Consultancy and bespoke support
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As well as live courses and self-paced CPD, I work directly with primary schools to provide school improvement support, usually with senior and middle leaders. Schools often find it useful to add additional capacity and expertise to their team, e.g. external coaching, professional dialogue on specific topics, partnership work, working party facilitation, leadership development. The support can be a single session or a programme of support across the year. Support can start at any time, no need to wait for a new school year.
"Thank you for a really useful day. I know the phase leaders, and myself, found it really inspiring." Headteacher - session designed to develop the role of phase leaders.
“Thank you for being so generous in your support. I have been inspired and energised to keep going. Truly a well timed and informative session that I can practically put into practice for IMPACT.” 1:1 support for Deputy Headteacher.
"I found the process on Friday so useful. It is some of the best CPD I've had for a long time and it helped me to be really clear about next steps etc. It was lovely to work with you as it is always." Headteacher following a review of pupil work and strategising on curriculum implementation.
“Thank you for all the support Vicky! All day you have been extremely knowledgeable in answering all my questions.” Deputy Headteacher related to pupil premium and closing the gap for disadvantaged pupils sessions.
"I really enjoyed the conversation and it's come at a key time! Thankyou for your clarity and kindness." Phase leader.
“I liked having time to really think about what I am doing well and what areas I still need to improve. I really enjoyed it.” Subject leader bespoke support. "We are really pleased with how well the inspection went - lots of hard work has been put in over the last few years, so great to get the report we recieved. Thank you for your part in it - the subject leaders were confident and knew their subjects inside out!" Headteacher (a mix of HT conversations, subject leader training, and 1:1 sessions across the year).
How can I support you? As a school improvement consultant with many years of experience, I am able to provide flexible training and support on a wide range of needs. If you are unsure if my expertise is a match for you, why not email me your support requirements. As the majority of my work centres around leadership, it often cuts across different areas of school life, e.g. supporting a DHT with plans to close the gap for disadvantaged pupils, or working with senior leaders and subject leaders on curriculum implementation. The schools I support appreciate my wide ranging experience and knowledge base. I very much see school improvement work as a partnership which recognises and appreciates everyones contributions, skills, talents and knowledge base.
I am particularly interested in how acadmic performance of pupils can be improved and how high-standards can be achieved in the classroom. I work with leaders to consider how whole school actions and leadership direction can bring about an improvement at a pupil level.
School improvement support can be purchased in blocks, e.g. a whole day, half-day or twilights. Additional 1:1 professional dialogue and coaching sessions can be added: 90 minute sessions. Discounts are provided for schools booking multiple days.
Support can be for individuals, teams or larger groups. However, impact tends to be higher when the group size is no more than eight people. If you have leaders from across a group of schools who wish to have training on a particular topic, why not get in touch regarding your needs.
Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
If you have not worked with me before, why not book a 'discovery meeting' to see how I can be of assistance. Choose a date and time to discuss your requirements and ask questions about the service you can expect.
Or, if you are a school who has worked with before but you have a new project in mind, book a 1 hour discovery meeting to map out the deliverables.
Have you thought about support for...
Bespoke pupil premium support for your school
Design a 12-month leadership support package with a view to maximising the impact of pupil premium actions. Vicky can work 1:1 with the senior leader with responsibility for pupil premium at a frequency and intensity that is right for your school. Schools need different types of support - some might require a review, some want leadership sessions to increase their knowledge base of the most effective pupil premium strategies, some need support on action planning. Some schools need support for just the senior leaders, some need input into a working party and some need support for subject leaders, e.g. considering writing progression for disadvantaged pupils; considering progression in geography for disadvantaged pupils; considering the needs of disadvantaged pupils in EYFS. Why not tap into Vicky's knowledge base and create a plan that suits you.
Design your own subject leadership support package
Short zoom training sessions and 1:1 coaching can be a great way to develop middle leaders in school. Professional dialogue sessions can take into account the current skills and experience of each leader, and the demands of the subject they lead. Subject leaders really appreciate the time to discuss their vision and action plans and to reflect on developments. Alternatively, design a group training course by selecting leadership modules, or set your own leadership objectives and Vicky will design a course to match your needs.
Curriculum Development
Vicky has significant knowledge regarding curriculum design. Vicky has worked with a variety of schools through face-to-face courses and bespoke support. Audits and development materials produced by Vicky have been published by 'The Key' and these have helped a number of school leaders and governors set out their vision and intent. Schools currently tend to be focused on the challenge of implementation and impact. Vicky can provide strategic leadership for senior leaders and more direct support for subject leaders depending on the needs of the school. Why not get in touch to discuss how Vicky can support the school in the goal to make the ambitions of the curriculum a reality.
Strategic leadership for teams
There are two types of strategic leadership training and support that can be provided. 1) a kick-start (usually summer term) for the the school development process, or 2) Support over a series of half-days to work on developing the startegic skill set of the senior leadership team with activities designed to support thinking. Schools often appreciate a person being involved in strategic planning to provide an outside, fresh perspective and find the 'facilitation' aspect of it enables everyone to participate inhigh-quality discussion. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Word reading review
An initial half-day meeting with the English leader / reading leader to help colleagues reflect on current strengths, identify quick wins, and plan a route forward.
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Word reading speed, accuracy and prosody assessments - Assessments can be provided if you don't currently assess all pupils. Advice on interpreting and acting on results.
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Review of interventions - can gains be made by switching to high-leverage interventions? Consideration for best practice.
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Implementing reading research in EYFS and KS1.
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Ensuring KS2 day-to-day teaching maximises progress in reading fluency.