Tag: conference

Posted on

Training Times – March 2015

Training Times front page March 2015Training Times – March 2015

The March edition of Training Times is now in schools, with a spotlight on Herts for Learning’s science and MFL teams.

The link to the online version can be found here: Training Times March

This HfL monthly newspaper has something for governors and staff based in schools, whether looking for a little light reading on current educational news or for courses to further your professional development.

This edition includes:

  • “Grit Gets Grades” – a look into the new focus on character education and what two Hertfordshire schools are doing to give pupils grit
  • Science and MFL – how can these teams support you?  An introduction to the Lead advisers for Science (Joanna Conn) and Modern Foreign Languages (Jackie Rayment), their background and priorities.
  • Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate, entertained at HfL’s national poetry conference, “The Power in Poetry: Language as Play” in March.
  • The Early Years pupil premium – School Leaders said they were inspired at HfL’s “Ready for Early Years Premium and Ofsted Inspection of Early Years” conference in February.
  • HfL’s new SBM service – headed by Natalie Dalvarez, the service aims to support school improvement, raise teh profile of SBMs and help standardize a role that is still new to many schools.

…and much more!

If your chair of governors would like to receive extra copies for the governing body please get in touch. We welcome any feedback or content suggestions for future editions.

Please contact HfL journalist Jessica Broadbent at jessica.broadbent@ hertsforlearning.co.uk with your feedback or if you would like your school to be included.

Posted on

Training Times – July 2015

Front page of July 2015 edition of Training TimesTraining Times – July 2015

The July 2015 edition of Training Times is now in schools, with a spotlight on mental health, Exchanging Excellence and our Vulnerable Groups Achievement team alongside the usual HfL and schools’ news.

The link to the online version can be found here: http://bit.ly/TT-July15.

This edition includes:

  • mental health – the pressures facing young people:
    ‘Homework ban to save pupils from depression’, read one headline in The Times last month; ‘Give children a good start in life’, pleaded top national mental health organisations to the new government in the wake of the general election.
  • new Head of School Recruitment Services has now joined HfL:
    Justine Hammond joined HfL on 1st July.
  • Exchanging Excellence – an impressive journey from RI to outstanding at Brockswood:
    The school is one of the first in the country to move straight from RI to outstanding between only two inspections under the current framework.
  • HfL’s first Investor in Parents award winners, Newberries Primary:
    Anna Traxon, Headteacher, commented “We are delighted to have been awarded with Investor in Parents status and to be the first school in Hertfordshire to receive the accolade.”
  • National Conference for school business managers:
    Organised by HfL last month, this national conference on the topic of being creative and inspirational during times of challenge & change, had three keynote speakers and 12 workshops.

…and much more!

Changes ahead

Following feedback from the recent Training Times survey, we are currently reviewing and refreshing the format, content and name of this publication for September.

If your chair of governors would like to receive extra copies for the governing body please get in touch. We welcome any feedback or content suggestions for future editions. Please contact our Journalist Jessica Broadbent at jessica.broadbent@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk with your feedback or if you would like your school to be included.

Posted on

Embedding British Values & more

Herts for Learning - Closing GapsEmbedding British Values…

… is the Headline Article for the recent edition of Training Times now out in schools, reporting on HfL’s first National Conference held on 3rd December 2014, focussing on “preparing young people for life in modern Britain” and opened by Sir Trevor McDonald OBE.

This bumper January/February edition also spotlights HfL’s Financial Services for Schools team, reports on some upcoming events and a comprehensive training programme overview, as well as numerous news updates and introducing HfL’s new Coaching Service.  The link to the online version is:

This Herts fro Learning (HfL) monthly newspaper has something for governors and staff based in schools, whether looking for a little light reading on current educational news or for courses to further your professional development. It aims to keep you up to date with what’s on offer from HfL, to share news from local schools, explore current issues from the education sector and to inform you a little more about your Schools’ Company – who we are and what we do.

If you are in a Hertfordshire school and your chair of governors would like to receive extra copies for the governing body please get in touch with Jessica Broadbent at jessica.broadbent@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk with your feedback or if you would like your school to be included.

