Topics
Here are most of the topics I regularly offer schools, nurseries, SME's, corporates and community groups. Many organisations select 3 topics and ask me to design something around these for a full day's training, whereas others ask me to focus deeply on one topic over the period of a few weeks intensive support and coaching. Whatever you choose, I will tailor everything to your context and needs.
Formative Assessment is one the most significant influences on learning. Research from Hattie, Black & Wiliam, Lysakowski & Walberg, and others has shown formative assessment improves understanding and engagement, increases the quality of independent thought, and enhances learning environments. I can show you how to replicate these positive outcomes, as well as how to refer to clear & specific goals, ensure feedback is credible, teach students how to self-assess, and focus on progress rather than ability
Bobby Dazzlers
Working extensively across Scandinavia, Australasia, and North America, I come across many thought-provoking, interesting and sometimes downright strange ideas for educating children. I would be happy to share the best of these ideas for your staff's delight, enjoyment and, with a bit of luck, use for many years to come.
Challenging Learning
My book, Challenging Learning covers the theory and practice of feedback, attitudes, challenge, thinking and self efficacy. In it I show how to improve all these factors through the use of the Teaching Target Model to engage, challenge and support learners; and the Learning Pit to build inquiry-led learning. Some schools base their entire PD curriculum over a number of years on these aspects of learning.
"Children learn responsibility best and gain a sense of moral values by discussing with good guidance from the earliest age real and controversial issues, and by having opportunities to participate and take responsibility." (Crick report, 1998) Using the principles of a Community of Inquiry, I have guided many groups in the development of the intellectual, social and emotional tools needed to think judiciously, reasonably and collaboratively. I would be happy to share these proven techniques with you.
Community Designed Education
Community Designed Education (CDE) helps organisations align around a shared vision. It respects the voices of all staff, students and parents and helps them to decide what an outstanding education is. With a proven set of strategies for action research, decision-making and implementation, the process enables the realisation and sustainability of excellence. I coordinate the European part of this successful and innovative process. For more information visit OUR Education Network
Creativity is developed by making unusual connections and challenging the rules. Creativity is not a gift 'given' to a few - everyone can enhance their creative thinking. I have trained with Prof Edward de Bono (creator of Lateral Thinking) and regularly work alongside Cap-a-Pie, an outstanding company in the field of creativity and innovation. This means I can offer some excellent ways to enhance the creativity and innovation of your employees, pupils or even yourself!
When a person tries to persuade another of something then he or she is making a claim. These claims will often draw on assumptions, overlook counter-claims, or be devoid of reasons. Critical thinking is concerned with responding wisely to these claims and presenting your own credible, balanced and well thought-through arguments. With years of experience in teaching critical thinking, I can offer your pupils, colleagues and/or management team sure fire ways to improve this form of reflection.
In June 2010, I hosted and co-presented a series of conferences in Europe with Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of Mindset. Building on this rare depth of insight into Prof Dweck's work, I can show you why 'mindset' is so crucial to learning and achievement; how our praise and reward systems often get in the way of progress; and why IQ is being misused in education, work and society.
Encouraging Learning
Encouraging Learning is the main theme I talk about when presenting parents' evenings. Based on my new book of the same name, it explores the best ways to enhance children's learning, all supported by the most up-to-date and impressive research. Topics include adapting praise so that it no longer gets in the way of learning; the role resilience plays in building self-esteem and learning, with proven techniques to build it; the learning pit; eureka moments; and some of the best ways to build language and thinking skills.
There are many ways to engage 'staffroom terrorists' (those people who will do anything to derail your development plans). Having worked with hundreds of schools, SME's and corporations around the world, I would be happy to share with you the best consensus-building strategies; ways to engage and motivate all staff; an alignment tool that gets everyone on board; and an insight into how our best laid plans often lose people along the way - and what to do to avoid this loss.
As I teacher, I developed innovation and creativity with pupils and staff; as a consultant I helped turn a small-scale education project into a multi-million pound, award-winning regeneration scheme; and since turning freelance in 2006, I have set up four successful companies (Sustained Success, p4c.com, JN Publishing and OUR Education Network online), as well as self-published a critically acclaimed book in 6 countries and 3 languages (Challenging Learning). This has taught me a lot about entrepreneurship. I am happy to share these lessons with you.
