New Linear Curriculum: The 4 Year Journey
The role of
Teaching School Alliances
NCSL’s vision
Whitley Bay High Teaching School Alliance has established a nationally unique model of partnership working with North Tyneside and Northumberland LAs, and
a wide variety of different strategic partners regionally,
to provide commissioned CPD for individual schools
and groups of schools around what NCSL call
‘The Big 6’.
Teaching Schools will:
•
Offer training and support for
their own Teaching School
Alliance partners
•
In addition Teaching
Schools will identify and coordinate expertise from their
alliance, using the best
leaders and teachers to:
•
Our vision is to build up a non hierarchical alliance which is
both strategic, responsive to need and self funding– to develop a high quality joint ‘School Improvement Offer’ into
which schools can ‘buy’ according to need. (for more information about out TSA activities see our separate diagram)
1. Play a greater role in training
new entrants to the profession
•
What makes us different from some other TSA is that we are
working closely alongside existing School Improvement
structures: LAs have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the data underpinning each school’s performance, the
characteristics & ethos of each school and the challenges experienced by leadership. By working closely with the school
and LA we can provide ‘joined up’ support .
•
One priority for TSA partnership work to date has been to
support schools in challenging circumstances with very specific and measurable curriculum activities/interventions—
eg with one school- increasing the percentage of students
achieving GCSE English by between 6-9% in 2012. ( for
more information see our English Network flyer)
2. Lead peer-to-peer professional
and leadership development
3. Identify and develop leadership
potential
4. Provide support for other
schools
5. Designate and broker
Specialist Leaders of Education
(SLEs)
6. Engage in research and
development
New Linear Curriculum: The 4 Year Journey
The role of
Teaching School Alliances
•
With our partners we have created a powerful self supporting English Network guiding Heads
of English/Coordinators and Senior Leaders through implementation of the new specifications
at KS4 & 5 through regular meetings, shared resources, expert email advice & support and peer
to peer ‘ learning walks’
•
Another aspect of our TSA curriculum support offer is the OLEVI accredited Outstanding
Teacher Programme and Improving Teacher Programme run at WBHS by a team of 5
‘Outstanding Facilitators’. There are 9 modules on OTP and 6 in ITP which involve sophisticated
coaching strategies to promote reflection, experimentation and increased accountability. 64
teachers from across the region in all phases have gone through these programmes at WBHS in
2011-2012 and have particularly profited from coaching in Lesson Observation using our nationally recognised Teaching Observation Gallery. The evaluations for this programme currently run at 91% delegates rating it as outstanding and 9% very good. (For more information about
ITP and OTP contact our administrator [email protected])
•
As a result of the success of our OTP and ITP programmes a number of head teachers have approached us to run bespoke T&L CPD in their schools in order to increase the likelihood of them
achieving a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ grade for T&L in Ofsted. Head teachers in schools in Ofsted
categories have also worked closely with us to devise differentiated CPD delivered by our team
in partnership with key personnel from their own school. The impact has been rapid & sustained.
•
Our Specialist Leaders in Education (SLEs) are available to provide subject specific curricular support for schools where within-school-variation is a key priority. We can offer additional support in the early implementation stages of the new specifications in September 2012
from within our alliance. Our SLEs have strong track record as curriculum leaders themselves,
and as outreach support partners to other schools. We also offer NLE and SLE support for leadership in raising achievement. ( Contact linda [email protected] for more information)
•
In 2012—2013 in conjunction with North Tyneside and Northumberland LAs, we will be offering
•
a year’s programme of Secondary NQT support,
•
ITP and OTP
•
English, Maths and Science Networks ( Maths at KEVI, Science at Cramlington)
•
AMLP (Aspiring Middle Leader Programme)
•
OMLP (Outstanding Middle Leader Programme)
•
Peer to peer Learning Visits programme
•
Aspiring Leadership Team