Audience: - for Parents and Carers – Introduction to the Early Years Foundation Stage 

This is a consultancy package suitable for Settings wishing to develop a shared understanding with parents of their role in the learning and development of their children.

The main areas of focus will include the following:

• Introduction to Principles and Learning and Development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

• The importance of learning through a play based curriculum and Enabling Environment.

• How children’s learning and development will be monitored and the importance of effective transitions.

• The important role of parents in supporting their children’s learnin

This package costs £112.00 and consists of:

• 1 X 1 hour twilight session to introduce parents to the EYFS curriculum and their part in the learning process.

This package will be available from September 2012.

Please contact Beverley Richards to purchase this consultancy on 07528 252482 or email beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

Audience:  School Foundation Stage Leaders and Senior Management Teams

A consultancy package offering a holistic audit of maintained Early Years Foundation Stage provision.

This is an opportunity to receive an in-depth audit covering all aspects of practice and provision, and is structured to mirror the sections of an OFSTED inspection such as achievement, quality of teaching and learning, leadership and behaviour.  It will also support the completion of self evaluation documents and help identify possible priorities for Early Years target setting within a school development plan.

This is offered at 3 levels with typical options as below:

Audit   – Cost:  £620

• 1 half day of observation within a setting by the consultant
• 1 half day of discussion with the Foundation Stage leader/ senior management/ Head
• A summary report

Action  - Cost:  £1,120

• All of the above
• 1 half day to support development or action planning
• 1 half day for further monitoring or targeted consultancy

Aftercare  -  Cost: £1,740

• All of the above
• 1 half day additional observation
• 1 half day additional discussion
• Summary report focusing on impact and progress

Please contact Beverley Richards directly to purchase this consultancy on 07528252482 or email beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

A consultancy package offering support on the development of the outdoor learning environment to maximise potential for learning.

Audience:  FS coordinators, Headteachers  and owners and managers of settings.

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales (ECERS) are tools for measuring and improving the quality of early years provision.  They are based on research over many years and are constantly reviewed in response to feedback.   The scales are widely used internationally but contain modifications for particular countries.  They were used in the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education Project (EPPE), the Millennium Cohort Study and other national evaluations as well as being referenced in OFSTED and EYFS documentation.    ECERS focuses on the ‘learning environment’ in the broadest sense and provides a structure for recording what is happening and points for development.  The scales include sets for school or centre-based provision with a curricular extension, and scales for out of school clubs and childminders. The aspects of quality covered are the welfare requirements, the environment, relationships, learning and development, parental partnerships and provision for staff.

An audit will typically require half a day to observe and gather information, with a follow up visit to provide feedback.   Leaders can then use the information for self evaluation and quality improvement, or for evidence for OFSTED and the SEF or in performance management.

Cost: £525 for an audit which includes a written report and a feedback visit

Case study

Please contact Beverley Richards directly to purchase this consultancy on 07528252482 or email beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

Audience:  FS coordinators ,Headteachers  and managers of settings, reception /nursery staff.

A consultancy package offering support ,on the development of the outdoor learning environment to maximise potential for learning.

This is offered at 2 levels with typical options as below:

Package One   – Cost:  £225.00

•  Initial contact with setting  with an audit of current provision to be filled in by the setting prior to the site visit
•  Site visit with key staff and informal verbal feedback with practical ideas and suggestions on development of areas. This could take the form of a walk round with key stakeholders (staff/children) and /or observation of how the site is currently used.
• Written  summary report of the visit

Package Two- Cost : £525

• All of the above
• written report that includes supporting photographs, 3D visualisations of possible development . This is useful to share with other stakeholders such as governors or to use to support funding.
• return visit to the setting to share interactive model and an opportunity for additional input into the team or workshop session. This would be agreed at the end of the site visit in advance of the return visit based on individual needs of the setting.

Advisory note for package two, the visualisation is not a detailed technical specification but can be very useful to articulate a vision to other professionals who may carry out structural development of the site.

