Continuing Professional Development in Basic Skills Teaching (Schools)

Basic skills CPD modules for primary and secondary teachers have been developed and a number of them piloted in partnership with two higher education institutes and six LEAs in Wales. The Agency wishes to thank colleagues from North East Wales Institute of Higher Education, Swansea Institute of Higher Education, Denbighshire, Flintshire, NeathPortTalbot, Swansea, Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham LEAs for all their support, expertise and hard work.

Essential elements of the modules:

• enquiry-based action carried out by teachers in the two periods between sessions;
• strong emphasis on applying ideas and theory from trainers in the day-to-day context of the classroom;
• trainers modelling a variety of effective teaching strategies as they train;
• strong emphasis on frank peer discussion on effective teaching and learning, including use of ‘trust groups’, teachers developing as reflective practitioners;
• strong emphasis on evaluation of impact on learners, especially target pupils, including listening to learners.

In all sessions, teachers have the opportunity to discuss issues with colleagues in ‘trust groups’. Teachers can be allocated to these by the course leader. A time allocation of about half an hour allows the teachers an opportunity to raise issues in a small confidential group which they might not wish to raise in public, or issues that might not be appropriate for wider discussion. Teachers value these sessions highly, and course leaders usually withdraw for these sessions to emphasize the more private nature of this opportunity.

Modules have the potential to impact not only on the practice of individual teachers and the pupils they teach but on whole-school practice. Enquiry-based action is at the heart of the modules, together with an expectation that participating teachers will report on their findings to their school senior management teams. It is important that at least one member of each school senior management team understands the requirements of the modules and is committed both to supporting the teacher enquiries and facilitating the sharing of findings once the module is completed.

(v) Module structure: Session One

The first of the three sessions is the heaviest on ‘input’: teachers are introduced to new issues, concepts and strategies and provided with guidance on the intersessional task (the school-based enquiry or development work the teachers will need to complete before the next session). Trust group discussion and planning time are also included.

Sessions Two and Three

Most of the time in the second and third sessions is allocated for small group and whole group discussion with teachers feeding back from their intersessional tasks and listening and reflecting on the findings of others. Module leaders act as facilitators for these discussions and are ready to provide additional clarification when this is required. At the end of the second session leaders provide guidance on the next intersessional task and allow time for planning. At the end of the third session leaders provide guidance on completion of the module assignment (if accreditation is being sought) and on how to present findings to colleagues and to the school senior management team.

(vi) Flexible strategies for running the modules:

Particular LEA circumstances will help to determine exactly how the modules are run.

• Each module needs to be delivered over the equivalent of one term to allow time for the enquiry-based action. Each module includes one full day session, usually the first, and two half days; the two half days can either be run using half day cover, or as ‘twilight’ sessions, taking account of TLR factors.
• Each module outline provides a focus and framework for effective basic skills CPD, but depends on the expertise of the LEA literacy and numeracy advisory staff and/or external providers and/or good practitioners delivering the module sessions to give the module its substance.
• Modules can be delivered by a single LEA or by groups of neighbouring LEAs sharing delivery. If geography permits a shared approach there are the advantages of teachers being able to share ideas and good practice across LEAs and a larger pool of expertise to draw upon for delivery.
• The modules can be delivered as individual modules or in combinations to meet the specific training needs of schools in each LEA.

(vii) Accreditation:

LEAs wishing to secure an accreditation route for teachers will need to enter into partnership with a higher education institution. In 2005-7 secondary modules were piloted in three LEAs in South Wales in partnership with Swansea Institute of Higher Education and in three LEAs in North Wales in partnership with North East Wales Institute of Education. It is envisaged that other LEA/HE partnerships will deliver these modules in future years.

Teachers wishing to gain accreditation can complete written module assignments to obtain a Basic Skills Certificate (three modules) or a Basic Skills Diploma (six modules). This will provide teachers with a professionally recognised award with accreditation transferable across Wales and which they can also use as a stepping stone towards a Master’s award.

All teachers following the modules, whether or not they intend to seek accreditation, are expected to engage fully in the intersessional tasks and the trust group sessions. To ensure an ethos within all shared sessions which includes a high level of discussion and involvement, all teachers will are encouraged to reflect on their own practice in the context of the issues raised by each module, sharing ideas with peers, and undertaking enquiry-based action.