LEO Training & Professional Development Newsletter

Wednesday 25th January 2023

LEO Training and Professional Development Opportunities 2022-2023

LEO Training and Professional Development Opportunities 2022-2023


There are lots of professional development opportunities on offer for 2022-2023.

Take a look at our new LEO CPD Brochure here which contains the dates and times of upcoming training sessions.

We also have a brand new CPD website so please do take a look here.

Primary Geography Subject Leader Training

Date and times:


Thursday 12th Jan - 4pm-5pm (online)

Thursday 30th March -4pm-5pm (online)

Thursday 8th June =4pm-5pm (online)


Led by: Anthony Barlow


Session Overview:


1: What is geography?

Geography EY, KS1-2

Knowledge in geography


2: Key concepts in geography

Place and scale in particular

How can we develop these – practical steps


3: What are the skills in geography?

Examples of progression.

Example case studies of practice


Booking form has been emailed to all Geography Leaders.

Primary History Subject Leader Training

Date and times:

29th March - 9.30-3.30pm


Led by: The Historical Association


Session Overview:

The course covers key elements of primary history subject leadership, such as:

  • making the case for history with senior leaders

  • enthusing others and leading staff meetings about history

  • exploring practical approaches to developing an innovative, inclusive and effective history curriculum in your school

  • suggestions on steps towards efficient action planning and how to make a wider impact

  • opportunities to discuss current issues in primary history education

  • a chance to share resources and assessment approaches, plus much more


Booking form has been emailed to all History Leaders.

Primary Science Subject Leader Training

Date and times:


Monday 3rd July 9.30am-4pm


Led by: Science Learning Partnership, Naomi Hiscock


Session Overview:

Excellence in working scientifically

  • understand the expectations of quality teaching & learning in science

  • describe what high quality science teaching looks like in your school

  • begin to create an action plan which exemplifies a clear direction for science in your school

Understanding my role

  • define the role of the science subject leader

  • ensure that science throughout school is planned developmentally

  • highlight on your plan the next steps to raise standards in science in your school

Leading by example

  • describe the different types of enquiry that can be used to answer scientific questions

  • describe what high quality science teaching looks like

  • develop a bank of ideas/resources to promote enquiry based learning

Knowing where my school is; using audits

  • use a range of monitoring tools to gather evidence of attainment and progress across the school

  • identify specific actions to enhance science teaching & learning in your school

Booking form has been emailed to all Art Leaders.

Curriculum Network Learning Community Meetings


The Curriculum Network Learning Community (NLC) Meetings will now take place on the same date and time (please see image).


All links will also be available on the LEO Calendar.


CPD Spotlight

Primary Geography Subject Leader Training

Geography leaders from across @SuttonEdTrust & @LEOacademies enjoyed a PD session today with @totalgeography as part of the @ChallengePartnr SW London & Surrey Hub Programme of Events.

A wonderful opportunity to explore the question:

  • What is Geography?

Thank you Mr A Barlow for a great first session.

Early Career Teacher Training - Second Year

A great session last week with our second year ECTs as part of the @CEL_IOE @HCACP_TSHub ECF programme.


Fantastic to explore the practitioner inquiry in more depth & for our ECTs to share their initial plans & reflections.


We can't wait to see how these ideas develop!

Thank you Mrs A Carlile for a great session.

Outstanding Leadership Programme

Colleagues from across the Trust enjoyed their next session of the Outstanding Leadership Programme last week with Mr G Macaulay

A wonderful opportunity to engage with evidence-informed leadership pedagogy to discover how to lead & manage more effectively for greater impact.

Thank you Mr G Macaulay for a wonderful first session!

National Professional Qualification for Leading Teacher Development

Colleagues from across @LEOacademies enjoyed joining the @school_led @HCACP_TSHub NPQLTD PD session last week.

The session supported our colleagues to explore the implementation process in greater detail and to reflect further on their own implementation plans.

Thank you to Mrs A Carlile and Mrs N Evans for leading a thought provoking session.

Publications, Vlogs, Blogs and News

Engaging Passive Learners

By Tom Sherrington

This problem was expressed as: How do I engage students who seem passive, repeatedly say ‘I don’t know’ or are persistently reluctant to participate?

There are numerous interlinked issues here so part of the solution lies in diagnosing the specific combination of problems...

Click here to read more.

