Ms G Smyrk, Director of Training School

In October 2010, the Training School participated inthe implementation of the new Pan LondonProfessional Development Quality Mark. Colleaguesfrom across London met regularly to plan theprocesses, key issues and timeline for the award. MsSmyrk, is now trained as a Quality Mark verifierhaving visited and assessed two schools in the pilotprogramme.

In addition, St Ursula’s CPD (Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment) provision was assessed by two verifiers inJanuary 2011. The evaluation process was rigorous andinvolved a three hour meeting between the verifiers and arange of the school workforce.

The school’s CPD provision was assessed in four ways:1. Leadership of professional development

2. High quality professional development

3. Evaluating the impact of professionaldevelopment

4. Collaboration and partnerships supportingprofessional development

Some of the key strengths identified were:� Heads of Department involvement through budget manage-ment of PD (Professional Development) funding and leading onkey areas of PD� Reflective practice was evident in conversations with staffand this applied to both internal and external experiences of PD,supported by Ofsted’s comments in 2010� All staff articulated a clear understanding of how all PD activi-ties must impact on students’ learning and achievement� A number of excellent links with the LA (Local Authority) e.g.Support Staff Numeracy NVQ (National Vocational Qualification)programme, CPD Champion for the LA, Black Minority Ethnicscheme, Newly Qualified Teachers’ swaps, Training Schoolcollaborative project with IRIS observational camera, clusteropportunities for Initial Teacher Training.

DEVELOPMENTPROFESSIONALQUALITY MARK

PAN LONDON

As a result, the school achieved the highestlevel award – ‘Gold’.

The Training School are now well placed to support theexpansion of the Pan London Professional DevelopmentQuality Mark across the local area by advertising the QualityMark process on the school website, supporting schools inthe borough with their applications and by continuing theverification process of other schools.

for St. Ursula’s SchoolJunior Training School with Gold Award

I cannot recommend Teaching Leaders enough in terms ofbuilding skills and confidence in teachers, I have certainlygained more knowledge, skills and insight into effectiveteaching, leadership and management issues. I lookforward to the next four phases over the next two years,and using the programme to contribute to my MastersDegree. Teaching Leaders presents plenty of challengesand hard work but it is extremely worthwhile and rewarding.

Ms. Healey and Ms. Cascoli

As part of our Training Schoolstatus Ms Cascioli and I wereoffered an amazing opportuni-ty to work on our skills asmiddle leaders and developour leadership skills on aprogramme called TeachingLeaders, this is in associa-tion with Ark Schools andThe National College.

Teaching Leaders works to grow a movement of outstand-ing middle leaders whose teams measurably improve thelife chances of children in urban schools.

After a rigorous application and interview process we wereexcited to be accepted on the scheme as there wasamazing competition. In the summer holiday we attendedthe week long Teaching Leaders residential at The Nation-al College in Nottingham, where we met the other partici-pants on and attended a series of informative yet inspiringlectures and meetings to build our skills, awareness andknowledge of what it takes to be a formidable Leader.

Ms J Healey, Head of Drama

I was initially drawn to their mission statement:“Teaching Leaders’ vision is of a better society: one wherelife chances are not predetermined by social class, norshackled by educational disadvantage. In the belief thatchildren’s success at school can be driven not by socialbackground but by the quality and kind of education theyreceive, we want to strengthen the capacity of those wholead teaching and learning closest to the action on the frontline of urban schools: middle leaders.”

Working in partnership with Greenwich Borough, onThursday 17th February, St. Ursula’s Training Schoolhosted a ‘Newly Qualified Teacher’ Conference on‘Data and Progression’. Together with EducationalConsultant, Liz Rymer and School Improvement Advisor,Noelle O’Kelly, we welcomed NQTs from several second-ary schools across Greenwich. The afternoon programmeconsisted of a presentation on using data to secureprogression in the classroom and using data to monitorwhole school progression. The NQTs then participated ina hands-on session in our computer suite.

Mrs. M Lanzon, Director of Training School

TRAINING SCHOOL HOSTS GREENWICHNQT CONFERENCE

The St. Ursula’s Training School has many links withschools, colleges and universities beyond the schoolgates. We host many trainee teachers on placementthroughout the academic year from our local universi-ties - University of Greenwich and Goldsmiths Univer-sity, as well as further afield such as CanterburyChristchurch and the Institute of Education.

Our support, guidance, and Professional StudiesProgramme, delivered by St. Ursula’s staff, are highlypraised. Trainee teachers comment on the high standardsexpected at St. Ursula’s by pupils and teachers:

The South East London Hub of Training Schools meets atleast once every term. The Hub consists of St. Michael’sSchool, Bermondsey, Deptford Green School and St.Thomas the Apostle in Peckham together with St. Ursula’sSchool. The venue is rotated amongst the Hub schoolswhere we discuss new initiatives, partnership work andinitial teacher training placements. Many new ideas andsuccessful contrasting teaching placements have beencreated and arranged through this positive and supportiveforum. With the new plans on the horizon from theCoalition Government, the Hub will prove to have a ‘fingeron the pulse’ ready for proposals as they are announced...watch this space!

Mrs M Lanzon, Director of Training School

Training School - OUTREACH

The school closed early on Wednesday 2nd February 2011for this extended innovative training session. Find outmore about this on our website www.stursulas.com

Contender Charlie -An Inspirational Leadership Course based on Shakespeare’s Henry V

‘All members of the Science Department, both teachers andtechnicians, have shared their knowledge, provided a wealth ofadvice and experience and have been willing to spend timesupporting and encouraging me. I consider that I have had theopportunity to learn from the best. The students have alsotaught me much regarding their approach and attitude towardsScience’. Science PGCE student

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TEACHINGLEADERS

TEACHINGLEADERS

St. Ursula’s will be hosting another NQT Conferencein collaboration with the Borough on 26th May, thistime looking at student voice and student councilswhen our Junior Training School will be involved.

