Our Curriculum Hub partner Ilsham English Hub, are looking forward to hosting showcases virtually this year with the first showcase Best Practice in the Teaching of Early Reading and Language scheduled for Thursday 1 October 2020 from 0915 to 1145.
 
This event will provide all participants with the opportunity to share best practice in the teaching of Systematic Synthetic Phonics whilst promoting a love of reading and will provide basic training on all the fundamentals of the Hub and how these match the new Ofsted Framework.

Showcase content will include the following:

• Introductions by English Hub Team.
• Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) and the core fundamentals of phonics.
• A Love of Reading and how to develop.  
• The importance of early language and how to address the vocabulary gap.
• The importance of choosing and using resources effectively in the teaching of SSP.
• Research-based evidence and practical ideas to take away.

 
There will also be films highlighting the best practice of phonics with time for questions with the Hub Lead and other members of the Hub Team.
 
As part of the showcase you will also need to complete and submit a short reflection form with your next steps.
 
Who is the showcase for?
Heads/Senior Leaders to accompany Reception/KS1 teachers with an interest in improving the teaching of Systematic Synthetic Phonics, practising phonics through decodable books and implementing the teaching of phonics into reading sessions.
 
Places
Places are limited to two participants per school and some schools will be able to apply for funding of a maximum of £160 per school if they meet certain criteria-accessed through the self-referral data (N.B. this cannot be claimed if the school has previously claimed showcase money on previous years). 
 
Post-Showcase Support
Following this showcase you will be able to access our medium support workshops for free. 
Further free support is also offered if you meet certain criteria including audits, intensive partner school support and funding for resources and training.
 
How do I book?
To book a place, please email dcooke@lapsw.org and state:

• Your school
• Participant name
• Your Role
• Your Personal School Email Address

 
IMPORTANT!
Please also complete the self-referral into the Ilsham DfE National English Hub in order to prioritise support amongst schools where there are more applications than can be accommodated.

Whole School SEND is pleased to host a series of webinars for newly qualified and recently qualified teachers to explore inclusive teaching for children with SEND in mainstream schools.
 
Hosted by Erica Wolstenholme (South West Regional Leader for Whole School SEND) and delivered by Lorwyn Randall (EEF Regional Delivery Lead – South West & South Coast) and Dr Jim Rogers (TSC SW CPD and Research Lead), these webinars will explore what it means to be an evidence-informed teacher and how this can contribute to good practice for SEND pupils. 

Thursday 1 October 2020 | 1600 to 1700
What the evidence tells us about teaching for children and young people with SEND

Thursday 15 October 2020 | 1600 to 1700
Translating Theory into Practical Strategies

Both webinars will build on an initial session delivered in July, 'The Learning Opportunities and Pedagogical Demands of Teaching Remotely', which can be viewed here.

For more information and how to book onto these FREE webinars see here. 

it is With Mental Well-Being firmly on the national agenda, as part of our mental well-being offer, TSSW was pleased to support the Building Resilient Learners (BRL) project. A collaboration between Sidmouth College (Senior Project Lead, Lisa Whitworth), The University of Exeter (Research Associate, Hollie Gay) and Five Areas Ltd (Dr Chris Williams, Director), funded by the NESTA Future Ready Fund.
 
The aim of the project was to test whether an emotional health and well-being intervention can be effective in improving pupil’s well-being, which may in turn have a positive effect on their resilience, so that they felt settled in the classroom, were able to attend lessons and improve their school attendance.
 
Reading this now, clearly, the premise of this academic research has an added depth of meaning and poignancy given the unprecedented lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic that will have unsettled many children and exacerbated existing issues. As professionals, we are already painfully aware that absence from class and school, low resilience and poor well-being can have a negative impact on pupil engagement, outcomes and life chances. Hence the findings are all the more insightful and relevant.
 
The intervention was aimed at Year 7 students with the lowest well-being scores, and was conducted as a six-week series of classes based on a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy resource entitled ‘My Big Life’ created by Five Areas Ltd, with each session delivered as a life-skills lesson.
 
Obviously, the school closures presented an additional challenge, but it is heartening that the conclusions were positive. Data from the students’ reflective journals is encouraging in that the Building Resilient Learners was found to have a positive effect on the measurable well-being and resilience of students with low well-being scores. It is particularly heartening that the children participating in the project were putting these positive life skills into practice in their everyday life, both in and beyond school. Positive makes positive. ​
 
The project leaders are grateful to those schools who participated in the study – not least in view of the Covid-19 circumstances.  We also thanks Lisa Whitworth for her excellent leadership and vision for the project, Hollie Gay for her academic rigour and Chris Williams for providing the substance based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy principles.
 
You can read the full report here.