Subject Insights - Design & Technology

By Mary Myatt


How do schools provide a rich, challenging curriculum? It’s worth taking a look at some of the ways subject leaders go about their work in practice. This time in design and technology.


Design and technology challenges students to go beyond what they already know. As @BrittonAmanda explains in ‘Huh’, we need to value this ever-advancing subject, & provide students with the skills to tackle some of the future’s big issues like sustainability, energy & climate change.

Click here to read more.

Back in the habit – Building pupil independence with the 7‑step model

By EEF - Hannah Heron

"A new year is the perfect opportunity to make deliberate decisions around the habits we want to build or avoid.”

Learning behaviours specialist @Hannahlheron explains how the seven-step model can guide habits and build independence.


Click here to read more.

STEM Insights Podcast

The podcast STEM Insights will help educators turn the latest research into practice!

The education team have many years of teaching experience, and will be discussing all of the latest news, research and hot topics for you to implement in your classroom - why not catch up while you're commuting to school, then join the discussion on STEM Community?

Episode 1 featured Paul Thornton discussing the widening attainment gap at Key Stage 2 & Key Stage 4, Tanya Shields and Sarah Dagnell discussing the ShRec approach at Primary level and Chris Carr reviewing the impact of T levels so far.

Episode 2 landed after the October half-term break with an animated discussion on effective teacher professional development - primary and secondary - with Mark Langley & Sarah Dagnell. Plus, Alex Brown and Josh Duncan explained how to use Protecting Our Planet Day 2022 (POP22) to inspire and inform young people.

Episode 3 - the last of 2022 - featured Eva Fryc & Sarah Longshaw discussing the Schools & Academies Show, plus Tanya Shields & Rachel Jackson chatting about context based teaching - what does the research say, and what are the implications for this in the classroom? There was also a nod to the STEM Community advent calendars.

Episode 4 got 2023 off to a cracking start! Louise Herbert & Liz Painter discuss the importance of incorporating careers learning into your curriculum, and Catherine Witter and Damian Riddle mull over the assessment of practical work in the A Level sciences. There's also a reminder about the goodies still available in our STEM Community advent calendars.

Click here to find out more.

Cross-curricular mastery: maths and science in Year 2

By Maths No Problem!

By the time learners get to Year 2, they start to apply their maths knowledge in different contexts. Making links between maths and science helps to consolidate learning in both subjects and build problem-solving skills.


Click here to read more.

7 Helpful Vocabulary Websites

By Alex Quigley

Debates about spelling never really go away. No matter what technological advancement is ushered in, it appears that spelling development still matters and we should sustain the teaching of spelling.

For young writers in particular, spelling is linked to writing, reading and vocabulary development. But teachers need support to understand the challenge and teach spelling with success. These freely accessible reads explore the importance of spelling and its vital place in the classroom...

Click here to read more.

LEO YouTube Page!

Have you subscribed to the LEO YouTube Page yet?

If you would like to engage in CPD opportunities at a time that is convenient to you then why not take a look at our LEO Academy Trust YouTube Page.

New training videos are added on a regular basis and there is already a bank of quality training materials for you to engage with today.

Make sure you subscribe today and click the bell to ensure you are kept up to date with all new additions!

Click here to find out more.

External CPD Opportunities

LGFL Universal Design for Learning Course


Date: 24th January

Time: 4pm-5pm


Who should attend?

Teachers (Primary/Secondary/SEND), Curriculum leaders, and Senior Leaders with responsibility for curriculum development and planning.


What will I learn?

This session will cover:

  • What is UDL and why it matters for all teachers and learners

  • Examples of UDL in everyday T&L as described by inclusion experts and contributors from the LGfL community of schools sharing how they apply UDL principles.

How will it change my teaching?

This session is the start of an opportunity for schools to receive bespoke support from LGfL and establish new approaches to everyday T&L. using UDL princples.


The pilot aims to capture further good practice in the form of case studies later in the Spring term.

The outcomes of the pilot will be published for the benefit of all members of the LGfL community.

Click here to book your place.

Active Primary CPD


Venue : Sutcliffe Park Indoor Athletics Track, Eltham Road, London, SE9 5LW

Date : 27th January 2023

Time : 8:00am-2:00pm

Cost: Free


A practical day, designed to boost confidence & competence in the teaching of PE, with the bonus of hearing from @suewilkinson13 & @Jason15Robinson

Click here to book your place.

