of the Operations group.
www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk SEF COLLABORATION MEMBERS School/Institution Headteacher/Principal Ops Group Representative Bitterne Park School and Sixth Form Stewart Roderick David Nicholson Cantell School Harry Kutty Claire Herridge IN SEF Chamberlayne College for the Arts Nick Giles Victoria Keyse City College Sarah Stannard Robert Rees Compass School Luisa Whittick Debbie McKenzie Itchen Sixth Form College Alex Scott Rebecca Stratton Oasis Academy Lordshill Robert Forder Karen Riding Oasis Academy Mayfield Claire Taylor Kali Warwick Polygon School Anne Hendon-John Ben Penfold Redbridge Community School Jason Ashley Stuart Ramsey Regents Park Community College Samantha Barnes Marie Webster Richard Taunton Sixth Form College Paul Swindale Claire Myers St Anne’s School and Sixth Form James Rouse Tracey Judd St George Catholic College James Habberley Sarah Drummond Oasis Academy Sholing Martin Brown Layla Jones Upper Shirley High School Stuart Woods Clare Williams Woodlands Community College James Henderson Deborah Sutton SEF coordinator Jill Lueddeke Solent University Richard Thomas TBC Southampton City Council Derek Wiles Beth Bray University of Southampton TBC Kirsten Wythe/Trish Nicolaides University of Southampton (PGCE) Chris Downey Kate Freeth
Collaboration is the cornerstone of Southampton on joint practice development through critical Education Forum (SEF) activity. The concept friend visits (learning walks and peer-to-peer operates at all levels – across 22 subject networks, reviews). The subject networks are also a key the Operations Group of senior leaders and at part of joint practice development, focusing on SEF executive level. SEF operates on an elected sharing the high standards of subject/curriculum accountability model, which is based on high levels knowledge and leadership. of open dialogue, challenge and professional trust. Evidence of the scale of collaboration can be found The Forum is also very fortunate to be able to draw in the news/events section of the SEF website: upon specialist expertise and resource from the www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk. University of Southampton School of Education and the Bitterne Park Teaching School Alliance to Whilst sustaining inclusive and appropriate support its efforts to raise standards and improve curricula across the City, the partnership focuses outcomes across the City.
www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk Southampton Education Forum c/o Richard Taunton Sixth Form College Hill Lane, Southampton Hampshire, SO15 5RL T: 02380 514762 W: www.teachsouthamptoneducation.co.uk