Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance Partnership to promote excellence in teaching, learning and leadership

NEWSLETTER - AUTUMN 2015

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Fylde Coast Teaching School Newsletter. This newsletter keeps you updated on our activities. . The Teaching School approaches the new academic year and all the challenges it brings with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. Requests for support from our SLEs are being received and we are updating our portfolio of high quality SLEs to ensure that we continue to deliver a top class service.

Joint practice development visits will be a big focus for the coming term. Through collaboration between our Alliance partners, a unique opportunity will be given to our recently qualified teachers to experience and share good and outstanding practice across the Teaching School. The development of leadership at all levels continues to be a key focus of the Teaching School through twilights, taught courses, SLE deployments and leadership secondments. Our commitment to developing and retaining outstanding leaders on the Fylde Coast remains paramount in order to ensure that our young people secure the best possible outcomes.

Our extremely popular twilight programme offers sessions across all phases and disciplines and is delivered by outstanding practitioners. Many of the sessions are in such demand that we have had to double up on them to accommodate everyone. So far we have received 910 bookings for the coming year and we expect this number to increase significantly so book now to avoid disappointment.

Our SCITT was launched successfully, thank you to those of you who have welcomed our trainees into your schools. We are offering a very personalised training programme to meet their individual needs and this year they will have the opportunity to visit an extended range of providers incl. Pupil Referral Units and a local to further their breadth of experience. Please continue to promote our teacher training with your friends and family.

The teaching school approaches the new academic year and all the challenges it brings with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.

Roseacre Primary Working towards a school-led system

Fylde Coast Teaching School was designated in 2011 by the National College to act as hub for local initiatives to help raise standards in teaching and learning across the Fylde Coast and . We comprise two central institutions – the Blackpool Sixth Form College and and alliance members, all good and oustanding schools :

The Blackpool Hodgson Breck Primary Flakefleet Garstang Hambleton Highfurlong Lytham Hall Mereside Sixth Form College Academy School Community Primary Special School Park Primary Primary School Academy Academy School

Millfield Science & Norbreck Red Marsh Roseacre St George’s St Mary’s University Westcliff Performing Arts Primary Academy Special School Primary Academy School Catholic Academy of Cumbria Primary School College

Our newest partner is Red Marsh Special School. We are very delighted to welcome this outstanding special school to our Alliance:

Red Marsh School is situated in Lancashire Red Marsh School prides itself on being a near to the town centre of Thornton. The large school where each individual is valued and centre of is nearby as is the Wyre encouraged to meet their full potential. All estuary and surrounding country side. Red children are supported by a dedicated and Marsh School is an outstanding special school experienced staff team who ensure individual for pupils aged 2-19. Pupils have a wide range learning needs are met in a total inclusive of needs including pupils with Moderate learning environment. The team employ a wide Learning difficulties (MLD), pupils with Severe range of teaching and learning approaches to Learning Difficulties (PMLD), pupils with inspire learning across the curriculum. The Autism (ASD) and pupils with Profound and school creates an environment where all our Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). All learners are made to feel safe and secure pupils attending school have a Statement of allowing learners to develop, as appropriate, Special Educational Need or an Education their freedom and independence. In our school, Health and Care Plan (EHEC). learners have the opportunity to meet, make friends and learn with their peers.

We hope that being part of the Fylde Coast Teaching Alliance will enable us to create working partnerships with schools across the Alliance in order to continually drive improvements for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, within our own school and wider community.

Catherine Dellow Headteacher “Red Marsh is a very happy school where staff and pupils all feel valued, respected and exceptionally well supported to be able to give of their best. As a result pupils’ achievement is outstanding .” Ofsted, January 2015

Red Marsh Special School Holly Road Thornton- Lancashire FY5 4HH www.redmarsh.lancs.sch.uk Joining the Alliance

The Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance shares excellent teaching practices, delivers bespoke highly professional training, offers tailored school to school support and develops leadership potential.

Four of our Partners have been awarded Teaching School status by the National College for Teaching and Leadership. Our team of experienced facilitators includes outstanding headteachers and school leaders, across all phases (primary, secondary, sixth form and special) throughout the Fylde Coast.

We welcome schools who wish to join our Alliance. Membership is available to all those wishing to contribute and benefit from the work of our schools.

By joining the Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance opportunities for networking and establishing high quality shared CPD will be increased. Our Teaching School Alliance is an excellent way to share best practice and continue to develop and contribute to the wider educational system.

Phil Birch from Garstang Community Academy on being an alliance partner :

“Go west where the skies are blue.”