Family Learning
Family Learning describes a wide range of activities and courses where parents, grandparents, children, carers, neighbours and friends are involved in learning together. I can help anyone to raise achievement, improve behaviour, increase self esteem and build better social skills. 'Children with very interested parents progress 15% - 17% more in mathematics and reading between ages 11 - 16.' (Professor Charles Desforges)
Feedback
Including Assessment for Learning (see top of this page), feedback also looks at praise, marking, inquiry and coaching. Identified by John Hattie (2003) as 'the most powerful modification that enhances achievement', I can help you develop feedback environments that respect all learners, listen to voices that are usual still, focus on progress and increase motivation of staff, students and managers.
All students should be expected, and supported, to make outstanding progress - at least that's the theory. In practice, many of our most able young people are coasting - partly because of peer pressure, and partly because of what we do inadvertently to hinder their learning. A topic as fraught with dangers as it is possibilities, I can help you develop an inclusive approach to gifted education that recognises and builds upon the learning of all students.
Improve NAPLAN & SAT’s
National tests such as NAPLAN in Australia and SAT's in the UK are often the bane of teachers' lives (not to mention pupils' lives!) Having studied a huge sample of recent papers, it seems very clear that knowledge alone is not enough to gain top grades - pupils also need to be extremely proficient in thinking skills (such as giving reasons, drawing links, testing hypotheses, justifying, elaborating, deducing, and so on). I write about this in my book, Challenging Learning. I would be happy to coach your staff as to the best ways to develop the thinking skills needed by pupils to pass their exams with flying colours.
Leading Change
Much of my work is concerned with supporting schools and SME's to create a shared vision, develop staff repertoire and make changes that are meaningful and sustainable. If you would like me to, I could show you how to best draw on the shared intellect of all staff; ensure systems and structures are achieving what you want them to; focus on activities of high leverage; and to lead as well as manage change.
Very often an organisation's success is dependent upon middle managers. If they are able to lead as well as manage, respond to staff needs, and support the drive towards outstanding success then they become the organisation's most prized asset. Having worked with organisations around the world, I am able to support your middle managers, helping them to develop their leadership potential and showing them how to respond to the needs of those around them.
The Learning Pit
Through the use of the Learning Pit, teachers and leaders are better able to make learning and professional development more rigorous, thought-provoking and relevant. With reference to the Learning Pit chapter in my book, I can show you how to develop questioning and facilitation techniques; the ways in which the pit enhances resilience, decision-making and higher order thinking skills; strategies for coming out of the pit; and why eureka moments are crucial for meaningful learning.
Outlearn your competitors
In times of change, it is the organisations that learn most that will pull ahead of the competition. Yet, surprisingly many organisations rationalise and cut back when faced with uncertain times. This applies as much to schools as it does to businesses. With reference to the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition, Kim's Levels of Influence model, and Edwards' pit of change, I can help you identify where to put your time & resources and how to build your collective repertoire so that your organisation is one step ahead of the rest.
Outstanding Early Years
A large part of my work is with early years (children 3 - 7 years old) settings around the world. The main areas of focus include developing P4C and inquiry with young children, enhancing leadership, and using Vygotsky approaches to strengthen learning. I also help EY settings in England to identify what steps they need to take to achieve Ofsted's outstanding, and periodically run Outstanding Early Years Teaching courses for Osiris Education.
My work with schools around the world illustrates clearly that the slope from 'good' to 'outstanding' is slippery indeed. So, I help staff know what outstanding means (according to Ofsted if you like, or more globally), how this might be achieved and what needs to be in place to sustain it. I then generally work with middle and senior leaders to help them understand John Kotter's claim that most organisations are over-managed and under-led, what leadership is, and how is it different from management.
Philosophy for Children is why I do what I do today. I have been using the approach with 3 - 19 year olds since the early 90's. I was filmed by the BBC in 1999 using the approach with 9 and 10 year olds (see film clip here). I based the award-winning RAIS project on P4C, and then co-founded p4c.com (an international resource and collaboration cooperative) in 2008. Heck, even my book Challenging Learning is P4C in disguise! I run Sapere Level 1 and Level 2 courses throughout the UK and overseas (view course dates here) and frequently give keynote speeches about this exciting pedagogy. I urge you to involve yourself in P4C as soon as, and as much as, possible. As Robert Sternberg, former president of the American Psychological Society once said: “No programme I am aware of is more likely to teach durable and transferable thinking skills than Philosophy for Children”
Project Management
Time pressures, conflicting priorities, unexpected inspections! Running a project brings with it all sorts of challenges as well as opportunities. My project management experience will give you the skills you need to ensure that your work is successful, not stressful! Learn new methods to identify and access costs and requirement and how to deal with issues and barriers. Having founded a multi-million pound, award-winning regeneration project and four thriving companies, I have lots to share.
