Supporting professional learning
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Information about the school
Cwmtawe Community School is an 11-16 school in Neath Port Talbot, serving the lower Swansea Valley. Most pupils come from Pontardawe and the surrounding area, with about 50% opting to attend the school from outside the normal catchment area. There are 1,232 pupils on roll. The school has two specialist teaching units on site, one for dyslexic learners and the other specialising in autism spectrum disorder.
Seventeen point four per cent (17.4%) of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school has 40% of pupils on the special educational needs register, and around 4% of pupils have a statement of special educational needs.
About 5% of pupils come from minority ethnic groups and a very few pupils come from homes where English is not the first language. Around 14% of pupils are fluent in Welsh.
The leadership team consists of the headteacher, who was appointed in 2014, two deputy headteachers, two assistant headteachers and a business manager.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
The school has a strong tradition of professionally developing staff at all stages in their careers. The headteacher, two deputy headteachers, one assistant headteacher, most middle leaders and many teaching assistants have all benefited from the school’s various professional development programmes for career progression. These programmes include training for accreditation through training programmes for outstanding teachers and teaching assistants and improving teachers and internal job shadowing opportunities. Staff regularly take the lead to deliver INSET sessions to share effective practice. All teachers coach and support each other with lesson planning and reflection.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
In the summer term the senior leadership team identify shadow post roles based on whole school priorities. The shadow posts roles are advertised for all staff to apply in readiness for starting in the new academic year and run from one to two years, depending upon the nature of the role. Examples of roles include assessment, recording and reporting; primary transition; coaching at key stage 3; curriculum planning and subject leadership. Shadow post role holders have support from a designated lead member of staff, for example a senior leader or middle leader, who acts as a coach and mentor throughout the process. At the end of the cycle the shadow post holder meets with the lead member of staff to reflect upon their experiences and to receive written feedback, which is integrated within the school’s performance management process.
All teachers and teaching assistants have access to accredited training programmes, which are facilitated in-house. Those aspiring to leadership positions have participated in external programmes working with the local consortia and higher education institutions to gain accreditation.
Staff often take the lead to share effective practice during school INSET days. Newly qualified teachers have led sessions on the new professional standards and the new Curriculum for Wales; whilst other staff have led workshops focusing on pedagogical approaches and the digital competency framework.
The deputy headteacher with responsibility for professional development structures a programme for lesson planning, observation and reflection, whereby teachers are placed within triad groups within their Areas of Learning and Experience. This triad group is comprised of the teacher whose lesson is being observed, the subject leader or senior leader and a colleague from a different subject area who coaches the teacher, providing support with planning and reflection. Planning time is allocated for the teacher and coach to meet. Once the lesson is observed by the coach and subject leader/senior leader, the teacher completes a self-reflection proforma. This self-reflection proforma, along with the non-judgemental written observation completed by the coach and subject leader/senior leader, forms the focus for discussion in the feedback meeting. Once all teachers have been observed a reflection session is held for each Area of Learning and Experience whereby the coaches take a lead in facilitating discussions.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
Through the various professional development routes, all staff at different stages of their careers gain valuable experiences to lead and take ownership of teaching and learning in the school. The accredited training programmes and internal training have equipped staff with strategies and skills to become more confident practitioners and be more experimental in planning. Teaching assistants feel valued and are more confident of their vital role within the classroom, are able to work independently and are less reliant on the guidance of teachers. They value the opportunity of being able to network with colleagues during training programmes, sharing good practice and strategies.
The job shadowing roles provide opportunities for all staff to gain wider whole school or departmental responsibility and experience. This has increased staff confidence and enabled participants to be ambitious and successfully apply for posts within and outside the school.
Staff of varying experiences, who have led training on INSET days, appreciate the opportunity to share effective practice, feeling a sense of pride as their work is valued.
The use of coaches who engage with colleagues outside their subject areas, having in-depth conversations about effective and creative planning, has proved to be a real strength of the school. Lesson observation feedback sessions within triad working and Areas of Learning and Experience have further highlighted an improvement in quality and insightful self-reflection, drilling down to the specifics of effective practice. The school’s ‘open door’ ethos, where staff are willing to be observed to support the professional development of colleagues from within and outside the school, is thriving. Lesson observations demonstrate teachers’ ability to develop pupils’ metacognition skills, to encourage deeper self-reflection and to promote pupils as independent learners. The high quality teaching and learning in the classroom and the vibrant culture of professional learning has resulted in very strong pupil outcomes over a long period of time.
How have you shared your good practice?
Through facilitating accredited progammes, hosting INSET provision and through the school’s work as a professional learning pioneer school, the school’s professional development practices have been shared within the local authority, the regional consortia and nationally. The school has also assisted a number of partner secondary schools and practice has been shared with cluster primary schools.