Nottingham Schools Trust
Bitesize Twilight INSET
The Nottingham Schools Trust is a collaborative partnership focusing on improving education for the children of Nottingham. Every school that joins the trust will contribute to and benefit from a unique school improvement offer. In a time of rapidly evolving government policy, the trust offers a unique opportunity to bring together all types of schools including maintained primary, special schools and standalone academies. Currently there are 36 schools which make up the Nottingham Schools Trust.
Objective
The Trust wanted to run a bespoke Design and Technology Subject Leadership network to support the improvement needs of leaders across their 36 schools. A series of Subject leader networks were commissioned which run every term and act as a one stop shop for information for subject leaders.
Training
Three twilight online sessions were held over a period between March and November 2021. The sessions subject matter started with planning and developing a mid-term plan for schools, and based on an audit of teachers’ requirements, Computer Aided Design (CAD) was also introduced. A second session looked at deeper elements of CAD and introduced how Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) elements could be implemented as part of an aspirational curriculum. The third (face to face) session focused on the designing aspect of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study, namely generating, developing, modelling, and communicating ideas. Whilst the remote sessions were really beneficial, having everyone in the same room, sharing and collaborating was fantastic and a collection of exemplar work from students was begun, to share around the network.
Review
The feedback on the training received by Nottingham Schools Trust has been extremely positive. Especially as the brief for each network was different and generated largely from the needs identified from the participants themselves. All the sessions from CAD, to Assessment in Design and Technology in Primary Schools, to Progression and curriculum planning, informed and met their needs. Each school has taken what they have learnt in the different sessions and adapted it to practice in their schools.
Sarah Fielding, CEO Nottingham Schools Trust said, “Ryan Ball has supported us in all of these sessions and has been absolutely brilliant- responsive to our needs and a fantastic facilitator.”