Training School Plan
Some of the key areas for the current Training School plan include:
Workforce development
A programme of focused ‘toolkit’ sessions addressing school development priorities and delivered by expert practitioners from within the school staff. Refining the existing coaching programme to focus on colleagues’ professional development through enabling colleagues from different subject areas to work closely together on areas of identified need. Training Teaching Assistants to provide cover for faculty areas. The programme will be based on the ITT model of co-teaching, lesson planning and observation. To develop the wider workforce by offering a specialist NVQ Level 3 course to Teaching Assistants within the school and in local primary schools.
New technologies
We are continuing to develop our use of remote camera technology and communication systems to enable mentors to observe and communicate with a trainee teacher from another room. We are planning to share our equipment with other local schools.
Initial Teacher Training and new staff development
We aim to enrich the experiences of ITT students through undertaking a project which focuses upon learning and teaching using the ‘Building Learning Power’ approach. We seek to improve the experience of newly qualified teachers through the provision of a comprehensive programme of sessions delivered by in-house and external specialists. These sessions are also available to ITT students through a published programme.
Supporting the Every Child Matters agenda
We will continue to work with the Reading Matters charity to offer training for members of the local community in supporting our young people with their reading skills in school.
In February 2007 the school had to meet rigorous performance targets to secure redesignation:
| Performance Indicators | Target | Our Performance |
| 1. Mentor Training and coachiing Skills | 30% of teaching staff trained in mentoring and coaching | ABOVE: 38% of teaching staff trained in mentoring and coaching |
| 2. Breadth and capacity of training routes | 75% of subject departments have taken on one or more ITT trainees in the past three years | SLIGHTLY BELOW: 73% of departments have taken one or more ITT trainees in the past three years |
| 3. Quality of Initial Teacher Training | 90% of all trainees evaluated their experience as good or better | WELL ABOVE: 100% of trainees evaluated their experience as good or better; 66% judged it good |
| 4. Outreach and dissemination practice | 30% of Training School Funded Activities involve collaborative outreach work | WELL ABOVE: approx 70% of Training School funded CPD activities involve collabrotive outreach work |
| Optional 1. Culture of training development | 25% of all staff have participated in accredited or award bearing professional development in last three years | WELL ABOVE: 40% of all staff have participated in accredited or award bearing professional development in last three years |
| Optional 2. Professional Development | 90% of all CPD training evaluations are rated as good or better | SLIGHTLY ABOVE 92% of all CPD training evaluations are rated as good or better |
This success recognises the excellent track record the John Masefield has as a Training School. The TDA assessors were impressed by the exemplary way in which the Training School had delivered training to teachers and trainee teachers across Herefordshire. In 2006/07 JMHS staff delivered teacher training to over 140 teachers in over 20 primary and secondary schools. At JMHS itself we have led a number of innovative projects. For example, over two-thirds of our staff have been involved in accredited or award bearing courses such as Masters programmes with the University of Worcester.
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