LEO Training & Professional Development Newsletter 

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.

LEO Governance Development Programme - Technology Open Morning

Date and times:

Thursday 23rd February - 8.30am-12pm

Led by: Cheryl Shirley, Director of Computing & Digital Skills

Session Overview:

Our Technology Open Morning will provide Trustees, Members and Governors with an opportunity to:

• Hear from the Director of Computing and Digital Skills as they share our

• LEO Technology journey and the rationale to our approach.

• Learn how technology is used from EYFS to KS2 to support teaching and learning.

• Meet representatives from the pupil and staff team as they share their own experiences of using technology in their classrooms.

Booking form has been emailed to all Trustees, Members and Governors.

Primary Geography Subject Leader Training

Date and times:

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.

LEO Fovernance Development Programme - Art Open Afternoon

Date and times:

Tuesday 16th May 2023

1pm-3.30pm

Led by: Rose Maclean, Trust Art Lead and Dominique Briggs, Director of Partnerships

Session Overview:

Our Art Open Afternoon will provide Trustees, Members and Governors with an opportunity to:

• Hear from our Trust Art Lead & Director of Partnerships as they share our LEO art journey and the rationale to our approach.

• Learn how art is taught from EYFS to KS2 and find out more about the wonderful opportunities our pupils take part in.

• Meet representatives from the pupil and staff team as they share their own experiences within the subject area of art.

• Visit classrooms and see art lessons in action.

Booking form has been emailed to all Trustees, Members and Governors.

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.

Primary Art Subject Leader Training

Art leaders from across @SuttonEdTrust & @LEOacademies enjoyed a PD session this half term with @sue_ogier as part of the @ChallengePartnr SW London & Surrey Hub Programme of Events.

A great opportunity to further develop curriculum expertise in art.

Thank you for an excellent session!

Metacognition & Self- Regulated Learning

Senior leaders from across @SuttonEdTrust & @LEOacademies enjoyed a PD last week with Anoara Mughal as part of the @ChallengePartnr SW London & Surrey Hub Programme of Events.

A great opportunity to further explore metacognition and self-regulated learning.

Thank you for an wonderful session!

Mentor Training - Second Year

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

Fantastic to explore the practitioner inquiry in more depth & to share ways in which mentors can support their ECTs with their practioner inquiries.

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

Thank you Mrs A Carlile and Miss D Briggs for a great session.

Year 1 ECT Training

ECTs from across Sutton enjoyed their second session of Module 3 of the UCL ECT training programme last week with Mrs A Carlile and Miss D Briggs. 

A wonderful opportunity to engage with evidence-informed pedagogy to discover how to organise collaborative learning opportunities effectively for greater impact.

Thank you for a wonderful session!

Subject Insights - Computing

By Mary Myatt

Computer science is not just programming. According to Computer science is not just programming. According to Tristan Kirkpatrick it's also problem solving, breaking challenges into steps & logical thinking. In talking about the subject for it's also problem solving, breaking challenges into steps & logical thinking. In talking about the subject for Huh: curriculum conversations between subject and senior leaders, Tristan argues that it's all about resilience, where 'failing' is a fundamental part of reaching a solution. 

Click here to read more.

Retrieval Practice: Myths, Mutations and Mistakes

By Evidence Based Education & Kate Jones

Retrieval Practice: Myths, Mutations and Mistakes, by Kate Jones - part of the EBE Great Teaching series.

This eBook includes examples of potential mutations, myths and mistakes linked to retrieval practice, with advice as to how they can be avoided. This aims to ensure retrieval practice is used to help, not hinder, learning.

Click here to read more.

Voices from the classroom: Applying the seven-step model to support independent learning

By EEF - Hannah Heron

In this ​‘Voices from the Classroom’ video, Lucy Broomfield – primary school teacher and KS1 phase leader at Chorlton Park Primary School – explains how she uses the ​‘seven-step model’ to support pupils’ independent learning.

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.

Episode 5 features biologists Mary Howell & Matt King chatting openly about positive strategies for leading a science department - covering the curriculum, teacher retention, the importance of technicians, wellbeing and more. Also, Steve Castle asks physicists Adam Little and Lewis Matheson (from the Physics Online YouTube channel) for their favourite practicals and top tips for running successful demonstrations.

Click here to find out more.

Cross-curricular mastery: maths and science in Year 3

By Maths No Problem!

