As teachers we naturally ask students questions to gauge their thoughts and understanding. But how often do we ask the right questions? The questions that will develop deeper learning and take students to the next level: probing questions, challenging questions?

The art of deeper questioning in the classroom is essential to creating outstanding learning environments. This training session focuses on improving teaching and learning in line with current pedagogical theory; it will introduce you to proven teaching styles that will enliven your lessons and encourage students to learn independently.

Providing support to implement this across all subject areas and at all key stages, we coach teachers to utilise this approach both in the classroom and when re-designing curriculum plans.

Part of our T for Terrific Teaching CPD package

Being effective in the classroom takes more than subject matter expertise. Handling low levels of discipline, dealing with adolescent boys and girls, addressing students with varying degrees of learning needs — striking the right behavioural balance in any classroom, especially during students’ more formative secondary school years, is a skill in its own right. But without good classroom management, it is impossible to foster a positive work ethic.

This session offers essential training on all things behavioural in and out of the classroom. Sharing techniques that work with any teaching style and skills that help you cope effectively with the diverse needs of your students. You’ll also learn about positive modelling and reinforcement and how to approach colleagues and parents to discuss pivotal issues.

Part of our T for Terrific Teaching CPD package

Over the last decade we have seen a complete shift in the way schools are assessing student understanding in the classroom. Dialogue marking and a more personalised approach to assessing students’ learning is at the forefront of educational debate today. Finding a model that works for your students — and one that outlines a clear progression path to deepen their understanding of how to make progress — is at the heart of every school agenda.

This course is all about developing better assessment practices in your school and developing an assessment for learning policy that is built around embedding formative assessment. We support your move towards assessment without levels, working alongside subject leaders and staff to build an assessment model fit for purpose in all subjects and at all key stages.

Backed by leading research we support schools and teachers in developing better use of formative assessment in any subject area and offer one-on-one support for redesigning assessment practices that fit in with the new curriculums and models of learning.

Part of our T for Terrific Teaching CPD package

Great teachers cater for the needs of everyone. Yet differentiation is one of education’s hardest elements to implement, achievable only by adopting specific teaching techniques that embed a deep learning curriculum in the classroom. This is the route to mastery learning, which the Educational Endowment Foundation finds leads on average to an additional five months’ progress over the course of a school year compared to traditional approaches.

This training will equip you with the practical skills required to meet the demands of the ablest learners as well as maximise the progress of SEND and EAL pupils. So, not only will you acquire much greater understanding of individual learning needs, but you will discover how to create a culture of independence and which resources to use to optimise your time without compromising learning.

By applying exciting, low-prep techniques that lead to mastery learning, you will be able to tactfully challenge each pupil at an appropriate level, without resorting to numerous different lesson resources or time-consuming micro-tutorials.

Getting Stuck In introduces early career teachers to the very best teaching, learning and assessment approaches that will help them thrive in the classroom. Based on the latest evidence-informed practice, Getting Stuck In will provide teachers with a toolbox of practical classroom ideas and time-saving strategies for planning and delivering great learning to their pupils. The programme can be offered either as a primary or secondary programme and tailormade to provide the professional development so essential to anyone in their first few years of teaching.

How can you cater for your students’ varying needs and levels of knowledge without becoming overwhelmed by the preparation? This training will help you master the practical differentiation skills you need to teach to the top while maximising the progress of SEND and EAL pupils. During this training, you will be introduced to time-saving resources and ways of developing a culture of independence and understanding in your classroom.

Part of our T for Terrific Teaching CPD package

Are you ready for your next school inspection? Being equipped to demonstrate effective school systems and outline the evaluative measures taken to facilitate change is an essential part of a school leaders’ preparation for any inspection. Head teachers and their senior teams will be keen to demonstrate how they promote accountability and monitor current practice to improve school standards on a continuous basis.

Our Be Inspection Ready programme helps leaders plan positively for inspection, though you’ll find it embraces school improvement issues that extend far beyond the bounds of the immediate brief. As part of our collaboration, we will review and evaluate your school policies and examine the procedures you have in place to meet inspectors’ recommendations. We’ll also give up-to-date inspection training to staff — including all senior and middle leaders — and offer one-on-one support with practical solution-focused results.

Be Inspection Ready can include: writing, auditing and reviewing school improvement plans, self-evaluation practices and bystander observations. It can assist with inspection interview preparation and feedback on whole school policies and strategies to track, monitor and improve teaching, learning and the achievement of all learners. We’ll tailor it to help and help you and your staff face inspections with confidence.