Towards the end of the autumnterm 2010, the first cohort of staff

members undertook a First AidTraining course held at St. Ursula's. The

trainer presented the staff with a range of scenarios, e.g.fainting fit, head injuries, bleeding, broken bones, burnsetc., in all of this staff were shown the importance of havingan emergency action plan.  They also had some interest-ing role-play; taking turns to lie on the floor and be placedin the recovery position. All the training  was invaluableand will no doubt give staff the knowledge and confidencewhen accompanying students on school trips.

FIRST AID TRAINING

At the end of thetraining session,staff were presentedwith First AidCertificates.

‘The highlight was, of course, the practical session of giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to mannequins!’

Ms C Ferriera, Cover Supervisor

In St. Ursula’s, our journey into the world of VLEs(Virtual Learning Environment) began a few years agothrough a series of focus group meetings initiated bythe Training School. The participants of the focusgroup ranged from ICT experts to people who had verylittle experience in the use of ICT. Yet, as a result of thedialogues that resulted from those meetings and the oppor-tunities we had with regards to being able to see whatother schools had achieved, it was possible to gaugewhere the school was in terms of providing our studentswith a 24 hour access to the curriculum. Consequently,three members of staff (two teachers and one technician)were sent on a two-day Fronter training programme.Those members of staff also attended VLE enrichmentworkshops that were provided by the ICT group in conjunc-tion with the Abbey Wood City Learning Centre.

We have not looked back since then. Today, St. Ursula’scan boast a functional VLE enabled by Fronter. Everyteacher in the school has been offered opportunities todevelop their skills through a series of training sessions

organised by our ‘Strategic Team for the Development ofFronter’. The training sessions we have delivered so farinclude: Setting up your virtual classroom; managing yourclassroom; creating tests; creating forums; embeddingvideos; and podcasting amongst others.

In addition, regular updates and training tips are offeredvia the school’s bulletin. Further to these, the school hasengaged the services of a web facilitator who is helping toadd professional ‘touches’ to the pages we have created.It is our hope that this will make St. Ursula’s VLE more userfriendly as well as stimulating whilst upholding our strongteaching and learning ethos.

FRONTER: The Journey So Far

Mr. F Donkor, Maths Teacher

Fronterscreen shots

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Being in charge of Front-er has offered me oppor-tunities to share goodpractice in relation to theadoption and use of aVLE. The role has alsohelped in developing myability to manage ten-sions relating to the intro-duction of a newtechnology and itsacceptance.  I now havereal-life experiences ofwhat I have previouslyread in managementbooks.

It reminded me of the challengesfaced by new teachers. The Training

School has given me the confidence to deliver thesessions. It also made me think about my own skillsand abilities and how I could be sharing andexchanging with others.

Ms Adika/MFL Teacher

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The Training School hasprovided me with expert guidance fromaccomplished teachers who are specialists in their field.

I had some really helpful training on APP which enabled me

to integrate the National Curriculum Level Descriptors with my

Learning Objectives and Lesson Plans in a pupil friendly way.

The help was invaluable and enabled me to get anoutstanding in my first observation.

Ms Johnson/HOD Music

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? Since the school has

achieved Training School status I had the

opportunity to attend a mentoring programme from

which I achieved an accredited mentoring qualification. This

has enabled me to mentor several Beginning Teachers in the

Mathematics Department. My mentoring of BTs has given me the

opportunity to facilitate their personal and professional growth by

sharing knowledge that I have learnt through my years of

experience. Mentoring different individuals has benefited my own

professional growth by strengthening both my coaching and

leadership skills. Another advantage is the relationship

developed with the BT who provides new ideas and

perspective.

Ms McDonald/Maths Teacher

For me, Training

School was a fantastic opportunity

to achieve my Numeracy and Literacy

Level 2. I also gained a lot of confidence,

especially in Maths, while I was taking part in

the Saturday lessons to improve my skills

before the test.

Mrs. Villagomez/Teaching Assistant

It means advising, trouble

Shooting, researching and evaluating

behaviour management and the sharing of

strategies and excellent practise.  I have actually

enjoyed being challenged in this way and using the skills

I have developed from tackling more ‘challenging’ classes

to help others. I also really hope it helps other see that

classes at St. Ursula’s can be managed well, with a

greater understanding of how and

when to employ a range of strategies.

Ms Adika/MFL Teacher

How have youdeveloped professionally

as a result?

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St. Ursula’s Training School invited TeachersAssurance to give a presentation to all staffon current information about their pensionbenefits; particularly relevant in light ofpotential changes by the Government.

Premises, administration and support staff, as well asteachers, listened intently to Harj Gill, the TeachersAssurance representative, as he outlined several pensionscenarios that were pertinent to everyone. As aconsequence, he has given more in-depth consultations

through home visits, and returned to St. Ursula’s offeringfurther one-to-one advice.

Mrs. M Lanzon, Director of Training School

‘It was a very informative and practical session whichprovided guidance on the issue of teachers’pensions. This was a useful session no matter atwhich stage colleagues are on in their teachingcareer. To have the facts is very helpful and the offerof one to one sessions in the future is a great bonus.’

Feedback from Mr I Armstrong, Head of MFL

TEACHERS ASSURANCE

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