LEO Professional Learning Newsletter 

Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust!

LEO Academy Trust is incredibly proud to work in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching as an Associate College to deliver Initial Teacher Training (ITT), Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) from September 2025. 

Associate Colleges are successful school trusts, selected because of their wealth of in-house expertise in professional development and their deep relationships in their local areas. This collaboration allows us to be at the forefront of educational excellence, providing local teachers with unparalleled opportunities for professional growth, learning and development. Together, we are shaping the future of teaching and learning, ensuring that every child receives the highest quality education.

Applications for our primary ITT courses are now open for September 2025! Our initial teacher training is a fully immersive school-centred programme - aspiring teachers will be in the classroom from the very start. But full immersion does not mean that you will be thrown in the deep end: our trainees are mentored and have central training once a week.

To apply for a place on our ITT programme please click here. 

LEO Professional Learning Opportunities 2024-2025

There are lots of professional learning opportunities on offer for 2024-2025.

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

• Network Learning Community Sessions

• Early Career Teacher Professional Learning

• Subject Specific Professional Learning

• Writing Networks

• Google Professional Learning

• Leadership Professional Learning

• Coaching opportunities

LEO & SET Early Career Teacher Subject Specific Sessions 

There are lots of subject specific professional learning opportunities for our ECTs on offer for 2024-2025.

Take a look at our new ECT Subject Specific Professional Learning Programme here which contains the dates and times of upcoming training sessions.

Creative Teacher Programme

Classroom practitioners will become more reflective and creative, gaining a deeper understanding of the pedagogy that ensures a significant impact on the progress of, and relationships with, pupils and colleagues. Through this programme you will become a more self-regulated and independent thinking professional.

Outstanding Teacher Programme

Classroom practitioners will gain a deeper understanding of the latest innovative pedagogy and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to make a significant impact on their pupils and inspire others to become outstanding practitioners within a coaching culture.

Power of Coaching  Programme

Practitioners will gain a deeper understanding about the power of coaching and the impact that great coaching has on learning - being able to confidently apply several strategies to deepen the thinking of pupils; inspire colleagues to develop and grow; and become a more reflective and energised professional. As a credible coach, professionals will be able to coach informally, formally and in a structured way using the OLEVI Analytical Coaching programme.

Outstanding Leadership in Education Programme

The programme recognises that all people are leaders, and that developing leadership ensures that well balanced challenge and support creates impact. You will engage with evidence-informed leadership pedagogy to discover how to lead and manage individuals, classes, teams, and projects more effectively for greater impact.

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Programme

Classroom support staff will become more reflective, confident, and creative through gaining a deeper understanding of high-quality classroom pedagogy. You will develop the attributes to make a significant impact on the outcomes of, and relationships with, both pupils and colleagues.

Senior Outstanding Leadership in Education Programme

The best senior leaders have an aspirational vision and know how to balance challenge and support, successfully overcoming complex barriers to achieve significant and sustainable impact. The programme will provide greater clarity, grow confidence, and develop competence of senior leaders, enabling strategic reflection on organisational improvement.

ECT 2 Local Seminar and Onboarding

A great session this week with our second year ECTs as part of the @NatInstTeaching ECF programme, expertly led by Faye Gibney, Trust Vice Principal.

 A brilliant opportunity to consider how the self study research could be applied in practice & to share their professional learning focus for this half term.

Curriculum Network Learning Community Facilitator Meeting

A fantastic planning & preparation session this week with our amazing Curriculum Network Learning Community facilitators.

A great opportunity to explore the power of oracy & to plan together how we can:

•  Build knowledge

•  Motivate 

•  Develop techniques

•  Embed practice

Google Level 1 Training

This October, staff participated in two Google Level 1 professional learning sessions. These sessions focused on building foundational skills in Google Workspace for Education tools, including Classroom, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more.  Participants learned how to effectively integrate these tools to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. 

If you would like to catch up with the sessions, they are available here

ECT 1 Local Seminar and Onboarding

A fantastic session last with our @HCACP_TSHub Year 1 ECTs for our @NatInstTeaching Onboarding & Local Seminar 1! 

