Throughout this blog series, we’ve kept referring back to the DfE’s Standards for Teachers’ Professional Development (found here). The first three blogs look at the online course we’ve created, the quarterly webinars on offer and the responsive support available for all staff. The package is founded in the evidence that CPD should ensure that it is just that – continuing! Therefore, one-off workshops or training days, by themselves, are unlikely to be effective, however, they do still have their place as part of effective CPD. This final blog looks at how schools can best utilise the bespoke in-person or web-based training we offer as part of the package.
Context-based support
We know that many schools want, understandably, training that is bespoke to their context. Every school is different: the location, the intake and the ethos to name but a few. The package gives ALL STAFF the knowledge to be able to interpret and use CEM assessment data to improve the outcomes of the pupils they teach. However, the bespoke training we provide is delivered in the context of the school we visit.
When we visit a school, or deliver bespoke training, we send a planning survey beforehand in order to create a session that meets the needs of those attending. We understand that different stakeholders, such as teachers, senior leaders, heads of department, governors and parents will all use CEM data differently, hence a one-size-fits-all session would not be appropriate.
We can also use the school’s data that we’re visiting. We find that sessions are even more meaningful for teachers when delivered in the context of pupils that they know and teach – and this way we can really emphasise the link between the data and the professional judgement of teachers. We can also advise on potential strategies that may help pupils with particular CEM profiles.
Different stakeholders use different parts of the data and our sessions can reflect that, perhaps using intake data with HoDs or value-added with senior leaders. The planning survey also has space to name pupils whose data could be of particular interest to look at, and those to avoid (such as sons and daughters of colleagues).
How to use the packages most effectively
When you sign up for our package, you immediately receive a link to the online course which you can share with all colleagues. There is also an option to get in touch to book a date for an in-person or web-based session, and we can offer a special rate for package subscribers. The bespoke session can be booked at any point during the year that the package lasts for, just suggest a few dates and we’ll check our calendar.
We often find the visit or webinar works to best effect when it is used to kick off the year of ongoing support. We’ve used previous visits to advise schools on the best ways to distribute the data amongst colleagues and share best practice from the hundreds of schools we’ve visited. It is also a chance to inform colleagues of the support resources at their fingertips and put a year-long plan in place to improve use of CEM data.
Don’t just take our word for it
Thanks so much for the training – it was fantastic to be able to tailor the experience to exactly what we wanted and needed – the use of our own data added another dimension that enhanced the experience further.
Michael Relf, International School of Manila
Thank you for visiting Bellerby’s to deliver such an informative and helpful presentation on CEM assessments. You were extremely clear and answered all the questions with confidence to win over the audience. You even managed to inject a bit of humour that kept us engaged on a Friday afternoon!
Nick Waite, Bellerby’s College
Find out more
You can find out more about our ongoing CEM support package and the tools and resources they include by clicking here. Our Essentials support package includes access for ALL staff to the online course and quarterly webinars, mentioned in the previous blogs, as well as the responsive service. The Essentials package costs just £450 (exc. VAT) for the year – with no travel and no cover costs.
You can also get in touch by emailing cem-training@evidencebased.education
