CLF NEWS Edition 19 03/04/19 “Empowering Learning” Rt Hon MP Nick Gibb ALSO INSIDE visits John Cabot Academy THIS ISSUE... The Cricket World Cup National Apprenticeship week The Rt Hon MP Nick Gibb, who is the Minister of State for Schools, visited John Cabot Academy. The Minister spent an hour meeting staff and students and touring the Academy escorted by two John Cabot Academy students. First Aiders Nick Gibb was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Education on 15 July 2014. He was elected Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton in 1997. During the tour of the academy he observed a science lesson in the super lab and various Post 16 lessons. At the end of the tour the minister watched a five minute segment of the spectacular musical production Hairspray, produced by John Cabot students and staff. He was then introduced to the cast and crew. Kate Willis, Associate Principal said, “It was a proud moment for our school to be able to showcase some of the excellent work undertaken across and beyond the taught curriculum. Our school is in its 25th year and this visit from the Minister of State is recognition of the excellent work that continues to characterise our school.” Metro Mayor visits Digitech The cast of John Cabot’s musical production Hairspray, more inside.... “Empowering Learning” CLF SCITT officially ‘Good’ Ofsted The CLF School Centered Initial Teacher Training partnership (SCITT) is celebrating after being rated Good in all areas by the education watchdog Ofsted. Ofsted reported that, “The partnership is quickly developing as a provider of high-quality teacher training that is contributing significantly to the need for qualified teachers in the South West region.” They said, “The quality of leadership and management is good. Senior leaders are fully committed to ensuring that the quality of training and pastoral care is strong. Their clear purpose, to meet local and regional need for high-quality teachers, permeates all aspects of their work. “Leaders have designed a course which ensures that trainees have a comprehensive understanding of different types of school in a range of diverse communities. Leaders show a deep commitment to improving the quality of education in and around the city of Bristol.” On training Ofsted noted, “The quality of training is strong. Trainees show a good understanding of their subject and develop a repertoire of pedagogical approaches during their training year.The professionalism of trainees and NQTs is a consistent feature of the partnership. They are deeply committed to their ongoing development through the training year and in the first few years of their career.” They went on to say, “Trainees and former trainees demonstrate good and often excellent practice in most of the Teachers’ Standards. Primary trainees, especially those following the School Direct route, achieve particularly strong outcomes. They show a deep understanding of the special educational needs and/or disabilities that their pupils have.” On pupil behaviour Ofsted remarked, “Trainees and NQTs model the conduct they expect of their pupils. They have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and manage learning environments well to instil positive attitudes to learning. This is a result of the wide experience they have of observing teachers managing pupils’ behaviour, the diversity and quality of placements, the centre-based training they receive and the focus that mentors give to this aspect of training.” “The ongoing support from the provider during the training and NQT year is a strength. The regular Federation Network Nights and other professional development opportunities are valued highly by trainees and former trainees.” On the understanding of safeguarding they said, “Trainees and former trainees demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding risks pupils may face. Supplementary training in schools raises trainees’ awareness of the specific risks that are more prevalent in certain communities.Trainees and former trainees are well versed in their responsibilities under the government’s anti-radicalisation ‘Prevent’ duty.” On employability inspectors said, “Employment rates are exceptionally high. All the trainees who have successfully completed their training year have secured employment in teaching. Almost all took up teaching posts in the south-west region and many remain in or around the city of Bristol.” “Local headteachers value the contribution the partnership makes to meeting local teaching supply needs. They find former trainees to have a realistic understanding of the demands of the teaching roles they are recruited to.As one headteacher, typical of many, reported of former trainees, ‘They hit the ground running.’ They comment that the trainees they receive show strong professional and personal attributes. Many headteachers have appointed former trainees and are pleased with the effectiveness of their new employees.” Alison Fletcher, Director of CLF Institute said, “This outcome is a significant milestone for our initial teacher training provision and acknowledges the contribution of the many staff and settings that make up the SCITT partnership. Our trainees and NQTs were an absolute credit to us in both stages of the inspection! The impact of the training and professional development provided by the Boolean Maths Hub was also commended.” “Empowering Learning” Our family grows........ The CLF welcomes Herons’ Moor Academy The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), one of the most established and mature multi-academy trusts in the South West, is extremely pleased to announce that Herons’ Moor Academy, formally joined the CLF on 1st January 2019. Based in North Somerset, Herons’ Moor will be the eighth primary school to join the CLF and will be part of our North Somerset hub which includes Hans Price Academy and Haywood Village Academy. The addition of Herons’ Moor Academy to the CLF family of schools was approved by the South West Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) Lisa Mannall late last year. Principal of Herons’ Moor, Julie Fox said, “We are delighted to have joined Cabot Learning Federation’s family of schools. We researched very carefully which local Multi-Academy Trust to join. We chose the Cabot Learning Federation as we felt the values they hold complement Herons' Moor’s vision, values and ethos.” CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation, Steve Taylor said, “It’s very exciting that Herons’ Moor is joining us at this time. We’ve already been working closely together and this move now cements the relationship between Herons’ Moor, the CLF and our other schools – in particular Haywood Village and Hans Price.” The CLF welcomes Bristol Futures Academy The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is extremely pleased to announce that Bristol Futures Academy (BFA), based in Barton Hill, officially joined the Cabot Learning Federation on March 1st. BFA and the CLF have been working closely together since the summer of 2018, with the CLF providing support for the academy, an alternative provision for pupils aged 14-16 in East Central Bristol. It is great that colleagues from BFA will now be fully integrated into all our networks and collaborative practices; we feel sure that the benefits for learning about best practice in diverse settings will be mutually beneficial as our relationship deepens and grows. More broadly the academy now joins the CLF’s Bristol cluster, as well as the emerging ‘Snowdon Village’ suite of provisions, which also includes our existing internal alternative provisions The Nest (primary) and Engage (secondary). More news on the development of Snowdon Village will follow in the coming months. Alex Davies, Interim Head of Bristol Futures Academy said, “We are very happy to have joined such a well-estab- lished trust and excited about the possibilities it brings with it. We've been working closely with CLF for some time now and have really valued working with a trust which shares the same vision as us - equality of opportunity. I am also very pleased for the students at Bristol Futures Academy as this partnership will enable us to work in close collaboration with other mainstream schools and help us to raise standards for some of Bristol's most vulnerable children.” Sally Apps Executive Principal of the Cabot Learning Federation said, “I would like to thank colleagues at BFA for their patience and commitment during the period in which we have been preparing for this transfer and I would like to extend a warm welcome to Alex Davies and her team to our family of schools.” “Empowering Learning” No stormy reception for ITV weatherman & reporter Alex Beresford Alex Beresford, ITV West’s reporter and weatherman possible with their reading across the whole curriculum. visited City Academy Bristol to read out loud to a group of City Academy students. He read chapters from his Read Aloud month is an important part of this project. favourite, book Of Mice and Men, before students had a The benefits of students reading aloud and being read chance to read to Alex. This visit is part of a month long aloud to are huge. Reading self-confidence increases, series of events being staged across Cabot Learning knowledge and awareness of new vocabulary grows. Federation (CLF) to celebrate world Read Aloud Day. Students are exposed to a range of texts that they might not otherwise experience and when they read aloud to The CLF is committed to ensuring that all of our students others, it gives them the opportunity to show off what they have access to a varied, interesting and aspirational can do in terms of text difficulty, fluency, expression and curriculum. To this end we have recently embarked on a reading stamina. six month Reading Project across the CLF. Rachael Symons, Reading Recovery Teacher from This national initiative is being led by one of our experi- Begbrook Academy said, “We are really grateful to all of enced Reading Recovery Teachers, Rachael Symons.