•  Sharing effective practice

•  Exploring research 

•  Deliberate practice

•  Rich discussions

•  Networking 

 What a great way to spend an afternoon!

Challenge Partners Hub Meeting

Senior Leaders from @SuttonEdTrust & @LEOacademies  joined together today for our autumn SW London & Surrey @ChallengePartnr Hub Meeting.

A wonderful opportunity to reflect on our impact last academic year & our priorities for 24/25.

Thank you to @ShawleyPrimary for hosting!

Senior Leaders Meeting

Senior Leaders from across @LEOacademies met in the new training room at West Ashtead Primary Academy.

We focused on:

• Strategic Development of Nursery Provision

• Staff Absence Review

• Education Update

•  LEO Safari, Expedition & Explorers

•  Leadership Study Tours

Maths Teacher Research Group

First TRG of the year with @lsw_hub was hosted by @WestAshtead! 

• All participants: 

• recapped 5 Big Ideas

• year 1 lesson study 

• spotlight on variation and representation & structure 

• reviewed outcomes for this year 

Great to see collaboration between maths leaders

Write from the start

By EEF

Sinead McMahon, one of our Early Years Content Specialist alumnae, talks about the importance of providing mark making opportunities for even the youngest of learners. In this blog, she shares an example of how Castle Vale Nursery School in Birmingham teach the skills needed for mark-making in their two-year-old provision. 

Find out more here.

Manipulatives in Maths - A Classroom Guide for Teachers

By Maths no Problem

Mathematical manipulatives are touted as essential tools for learning, but let's be honest—we've all experienced that moment of dread when we hand them out. Suddenly, your carefully planned lesson turns into chaos: One pupil starts building a fortress with the base ten blocks while another hides all the shiny counters.

Yet, despite these challenges, manipulatives play an important role in mathematics education. They bridge the gap between abstract concepts and tangible understanding, helping pupils grasp basic number sense. In fact, the National Curriculum emphasises their importance across all key stages, recognising that hands-on learning is vital for developing maths fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

Click here to find out more.

Writing and the 'final mile' problem

By Alex Quigley

Do your pupils have a problem with 'writing stamina'? The teachers and leaders I work with routinely describe the problem of pupils lacking writing stamina as a vital issue they want to address. 

But what is writing stamina anyway? I find it is typically a catch-all for a range of common issues for novice writers. It most typically describes issues with the physical demands of handwriting, the running out of ideas half-way through a task, and the failing to edit and adequately revise and improve their writing. Most commonly, it is a messy collection of all these issues all at once! 

Click here to find out more.

BA in Primary Education: 

The University of Buckingham three-year BA in Primary Education is designed for those working as teaching assistants in schools who wish to become primary school teachers.

Join them online this November to find out more about how our course has been developed to enable you to study while working and take your teaching career to the next level.

Monday 11 November, 4-5 pm

BA in Primary Education: A salaried route designed for teaching assistants

Event details and registration

Children's Perspectives on Reading for Pleasure

Date: Tue 12th Nov 2024 

Time: 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM 

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

How do we best support Reading for Pleasure? How do we overcome the existing barriers that may be discouraging children from participating in this activity? In this Research into Practice webinar, Alice Reedy will draw upon her research on children's perspectives to explore answers to these questions and reflect on how we can build rich reading cultures within our schools.

Click here to find out more.

Edtech Hubs: East of England Digital Discovery Day

Date: 13/11/2024

Time: 09:30 to 14:30

Venue: Exning Primary School, Oxford St, Exning, Newmarket CB8 7EW

Spend an immersive day exploring Teaching & Learning at Exning Primary School

• Tour of the school to see a range of technology used to support high-quality everyday Teaching and Learning

• Explore how one-to-one device ratios can accelerate the pace of learning and support inclusion for all learners from EYFS, KS1 and KS2

• Pupil showcase - meet pupils and experience the impact of technology from their point of view

• Visit the *Hive* SEND unit on site and experience how pupils benefit across the school from the specialist inclusion provision

Click here to find out more.

