Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru | National Assembly for Wales

Y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg | Children, Young People and Education Committee

Ymchwiliad i Addysg a Dysgu Proffesiynol Athrawon | Inquiry into Teachers' Professional Learning and Education

TT 14

Ymateb gan : Consortiwm Canolbarth y De

Response from : Central South Consortium

Please accept the attached document as a response to the Inquiry/Consultation: Teachers' Professional Learning and Education.  I am the Strategic Adviser for the Central South Consortium, leading on ITE development, and previously on professional learning and the Career Development Pathway in School Improvement Hubs.

This response represents an organisational consensus of opinion and we look forward to seeing the actions and strategies that will emerge from this consultation!  If you have any follow-up queries regarding this information, please do not hesitate to contact me. (Mandy Esseen)

The Central South Consortium is already undertaking a number of work strands that focus on the development of the current workforce, that address the readiness of the system to embrace ITE reform and that consider the capacity and sufficiency of the future workforce.

The following represents the CSC response to the National Assembly Inquiry: 

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CURRENT WORKFORCE

CSC currently offers professional learning provision at every milestone of the Career Development Pathway:

- A bespoke professional learning programme for TAs

- ITE pilot work (see below) as well as ITE mentor training

- A comprehensive NQT professional learning programme – ASPIRE - subsidised by Welsh Government, that is offered to every full time NQT in the region with a short course for part-time and supply NQTs.  Also; the Appropriate Body trains external and school based NQT mentors

- A suite of ‘refining practice’ professional learning opportunities are offered through School Improvement Hub schools on many aspects of teaching and learning that model and share effective practice and generate joint practice development.  These programmes are captured in a termly ‘Professional Offer’ that is made available to all schools in the region

- A range of programmes for middle leaders, leaders of learning and teaching and senior leaders are offered centrally and also from Hub Schools

- A new programme for deputy headteachers is offered centrally

- The range of programmes offered centrally for those aspiring to headship and for serving headteachers include; Headship Now, New to Headship, Strategic Headship, Executive Headship and Consultant Headship.  These programmes are accredited by the Institute of Education and attract keen uptake

Future professional development needs

· There is a need for accredited training for leaders of Hub schools to develop the school led self-improving system

· There is a need for accredited training for teacher facilitators of professional learning programmes against clear criteria

· There is a need for accredited training for mentors and senior mentors against clear criteria

· There is a need for accredited training for leaders of areas of learning and teaching

· There is a need for the training of all teachers to be prepared for curriculum reform 

· Strategic training of all TAs appropriate to their school phase and context including special schools and Welsh medium schools in support of readiness for curriculum reform and ITE reform and the new Professional Standards

· Strategic training for all governors appropriate to their school phase and context including special schools and Welsh medium schools in support of readiness for curriculum reform and ITE reform and the new Professional Standards

· Strategic training for supply teachers  to their school phase and context including special schools and Welsh medium schools in support of readiness for curriculum reform and ITE reform and the new Professional Standards

THE ROLE OF INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION

· There is a need for targeted workforce needs analysis to be undertaken – and for schools, clusters of schools, LAs and regions to be recruiting ITE students to meet those needs

· In the future, ITE recruitment, programmes and placements will be within a school cluster model attached to partner HEIs.  Schools will need to build capacity to take greater responsibility for recruitment, planning and delivery of training and mentoring students

· There is much work to be done to support ITE partnership schools through the professional development of teacher facilitators, mentors, teachers, supply teachers and TAs

· Strategic support will need to be offered ITE partnership schools in order to share an understanding of the ITE professional standards which need to be met in order for QTS to be awarded

THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE FUTURE WORKFORCE:  WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN? 


· A common EIG funding formula across Wales needs to be generated, in order to fund a strategic approach to professional learning 

· There is a need for staff development to be built explicitly into the new leadership standards

· More explicit links need to be made between a teacher’s engagement in professional learning and their readiness to develop their own practice and any framework or model of teacher competence / standards / performance management 

· Schools will need to be supported in undertaking regular workforce needs analyses in advance of recruiting NQTs, mainscale teachers, future leaders etc

· More strategic, national guidance on capacity building and succession planning is needed

· Governors need support in developing a clearer understanding of their role in supporting and championing professional learning models

· There needs to be more funding for opportunities for the workforce to build capacity in new ways eg through triads, secondments, shadowing opportunities, action research etc

· There will be a need for bespoke training for supply teachers to support specific school clusters – depending on their specialisms – such as ITE partnership schools

·  There will be a need for bespoke training for teaching assistants to support specific school clusters – depending on their specialisms – such as ITE partnership schools

· An evaluation of the evidence suggesting that good professional learning has a significant impact on high performing schools needs to be undertaken in order to offer an alternative to relying only on Estyn evidence and Key Performance Indicators.