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Welcome to our Spring newsletter. We hope school leaders find the information useful. 

We are delighted to announce that we have been reaccredited as the designated Teaching School Hub serving Calderdale and Kirklees until August 2028. Hubs are “centres of excellence in professional development” led by schools and trusts.  Find out more here - Calderdale and Kirklees Teaching School Hub - Home (ckteachingschoolhub.org)

Lucy Sykes, Director of Teaching School Hub

Your local ITT providers

Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Reforms 2024 - From September 2024, the DfE are introducing new quality requirements for initial teacher training and therefore ITT placements within your school.  This will impact ITT mentors in your school due to the requirement of 20 hours of ITT mentor training and a commitment to 1.5 hours of ITT mentoring time, per week, per trainee teacher.  Find out more by following the link to our website here 

ITT Reforms 2024 - Revised Flyer 11.03.2024 (devwebsite.co.uk)

 

ECF

It’s been a short but packed term for ECF events. Attendance has been superb, with 95% of ECTs engaging in conferences and clinics since January. Thank you for all you do to make this happen – we appreciate the logistical challenges you overcame.  

Our recent ECT snapshot survey showed that ECTs find the ECF useful in improving their teaching. 4.62 out of 5 strongly agreed with the statement “I talk to my induction tutor about my strengths and areas for development and work with my mentor to put them into context.”  

Coaching for mentors is the focus for the summer term – a reminder that all mentors should be observed meeting their ECT once every year. Please record your findings on this form: https://forms.office.com/e/5tCWLhptcd.

Hub colleagues will be arranging visits to schools, so please look out for their emails.  

Induction Tutor's Breakfast Briefing will be held on Thursday 11th April 2024 - 7.45am - The link to join the briefing can be found here - no booking required.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83274623811?pwd=OkoZlXubP9b54C0j0WHPavnpOFftLh.1

Further reading - Please follow this link to read a report on the early career framework recently published in Schools Week.

Five recommendations to make the ECF truly sustainable

Appropriate Body

It has been our pleasure to visit 60 schools already this year as part of our Appropriate Body service. Your feedback on how well you feel supported by the Hub has been wonderful to receive. 

End of Spring term reports received so far have been of a good standard. ECTs’ comments are becoming much more detailed and reflective of their induction period. Please submit any outstanding reports as soon as possible.  

In the summer term we will be repeating our assessment training, helping to reduce your workload and improve the capturing of ECTs’ impact. On 4th July, we are hosting a session for new Induction Tutors and those looking to further develop the role. Booking details will be shared in April.  

 

NPQ

Scholarship funding for autumn 2024 has been announced.

Scholarships will continue to be available to all teachers and leaders from publicly funded schools and 16 to 19 educational organisations for the following NPQs: 

  • leading primary maths  
  • SENCO  
  • headship  

Scholarship funding to cover the full NPQ course cost will be available to teachers and leaders from: 

  • the 50% of schools with the highest proportion of students who attract pupil premium funding (further details to follow)
  • 16 to 19 educational settings identified as having high disadvantage 

For the early years leadership NPQ, highly disadvantaged early years settings will also be eligible.    

Looking forward, our next NPQ cohorts will commence Autumn 2024 and will include the new NPQ SENCO.  If you would like to register your interest or for further information please visit our website Calderdale and Kirklees Teaching School Hub - NPQs (ckteachingschoolhub.org). 

 

 


Research and Evidence updates 

Curriculum Updates 

Model Music Curriculum – do you want to know more about the new requirements for the music curriculum? Get in touch with your local Music Hub

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/developing-creativity-and-culture/children-and-young-people/music-education-hubs

Behaviour Hub 

Do you want to know about the Behaviour Hub programme? Find more information here

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/behaviour-hubs

West Yorkshire Computing Hub

Do you want to know about your local Computing Hub programme? Find more information here

https://www.bingleygrammar.org/Our-School/Computing-Hub-West-Yorkshire/

Do you teach primary computing? Follow this link to find out about two different pathways available to help advance your knowledge of teaching primary computing.

https://teachcomputing.org/primary-certificate

Staff Support

Do you lead in T&L?  Do you lead a department or phase?  Do you get weekly 'evidence snacks' from the well-known Peps McCrea?  If not sign up now! Subscribe here for Evidence Snacks

They are worth the weekly 5-minute read to help develop and support your staff


Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone an enjoyable Easter break.