It seems incredible to think that almost four years have I am convinced that these opportunities have helped us passed since Garstang Community Academy was given here at Garstang transform GCA into the kind of school the opportunity to join the Fylde Coast Teaching School where we would all unhesitatingly want to send our as a Alliance Partner. We thought long and hard, OK – for children. However, rather immodestly, I also feel that our a brief moment – before thinking: “Let’s do this! Let’s Go Teaching School partners may have derived some benefits West!” and the rest, as they say, is history, or a famous from their contact with us country folk, whose positivity, song by the Pet Shop Boys. pride and passion are notoriously infectious, and whose cakes famously pack in the calories like nowhere else. Looking back, it is very evident that there have been some very tangible benefits stemming from this joining of So, over the next 4 years, I hope to see us continuing to look forces. At Garstang, we jumped at the chance to provide forward, outward, and westward, thinking collaboratively, a more diverse CPD offer to develop further our fabulous enjoying our success on shared projects and adventures as staff. Our teachers have really enjoyed the cross-phase a close-knit family of schools, continuing to grow our dimension of Teaching School, and have learned so teachers, support staff and leaders and, ultimately, much from rubbing shoulders with their primary, tertiary becoming world class! and special school colleagues on the various twilight courses and residentials they have attended. Not to (TOGETHER) “That’s what we’re gonna do!” mention the comfort and understanding they have drawn from their secondary brothers and sisters! Phil Birch Our prospective and serving leaders have participated Headteacher enthusiastically in a plethora of hugely influential Garstang Community Academy leadership development programmes, like MLDP, NPQML, Middle Leaders Short Course, Introductions to Leadership twilights, NPQSL & Leadership Placements, Garstang Community Academy students have and have emerged from these experiences as more achieved the best GCSE results in their school’s confident, more reflective and more impactful history, with 66% of GCA students gaining 5 professionals who have grown a steely belief in their A*-C grades including English and Maths. potential, inspired to make a difference to all the people (young and old) in their home – and future schools. Working towards a school-led system

Continuing Professional Development

Our At the Fylde Coast Teaching School we are fully CPD committed to providing high quality, personalised Vision CPD for leaders, teachers and support staff in order to raise student achievement on the Fylde Coast.

Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance offers a unique and exciting opportunity for staff to collaborate and share the very best practice from across the Fylde Coast. This year’s Twilight Programme has built on last year’s success of over a 1000 attendances and offers 60 sessions developed by the Alliance for our local schools. We also offer a range of courses from TA Skills Enhancement to leadership training. This is the best and most comprehensive programme we have ever offered and it really does provide something for everyone! Tim Freeman, Director of FCTSA

For our full CPD programme, please look at our website at www.fctsa.co.uk

What our partners say: Our teaching and support staff all choose at least 3 inset twilights throughout the year which relate to “The NPQSL offered me a great opportunity areas of specific individual interest as well as appraisal to improve my practice and develop my leadership targets. Most staff do more than 3 and many have been skills. I was able to undertake projects that would benefit involved in the delivery of these inset sessions too. As my organisation as well as enrich my personal participants they have increased in expertise as understanding of management theory.” practitioners as well as exploring areas of teaching, Estelle Bellamy, The Blackpool Sixth Form College learning and leadership which are out of their comfort zones and are helping to prepare them for the next steps along their career paths. “Maybe the most interesting and thought As facilitators, our staff have grown in professional provoking twilight I’ve been on in 18 years confidence. All Inset twilights offer staff the as a secondary teacher!” opportunity for professional dialogue with colleagues Twilight attendee, 2015 from other schools, phases and sectors and to share (Improving pupil response for inference and deduction in reading) good practice and develop understanding and respect of the different jobs we do. Because these inset sessions have been designed by all the partner “Great session. It really made me think and schools, they are taylor made to meet the development revaluate my own classroom expectations.” needs of all our schools as well as addressing current Twilight attendee, 2015 issues in education. (Achieving an undisrupted learning experience) The impact is seen not only in outstanding classroom practice and school leadership, but also in an ebullient confidence to face the challenges not only of the job, “I found the Middle Leadership Course with the but of our educational times. Fylde Coast Teaching School very valuable. It inspired me to do more leader training. I am now completing the NPQML in middle leadership.” Sarah Oxley, St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Pamela Birch BA (Hons), MA, PGCE, NLE Headteacher Hambleton Primary Academy Working towards a school-led system

Developing Teaching & Learning Two Separate Courses

Delivered by experienced and fully qualified facilitators, this exciting and rewarding programme provides you with time to share ideas and improve your practice. Hosted across different institutions within our Alliance, you will get the opportunity to work with teachers from different subject areas and sectors.