The focus of this course is on increasing challenge and deepening learning through questioning techniques. It will help you use the most effective question types including diagnostic, facilitative, exploratory and Socratic. It will identify ways to ensure lessons begin with children's relevant questions or how to ensure the right questions are being asked in the boardroom. As Socrates once said, 'the unexamined life is not worth living.' I'll show you how to make this sentiment a reality in the classroom, workshop, call centre or team meeting.
Self Esteem & Self Efficacy
How can we find the excellence that is within us all? Perhaps, rather than looking outside ourselves for acceleration or techniques, we may need to look inside for our own unique resources, and to develop our own formulae for success. This practical and interactive material draws on a variety of 'talk' interventions to support our own self belief and the people you work with. You will explore what successful people really do and how you can encourage healthy mindsets. 'I never thought it would be so powerful! My daughter and I have literally changed our lives since starting the course. Thank you so much!' Parent from Ashington, UK
Beginners need guidelines. Competent people need quality assurance systems. Experts should be encouraged to push the boundaries and break the rules. Each and every one of us is a beginner is some things at work, competent at others and expert in a few things. This course shows you how to ensure that the right support from the right people at the right time can be achieved in your school, workplace or home.
This will help you identify the key skills, roles and responsibilities of an effective leader; benchmark yourself, your team and your provision; support your team in meeting their full potential; deal with and resolve resistance; examine models of best practice; and plan for high-quality service delivery.
Systems Thinking
Leaders must design the future for those they lead. Knowing where to place your energy is critical to improvement and quality change. Practise using the Levels of Perspective tool as a powerful systems thinking planning strategy. You will experience identifying the areas of highest leverage and designing actions around these areas to ensure success.
Thinking Skills
Everyone can be taught to be a better thinker. Better in terms of being more effective, ethical social, creative and judicious. With improved thinking, we may become a more successful learner, a more thoughtful citizen and a more confident person. I have trained in, and can share with you, the following approaches: Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), de Bono's Lateral Thinking techniques; Habits of Mind; the Thinking Through series from University of Newcastle; and Philosophy for Children.
A large proportion of my work is concerned with supporting businesses, schools and community groups around the world to develop and realise a shared vision. The process I use was developed by Bill Martin and Dr John Edwards, co-founders of OUR Network. It is an approach that deeply trusts staff; ensures that all voices are heard and respected; uses an alignment tool that generates focus, energy and commitment, as well as drives innovation; and encourages a healthy interaction between research and lived experience. It has worked for organisations as diverse as mining companies, professional sports teams, investment companies, schools (state and private) and small/medium enterprises.
My colleagues at Sustained Success offer many of the topics above when I'm not available. They also offer the following additional topics:
Behaviour Management
This course, on offer from my colleagues Martin Renton, Richard Keilty, and Ragnhild Isachsen, looks at how to get to the root of challenging behaviour fast as well as promote a positive behaviour environment. Each one of these trainers can show you how to build a positive school ethos, address the needs of individual learners, and build the awareness of all staff about proven intervention strategies.
Dramatic Enquiry
Dramatic Enquiry develops creativity, responsible independence and transferable thinking skills. It appeals to parents and teachers who want a broad and balanced curriculum for their children. It encourages us all to be motivated and questioning learners. Developed by Gordon Poad and myself, in conjunction with Creative Partnerships in Stoke on Trent, this creative intervention is offered by my colleagues Gordon Poad and Mark Lebrow.
OutSmart
Paul Dearlove, a former colleague of mine and long-standing associate, can help you make the most of your outdoor learning spaces, as well as show you how to develop thinking in the outdoors. 15 years ago, Paul set up Denmark's first Outdoor School. Since then he has led North Yorkshire's extensive outdoor education provision and, whilst working with me on the award-winning RAIS project, developed OutSmart, as a way to encourage appreciative dialogue in teams. Paul would be delighted to share his expertise with you.
Outstanding ICT
My associate Steve Bunce is an experienced ICT teacher, trainer and consultant. He has a wealth of experience in using ICT in innovative ways and can show you how to achieve Ofsted's Outstanding (Grade 1) in ICT; how to create and deliver an excellent ICT lesson; and ways to use digital tools creatively across the curriculum.
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