In preparation for the start of this academic year, a newlook Teaching and Learning Team (TLT) was put together at BMS which consists of:

• Miss Davey – Advanced Lead Teacher for science
• Miss Lindau – Advanced Lead Teacher for psychology
• Miss Hoskins – Advanced Lead Teacher for art
• Miss Farook – Lead Practitioner for English and Initial Teacher Training
• Mrs Bowe – Lead Practitioner for English and Whole School Literacy
• Mr Searle – Assistant Headteacher in charge of Teaching and Learning and staff CPD

The core purpose of any school is teaching and learning and at BMS we try never to lose sight of this.  With this in mind, the responsibility of the TLT is to remove any potential barriers to teaching and learning, to ensure that classroom staff are introduced to as many ideas as possible which allows them to be the best teachers / teaching assistants they can be which in turn will allow the students to be the best that they can be and fulfill their potential.

The BMS CPD Programme for 2018-2019 was carefully put together by the TLT and is now in full swing.  Running through this programme are five strands:

1. Developing Brain Power – led by Mr Searle
2. Lifting Literacy to the Next Level – led by Mrs Bowe
3. Fabulous Foundations – led by Miss Lindau
4. Personalised Learning for All – led by Mrs Hoskins and Mrs Davey
5. The Good to Great Programme – led by Miss Farook

Before the start of this academic year, staff signed up to one of these strands and when training sessions take place they join the relevant group to receive new ideas, discuss contemporary or relevant literature, share ideas of their own with colleagues and generally try to ‘up-skill’ themselves.  This is all done with the students and our core purpose of improving teaching and learning in mind.

Towards the end of the academic year, staff are going to write a small research project on their journey, including why they selected the particular strand, what they have learned and trialled in the classroom and what impact it has had.  These will then be collated and distributed across the staff body so we can all learn from our colleagues endeavours.  I will keep you posted on this initiative later in the year.