Aspirational Teaching and Learning NOW enrolling for a November start

Audience: Teachers who need to improve their teaching practice and refresh their pedagogy. Outcomes: Delegates will return to pedagogy, exploring new theories to make their practice more evidence-based. Delegates will build their confidence using relevant psychological tools and techniques. Delegates will receive a new ‘teaching toolkit’ to enhance their practice in the classroom. Delegates will visit other institutions in the Alliance to witness best practice.

Teaching for the Future NOW enrolling for a January start

Audience: Teachers who want to deliver consistently Outstanding lessons. Outcomes: Delegates will be challenged via collaborative investigation into a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Delegates will enhance their ‘teaching toolkit’ to embed their practice in the classroom. Delegates will visit other institutions in the Alliance to evaluate best practice. Delegates will explore how the changes to the Ofsted framework will impact on how we meet the needs of individual learners. Delegates will receive training on how to be a Coach from Roy Blake, so they can encourage their colleagues on their return.

Delegates will be expected to complete post-session tasks each week, Each course costs £450 per delegate and to bring evidence of their new classroom practice to show the group. Each course is the equivalent of 4 full days in training To book, or for further information email: Schools are invited to complete a SWOT analysis with their teachers [email protected] beforehand so the training can target their specific needs. or call: 01253 356271 ext 169 Schools enrolling more than one delegate can also benefit from a For more information about any courses please visit from a DTL facilitator after the course to conduct home school coaching observations. visit: www.fctsa.co.uk Norbreck Primary Academy Primary Academy Norbreck Primary Academy Choir

Norbreck Primary Academy’s choir, comprising 36 year 4, 5 and 6 pupils, have had an amazing year so far. This talented choir led by Head- teacher Karen McCarter, won the Big Sing singing competition at School in July and were Runners-up at the Last Choir Singing Final at King George’s Hall in Blackburn.

They were also chosen from 350 choirs national- ly to perform and compete at the Royal Festival Hall, London in the Barnardo’s National Choir of the Year competition.

This month the Choir will perform on live TV on the night of the BBC Children in Need, as they did last year.

Well done to our Alliance School!

The Blackpool Sixth Form College

The Blackpool Sixth Form College Working towards a school-led system

Initial Teacher Training Our SCITT launched on September 7th - welcoming 23 new recruits to start their teacher training on the Fylde Coast. After a week's preparatory training and an extreme team building challenge, they started at their Placement A school with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

Throughout September they were completing their 'Challenges' against the Teachers' Standards, attending twilight sessions, adding to their toolkits and delivering starter activities.

Some have visited primary schools to explore the differences in phase - our Biologist Adam Mason completely embraced his day at Westcliff and volunteered to dress up as the Big Bad Wolf for role playing with the children! Some spent a day at Sixth Form to test their subject knowledge at A Level. Others visited Highfurlong and felt very privileged to have spent time with the happy young people there.

Thank you to all of our partner schools for hosting our trainees and making them feel so welcome.

Working towards a school-led system

A year in the life of two of our SCITT Trainees The school based training offers the opportunity to observe and work Dorian Ransome and Emily Tomkinson will keep us in different settings across the Fylde Coast. informed about their experiences in their training year.

Throughout my career I have strived to develop individuals The Alliance aims to develop teachers who will act as and teams to reach their potential and achieve their change agents and have individual qualities that are aspirations through support, direction and leadership. I transferable into the teaching setting. The school based have 25 years’ experience working in healthcare from training offers the opportunity to observe and work in National Pharmaceutical Manager to NHS CEO and most different settings across the Fylde Coast. recently five fantastic years working as a General Manager in Reproductive Medicine. These roles have enabled me to There is an expectation that you have strong subject combine my love of science with leading and managing knowledge. The placements offer classroom experience, people within exceptional companies. development of practical skills within high performing schools in the area alongside excellent teachers and I am lucky to be able to have been given the opportunity to inspirational headteachers. undertake my teacher training which to some may appear to be a complete career change, however teaching has I am currently doing my first placement at one of the been intrinsic to all I have done throughout my career. The member schools. The school and staff are both supportive training offered by Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance and encouraging and reflect the direction and values of enables me to further develop my skills with support from Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance. I look forward to likeminded people, who also are inspirational, organised, completing the training and becoming an inspirational offer good leadership and genuinely care about their teacher working within Blackpool and across the Fylde students becoming motivational teachers. Coast making a difference to children’s education and aspirations. I chose Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance because I believe this offers me the opportunity to train in a centre of Dorian Ransome excellence, which is child focused, where every child is SCITT Trainee 2015-2016 offered the chance to reach their full potential. (Biology)