EEF ShREC Model

Date: 14/11/2024

Time: 5pm-5.45pm

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

A webinar sharing the ShREC approach which is a simple, memorable set of evidence informed strategies to develop quality interactions. 

Click here to find out more.

Evidence-Informed Pupil Premium Strategy Panel Webinar

Date: 27th November 2024

Time: 4pm-5pm

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Join a transformative webinar hosted by Derby Research School, where we bring together experts in education to discuss evidence-informed strategies for maximising the impact of Pupil Premium funding. This panel webinar will delve into proven approaches, effective interventions, and best practices derived from robust research and real-world applications.

Participants will gain invaluable insights into:

• Evidence-Based Interventions: Discovering which strategies have been shown to yield the most significant improvements in educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Learning how to utilise data effectively to tailor interventions and monitor progress.

• Successful Case Studies: Exploring examples of successful implementations of Pupil Premium strategies, including key lessons learned and practical tips for replication.

Click here to find out more.

Why Adaptive teaching and formative Assessment is integral for PP/SEND students?

Date: 4th December 2024

Time: 4pm-5pm

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Book on to this enlightening webinar focusing on the importance of adaptive teaching and formative assessment for Pupil Premium (PP) and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) students. Join us for a session led by one of our ELEs, who will share their expertise on how these educational strategies can significantly enhance learning outcomes for disadvantaged and diverse learners.

Click here to find out more.

Talk for Language and Deeper Learning

Date: Monday 20th January 2025

Time: 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM 

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Supporting colleagues to understand the role of talk for supporting language development and deeper learning.

• Contextual vocabulary acquisition

• Teaching specific words

• The most neglected and yet most useful words

• Teaching and promoting talk

Click here to find out more.

Pride and Progress  - How leaders create LBGTQ+Inclusive Spaces

Date: Monday 29th January 2025 

Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

In recent years, the push for inclusivity within educational environments has gained significant momentum. Yet, while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure that every student feels seen, supported, and safe. In this session you will explore the ways in which our schools and classrooms can make LGBT+ inclusive spaces. We will consider language, rights and responsibilities, best practice, and there will be time for questions and answers.

Click here to find out more.

Sustainable School Improvement

Date: 11th June 2025

Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Join us for an insightful webinar focused on sustainable school improvement strategies, designed to empower educators and school leaders with practical approaches to fostering continuous growth and success.

Click here to find out more.

Sustainable School Improvement

Bitesize Explanations Video Series  

Subscribe to this brilliant video series where Jade Pearce,  Evidence Leaders, will explain an evidence informed strategy and how it can be applied within the classroom.  

You will receive one video per half term, directly to your inbox.  

The videos will include:

Autumn 1- Retrieval Practice 

Autumn 2- Interleaving

Spring 1- Cognitive Load Theory 

Spring 2- Responsive Teaching

Summer 1- Feedback 

Summer 2- Effective 'We do' modelling 

Click here to find out more.

Explorify Hosts Podcasts

In each podcast episode, an Explorify Engagement Leader hosts a conversation about an aspect of primary science with a guest expert. In their chat they share stories, tips and tricks and they signpost to other support and great resources. 

Click here to find out more.

Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path with Google

This learning path provides an overview of generative AI concepts, from the fundamentals of large language models to responsible AI principles.

Find out more here.

Mind the Gap with Tom & Emma

In the show, Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe, Tom and Emma interview experts from the US, UK and beyond, and share timely insights on K-12 trends; research-based approaches in need of greater reach; and innovative strategies to close global gaps. 

Click here to find out more.

The Open University - Open Learn

Design your own CPD with these free resources from The Open University, created for teachers and teaching assistants working across the UK.

All the content in this hub has been selected by academics across The Open University, specifically for teachers, teaching assistants and support staff working across the secondary, primary and early years sectors, including those involved in home education, special schools and pupil referral units.

Click here to access a range of online professional learning sessions from a range of areas.

Geographical Assiocation

FREE CPD VIDEO SUPPORT from @The_GA committee EY and Primary.

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 opportunities that are on offer.

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.

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 PL 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 PL opportunities on offer outside of the Trust.

Click here to to visit the page now.