Newsletters

Dear colleague,

As we begin to approach the end of the summer term, we wanted to say thank you for your support and engagement with us again this year.

It has been a pleasure and privilege to be your local TSH during this 1st designation period with 23/24 being our biggest year yet.

During 23/24, this also includes 67 % of applicable schools within our region accessing our programmes and services.

In addition to this, a significant number of school/setting leaders from within our region have joined the Potentia team as facilitators of our programmes. This collaboration and partnership between schools and us, has been integral in the provision of high quality professional development that has been accessed by many of our schools this year. 

I wanted to reiterate our thanks at this point. Our success, which is also your success, would not have been achieved without your support. Your collaboration and partnership in a variety of capacities has been integral to this over the last 3 years.

Looking ahead to designation period 2 and how we can improve our programmes and services, we ask that you take 5 minutes to complete our annual School Leader Satisfaction Survey.

This survey is an opportunity for headteachers across our region to get feedback on their views regarding the provision accessed from Potentia Teaching School Hub this academic year.

In this month's newsletter we are reflecting on programmes and service provision, whilst looking ahead to September 2024 and the academic year 24/25.

Most notably this month is the fact that applications for NPQs commencing October 2024 go live. With funded places being set nationally at 10,800, it is vital that you get your application in promptly as supply will outstrip demand in every region.

We hope you have a restful and enjoyable summer break when it arrives. 

Kind regards,

Alan and the Potentia Team

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Initial Teacher Training (ITT) plans for 24/25

School involvement in ITT benefits teachers, trainees and pupils. It enables leaders to spot and nurture talent and creates opportunities for the whole school team to engage in professional dialogue about evidence-informed practice.

This final newsletter of the year is an opportunity to celebrate our successes this year and to outline how Derbyshire schools can work collaboratively with Potentia TSH in 24/25 in ITT.

Congratulations to the ITT team at University of Derby!

We are thrilled that Initial Teacher Education provision at University of Derby received an Outstanding Ofsted outcome in May!  Here are just a few of the many positive comments:

• ‘Leaders aspire to ‘ignite inspiration amongst trainees’. They do this in abundance.’
• ‘They are immersed in high-quality placement learning that dovetails purposefully with university-, hub- or partner-based learning.’
• ‘Trainees are supported by very well-trained mentors.’
• ‘Trainees gain from exceptional training, becoming well-informed, self-reflective, and skilled ‘beginning teachers’.’

Click on this link to read the report in full: University of Derby Initial Teacher Education Ofsted Report

Primary PGCE Term 2 Placement Request

We are exceptionally proud to be Delivery Partners for the school-based, provider-led primary route with University of Derby. In September, our ‘Team Potentia’ trainees will begin their primary PGCE year.

Our term 1 and 3 placements have now been arranged. In September, we will start to plan term 2 placements. In term 2, trainees will be placed in a contrasting school. They will also visit SEND provision or an Enhanced Resource provision.

Would you be interested in offering a term 2 placement to a ‘Team Potentia’ primary trainee in spring 2025? Mentors in all schools who host trainees will benefit from up to 20 hours of mentor training to enable them to fulfil the role, in line with expectations outlined in the ITT reforms, and supported by DfE funding. There is also an expectation that mentors spend 1.5 hours with their trainee each week.

To express an interest in hosting a term 2 ITT placement and to request more details about funding and mentor training, please contact itt@potentiatsh.co.uk.

‘Keen to Teach?’ School Experience Days

This year, several Derbyshire schools have hosted school experience days for graduates who are keen to teach. These opportunities provide an insight into school life and they have been very well-received.

We are currently seeking to expand our list of available schools across the region. To add your school to our list, please contact itt@potentiatsh.co.uk.

Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeships

This year, a number of schools have contacted us to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy to upskill a current member of staff or to recruit a new member of staff.

Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeships are available at both primary and secondary. We are working in collaboration? with Best Practice Network (BPN) to support schools to access these routes in Derbyshire. More information is available on our website. Please click on Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeships for further details.

If you are considering this route for a colleague in your school in 2024-25, and would like to speak to a headteacher or apprentice about their experiences, we may be able to connect you. Please contact itt@potentiatsh.co.uk.

Assessment Only

The University of Derby supports schools to access the Assessment Only route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). As a Teaching School Hub, we signpost to this pathway. This flexible, convenient route may be appropriate for a member of staff who has considerable experience of working in education. They would like to be a qualified teacher but need to achieve QTS. This allows schools to support a member of staff to obtain QTS whilst in their current role.

Do you have a colleague in your school for whom Assessment Only may be appropriate? Click on Assessment Only Route to QTS for further information and contact details

Teacher Degree Apprenticeships (TDA)

The TDA is a new apprenticeship route into teaching: a 4-year course with an average of 40% off the job training. This will start to recruit in autumn 2024 for primary and secondary in all subjects. In addition, a secondary maths pilot will also start to recruit in autumn 2024. Training for all routes will commence in autumn 2025.

To find out more, see our June 2024 Newsletter.

If you are ready to apply or want to learn more, click on the box to View More

What a year we have had for NPQs in 2023-24! Here are some of the headline figures from this years cohorts.