Please contact Beverley Richards directly to purchase this consultancy on 07528252482 or email beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

This is a consultancy package suitable for all Early Years Practitioners wishing to develop and recognise effective learning in the EYFS.    The primary focus is to examine and understand the key elements of ‘involvement and well being’ and how that impacts on children’s dispositions and attitudes to learning.  Consideration will also be given to importance of the adult role and the organisation of the learning environment both indoor and outdoor.

This package costs £225 and consists of:

•  1 half day   – to look at levels Involvement and well being and how to recognise it in practice.  Sharing strategies that enable the tracking and monitoring of children’s involvement levels.  (Practical task in the setting)
• 2 hr session – Feed back, discussion and sharing from practical task.

Additionally a 2 hr follow up support session (in house) can be requested for the cost of £120.

Please contact Beverley Richards to purchase this consultancy on 07528252482 or email Beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

Audience: teachers, teaching assistants, childcare practitioners working in settings

This is a consultancy package suitable for all Early Years Practitioners wishing to develop a shared team approach to effective planning and assessment in the Foundation Stage.

The main areas of focus will include consideration of:

• Developing a clear understanding of the key elements and  EYFS principles of the planning cycle

• How on going observational evidence supports the process enabling practitioners to understand and plan for children’s individual needs, interests and learning styles.

• The important role that parents play in supporting their child’s learning journey

• Methods of recording, tracking and monitoring children’s learning and developmental progress

This package costs £225 and consists of:

• Initial visit to the setting to observe current practice/ planning and assessment.

•  1 x 2 hr twilight session –  with the whole Early Years Team – Overview of the process, sharing and discussion

• Follow up monitoring visit

Please contact Beverley Richards to purchase this consultancy on 07528252482 or email Beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

Audience: Childcare managers and deputies

A consultancy package for childcare providers wishing to develop their SEF writing and evaluation skills.

This is an opportunity to develop your SEF as part of your continuous quality improvement cycle, or as preparation for inspection.  There will be advice on reflective practice and evaluation, asking the right questions, providing SMART evidence, examining and using the language of inspection within your report, and how to frame the wider sections in order to demonstrate accurate and effective self evaluation.  Providers will be asked to bring their SEF as a WORD document on their laptop.

The cost is £240

(this may be purchased by a single provider, or shared between a number of providers up to a maximum of 6).

Case study

‘I have attended this course, and it was fantastic; so this has spurred me on to tackle it head on’

‘I am going to include this information within our staff meeting and spend a training day looking at our provision’

Please contact Beverley Richards directly to purchase this consultancy on 07528252496 or email beverley.richards@kirklees.gov.uk

Schools can choose from a range of performance and assessment programmes, including:

• full analysis of RAISE online reports includes a written report or power point for use with staff and governors
• training sessions for middle leaders
• understanding data for governors
• know the GAP sessions for middle leaders in school to identify underperformance of vulnerable groups
• analysis of CVA data to highlight where and how CVA can be improved: to identify curriculum areas and groups of pupils that are underperforming and how the curriculum offer can be enhanced.

These programmes can be purchased individually, or bundled into packages to suit your school’s circumstances and requirements.

Standard Level and Advanced Level training programmes are available.
This training enables participants to run restorative conferences and use restorative practices in their everyday roles. You must have completed the standard level before undertaking the advanced course.

The ‘Adopt a professional’ programme offers extended learning provision in the arts and other curriculum areas within schools.
This gives pupils the opportunity to work with a specialist or professional in a specific field. The sessions are after school for one hour per week over a six week period. Each half term the pupils will work with a different professional ranging from chef to sculptor to break dance to gardener. It also offers master classes and progression routes with opportunity to achieve accreditation through the Arts Award Scheme. This programme can also be used to facilitate family workshops.