I have always known I would like to teach English in a Conversely, I have also been working alongside the teacher secondary school. However, I thought it would never be of some Y7 classes, and introducing the students to possible due to having two young children, financial different structural features used in non-fiction writing. commitments and an established career at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. I researched the options available for I feel strongly supported by my subject mentor at my host teacher training, and I realised that the Fylde Coast school and because I am not from a teaching background, I Teaching School Alliance was definitely the best option for am able to take my training at my own pace. I also feel me. This is because I knew I would be doing placements in extremely reassured that I am being trained to be a teacher schools across the Fylde Coast and would not have to by experts who have vast amounts of teaching experience, travel huge distances to a university site, as the theoretical and are knowledgeable in all aspects of teaching and part of the course is also taught in Fylde Coast schools. teacher-training.

Leaving my job was not a decision I took lightly. I had I feel passionate about playing a role in the lives of children worked in this role for thirteen years and although it was and young people across the Fylde Coast. I truly believe that daunting, I can honestly say I have made the right decision Blackpool is a great place to live and work which is why I to pursue my dream of a career in teaching. I am almost chose the Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance as my three weeks into my training and I am beginning to get a teacher training provider. I’m confident that it will provide taste of the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm me with all the skills, knowledge and experience I need to required to work as a teacher. I have also seen how become an outstanding teacher. rewarding and satisfying it is to work with children from the age of eleven to eighteen. I feel passionate about playing a role in the lives of children across the Fylde Coast. My host school has a sixth form attached to it and this week I have been able to participate in some of the A-level English Literature classes, which involved debating two opposing opinions about characters in a novel the Emily Tomkinson students have been studying. SCITT Trainee 2015-2016 (English) Working towards a school-led system

The UCAS portal opens for applications 27 October.

Our ITT allocations for the 2016-2017 academic year are as follows: - 20 School Direct Primary Places - 34 SCITT Secondary places [email protected]

www.ucas.com/ucas/teacher-training

Have you ever thought about being a teacher?

Train to teach with us on the Fylde Coast We are recruiting now

We are offering secondary courses in the following subjects: Mathematics, English, Computer Science, Geography, History, MFL (French & Spanish), Biology, Chemistry , Physics, Art & Design, Drama, RE, Music, Design & Technology (Product Design)

For further information please contact us

[email protected] www.fctsa.co.uk 01253 356271 (ext 169) @fyldecoastTS School to School Support The founding principle of the Teaching School is to support any schools to raise standards for students. This commitment transcends competition between schools and supports the community in giving the best possible opportunities to young people. We offer highly tailored sessions for schools who strive to reach outstanding levels of teaching and learning consistently and work with schools on specific areas for improvement .

One of our SLEs, Bea Tingey, shares her school to school support experience :

One thing has always remained uppermost in my vision It’s a joy to see people flourish, to find that piece of and beliefs: all children deserve the best education, the pedagogy that was missing or lost; to reinvigorate a best teaching and learning - no matter what their postcode. demanding career and swim in the sea of change. How many times do we feel like we’re drowning? As times have changed, so has the demand for the best education. Parents, rightly so, are more persistent as the Facilitating ‘The Developing Teaching and Learning dynamics of accountability have shifted. Adapting to Programme’ for Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance in change is crucial in this profession; being in a position to my role as a SLE has also supported so many colleagues support colleagues was, and still is, my driving force into across the Fylde Coast, many of whom have since gained successfully becoming a SLE. This wasn’t about me, it was promotion and reached goals they never thought possible. about those I could really support and guide. They have become stronger and more successful in their chosen career paths. However, getting back to where we Describing the role of a SLE is certainly not an easy one – started, getting back to what really matters, those even by an English specialist! Not only do you possess colleagues are giving stronger and more successful those skills and expertise that others ask for, there are other educational paths to the young people that really need it skills that are essential that make your SLE role so across the whole of the Fylde Coast. successful. This was apparent when I recently supported a department in a large school in Lancashire. After being contacted by the Principal, it was clear that my SLE support wasn’t just for academic results. This was about building confidence, providing a safe environment to take teaching Over a few weeks, and learning risks as well as to develop pedagogy. the results were incredible. Over a few weeks, the results were incredible. The progression in confidence, as well as in teaching and learning, was clearly noticeable. Students were responding positively and the growing confidence with Bea Tingey teaching and learning ideas and routines began to Hodgson Academy recreate the self-belief in the colleague I was supporting. SLE, Lead PractitionerTeaching and Learning. More than that, the department was beginning to see the Outstanding Facilitator: Developing Teacher Programme difference and feel the impact.

