This course will explore how ECTs can develop positive working relationships with parents, how to manage support staff and work with other professional colleagues effectively. The course encourages ECTs to reflect on and establish their classroom culture and values, which act as a platform to build and develop their working relationships upon. Participants will look in detail at the role of the Teaching Assistant within the classroom setting and how to maximise and develop them effectively.
This course will support EYFS and KS1 teachers in developing subject-specific knowledge in grammar and punctuation and rigorous pedagogical approaches to support pupil learning in these areas: how to secure knowledge and build complexity through clear explanations, examples and illustrations of key concepts in EYFS and KS1. We will explore how this knowledge and practice can be woven into fiction and non-fiction writing units. Participants will leave with a strong understanding of progression. There will be opportunities to observe teaching in teachers' year group and reflect on how this could be applied to their own practice.
Participants will use the NCETM 5 big ideas for teaching for mastery and discuss the necessary steps to craft well-structured lessons, considering small steps of progression to breakdown complex materials. Participants will analyse components of a lesson in order to identify essential concepts, knowledge skills and principles of mathematics. Participants will leave understanding which materials are freely available and could be used to supplement and improve lesson design.
This course will support teachers with developing their pedagogy in order to teach reading effectively in EYFS and KS1. Joining the two phases together will provide teachers with the starting points and journeys of a child's reading from EYFS to the end of KS1, as well as support children who may be working below age related expectations. We will discuss the crucial ‘pre-reading skills’ that children need, as well as how to support children in using their Phonics knowledge effectively to become confident and independent readers whilst aligning to your school's chosen SSP. Practitioners will critically analyse what makes effective group reading and they will have the opportunity to observe and analyse a filmed group reading session in their specific year group. There will also be practical take aways in how to improve and enhance your reading environments to encourage a love of reading. Participants will leave with a range of ideas to support group reading effectively, as well as some example planning and resources to support early readers.
Debating is an essential tool for a school to use to develop the oracy skills of its pupils. This course will give participants everything they need to be able to undertand and teach debate, including a full unit of lessons with resources that can be implemented in their schools instantly.
The course will include: - Gaining the knowledge required to teach pupils how to debate and knowing how to hold full debates in school.
- Understanding the theory behind teaching pupils to debate and how to extend the benefits to the wider school community.
- Learning how to improve the oracy skills of children in both key stages by teaching them how to construct effective arguments, develop points logically and use persuasive techniques to influence the opinions of others.
- Learning how to teach children to respond to the arguments of others.
- Opportunities to practically experience games and exercises that can be used in any classroom to increase the oracy skills of children.
This course will support ECTs in understanding the full writing process for pupils at KS1 and KS2. Essential elements of planning, shared writing and editing will be explored as well as other rigorous pedagogical approaches to support pupils' writing. Progression in text types across KS1 and KS2 and what writing for purpose means in both fiction and non-fiction text types will be explored. Teaching accessible techniques and sticky strategies for reducing the cognitive load for pupils undertaking writing tasks will underpin this course.
This session will give participants a strong understanding of what inclusion looks like within the classroom and school and of the identification of SEN. It will provide in depth opportunities to improve universal provision - through quality first teaching. It will introduce attendees to a toolbox of strategies to support pupils with a range of SEN, including a spotlight focus on dyslexia and autism. The knowledge built in this session will be useful support for ECTs to understand how to adapt their teaching for pupils with and without a diagnosis or support plan.
Participants will explore a set of core representations that can be utilised to assist in the understanding of abstract ideas, drawing explicit links to new content and core mathematical structures. This course will consider when a particular representation is appropriate and how its utilisation can transform pupils’ knowledge and capabilities. Participants will explore how guides, scaffolds and worked examples can assist all pupils to understand and apply new ideas and how these can be gradually removed as pupils' understanding increases. Participants will leave with an understanding of available physical and online resources to support implementing the strategies discussed together.
This session will build further on participants’ understanding of how to develop reading at EYFS and KS1 - focusing on questioning, vocabulary and developing a love of reading. Teachers will develop excellent subject knowledge in relation to the wide range of reading skills taught in KS1. They will link back to the preparation of reading already explored to see how that can support to create fluent readers with strong comprehension. This course will also focus on what vocabulary to teach and will develop strategies to support children’s understanding of unfamiliar vocabulary. Participants will learn how to develop their pupils' love of reading through the use of high quality texts and there will be opportunities to observe and analyse lessons. Participants will leave able to deliver effective whole class and guided reading sessions.
This session will help ECTs understand the experience of being an EAL learner; explore the issues and barriers to learning that may exist for children in this group; help them develop strategies and practical ideas for addressing these through the curriculum, and signpost them to further resources and sources of support. It will explore flexible groupings, the importance of high expectations for all children and ways to adapt teaching responsively by providing additional pre-teaching and scaffolding to ensure all pupils have access to a rich curriculum. Participants will leave with improved subject knowledge of language acquisition and with understanding of the importance of providing an inclusive curriculum and an inclusive classroom environment.