Weaving other subjects into your lessons is a great way for learners to see how useful maths is. It’s particularly helpful for Year 3 because that’s when children are first introduced to KS2 and the complexity of work increases which means they need to have solid contexts to support their understanding.

Click here to read more.

Adaptive Teaching And Vocabulary Instruction

By Alex Quigley

Teaching can be tremendously rewarding, but we also know the classroom can be crammed full of complexity, surprises, and problems to solve.

‘Adapting teaching’ is a recently popular – though long-standing – phrase. It captures the subtle and challenging art of teaching expertly so that pupils maximise their learning. The immense skill of effective teaching has often been described as ‘adaptive expertise’. It best describes a balance of hard-won, efficient teaching habits, along with moment-to-moment responsiveness.

Click here to read more.

When retrieval practice goes wrong (and how to get it right).

By David Didau

Whenever a practice becomes mandated there seems to be a tendency for it to lethally mutate. When I first started writing about retrieval practice (or the testing effect as we used to call it) many people were surprised by the finding that attempting to dredge something up from memory was a more effective way to learn it than simply restudying it. Today, this has become something new teachers are routinely told as part of their initial training and has been accepted as incontestable.

Click here to read more.

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.

Adobe Express Essentials

One hour Adobe Express Essentials workshops are available to book on these dates:

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 @ 1pm - 2pm Pacific (PST) / 4pm - 5pm Eastern (EST)

Thursday, February 9, 2023  @ 1pm - 2pm Pacific (PST) / 4pm - 5pm Eastern (EST)

This one-hour workshop is a refresher designed for educators who participated in the Adobe 2022 PD Bootcamps, but is also ideal for anyone looking to get started with Adobe Express in their classroom.

Click here to find out more.

Adobe Express & Adobe Illustrator

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 @ 4pm - 5:30pm Pacific (PST) / 7pm - 8:30pm Eastern (EST)

This 90-min workshop is a refresher designed for educators who participated in the Adobe 2022 PD Bootcamps, but is also ideal for anyone looking to get started with Adobe Express and Adobe Illustrator in their classroom.

Click here to find out more.

Adobe Express& Adobe InDesign

Thursday, February 9, 2023 @ 4pm - 5:30pm Pacific (PST) / 7pm - 8:30pm Eastern (EST)

This 90-min workshop is a refresher designed for educators who participated in the Adobe 2022 PD Bootcamps, but is also ideal for anyone looking to get started with Adobe Express and Adobe InDesign in their classroom.

Click here to find out more.

LGFL School Staff Training 

LGfL in school support, training and conference events are integral parts of the LGfL Energise curriculum service provided at no extra charge for schools.

Click here to see the training opportuntieis that are on offer.

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.

• 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

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. 

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 Spotlight Session: Metacognition

6 March, 2023

15:30 - 17:00

Attendees: Teachers and senior leaders

Programme summary: Metacognitive strategies get pupils to think about their own learning, and can promote them to become more independent learners when used well. This session offers a grounding in what metacognition is, as well as practical advice on how to develop pupils’ metacognitive skills and knowledge in the classroom context.

Cost: FREE!

Greenshaw Research School Spotlight Session: Metacognition

6 March, 2023

15:30 - 17:00

Attendees: Teachers and senior leaders

Programme summary: Metacognitive strategies get pupils to think about their own learning, and can promote them to become more independent learners when used well. This session offers a grounding in what metacognition is, as well as practical advice on how to develop pupils’ metacognitive skills and knowledge in the classroom context.

Cost: FREE!

Greenshaw Research School Spotlight Session: Cognitive Science

20 March, 2023

15:30 - 17:00

Attendees: Teachers and leaders who want to understand more about the science behind learning.

Programme summary: Research can tell us a lot about the approaches in the classroom that will enable our pupils to acquire and retain knowledge. This session will help you understand more about using research to support you in the classroom, strategies, memory and cognitive load theory.

Cost: FREE!

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.

Free Anti-Bullying CPD online training

The following online training courses are available: 

• What is bullying? 

• Bullying and the Law 

• Bullying and SEN/disability 

• 10 principles to reduce bullying

• Preventing bullying

• Responding to bullying

• Cyberbullying (Online bullying)

• Young Carers and Bullying 

• Looked After Children and Bullying

• Mental Health and Bullying

• Sexual Bullying

• Bullying and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young people 

Click here to find out more.

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.