A programme showcasing inspirational, innovative and current best practice in Design and Technology.
The programme consists of six twilight sessions over a financial year and sessions will include: The Baker, How does your Garden Grow, Dens and Pimp my Ride.
Each session will enable the participant to:

• meet the professional
• take part in a demonstration and practical session
• learn fault finding and classroom tips
• engage into a network PMI.

Ensure your KS4 curriculum covers specifications and meets the needs of your learners.
A programme to help you understand the changes to GCSE maths for 2012 and beyond and develop a bespoke KS4 scheme of work for your learners. It also includes guidance on how to develop staff, schemes of learning, ideas for cross curricular approaches and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the local authority.
The programme consists of three half day sessions and a consultant visit to school.

A minimum of 2 days school based programme to validate school judgements and test monitoring and evaluation systems. Each programme can be individualised for each school to include elements such as formal feedback to staff and governors, building capacity with team leaders, details of the process including observation, scrutiny and pupil and leader’s discussion.

In order to support you in developing your policies and practices around anti bullying, this programme will:

• equip staff to deal effectively with bullying incidents
• identify and support vulnerable pupils
• help you develop a range of intervention strategies.

This programme can include the following activities:

• one day’s training for staff
• facilitation of a working party
• running a staff meeting or workshop
• discussion with governors and /or parents

Using opportunities for school twinning to develop classroom activities around identity and diversity.

A programme to provide participants with an overview of school twinning and its unique position in supporting pupils’ understanding of identity and diversity.

The programme includes:

• a practical day’s course
• input from an expert on the twinning process from the creators of ‘School Twinning in Kirklees’
• access to a twinning virtual learning environment
• a twinning handbook and 10 top tips
• one twilight session.

This programme can be provided as either course/centre based, school consultancy or a pyramid event.

This programme aims to share good practice on how to gather authentic student voice in the debate on raising standards and to equip students on relevant research into what promotes learning and what is a barrier to learning in their school. It will also offer useful, evidence based research to staff to support them in their planning for school improvement.

The programme consists of:

• one day to work with staff and students to develop a research team
• half a day to work with students to develop their research into a CPD session for staff
• attendance at a staff meeting to support students to present their findings
• support to staff to develop an action plan to address student findings

This programme offers an understanding of how ‘Talk for writing’ improves outcomes. It provides a clear understanding of the key elements of ‘Talk for Writing’ and how these fit into the teaching sequence and support Quality First teaching and learning. Five sessions will be delivered throughout the year with gap tasks and leading teacher support.

This offers a bespoke package of support for identified school colleagues who require more intensive support in or to develop further in classroom pedagogy and practice. It will include an opportunity to explore in detail the grade descriptors for judging quality of teaching and the use of assessment to support learning from the Ofsted Evaluation Schedule. The programme will be developed through a combination of training and development sessions and can be offered as a whole school INSET with 1-3 follow up sessions in school.

Kirklees has a long standing history of providing schools, with a dedicated link officer to act as a critical friend and offer appropriate levels of challenge and support the school improvement agenda. As changes in national policy have developed so the role has evolved to meet the needs of central and local government, the LA and schools themselves. The role has been valued by headteachers and governors. It has been built on a firm foundation of partnership, trust and respect. The White Paper “The Importance of Teaching”, however, states there is no longer the requirement for each school to have a School Improvement Partner.
Kirklees is committed to maintaining the strong partnerships established with all its schools through this well established model. The model will be differentiated to meet the needs of the individual school but will promote all schools being part of the Kirklees Family of Schools. It will enable us to keep a strategic overview of all our schools and maintain a link that will continue to strengthen working relationships across the district.
In order for us to maintain the strong partnerships that have been developed, from September 2011 all schools will receive one, free, annual visit from a TQIO in the Autumn term. Spring and Summer term TQIO visits can be purchased separately. This visit will follow the established pattern of a Single Conversation. Satisfactory schools and schools in an Ofsted category will receive a further allocation of support.
In addition to this annual meeting, all TQIOs will offer a range of additional support to schools. This can be purchased directly by schools to meet their own priorities and improvement agenda. Additional days can be purchased from either the school’s allocated TQIO or from a TQIO with the appropriate specialism.
This approach will allow schools to develop bespoke support packages to meet their priorities. TQIOs will offer a menu of activities to support your own monitoring and evaluation.

