Professional Development
Teaching and Learning is at the forefront of everything we do at Yardleys. We recognise that great teaching will lead to great outcomes for our students and help prepare them for life beyond Yardleys. The ongoing Professional Learning time, CPD opportunities, Subject Mastery time, additional PPA are just some of the ways we provide 100+ hours of professional development time to ensure that we have happy, healthy, highly motivated, hardworking skilled staff at the school who can be the best they need to be for our students.
‘Classroom teaching …is perhaps the most complex, most challenging, and most demanding, subtle, nuanced and frightening activity that our species has ever invented” (Shulman, 2004).
Whilst teaching is not easy, at Yardleys we aim to make it easier for our teachers to teach. With a detailed and supportive package offered for teachers across all stages of their profession.
Subject Mastery Time
Collaboration and subject specific knowledge and pedagogical approaches is given key priority at Yardleys with dedicated time given each week for this.
CPD
Access to hearing the best that has been thought and said is key to the work we do at Yardleys. Directed professional development opportunities exist in which staff increase their expertise through delivery of specialist staff and outside speakers.
Teaching and Learning Newsletter
A half termly newsletter is shared across the school reviewing and sharing some of the developments and research that has been explored throughout the last term with tips and strategies from staff within the school a regular feature.
Staff Library
A fully stocked staff library has allowed staff to regular engage with professional reading without any additional expense to them, this is also supported by the staff book for the summer scheme
Joint Practice Development
We are always looking at how we can learn from local and national schools, with external collaboration existing on a regular basis as well as a training day dedicated to visiting successful schools.
Hot Spots
Regular teaching and learning updates and sharing of ideas
Professional Reading Group
Finding nuggets from the variety of teaching and learning literature present ensures staff are research informed and continually reviewing and reflecting on their teaching.
External Qualifications
Providing time and opportunities for our staff to gain NPQ’s and well as subject specific nationally recognised qualifications means we can ensure that we have the best teachers and leaders within the school driving the standards of education forward for the students.