 

Posted on

Herts Primary PE & Sport Conference – January 2015

Herts-Sports-PartnershipHerts Primary PE & Sport Conference – January 2015

HASG was invited to participate in this event by the Herts Sports Partnership (Sport Performance & Development Centre, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield AL10 9EU www.sportinherts.org.uk), the following report is from David Royle who attended:

Key Messages from the Conference

  • High-quality physical education (PE) and school sport can make a difference to the lives of young people and the development of the whole child; whole-school improvement can be led by PE.
  • The £150m p.a. ring-fenced Primary PE and Sport Premium is guaranteed to 2020 (if the present government is re-elected): most money goes on coaches but important not to swap coaches for teachers in terms of generating self-sustaining solutions (especially if funding stops); website statement required on impact and allocation of Premium.
    Governors have a role in monitoring and evaluating effective expenditure.
    Youth Sports Trust has an impact template, a self-review tool and a factsheet on Ofsted-related accountability measures; see below).
    The Association for Physical Education also has advice on the use of the Premium.
  • The Youth Sports Trust survey of PE and sport indicated that the average time spent on PE is less than two hours a week;
    there is no DfE minimum (or maximum);
    some EU countries specify 5 hours;
    however quality is most important;
    there is a potential dividend in taking time ‘away’ from other subjects as PE can contribute to whole-school improvement.
  • The new National Curriculum for PE is short on detail but the purpose of PE is made clear with key words like
    • ‘high-quality’,
    • ‘inspires all pupils’ (inclusion),
    • ‘competitive’,
    • ‘physically-demanding’,
    • ‘physically confident’,
    • ‘health and fitness’,
    • ‘character’,
    • ‘fairness and respect’.
  • The Youth Sport Trust and Association for Physical Education provide a lot of support through membership and also free downloadable resources, for example YST has a Physical Literacy Framework, AfPE has advice on the new National Curriculum including assessment.

References

DAVID ROYLE 230115

Posted on

Conference – Pupils, Progress, Potential

Conference venue - location map
Venue map – click for larger copy

Annual Conference

The Hertfordshire Governors Annual Conference for 2014 is taking place on Saturday 15th November at the Hertfordshire Development Centre, Stevenage.  The headline subject is “Your role in Team Governance – Pupils, Progress, Potential”.

Keynote Speakers

  • Stephen Drew, Headteacher, Brentwood County High School.  (As featured in Channel 4’s “Educating Essex” and “Mr Drew’s School for Boys”)
  • Camila Batmanghelidjh, CBE. Founder and Director of Kids Company

Registration

Registration and refreshments are from 8.30-9.30am, the conference commences at 9:30 and is scheduled to finish at 4:30pm.

The Conference is free of charge to schools that subscribe to the Governor Training. There is charge for non-subscribers.

Places can be secured only on completion of a booking form and returning it to Herts for Learning; e-mail gov.courses@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk for a booking form and details of the Conference Seminars.

 

Posted on

Closing Gaps Conference

Exchanging Excellence

Exchanging Excellence® Closing Gaps Conference 2014:

A synthesis of best practice!

Taking place Monday 7th July 2014, 9.30am to 4.00pm at the Hertfordshire Development Centre, Robertson House, Stevenage, SG1 2FQ.

This evidence-based cross phase conference is a must for ALL Hertfordshire schools as we bring together and celebrate best practice that is having the most impact in Closing Gaps and improving outcomes for pupils both nationally and across the county.

John Dunford keynote speaker Closing GapsNational Pupil Premium Champion, John Dunford (pictured), will be our keynote speaker and delegates will be able to choose from a range of practical and inspirational workshops which will draw upon best practice uncovered through the research phase of the Closing Gaps project, led by David Birch and Marc Rowland.

A detailed programme for the day will follow shortly.

This conference will:

  • Provide you with effective, tried and tested strategies on how to close gaps for pupils eligible for pupil premium and improve outcomes for all pupils, both in Hertfordshire and nationally
  • Demonstrate the impact of projects that are already underway in Hertfordshire including the primary phase RANGe project (Raising Achievement Narrowing Gaps effectively)
  • Give you opportunities to engage with other Hertfordshire schools to hear what they are doing, exchange best practice and develop collaborations
  • Offer workshops from a range of schools in different circumstances and contexts that have discovered  approaches that have really made a difference
  • Share our ideas and invite you to help shape Hertfordshire’s plans to take this learning to the next level

The subsidised cost of attending this conference for Hertfordshire schools is £50.00 per person (including all day catering).  To book your place at this event please visit www.thegrid.org/schoolworkforce/training using course code: 14CON/001A

Herts for Learning - Sponsors

Herts for Learning

Exchanging Excellence® is our umbrella programme for all of the work we are doing and plan to do in the future, to find and share best practice and professional learning with our customers on a range of current and relevant topics.  For further information:

Email: exchanging.excellence@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk

Visit the HfL web site: www.hertsforlearning.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter: @HertsLearning #HfLExchEx