Becky Reffell, Strategic Lead for Early Years at Twynham Learning will be leading a series of six seminars over the course of AY 2021-22, each seminar with a separate  Early Years focus. These seminars are aimed at practitioners, aspirant leaders and established leaders alike and there is a completely open invitation to any local teachers to attend any event. The sessions are offered pro bono publico.

Session 1 - New to Year 1. To play or not to play?

This session will discuss the challenges Year 1 teachers’ face in supporting children’s transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum to the National Curriculum. We will explore the pressures and expectations many teachers experience and will reflect pedagogy in the context of child development and quality first teaching.

Join us in hearing John Tomsett share his wealth of experience on curriculum development for senior leaders

John taught for 33 years in state schools and was a teaching headteacher for 18 years. He writes a blog called This Much I Know, and has written extensively about school leadership. He has previously published five books: Love over Fear: Creating a Culture for Truly Great Teaching; Mind Over Matter: Improving Mental Health in our Schools; Putting Staff First: A Blueprint for Revitalising our Schools (with Jonny Uttley); An Angler’s Journal; and Cognitive Apprenticeship in Action (editor). 

This course is for School Leaders, Teachers, Governors and Directors, and Church members and is in three parts.  Sessions are as follows:

Part one - 24th September 2021 from 09:30 - 13:00

Part two - 4th November 2021 from 13:00 - 16:30

Part three - 1st December 2021 from 13:00 - 16:30

Understanding Christianity has been written by RE Today and gives in-depth support to the Christianity sections of the new Plymouth, Devon and Torbay RE syllabuses. It aims to develop pupils’ understanding of key concept sin Christianity as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it. This three session course will give teachers full access to this outstanding and nationally recognised system of learning in RE.

A short briefing session 60-90 minutes in length for all governors in all settings to update them on the latest developments within education and governance.

As the ECF still continues to slowly fade in, Two Rivers Institute will be offering the RQT Programme for year 2 teachers for the final time in 2021-22. We want to be able to fully support teachers who are in their second year of teaching up until the point that the ECF is fully transitioned.

Our sessions will run as follows: 

1. Vision and Values - 28th September 2021

2. Leading and Managing Change - 16th November 2021

3. Project Support Session - 18th January 2022

4. Evidence and Data - 22nd March 2022

5. Group Coaching - 10th May 2022

6. Presentation and Celebration Event - 5th July 2022

This is a mandatory training course for staff new to the role of EVC in schools. This DfE approved course covers the management checks and procedures for visits required by the DfE and the local authority/employer.  This course is also recommended for those that are new to the role of Head.

Every school should have a named Educational Visits Co-ordinator who is trained and remains up to date.

Drawing on the information shared through EYFS reform updates, this conference will explore the wonderful opportunities available to early years children to support their understanding and development. 

Through expert keynote speakers, including Julian Grenier, and a range of complimenting workshops, practitioners will be given the time to reflect on their practice, share and learn new ideas and feel reinvigorated with fresh strategies to take back to their setting.

As qualified Trainers of Andy Buck’s BASIC Coaching Method, Two Rivers Institute are pleased to be able to offer the BASIC training course to middle and senior leaders to give them the clarity they need to coach with confidence.

Best-selling author and speaker Andy Buck has taken the latest thinking and research from the field of coaching and translated it into his tried-and-tested BASIC method, which is easy to learn and simple to apply whether you are supporting one of your colleagues to overcome a challenge, helping a member of your team to prioritise their tasks, or want to explore the concept of instructional coaching.

This programme is aimed at in-school coaches, Early Career Framework mentors, Lead Practitioners, Senior Leaders and support staff who are looking to develop coaching strategies to aid the growth of colleagues within the context of their role. 

During this two-day programme, senior and middle leaders will learn how to use a coaching approach in their everyday leadership and 1:1 conversations to promote the very best outcomes for pupils. We will look at the key principles and practice around coaching and how leaders can develop their coaching leadership style. The programme is very interactive and includes an opportunity for participants to practise coaching with time for reflection and feedback

We hope that you will be able to join us for a seminar with Haili Hughes, best-selling author, experienced teacher and mentor who is passionate about keeping excellent teachers in the classroom,  where they make the most impact on young people. She is determined to improve teacher retention rates through the support of high-quality mentors.

Haili is an English teacher, former Head of Department and Senior Leader who has mentored new teachers and ITT students for over ten years. She is also Head of Education at Iris Connect and PGCE lecturer at the University of Sunderland.

She has now been teaching for the best part of fifteen years and has enjoyed developing and supporting teachers at many different stages of their career - from Head of Department to student teacher. She is also passionate about keeping experienced staff in the classroom and helping to retain experienced teachers who may feel like they are somewhat jaded with the profession.

In her spare time, she writes regular articles for the TES and other education publications and peer reviews submissions for the Chartered College of Teaching's 'Impact' journal. She recently completed her third Masters degree in Psychology and is currently in her third year of her Doctorate at the University of Glasgow.

She has written four education books: Preserving Positivity - a wellbeing book aimed at experienced teachers and retaining them; the bestselling ‘Mentoring in Schools’ which is a hand book for mentors, aligned with the Early Career Framework; Humans in the Classroom, a compendium of amazing teacher’s stories which celebrates their contribution to the profession and an upcoming book on using academic criticism in GCSE English lessons which will be published with Routledge.

This virtual session is aimed at senior leaders, ECT mentors and classroom teachers and will provide an overview of how the new Early Career Framework can be used by leaders and mentors to support Early Career Teachers thus leading to greater teacher retention and happier, more fulfilled staff.

Delegates will learn:

· What the Early Career and core content frameworks are and what it means for schools, staff and mentors.

· How leaders, teachers and mentors can use the ECF.

· What makes a great mentor.

· Practical strategies for activities for mentors to use with their mentee.

· How Instructional Coaching can help mentors.

Prayer and reflection are powerful. Vision is energising. Combining these aspects enables a Church School to flourish. 

This course is aimed at School Leaders, Governors, Directors and RE Leads