Unlocking the Evidence – Developing effective feedback in the primary and secondary classroom


1st February

3.45pm-4.45pm

Free


The discussion surrounding feedback focuses too much on the ​‘see-saw of methods’- should you give written or verbal feedback? Instead, we should focus on the principles of effective feedback, on:

  1. Laying the foundations

  2. Giving well-timed and focused feedback

  3. Planning for pupils receiving and using feedback

We should design feedback policies which specify and exemplify these principles, but which leave the method and timing of feedback to the classroom teacher.

This twilight will explore the evidence supporting the principles of effective feedback.

Click here to book your place.

Free Evidence Briefing - Social and Emotional Learning

Date: 25th April

Time: 4pm-5pm

KYRA Research School is delighted to offer a series of free one-hour webinars, each with a focus on carefully selected EEF guidance reports. This event will concentrate on the EEF Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools Guidance Report.


Click here to find out more

Youth Sport Trust Conference 2023


'Join us and an array of inspirational speakers and workshop facilitators as we use the day to focus on the current mental health crisis that is impacting our young people. Build the day to suit your own requirements as you choose from 12 workshops and spend time networking and collaborating in our buzzing exhibition and demo zone.'


Click here to find out more.

Inclusion 2024 Live - Youth Sports Trust


These live sessions will provide virtual CPD content for as many practitioners as possible to enable them to deliver meaningful and inclusive opportunities for young people with SEND. Delivered by expert practitioners and young people, every day from Monday 23 to Friday 27 January, the sessions will be available to watch both live and recorded.

Click here to find out more.

Explore the Evidence

Join Charles Dickens Research School to explore these lively webinars, considering why and how we might use evidence, the challenges and the opportunities. Sessions run from 4-5.30pm and are online and they are free!


Explore the Evidence is back! Regular, open-to-everyone, free of charge twilight webinars are designed to help busy teachers, support staff and school leaders to engage with, interpret and challenge educational research.


This year's themes include:

  • How and why should we engage with evidence?

  • Planning effective professional development

  • Pitfalls, red flags and challenges of evidence in education

  • The Ten Deadly Sins of Education

  • Creativity in Education

  • Why is implementation so hard and what can we do about it?


Click here to book your place.

Curriculum Twilight CPD with Derby Research School

Our ‘Quality of Education’ – the journey around articulating our curriculum intent, implementation and impact – is something schools have been wrestling with since the launch of the new inspection framework. How we construct and develop an ambitious curriculum to help our pupils to know more and remember more are key threads of thinking in our minds at present.

Join the Derby curriculum twilight series where they draw on key expertise and threads on how can we maximise learning to make the biggest impact.

All sessions are free to access as Zoom webinars held 4pm-5pm.


  • 06/02/2023 - Supports for Success: Language and Metacognition

  • 28/02/2023 - Climate and Sustainability within the Curriculum: Georgina Wharton

  • 24/03/2023 - Curriculum: Effective QA for Sustainable Change

  • 06/03/2023 - Decolonising the Curriculum: Jeffrey Boakye

  • 23/03/2023 - Cognitive Science, Curriculum and Transfer: Daniel Muijs

  • 24/04/2023 - Curriculum Led Financial Planning: Carl Elder

  • 05/05/2023 - Diversity in the Curriculum: Bennie Kara

  • 25/05/2023 - Ofsted and the Curriculum Question: Peter Monk

Click here to book your place.

SEND Twilight Series


Join Derby Research School for this series of supporting SEND pupils in mainstream settings. SEND specialist ELEs will share with you the research and evidence drawn from the

EEF Guidance report – SEND in Mainstream

Schools – and in turn practical guidance and strategies for direct in-school implementation.

All sessions are free to access as Zoom webinars held 4pm-5pm


26/01/2023 - EHCP Engagement Model with Ian Armstrong

31/01/2023 Focusing on QFT with Euan Holden

08/03/2023 Deployment of TAs with Sally Ann Mitchell

Click here to book your place.

Training with KT22


Level 4 SLQ/AfPE 'Supporting Pupil's Wellbeing through Physical Education'


A fantastic addition to any primary teacher who teaches or leads on PE or any secondary PE lead's portfolio of CPD. Accredited by Sports Leaders UK and The Association for Physical Education, equivalent to Year 1 of a Bachelors Degree.