Cohort 5 (October 2023) 

27 participants in Specialist NPQs

43 participants in Leadership NPQs

Cohort 6 (February 2024)

41 participants in Specialist NPQs

23 participants in Leadership NPQs

Summative Assessment pass rate of 98% 

Participant feedback from NPQ events –

• Very informative, this has given me lots to think about and apply to my own practice.
• The trainers were excellent and made everything so easy to understand.
• I am leaving this training feeling very inspired and ready to apply lots of what I have learnt to my practice.
• I always find these sessions useful to reflect on my own practice. Thank you
• Very informative, provided useful insight and strategies into a leading teaching role.
• Excellent session. The facilitators personalised the session brilliantly for our needs, because it was incredibly useful and effective.
• Very helpful session. I enjoyed speaking to other colleagues in breakout rooms too.
• A good session with lots of opportunity for reflection and discussion around school improvement and quality assurance.
• Engaging session which encouraged people to share best practice to question and explore the ideas

Total number of facilitators for NPQs - 20

NPQ Facilitators recruited in 2023/24 – 11

NPQ Facilitators deployed to NPQs – 16

NPQs 24/25

Funding Eligibility & Applications

NPQ funding is changing to a partially funded national model for the Autumn 2024 cohort.

Only 10,800 funded places are available nationally (75% less than 2023-24), meaning there is a good chance supply outstrips demand in every region.

Don't delay in making the decision to provide these opportunities for your staff and visit our NPQ page for more details and steps on how to apply.

Contact Jan Pierce on npq@potentiatsh.co.uk for any further information.

September 2024 Starters

If you have taken on / are taking on an ECT that will be starting in September, you will need to register them for their Appropriate Body Service and Early Career Framework. (Click here to see an overview document of the AB and ECF)

All ECTs need to be registered before they begin induction.

Please register your ECTs for the two aspects of their entitlement below:

Appropriate Body

1. Register your ECTs for their Induction via the Appropriate Body Services on ECT Manager for Potentia TSH here.  (if your school isn’t yet registered on ECT Manager with Potentia Teaching School Hub, you will need to register the school first, wait for it to be approved, and then add the ECTs and Induction Tutors, once approval has been granted)

Early Career Framework

2. Ensure your school and Induction Tutor details are correct on the DfE Manage My Early Career Teacher site.  Once you are granted access you will be able to register your ECTs and Mentors.
3. Complete the Education Development Trust Registration Form. (if you’re not already working with EDT and Potentia)

Early Career Framework

Congratulations to those ECTs who have completed their induction this term! It has been an absolute pleasure working with you throughout your time with Potentia and was great to celebrate all the successes and things learnt from challenges.

I would like to send a huge thank you to all of our Facilitators who have delivered the ECTs and Mentors their sessions this year, whether that be in one of our Derbyshire venues or virtually. The support you provide is invaluable.

Over the year, we have delivered 57 training sessions to 658 ECTs and Mentors from 166 schools. We strive to provide you with the best possible experience and gain feedback through our surveys.

Across all of these events we have had 93% Good or Very Good responses.

We have taken on all the feedback from this year and for 24-25 will be updating you with ‘what you said, what we’ve done’ in response to that.

We want to thank all of those working with us for ECF, whether that be as part of our delivery teams or in schools. Thank you.

Appropriate Body Services

Progress Reviews and Assessments

Progress Reviews and Assessments will be due this term – look out for those reminders, which will go to the registered induction lead via ECT Manager. If the Induction Lead or Headteacher details need changing please do this directly on ECT Manager. If you have any issues please contact Jane Straw who can support you.

A Reflection on 23/24

We began offering Appropriate Body services at the beginning of the 2022 Academic year. Our first year of operation saw us working with 19 ECTs and 8 schools. This year we have averaged around 200 ECTs as any one time and are currently working with 100 schools.

Termly webinars are held for ECTs, Induction leads and mentors to inform them of the programme requirements. These are recorded so school can easily access if they are/were unable to attend the live events.

Special thanks go to the AB support staff who have greatly contributed to the progression of the programme this year as we have significantly increase the number of schools and ECT we are working with.

'Thank you to all our schools for the work you do supporting your ECTs'

Useful Links:  

Appropriate Body Services Potentia  

Appropriate Body and ECF Overview Webinar for Induction Tutors 

Appropriate Body Induction Training 1 for Induction Tutors  

Appropriate Body Induction Training 1 for ECTs 
Writing Reviews and Assessments 
 

Early Career Framework with EDT and Potentia 

Early Career Framework welcome for Mentors and ECTs 

Support for Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Returners to Continue!

Colleagues working in schools across the East Midlands will continue to benefit from MTPT Project workshops and coaching whilst on maternity leave and as they return to work, thanks to ongoing support from regional Teaching School Hubs which includes Potentia TSH.

Throughout next academic year, teachers, leaders and support staff returning from parental leave can attend a 90-minute virtual Return to Work workshop ahead of their return - fully funded!

Colleagues taking a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave can also enjoy fully-funded virtual group coaching, with five cohorts running next year.

This year, more than 200 parent-teacher colleagues across England have benefitted from these programmes, supporting them to balance work and family life.

The final Return to Work workshop of this academic year takes place on Wednesday 10th July: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/mtpt-return-to-work-workshops-3435429

Sustain and Grow group coaching for Parent-Teachers

Join The MTPT Project in the September cohorts of our Sustain and Grow group coaching programme.  This is a programme designed specifically for teachers and leaders with young families.  Over six virtual sessions, we will explore coaching tools to support the following areas of personal and professional growth:

• Reducing Overwhelm
• Managing Energy and Time
• Rationalising the Inner Critic
• Living Our Values
• Strengthening Boundaries
• Brave Conversations

Cohorts run on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  All dates and details are available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/sustain-and-grow-group-coaching-3463389?just_published=true