CPD middle-level leaders’ course in leading...

If your school is large, the Head Teacher and the middle-level leaders you should ask to help are: Director of Studies, School Based Mentor and School Subject Leaders. If your school is small, and/or these posts do not exist, you should ask experienced teachers to bring the number to five.

 When you invite these five people to assist you, explain that you are doing a task to promote learning and teaching in the school and that this effort will help achieve the School Improvement Plan Annual Action Plan. The work (which will require about 2.5 hours from each participant, preparation of 1 hour and a 1.5-hours meeting) will also help the group identify challenges and overcome them. Agree a time and place for the meeting.

 Ask each of the people to develop one of the following presentations in preparation for the meeting:

1. Head Teacher: A summary of the SIP Annual Action Plan for this year.
2. Director of Studies or School Based Mentor: A summary of end of term marks for each subject for each year, with some conclusions.
3. School Subject Leaders: A summary of points from classroom visits and observations they have made recently.
4. School Based Mentor or experienced teacher: A summary of the findings on the school environment. Learning Task 7.4: School environment for learning and teaching assessment tool provides a template to undertake this assessment.

5. Hints for the four presentations. Write these out and give the person responsible for each presentation the appropriate hints.  Presentation 1 Please read through the Annual Action Plan and prepare a presentation of 5-8 minutes, covering: What actions were agreed? Are they or are they not being implemented? What needs to be done to make sure the key action points are covered? Presentation 2 Review pupil subject marks for the last month or last term and prepare a presentation for 5-8 minutes, covering: In which subjects do pupils generally score high marks? In which subjects do pupils generally score low marks? Are there any subjects/classes that give particular worry? Presentation 3 Review the records of visits/observations you have made over the last month/term and prepare a presentation 5-8 minutes, covering: Do our pupils seem to be learning well? What CPD needs do teachers generally have that need to be met to promote pupil learning? What CPD needs do teachers generally have that need to be met to promote teaching? Presentation 4 Spend about 20-30 minutes going around the school and filling in Learning Task 7.4: School environment for learning and teaching assessment tool, which the SMLL organising this meeting will give you. After your tour of the school prepare a presentation of 5-8 minutes on how the school environment supports learning and teaching, covering: What areas or environmental factors promote learning and teaching? What areas or environmental factors need serious attention? What could we do to improve the environment for learning and teaching?

   
   

In addition to assisting people to do their tasks, you (as the owner of this activity) might have to suddenly take over one of the tasks if the person responsible cannot do it. Explain that you will also bring classroom visit information from your visits (Guiding information 4.7) to the meeting. Make sure that you give people enough time to do their preparation work before the meeting (three days to one week should be enough).

 Throughout the preparation period you will need to check that people understand the task, are clear on the timelines and will come to the agreed meeting with a presentation ready for discussion.

My classroom is quiet andthe pupils have done the work I left them.