It focuses on empowering staff to incorporate the Five Ways to Wellbeing into their everyday practice and gives delegates the chance to empower young people, advocate and influence whole school development in wellbeing. See Flyer attached for more details. Delegates should attend 4 out of the 5 sessions below.


Tues 21 March - online 4-6pm

Tues 16 May - online 4-6pm

Tues 6th June - online 4-6pm


Opportunities to contact Katie Miller in between sessions are available


£350 + VAT (£420)


If you are interested in attending you need to speak with your Principal first and they will then complete a LEO CPD booking request form. This form will then be used to process the booking form with Katie Miller.

The Brick by Brick Programme

The Brick-by-Brick® programme which is the world's leading Lego® based Therapy programme, developed in partnership with The Lego Foundation is slightly more complicated than before as they have created a new training pathway.


Initiate - £240 + VAT (£288)


Facilitator - Prices below

Non-Member £250 + VAT (£300) making the total (Initiate + Facilitator) (£490 + VAT RRP)

Bronze members £200 + VAT (£240) making the total (Initiate + Facilitator) (£440 + VAT)

Silver member £150 + VAT making the total (Initiate + Facilitator) £390 + VAT.


Fri 27 Jan 2023 9.30-3.30 OR Mon 27 Feb 2023 9.30-3.30


Venue : Cheam Common Junior Academy, Worcester Park, KT4 8TU


Brick-by-Brick® Facilitator Training is for anyone who would like to facilitate a Brick Club in their school (Suitable for SENCOs, HLTAs, or any other staff interested) It could be for children who are neurodivergent and struggle in social situations or those who may display behavioural difficulties. The focus in a Brick Club is always 'Learning Through Play' using Lego® bricks as the vehicle.

Staff must complete the online Initiate training (takes approx 6-8 hours in own time) before doing the Facilitators Face-to-face course. This covers a lot of the theory and is a really high quality CPD.

The Facilitator Training is a practical, hands-on, experiential day which is a necessary addition to the Initiate training.


If you are interested in attending you need to speak with your Principal first and they will then complete a LEO CPD booking request form. This form will then be used to process the booking form with Katie Miller.


Youth Mental Health First Aid (2 Day)


For anyone who works with young people aged 8-18

£300 + VAT (£360)

Book by 31 January 2023 to get BOGOF offer


Wed 29 March, Thur 30 March 9.30-4.30 must attend both days

Venue : Cheam Common Junior Academy, Worcester Park, KT4 8TU


Mental Health First Aiders have:

  • An understanding of young people's mental health and factors that affect wellbeing

  • Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues

  • Confidence to reassure and support a young person in distress

  • Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening

  • Knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support

  • Ability to support a young person with a long-term mental health issue or disability to thrive

  • Tools to look after their own mental wellbeing

Youth Mental Health First Aid Half Day Aware

Monday 5th Dec 12.00-3.00pm Online - £125 + VAT


An introductory 3 hour course designed to increase awareness of young people’s mental health and some of the issues that can affect this age group, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and psychosis. It will equip you with skills to support and work more effectively with young people and help you relate to their experiences.


If you are interested in attending you need to speak with your Principal first and they will then complete a LEO CPD booking request form. This form will then be used to process the booking form with Katie Miller.

Curriculum Thinking - Free Masterclasses

Over the last three years, the Curriculum Masterclasses have proven to be popular online events. Each speaker brings a fresh perspective and heaps of wisdom, setting out their ideas in depth. With huge thanks to the generosity of each speaker listed here, I’ve put together a sample from across the whole series. These are now free for you to access and share within your schools for CPD purposes. Dive in!

Jon Hutchinson: What might a coherent curriculum look like in practice?

Jeffrey Boakye: Tackling Ideology: Design principles that underpin curriculum planning

Rich Kennett: Bringing in assessment from the cold.

Chris Such: Reading Development and the Wider Curriculum

Bennie Kara: Types of curricular knowledge and diversity in the curriculum

Alex Pethick: The Curriculum as the Progression Model

Tom Sherrington: Can we teach to the top AND secure mastery?

Sonia Thompson Reading for pleasure and progress

Tom Sherrington: Designing a Brilliant Curriculum – an overview of key concepts.

