Continuous Professional Development

The Trust endeavours to provide high quality continual professional development for all staff.

The training aligns to the needs of the Trust and the capability and ambition of the employees. It is essential that there is an equality of access to high quality training as well as tailored support for those that require additional assistance.

The Trust recognises that individuals are at different points in their career and the training offer is tailored to meet their respective career stage.

The training offer will be coordinated by the Trust and provided by highly trained staff or other quality assured partners or providers. Some training will be available for all, others will be tailored to the development of the Trust and career progression of the individual.

Funding of training beyond the Trust offer will only be covered by the Trust where it has been agreed by the Lead Finance Officer and CEO.

Induction

All new staff to the Trust complete a robust induction programme that is initiated before they start in their role and continues throughout their first year with the Trust. This is shaped to their role with teaching staff having training shaped to the Inspire Curriculum. Where training and induction for other members of the Trust team is tailored to their specific role.

Bespoke Induction

Staff joining our Central Team, Facilities Team and Outdoor Learning and Farm Team have a bespoke suite of induction training linked to their roles. Such as but not limited to health and safety, animal welfare and statutory compliance.

Safeguarding Training

All staff are required to access and complete both the Induction Safeguarding training and regular safeguarding training in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. This is compulsory and there are no exceptions.

First Aid Training

Staff working in EYFS both reception and nursery are all expected to complete and pass the two Paediatric First Aid courses provided by the Trust using an accredited third party provider. Other roles within school such as Office Staff, Farm staff and Teaching Assistants will be expected to attend and pass the one day school first aid qualification.

Conferences and Inset

Each academic year we endeavour to hold an annual conference involving staff members across the Trust to brainstorm ideas, share best practice and further shape the direction of the Trust.

Inset training which is usually in January has a whole Trust focus agreed by the senior leaders and where possible involves the Trust coming together to focus on professional development. The focus of which links to the Trust's Strategic Plan.

Training from External Providers

The Trust quality assures external providers to provide some training often at a national level. These usually lead to accredited training linked to particular roles or skills as required by the Trust and linked to the appraisal process. The Trust adheres to the 2010 Equality Act in ensuring equality of access and is also bound by financial restraints.

INDUCTION

All staff have a robust safeguarding training package that is accessed online before their first day on the school site. These modules cover the statutory national expectations linked to Keeping Children in Education (KCSIE) and are updated as the statutory guidance are updated. This training is part of the Trusts vigorous approach to safeguarding and is mandatory for all staff joining the Trust.

SAFEGUARDING in each setting – All Trust employees access annual safeguarding training after they have completed onsite safeguarding training linked to the Trusts Child Protection policy and Safeguarding Systems within five days of joining the Trust. This ensures that they understand their role and that of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in safeguarding as well as the Whistle-blowing policy.

PHONICS – The use of Read, Write, Inc in the teaching of early reading through the use of phonics is important for all teaching staff but particularly for those staff that are working with our youngest pupils and our early readers. Phonics training is provided by our Trusts phonic leads and through our allocated Read, Write, Inc specialist. The Trust endeavours to provide this training in a timely manner in conjunction with the Read, Write Inc team.

Where the school joining has an alternative Phonics programme the training may require a transitional approach depending on where in the year the school joins the Trust.

READING – Through coached observed sessions the Phase Lead or English lead will support new teachers and teaching assistants in the age related approach to reading both individual, group and whole class approaches. This will follow the pedagogy and phonic related training so that the research and approach is clear when it is observed.

INSPIRE CURRICULUM – Whilst the sequential age related expectations of the National Curriculum are carefully mapped and demonstrate effective progression. The Inspire Curriculum prepares our children for life through academic and character education underpinned by research and pedagogical understanding. As such the introduction to elements of the Inspire Curriculum is staggered within our Induction process to reduce cognitive overload for staff and opportunities to clarify and observe each element in action. Following an initial one day Induction linked to the Inspire Curriculum there is a suite of training packages that support new and established staff through their continued professional development.

For those schools joining the Trust with a strong sequentially mapped curriculum the training would be linked to the character education element of the curriculum. As they would retain their core curriculum.

Early Career Teacher (ECT)

Early Career Framework (ECF) based training is embedded as a central part of induction, it is not an additional training programme. This aligns with the DFE guidance.

Each ECT has a trained and experienced mentor from within the Trust. The mentor coordinates with other leaders the bespoke training package for the ECT within the Trust. This is to reduce cognitive overload however the Induction offer is accessed by all ECT.