Hodgson Academy Westcliff Primary School

St George’s School Governance

Governance in a modern world, a Personal View - John Boyle NLG

The modern world of school governance is quite different Those of you who have seen my presentations will know to the traditional role of the past. Whether it be a that I constantly return to these core functions and I make maintained school, an academy or a college, good, no apology for doing so again, because they are so robust, governance is a requirement of OFSTED and of the important. In my opinion, if your governing body is doing Department for Education and its funding agencies. something that cannot be classified in one of the above responsibilities, then it should not be doing it. Maintained The practices once confined to the Corporate Boardroom schools have recently been obliged to re-constitute their are regarded as best practice for Academies and governing bodies to ensure that, collectively, they have Colleges, and are also now statutory requirements for the skills necessary to deliver the three core functions. governors of maintained schools. The recruiting mantra is ‘Skills not Representation’. Those of us in Academies have the added responsibilities of The Governors Handbook (DfE) reminds all Governors Corporate Directorships and Charitable Trustees, roles that it is their duty to : which can not be taken lightly and under which there attaches personal responsibility. “conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school 1. In all Finding the right candidates can be difficult and so FCAT types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong runs an ongoing recruitment campaign to attract focus on three core strategic functions: individuals who may be able to fulfil the role of Governor or Director in our partner Colleges, Schools and a. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; Academies and this facility is open to FCTSA partners as b. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational well. Please contact our Governor Services Department to performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance know more. management of staff; and c. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and 1 s21(2) Education Act 2002. making sure its money is well spent. 2 The School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013. These functions are reflected in regulations for 2 maintained schools and in the criteria Ofsted inspectors Governance Services: use to judge the effectiveness of governance in both Kath Buddle (Governance Administrator) maintained schools and academies. They are also Email: [email protected] discussed further in departmental advice on the Roles, Phone: 01253 356271 Procedures and Allowances Regulations 2013.”

John Boyle JP CAifs, DiPFS, NLG, A Vice Chair of the Fylde Coast Academy Trust, Chair of the Fylde Coast Teaching School Ltd and Chair of the Blackpool Sixth Form College

John’s initial career was in a Clearing Bank, coming to the Fylde Coast 28 years ago as an Area Manager. John has much experience in Finance, Accounting and Commercial Legal matters and of Corporate Governance. John has been a governor of the Blackpool Sixth Form College for 12 years, latterly acting as Chair. He is a chartered Associate of the Institute of Financial Services, a Justice of the Peace and a National Leader of Governance Advocate.

St Mary’s Catholic Academy Middle Leadership Short Course

Middle Leadership Short Course

The Middle Leadership Short Course focuses on essential leadership skills to support developing and aspiring leaders. The course blends an operational focus with consideration of current thinking on what makes an outstanding leader.

Audience Anyone new to leadership or aspiring to be a future middle leader will find the course useful.

What will be covered? Session 1 - Difference between leading and managing Session 2 - Leading improvements in teaching and learning Session 3 - Developing a change culture Session 4 - Working effectively with data Session 5 - Developing an effective team Session 6 - Evaluating and presenting outcomes

How will impact be measured? - Participants will apply the skills learned to their school improvement plans. - The final session will assess their impact via a presentation, evaluated against the skills developed throughout the course.

How long is the course? NOW enrolling for a January start 2-hour sessions over 6 weeks

Start date: January 2016

Cost: £350 per delegate To book, or for further information email: Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance [email protected] c/o Montgomery High School or call: 01253 356271 ext 169 All Hallows Road For more information about any courses please Blackpool FY2 0AZ visit: www.fctsa.co.uk WHO IS WHO at the Fylde Coast Teaching School?

Sarah Hetherington Director of Teaching School [email protected]

Tim Freeman Director of Teaching School [email protected]

Aly Spencer Head of Initial Teacher Training [email protected]

Lill Johansen Parker Commercial Manager [email protected]

Kate French Teaching School Administrator [email protected]

Norbreck Primary Academy: Runners-up at the Last Choir Singing Final 2015

Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance Partnership to promote excellence in teaching, learning and leadership