This may include activities such as:

• classroom observation with focus on, for example, quality of teaching, learning, AfL and behaviour
• work scrutiny
• pupil discussions
• middle manager development
• support with competency procedures
• monitoring NQTs
• support for senior leaders
• performance and assessment
• learning walks

All our TQIO support packages will be priced at our daily consultancy rate with discounts applied relating to the number of days purchased.

These are bespoke programmes tailored through negotiation with us to support schools to build capacity and develop good practice around:

• Whole school ethos
• Transitions
• Nurture
• Work with families, parents and carers
• Achievement for all

These are bespoke programmes to secure firm foundations in speaking and listening, reading, writing and maths. ‘Building Blocks’ comes in many types of packages (for example staff meetings, Inset, co – teaching, consultancies, action research projects and workshops) depending on who the programme is for. As such, individual packages can be tailored to meet your needs.
Examples of packages:

• Pupils: Whole school practice, targeted group-work, 1-1 teaching
• Workforce: Classroom, key stage, pyramid working, working collaboratively with other schools
• Families: Working in partnership with parents and carers within school and beyond
• Networks: Facilitation of collaborative working, building capacity and developing practice

This is a Leading Transformation package to:

• provide a support programme on how to lead improving standards
• explore essential management materials and case studies
• develop knowledge of line management, performance management and professional development.

This is a bespoke programme of practical leadership activities which takes place over either 3 sessions 3-6pm or 3 sessions to be held in school.

A programme designed to support schools in improving inclusion for all pupils including pupils with special needs. The programme consists of up to four sessions plus school visits and elements of the programme can include:

• SEN and TDA planning and resources for inclusive teaching cross phase
• escorted visits to schools to observe inclusion in practice
• ideas to promote pupil and parent voice around inclusion
• methods of measuring impact
• in school consultant support.

Team Teach training in positive handling strategies is available for schools and settings through a whole setting holistic approach, working with leadership, management and staff teams who are actively committed to reducing restraint and risk.
This training enables staff to feel more confident and competent in their management of disruptive and “challenging” behaviour and helps reduce stress by increasing safety and security for all involved. Learning outcomes and behaviour should improve through the provision of safe learning and caring.
The training has a fun element and aims to reduce stress, enhance team-work, co-operation and staff morale. It also helps employers meet their obligations under Health and Safety legislation thus reducing potential liability claims.
The Team Teach programmes are delivered by Kirklees accredited trainers who have extensive experience of working in this field.
There are two levels of accredited training:

1. Foundation course one day
2. Basic course two days

The costs per day are:

• up to 24 delegates – £ 1200 (2 trainers)
• 25 to 36 delegates £1800 (3 trainers)
• 37 to 48 delegates £2400 (4 trainers)
• over 49 delegates to be priced on application (additional trainers will be required for additional delegates).

If you are interested in this programme, please contact Beverley Fletcher on

beverley.fletcher@kirklees.gov.uk  or 01484 456809

The Solihull Approach began in 1996 with a request from health visitors to the child psychotherapists and clinical psychologists in CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service). Hazel Douglas led the development of the Solihull Approach, which is now used by a wide range of practitioners in education, health and social care working with families across the UK.
The Solihull Approach model provides professionals with a framework for thinking about children’s behaviour in order to develop practice that can support effective and consistent approaches across and within agencies.
This is a certified foundation programme to help care professionals become more effective in their work with children and families who are affected by behavioural and emotional difficulties. It offers a detailed introduction of a highly acclaimed and nationally recognised model consisting of a theoretical framework and comprehensive resource packs. The course offers an enjoyable mixture of theory, discussion, group activity, casework scenarios and DVD materials and consists of a two day foundation course plus four 1 hour group consultations and resource packs.