The structured programme of development, support and professional dialogue is underpinned by the Early Career Framework, with monitoring and an assessment of performance against Teacher Standards.

As a Trust we are mindful of the mental health and wellbeing of all our staff. National Statistics demonstrate that ECT require emotional support in a professional context as well as a structured programme for their professional development.

ECT SUITE OF SUPPORT

• Interactions with parents including parent consultations and concerns.
• Planning and balancing workload including effective use of PPA.
• Quality assuring resources.
• Working within a team alongside teaching assistants and year group partners.
• Team teaching with Phase Leaders.

Class Teacher (Main Scale)

Following the structured induction programme, our training offer for our teachers link to their understanding and application of the Inspire Curriculum through Quality First Teaching.

The weekly professional development meeting aligns with the Schools and Trusts development plan and strategic vision and is firmly embedded in academic research and best primary practice. This high quality continual professional development links with our appraisal cycle so the Trust is able to adapt CPD for teachers who require additional support and for those with the capacity, skill and ambition for a leadership pathway.

Teachers’ standards provides the expectation for the professional and the Trust endeavours to provide training for teachers to meet or exceed these. Our Phase Leaders have the skills and capacity to work with and alongside teachers in their team to provide where necessary bespoke support. In addition, our school improvement team alongside senior leaders can coach and mentor teachers to shape training and opportunities to develop their leadership skills and impact to improve their career progression.

Subject Leadership

Linked with Teacher Standards, once teachers proceed beyond their Early Career Teacher Phase, training is provided to be a subject leader. To support those in smaller schools some of our experienced subject leaders work across more than one school in the Trust so that teachers are not responsible to lead multiple subjects in our schools.

A programme of shadowing is available to those teachers new to subject leadership and an advanced programme is available for those who demonstrate motivation and effective impact over time. This may include nationally accredited training from quality assured partners.

Collaborative working with other colleagues with the same subject responsibililty is tailored into the training schedule.

Phase Leader

Each phase leader benefits from coaching from the school improvement team to support their focus on the monitoring and evaluation cycle. This is alongside the support provided in the Senior Leadership school meetings.

Joint monitoring with members of the Trust is available to support and extend phase leaders in their role.

Joint working by phase leaders across the Trust and tailored CPD is available.

Senior Leadership Roles

Executive coaching by the school improvement team is available as is coaching by our wellbeing lead. Mentoring by another leader within the Trust is used as part of induction protocols.

Senior leaders are encouraged to access National College qualifications to increase access to the national picture and encourage further leadership development.

School Improvement Team

The central school improvement team accesses national updates via CST, Ofsted, National College and other nationally recognised partners to ensure their knowledge and skills. Executive coaching is also offered.

Teaching Assistant

All teaching assistants access CPD linked to research and an aspect of school improvement for instance writing. In addition, the Trust is moving towards offering NVQ to support further career development.

Tailored CPD linked to the appraisal cycle is offered so that teaching assistants have the opportunities to tailor their skill set and where required become specialists in an area of SEND.

Teaching assistants have an open invitation to the weekly professional development meetings and join our conferences.

Higher Lever Teaching Assistant

All HLTA’s are invited to the professional development sessions accessed by class teachers. Drop ins assist in shaping the additional support and training provided. Some HLTA’s that are keen to access teacher training maybe able to access the Graduate Teacher Programme if they have the equivalent of a bachelor defgree.

SENCO

Our SENCO’s are core to our ethos and strength linked to inclusion. As such they access national training and forums to ensure they have access to best national practice. Training linked to the local offer and schools context is also accessed.

Coaching and joint monitoring alongside the school improvement team is available.

Farm Team

Our farm team is integral to our ethos and running of our community farm. Our farm staff access training linked to health and safety, animal husbandry and welfare. There are links with agricultural colleges and colleges of higher education. Staff leading “Farm Studies” also have access to CPD linked to teaching.

Forest School Team

Forest School staff access training linked to national based research as well as appropriate health and safety. Coaching and joint monitoring alongside the school improvement team is available

Central Team Roles

The central team covers a breadth of centralised services and expertise. Nationally recognised training is available to ensure that their skills and knowledge reflect best practice. The training offer is tailored to their job description and appraisal similar to other staff.

Administrative Roles

Staff in both front facing and behind the scenes admin roles have a tailored CPD offer linked to their job description and appraisal. Mentoring and coaching is also available.

Site Team

Site staff across the Trust access high level health and safety training from national recognised providers. They are mentored and coached by our resource manager. Appropriate CPD is tailored to their role and the specific sites they work within.

Pending...

Graduate Teacher Programme (TBC)