Using number bonds as a focus, this course will explore how concepts are built upon and how variation can be used to deepen children’s understanding. Participants will practise breaking complex material into smaller steps and taking account of pupils’ prior knowledge when planning in the context of addition and subtraction. Participants will explore how prior knowledge plays an important role in how pupils learn and progress through their mathematical understanding. Participants will leave with resources that can aid assessing understanding of number bonds and other resources to help improve this understanding.
Spelling is a key component of the KS2 English curriculum, but also an area that teachers often lack subject knowledge and confidence. This course will explore the role of spelling in the English Curriculum and what is involved in becoming a successful speller. The course will develop teacher subject knowledge of spelling rules and pedagogical understanding of best practice techniques for learning spellings, for all learners including those with special educational needs. It will teach 4 key lesson structures for use in KS2. It will be highly practical with take away techniques to have immediate effect in class and will give teachers a clear understanding of progression to meet the requirements of the curriculum. The course is predicated on research and best practice.
The course will include:
· Unpicking of the requirements of the spelling curriculum
· Developing spelling subject knowledge
· Developing phonic subject knowledge
· Exploring different models of teacher delivery to investigate spelling patterns
· Practising a range of effective learning techniques to employ with pupils
· Observations and analysis of discrete spelling lessons
· A review of resources to support learners in spelling independently
· An exploration of how to teach ‘practice’
What you can take home:
· Planning, flipcharts and resources for a KS2 Literacy spelling unit of work for each year group
· Model progression of spelling objectives
· Useful subject knowledge support
· Useful documents to share with parents
More than 40% of children nationally will have experienced episodes of loss, separation, abuse or neglect before their 18th birthday. Such experiences can lead to trauma and attachment issues, which affect all aspects of a child's functioning. On this course, we will explore the varied effects of trauma and developmental trauma on children and how this impacts on their capacity to cope with the demands placed on them in school. Referring to the research and best practice, we will detail how to support these vulnerable children so that they can feel safe, learn and ultimately thrive in school.
An examination of trauma, developmental trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences
A detailed look at the areas in which traumatised children can struggle and why
Whole-school approaches that support traumatised children
Specific approaches for traumatised children
A focus on supporting behaviour for learning in a trauma-sensitive way
Individual case studies
Opportunities for discussion and reflection
What you can take away
Further resource and reading recommendations
Model behaviour policies
Useful infographics and short video clips to aid dissemination to colleagues
This session will ensure that ECTs develop a secure understanding of the national curriculum for science. They will learn how the curriculum can be used to teach both substantive and disciplinary knowledge to pupils across both key stages. ECTs will spend time securing their understanding of enquiry types and working scientifically skills so they can crate engaging and progressive units of work and teach lessons that meet the needs of all groups of learners. The course will include opportunities to watch and dicuss filmed lesson observations, look through books, ask questions to experienced subject leaders and learn accessible ways to develop teacher subject knowledge.
This session will provide teachers with an in-depth understanding of how to implement effective Humanities provision in their setting. The course aims to explore methods of planning strategically to design a curriculum that incorporates disciplinary knowledge, builds substantive concepts, advances vocabulary, inspires children and assures outstanding learning and progress. It will focus on developing subject knowledge and pedagogical practice through a host of engaging activities and resources that can be easily implemented in any classroom. Delegates will also have an opportunity to progress their leadership skills and consider the intent, impact and implementation of their school’s Humanities curriculum.
· A consideration CLT (cognitive load theory) and how it underpins curriculum structure
· Unpicking the requirements of the History and Geography programmes of study for KS1 and KS2
· Developing Humanities subject knowledge, pedagogical practice and leadership skills
· Mapping of Humanities curriculum overviews, considering progression of knowledge, skills, substantive concepts and vocabulary
· Exploring engaging teaching techniques, activities and resources that develop content and disciplinary knowledge
· Reviewing a range of assessment models
· Considering effective leadership and monitoring processes and practice in line with the Ofsted school inspection handbook
· Planning, flipcharts and resources for two sample units of work
· Lots of practical and engaging activity ideas and resources
· Useful documents and current research
· List of online resources and suggested enrichment opportunities
This course is an in-person, interactive session designed to support teachers in developing excellent subject knowledge and creating a bank of easily implementable ideas of how to plan and deliver a successful PE lessons. After recapping on the key expectations in the EYFS curriculum for PD and the three main pillars or progression in KS1 and KS2 in PE, participants have the chance to observe and participate in sessions. This course will cover aspects including effective use of space and equipment, motivation and engagement and promotion of healthy lifestyles. Participants will need to be dressed appropriately in order to participate for the on-site session.
ECT KS1 2025/26
28 April, 2026
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm
23 April, 2026
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm
5 May, 2026
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm
10 June, 2026
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm
25 June, 2026
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm
30 June, 2026
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Ashburnham Community School