Mary Myatt: Fewer things in greater depth

John Tomsett Beyond being intimated. Curriculum development made doable.

Christine Counsell: Thinking Big: Making a school curriculum bigger than the sum of its parts.

Martin Robinson: Curriculum as conversation.

Click here to access the recordings.

Greenshaw Research School Brochure 2022-2023


Greenshaw Research School are pleased to share their plans for 2022-23 with the launch of their new brochure!


They have Focus Days, online Spotlight Sessions and bespoke support on offer – the brochure can be viewed here.


In the Autumn and Spring terms they will be covering topics ranging from Pupil Premium to Effective Professional Development, and Literacy to Cognitive Science. Their sessions will help participants develop evidence-informed practice and decision-making.


Maths Hubs Professional Development Support Opportunities 2022/23


There’s still plenty of time to get involved in the wide-ranging programme of school and professional development opportunities on offer across the Maths Hubs Network for 2022/23. There’s something for teachers and schools in all phases – find out more in their downloadable catalogue.


Free short online course: Learning for a Sustainable Future

Join a personal and professional global learning journey towards a sustainable future. What on Earth could be more important?


Click here to find out more.

Becoming a Google Certified Coach


A Google Certified Coach is someone who is :


→ Eager to support educators

→ Wanting to drive impactful technology into classrooms

→ Looking to learn research-proven strategies & skills


Does this sound like you?

Click here to find out more.

On-demand training at your fingertips


View the Google on-demand series of webinars designed to help schools and educators in the UK and Ireland get the most out of Google Workspace for Education and Chromebooks.

Whether you are an educator, Senior Leadership or IT Administrator you can find a session to suit you.


Click here to find out more.

Adobe Professional Development Courses


Find out all about the free professional learning opportunities on offer from Adobe.


Creativity for all

Adobe Creative Cloud Express in the Classroom

Engaging Video Projects in the Classroom

and many more...

Click here to find out more.

Inclusive Ed Bootcamp: How to meet the needs of a diverse range of students

How can we better meet the needs of a diverse range of students? Sign up for our Inclusive Ed Bootcamp for help and advice. A free webinar series featuring Kate Griggs, the CEO of @MadeByDyslexia.


Throughout the series you will learn about:

  • The best ways to support different learning needs including dyslexia.

  • How to use technology to make learning more accessible across all subjects.

  • Spotting and solving different visible and non visible barriers to learning.

  • Supporting students with different learning needs online and remotely.

Click here to find out more.

Free online professional development webinars for educators


Oxford University Press has a range of digital webinars to help you continue your professional development online. You can find links to recordings of previously-held webinars, as well as register your interest for upcoming sessions. The recorded webinars are available to watch on demand via Brainshark and you will receive a CPD certificate after watching each one.


Click here to find out more.

Financial Education - Free Online Teacher Training


Complete a free online course, in your own time and at your own speed…

The engaging eLearning courses are self-paced and take between 1.5-2.5 hours to complete. Along the way you will:

  • Learn how financial education can be made real and relevant to the young people you work with

  • See where financial education most effectively fits within your curriculum

  • Discover key tools to assist in the development of financial education

  • Find out how to access further support and resources to aid financial education delivery

  • Develop a financial education Action Plan for your own


Click here to find out more.

Developing Reading for Pleasure


Join the Open Learn FREE Developing Reading for Pleasure badged online course.

Developing the skill to read and the will to read are interrelated, however, this course focuses on the latter; it is an exploration of Reading for Pleasure and its significance for children’s lives and development. You will consider current research, debates and challenges that impact on children’s reading and gain knowledge and strategies to help you promote reader engagement across schools, homes and communities.

Click here to find out more.

Online PE CPD for Teachers

England Football's Online PE CPD for Teachers course is designed to increase confidence in the delivery of engaging, inclusive, high-quality Physical Education lessons through the invasion game of football.

Click here to find out more.

LEO Training Twitter Page!

Are you following @LEOtraining5 on Twitter yet?

If you would like to stay up to date on all things training at LEO Academy Trust and beyond then make sure you follow @LEOtraining5 on Twitter.

  • Get notified when new CPD videos are added to the LEO YouTube page.

  • Receive reminders of upcoming courses and events.

  • Keep up to date with what is happening at LEO training events as and when they are taking place.

  • Explore other CPD opportunities on offer outside of the Trust.

Click here to to visit the page now.