Just like athletes, teachers are primed to put newly learned skills to good use — if they are brought into play through coaching. The reason is the development of skill by itself doesn’t ensure transfer. Theoretical study, observations of experts in action and practice in protected conditions help. But add effective coaching, with the opportunity for feedback and teachers can begin to transfer new skills into their active repertoire.

Using empirical research that shows the positive effect that coaching can have on team morale, development and performance, this session highlights the differences between coaching and mentoring, offers practical techniques on how coaching can be applied schoolwide and uses scenarios to demonstrate how teaching and learning can be improved through coaching.

There probably isn’t an educational institution in the world whose success can’t be linked to its leadership. But such success is often less a question of having someone take charge than of giving individuals the chance to take charge. Which is why it’s important to provide your budding leaders with the opportunity to explore and develop their own leadership potential through a tailored professional programme.

Leading the Charge incubates leadership qualities by helping individuals recognise their own strengths and prompting leaders, in turn, to draw out the strengths of others. The programme includes topics such as: the importance of good leadership in schools, the art of emotional intelligence, building dynamic teams, effective line management, implementing and managing change, preparing and dealing effectively with Ofsted and the new Common Inspection Framework 2015.

This unique programme helps turn teachers into leaders by helping them to discover their talents and by providing a transformative pathway that incrementally builds on successes and prepares participants for the challenges that lie ahead.

Part of our Leading Learning CPD package

Those working with children must receive basic child protection training at least once a year as a statutory requirement under S175/S157 of the Education Act 2002. Our training course Safeguarding Children in Education ensures they gain a fuller awareness and understanding of the crucial role they have in child protection and will ensure they are up to date. International schools should use the guidance and legislation as a benchmark for good practice.

Part of our Keeping Children Safe CPD package

Safe recruitment practices are essential for any establishment that provides services to children to incorporate into their recruitment and selection procedures measures that help deter, reject or identify people who might abuse children, or who are otherwise unsuited to work with them. This course can be delivered as a one-day course or two half day courses and will support you to review your own policies and practices with a view to making them safer.

Delivered by an accredited trainer, Safer Recruitment is one strand of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and keeping them safe in educational settings.

Part of our Keeping Children Safe CPD package

Designated safeguarding leads contribute greatly to the safeguarding ethos of their school and should have a ‘complete safeguarding picture’. From point of concern through to referral, assessment and beyond, Advanced Safeguarding and Child Protection Training for Designated Safeguarding Leads provides them with the knowledge and skills required to fulfil their role. Using case studies and serious case reviews, participants learn about best practice including managing confidentiality, information sharing, recording, whistleblowing, professional boundaries and managing professional disagreement.

Based on the latest research, Governance Leadership helps ensure best use is made of governors' skills, and that potential gaps in a school’s future pool of expertise are addressed.

As a programme, it provides governors and school leaders with a framework for acquiring new skills and building on previous good practice to help them fulfil their three core functions and all statutory requirements.

Governance Leadership leaves governors much better informed about what inspectors regard as good practice in governorship, and also fully aware of what characterises the most and least successful school governing bodies.

The course also offers practical guidance on how governing bodies can work in harmony with school leaders, while still positively challenging them to deliver optimal outcomes for the pupils in their care.

With its focus on developing key headship skills, the NPQH is for those who are, or aspire to be, a headteacher or head of school with leadership responsibility. An NPQH increases understanding of what’s required to lead and develop a compelling vision for a school. The NPQH includes individual coaching, online briefings and practice-based events. Prospective candidates are assessed for their suitability and readiness for a headship role prior to acceptance. There are approximately 112 hours of guided learning.

The NPQSL is for senior leaders seeking professional development but not yet aspiring to headship. It is appropriate for senior leaders with cross-school responsibilities, including experienced middle leaders, deputy and assistant headteachers, SEN coordinators and other senior staff. It increases an individual’s capacity to lead across a school by improving their skills, knowledge and understanding. The NPQH consists of individual coaching, online briefings, practice- based events and a final assessment. There are approximately 92 hours of guided learning.

NPQML is for those who are, or aspire to be, a middle leader with responsibility for leading a team. It improves the skills, knowledge and understanding of those looking to take on a leadership role. The NPQML requires the completion of a school improvement project and involves face-to-face events and online courses. Candidates must have their application endorsed by their headteacher. There are approximately 92 hours of guided learning.