Havering Computing Conference

#googlechampions

Our Teaching School was delighted to present our progress with the implementation of G Suite and Google Apps to the Havering Computing Conference last week. Our Google Accredited teachers have experience of all the key elements of G Suite and have helped the successful adoption across two schools.

With Google Docs, Slides & Sheets now the default planning format, we have seen a significant improvement in efficiency and collaboration - both within and across schools.

The use of Google Drive has made planning a real team activity. I can see my team contributing ideas as they do it, we can work within the same documents and instantly share our resources. It has been a real time saver... faster, quicker and more reliable!
Sophie Winters - Year Group Lead

If your school would benefit from one of our SLEs showing the key aspects of G Suite and supporting your adoption of the software, please just contact us:

Contact:
jstanley@teachingschool.havering.sch.uk
@hptsalliance

3 Key Job Interview Questions

When you’re looking for a new teaching post, it can sometimes feel that the interview process is focused on answering the interviewer’s questions - so much so that you forget to ask smart questions of your possible future employers

You should effort into asking questions that show: 

• you’re ready to jump right in
• allow you to gauge whether the role is a good fit for you in the first place. 

Don’t let the interview opportunity go to waste.

1. “WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE  FOR NEW TEACHERS IN THIS SCHOOL?”

It’s better to know, even before day one, what it would take to succeed in your position. Heidi Solti-Berner, evolving workforce talent leader at Deloitte, recommends this question because it gives the hiring leader a chance to spell out the qualities of high performers in the organisation.

“Once you have a clearer picture of this you can better demonstrate how those identified qualities are aligned with your work ethic, professional goals, and overall personality.” 

In addition this helps ensure you’ll start off with insider knowledge about how to thrive in your new school. It also shows that your main priority is to start delivering impact right away.

2. “HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TEAM AND LEADER I’D BE WORKING WITH?”

Yes, getting a job is important, but it’s even more important to work in a school where you’re supported by a leader and colleagues who are proactive about helping you grow.

Chelsea Kovak, a recruiter at the business-loan platform Fundera, explains that “nothing has a bigger impact on your ability to develop and grow in a role than the amount of mentoring and focus you can get from your leader.”

But Kovak also points out that this question helps you understand the work culture, since it “gives a sense of the way the team will work together and can really prepare you for the culture of the school or company you’ve signed up for.” 

If the interviewer shares even a few background details of the team’s dynamics, they can be pretty telling–and hopefully help you decide whether it’s the right environment for you.

For instance, do they mention that the team is collaborative and works on planning together? Or, does your team only consist of you and your leader? Is it a growing staff that’s looking to add new faces over the next six months? This is all useful information when you’re sizing up a role. But what’s more, asking this question gives you one last chance to show the interviewer that if you’re offered the position, you’ll be able to fit right in with the team.

3. “IF OFFERED THE JOB, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND I DO TO GET OFF TO A GREAT START?”

While the first question focuses on your long-term success, this last one gives you intel on what it would take to stand out immediately. And according to Jeremy Payne, VP and head of operations at Remote Year, says that asking this question helps the interviewer visualize you in the role.

In addition to getting yet another chance to reassure the interviewer why you’re up for the challenges ahead of you, Payne adds that it’s also a useful data-gathering opportunity: “It allows you to determine where you would need development and provides you with advice toward that development–all in one response.” And best of all, since the interviewer is thinking about what you in particular would need to start off on the right foot, the suggestions you’ll hear will be tailored to your skills and credentials.

Adding these three questions to your mental lineup while you’re prepping for interviews can help you wrap up your conversation on a high note. They let you show the interviewer that success and culture are both equally important to you, all while letting you suss out whether the team, position, and expectations fit with your personal career goals. 

Hsis Computing and Online Safety Subject Leaders’ Network meeting

Date: Thursday 16th November 2016 – 4.15pm-5.45pm (refreshments available from 4.00pm)
Venue: Mead Primary

We are delighted to be hosting the Autumn Term 2017 Hsis Computing and Online Safety Subject Leaders’ Network meeting at Mead Primary School.

Meeting Foci
We will be sharing our current practice relating to integrating Google G-suite for teaching and learning and staff use across our Learning Federation.

Teacher Wellbeing - Sleep Well!

Now that the clocks have gone back and the dark mornings and evenings are setting in, taking care of yourself is vitally important. The 'Christmas' half term can be one of the most demanding on teachers and school staff.

What can you do to be as prepared as possible... sleep well!

Havering Computing Conference - Mead & G Suite

We are delighted that one of the schools from our Federation will be presenting their experience of embedding aspects of G Suite and Google Apps into school life. Make sure you have booked your place at this year's Havering Computing Conference.

https://issuu.com/haveringcouncil/docs/computing_conference_2017

Leadership of Self

Would you be able to look at the quote from Roger Federer and replace some key words so that it read...

I always question my teaching, even after the best of lessons. Even when I had reached my Performance Management targets, achieved the asked for levels of progress and achieved the school improvement goal.

What are you improving?
What do you need to change/develop/strengthen/tweak?

It's important for me to actually hear criticism of my teaching sometimes. That's what makes me a better teacher.

Broadford a RWI Model School

We are delighted to be able to display our certificate confirming our status as a Read Write Inc Model school. Over the last six years our teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure that we are providing the best phonics teaching for our youngest pupils so that they are able to read by the age of 6.

Now that we have established a number of years of outstanding results and teaching we are able to offer our school as a support for others who are looking to improve and develop their phonics teaching.

Last year the National pass rate for the Year 1 Phonics screening test was 81% and at Broadford we achieved 89%.

Social Mobility - is it achievable?

The latest data releases show that old boys from nine public schools hold 10% of top jobs: Research shows pupils from institutions including Eton and Harrow still dominate public life with alumni from nine fee-paying institutions hold almost 10 per cent of top positions!

Despite the fact the nine schools only educate 0.15 per cent of pupils former students hold and dominate roles such as MPs, peers, judges and senior civil servants.

When schools only support pupils for 13% of the time, and social mobility issues are often longstanding, multi faceted and complex, how can teachers best try to ensure that the most disadvantaged manage to break through?

Read the full article here

Impact of Neglect

This article gives a clear idea of why some of our most vulnerable pupils struggle to develop the behaviours that we take for granted.

Click here for the full article

Exceed TSA Visit to HPTSA

We were delighted to welcome colleagues from Bradford to our schools this month. 14 Headteachers - from the Exceed Teaching School Alliance travelled down to spend time with us and hear about the journey our schools have gone on over the last six years.

It was a great networking opportunity, that we hope will move forward with some collaboration around the Strategic School Improvement Fund. 

NLE Cohort Accredited

Just before half term, Mr Drakes had to journey up to Leeds to be inducted as a National Leader for Education. With this accreditation, Broadford is also designated as a National Support School - which runs alongside our Teaching School designation.

The status is great recognition of the work that has been done by all parents, governors and staff to improve outcomes for our pupils. Now it also means that we can work alongside other schools to support their improvement journey as well.

Broadford has really benefitted from sharing ideas with others, seeing best practice in action and being supported by other school leaders. It is now wonderful to have the chance to repay some of the kindness and support that was shown to us as we started out journey. To continually work alongside and with others will only help to keep our ideas fresh and challenge our thinking so that our school continues to develop and flourish.