A change of approach

'I think it's how you work with different members of staff and how you can convince them of the quick wins. I'd use the word organic in the early days but we're in a very different position now where I'd say coming off the back of this academic year we're not going to talk about COVID. But it's the least staff training I think I've ever done this year, because the culture of the school is at a point where teachers are happy learning off other teachers. Now, they don't need one person in a room to teach them how to use something, they're happy to take risks, they're happy to experience failure and reflect on that. And I think that's testament to where your staff team are and how you can get them to that next stage. I think September is going to be really interesting, about how we really start to plan, how we're going to implement a different form of staff training that is accessible to all, that's differentiated, so everyone can gain from it.'

Matthew Warne, RGS - The Grange

An inclusive approach across the wider school community

'So our community sometimes are really reticent to come in. We're a very culturally rich, diverse community, but particularly some of the Muslim females. We did a project where we gave 2500 PCs out into our community, we gave them into libraries, we gave them to families themselves, the Gurdwara, the mosque, the church, places where communities came together so that we could use technology in that way to link up with them. And it was really interesting to see how parents and families, particularly some of the Muslim mothers who would not normally come into school or they'd stand at the school gates or in the secondary school, you wouldn't see them at all. But they were able to come and ask and be in that space and engage with us in ways that they haven't done previously. But things like Class Dojo with primary that we're using, that has the same effect as well.'

Kirsty Grundy, Principal & Primary Director - Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust