midwheb 2007

2008-07-11T14:50:00.003+01:00

Midwheb Partnership Graduation Success built on collaboration across schools and local authorities.

The growing postgraduate professional development programme passed another milestone this week with over 20 graduates being awarded Masters in Education. The partnership's programme is led by schools and local authorities and based upon identified development needs and priorities. The boroughs of Enfield and Haringey were particularly to the fore in leading this work through programmes for early years, teaching and learning, and leadership and management. The work by Jan Hickman leading PE teachers from Westminster, Enfield, Barnet and Newham came to fruition with the graduation of Kevin Matthews. Sue Cook's "Foundation stage" programme with Enfield, Waltham Forest and Haringey input has resulted in the graduation of Sue Storey, Jude Wood, Marion Samuel, and Elizabeth Detheridge . About a third of particpants report they are promoted as a result of their studies and several successful candidates moved from one partner borough or school to another. Midwheb Partnership work makes a real contribution to the development of education.

2008-07-11T14:34:00.003+01:00

Masters Awards at St Thomas More Catholic School

Credit goes to London Borough of Haringey and especially St Thomas More school for the graduation of Andrew Hall, Eve Czauderna, Susan Kambalu and Deborah Mitchell (not pictured). The school has been actively supporting staff initially through a Haringey led professional development programme called "Developing Effective Practice" focused upon teaching and learning strategies. The teachers have gone on to research and develop school based projects for their dissertations on assessment, and teaching of writing. (Also pictured is Sue Storey from Hertfordshire)

2008-07-11T14:08:00.004+01:00

Graduation Ceremony 2008

Masters Award for Park View Academy Staff.

Park View Academy staff featured strongly in the Middlesex University 2008 graduation ceremony with five teachers gaining MA in Education awards. Pictured are Drew Wilkins, Peter Czajkowski and Abdul Jabbar, and who with Serpil Urmez and Ann Persadhave completed three school based development projects focused upon improving aspects of teaching learning and assessment at the school. The school has a group, led by Assistant Headteacher Lisa Jepson and projects include literacy skills, assessment for learning, active and engaging learning styles, and meeting the needs of bilingual learners. Further graduations are expected next year.

2008-06-24T08:28:00.001+01:00

Midwheb Announces the Module Programme For September 2008

The programme is based upon 3x60 credit level 4 modules including a Dissertation/Project. Modules are action enquiry based and assignments are portfolios containing needs analysis, project planning, practice based work, data and analysis. Evidence of impact is central to our work.

Modules For September 2008 are:-
Teaching and Learning (Generic programme plus specific sessions for subjects) Trent Park
Global Dimension to the Curriculum (Enfield/Online)
Action Enquiry (Trent Park-Online)
Developing Professional Practice (Trent Park-Online)
Middle Leadership (Trent Park)
Aspiring Senior Leadership Enfield (Joint Boroughs)
PSHE (Enfield)
Developing Effective Practice (Haringey)
Induction Programme (Enfield/Trent Park)
SEN (Distance/Trent Park)
SPLD (Distance/Trent Park)
Gifted (Distance/Trent Park)
School Based Improvement projects Schools

Fees £750 per 60 credit (year long) module

Contact Dr Ian Terrell i.terrell@mdx.ac.uk 0208 411 2458
*Subject to 6 Year Review Autumn 2008

2008-05-28T08:47:00.003+01:00

Secondary Initial Teacher Training

Colleagues in the Secondary Initial Teacher Training programme have received an outstanding Ofsted report showing the following highest grades possible:-

Quality of training: Grade 1
Management and quality assurance: Grade 1

The report notes that key strengths are:
· very effective recruitment and selection procedures

· the coherence of all elements of the training programme, supported by high quality documentation

· effective procedures to develop trainees’ subject knowledge throughout the course

· strong leadership and management with a clear vision for development

· the dedication and commitment of subject leaders providing a high level of individual support for trainees

· very thorough monitoring and review procedures leading to effective improvement planning.

There are only two providers in London with such high quality provision.

Team member Lech Worsocki, is developing our MA Teaching programme as a follow on award and professional development programme involving subject support, school based projects and where possible school and local authority based induction programmes. Please contact him on L.worsocki@mdx.ac.uk for further discussion on this programme.

2008-05-27T12:43:00.003+01:00

Moderation has been achieved!

The portfolio assignments for the second assessment board of the year have been assessed and moderation has taken place across the modules. About 40 portfolios were looked at by the team of tutors and partners. A third described the excellent middle leadership projects and research on change and leadership led by the local authorities and specifically Enfield LA. The rest were divided between the excellent foundation stage programme, and the "International Partnerships/Global Dimension" development work based at Haselbury Infants school". A full evaluation of the impact of this years important work will follow nd be added to (these links )our impact reports.

2008-05-08T13:35:00.004+01:00

NEW MA INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Starting to Soar

Preparation is well under way to begin recruitment for the new MA Inclusive Education programme. This is a distance learning programme involving negotiated research projects into best practice in the following areas:

Special Educational Needs
Specific Learning Difficulties
Gifted Learners
Bilingual Learners
Emotional Social and Behaviour Management.

Participants will be issued with a study guide and supported by online learning. They will be asked to appoint a workplace advocate to advise them on the focus of their research and development work.

Contact i.terrell@mdx.ac.uk

2008-04-23T16:16:00.003+01:00

PPD Funding Secured for A Further Three Years

The TDA have written to us confirming that our bid for the Postgradaute Professional development Fund has been succesful. This is a subsidy that allows us to keep the cost of modules much lower at £750 per year (60 credits) for those with QTS in England.

The fund also contributes to the running of the Partnership

Now we have to find 500 teachers to sign up for our courses starting in September

We have modules at Trent Park for:-

Teaching and Learning (Generic programme plus specific sessions for subjects, such as
• Geography
• ICT
• History
• Arts
• Maths
• MFL
• Science
• English
Middle Leadership: Leading from Within
Global Dimension to the Curriculum

Online - We have modules for:-

Global Dimension to the Curriculum
Action Enquiry
Developing Professional Practice
Special Educational Needs
Specific Learning Difficulties
Gifted Education

2008-04-14T09:58:00.006+01:00

This is a Midwheb Partnership Consultation on Developing Opportunities

We are in early discussions with colleagues in the Department of Media about establishing CPD opportunities and support for:-
* Teachers of Media Studies, Film Studies
* Teachers that use media in teaching and learning (digital images, film making, TV, Radio, Sound , publications etc)

This clearly might involve media and film studies teachers in secondary schools, but also others including primary specialists.

The department has a great deal of expertise in the fields of Film , Media and Cultural studies, Video and Interactive Arts, Film and Interactive Writing, Sonic Arts, and Television Journalism and Production.

We envisage developing a number of possibilities including:
* CPD opportunities for teachers (short courses, credit bearing work,)
* Use of University facilities
* Projects for teachers/schools
* Networking of school staff and University

I would like partners to pass this message on to colleagues and invite, at this early stage, staff in schools to make suggestions about what they need and want from such an opportunity.

I am meeting the department in May and wish to convey some specific information to the working party about what partners need and would find useful.

We would like to complement local support for this area and it would be helpful to know what other activities are going on.

Please e mail me if you have any thoughts. i.terrell@mdx.ac.uk

2008-03-13T12:36:00.004Z

Midwheb Hosts Visitors from Qatar University

The British Council and colleagues from Qatar University visited the Midwheb Partnership this week. The visitors were:-

Dr Batoul Khalifa, Assistant Professor, Qatar University
Dr Emad Alghazo, Assistant Professor, Qatar University
Ms Rana El Adaoui, Project Manager, British Council Qatar
Mr Allan Jones, Visit Coordinator

We spent part of the afternoon discussing our mutual interest in professional development programmes and found a great deal of similarity in our work. Discussion covered issues of partnership, needs analysis, learning through experience, action research, portfolios and e learning.

2008-03-07T16:16:00.003Z

Record Numbers are awarded the MA Education!

Particular congratulations to the record number of 17 graduates of the MA Education award. These are now Messrs Bohan, Czauderna, Detheridge, Jackson, Kambalu, Lane, Martin, Matthew, McDonnell, Mitchell-Burke, Samuel, Storey, Wood, Czajkowski, Jabbar, Urkmez, Wilkins. MA!

Well done everyone.

This award comes after three years or research and development work at the forefront of professional practice. There work has clearly shown an impact on the quality of teaching and learning and leadership and management in their schools across many topics and areas including, among others the early years curriculum, teaching and learning styles and strategies, assessment for learning, middle leadership, creativity, using data, improvement strategies and interventions for social inclusion.

Oh that picture? Wells it's active, engaged learning, as a group creates a physical representation of the action research cycle during a research methodology session. Where does the analysis of the evidence come? Before or after reflction? Whene should we read about what we already know? Our sessions are not passive!

2008-02-04T16:35:00.000Z

Ann Lea Retires after 30 years at Middlesex

Ann Lea has anounced her retirement after 30 years at Middlesex University. She joined in the early years of the polytechnic and is remembers fondly the staff and students.
Remember when you could see the lake from the less worn terrace? Do you remember those hot summer days when you could just jump in the pool without a need for guards or fencing? Times long past. She has worked in the last 3 years on the five fold expansion of students on MA Education, Teaching and EdD awards. We will miss her.

2007-12-14T08:36:00.000Z

Impact Evaluation Survey Published.

Over 30% of teachers get promoted as a result of the Midwheb Partnership programme!

The publication of the 2006-7 survey results reveals the stunning figure that over 30% of taecehrs said they got promoted as a result of their MA Education studies.

The full report is here

2007-10-12T12:54:00.000+01:00

Beginning the Year of Masters Level Professional Development A SWOT Analysis

We asked a group of teachers beginning the year what they felt were their strengths and weknesses in embarking on the programme of their own professional development for a year. They also identified the opportunities they had and the "threats" they faced.

The survey shows our researchers are determined people seeking knowledge, and improvements in their practice. They are at the beginning worried that that they might be challenged or lack time. yet they see the porgramme as a great opportunity to raise standards and develop their career. Disruption through lack of time, family commitments or school events is the biggest threat.

Summary of Findings

• Candidates show that they feel their greatest strengths are their experience, determination, motivation and enthusiasm for learning new knowledge, applying it to their work and raising standards. The opportunity of their leadership role was seen as a strength.

• Candidates perceived their weaknesses as a lack of skill, or ability, and a lack of time. Some saw lack of school support as a weakness.

• Candidates perceive that the programme offers them the opportunity to develop practice and raise standards, to re-enthuse and gain a qualification and career development.

• The largest perceived threat is a lack of time in busy working lives with sudden and unexpected disruptions, and maintaining a work life balance.

Evidence Base

11 candidates (including those in first, second and third year of Masters in Education programme) in focused group discussions noting their own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in starting a new year. Carried out September 2007.

2007-10-02T09:07:00.000+01:00

Welcome and Induction 2007-2008

Last Saturday we met for the first time this year at Trent Park. We were able to network and find out what we all intend to do this year. A small group of people doing NPQH while gaining credit for their MA formed. Foundation stage researchers mixed and "Global Dimension" and Teaching and Learners chatted to Middle Leaders.

There were some great presentations from Karen and Dave offering advice on how to get through the year succesfully.

2007-09-25T08:57:00.000+01:00

Postgraduate PE Group Near End of Projects.

PE teachers outlined their fascinating and important projects at last nights meeting of the PE and Games postgraduate research group chaired by programme leader Jan Hickman. Lucia Devine described her work in developing partnerships between dance artists and teachers in Newham. Her study documents the impact and challenges and has gone on to change the way the partners work for the benefit of all involved. Nicky Hammond outlined her work in researching early years and physical development. Again the study is making a major impact on work in PE and sport in this sector. Other particpant include Wendy Cattermole, Nadine Wild and Tomoko Matsushita. Other projects developed by the group have included Assessment for Learning in PE, the use of ICT (Dartfish), and the contribution of PE to improving behaviour.

Plans to carry on into a second year, while recruiting another group to start and support were discussed. Anyone interested in research and development of PE, dance, games, sport and leisure in Education should contact i.terrell@mdx.ac.uk

2007-09-10T15:41:00.001+01:00

The International Dimension: International Links

The first assignments have been submitted with teachers exploring the Interntaional Diemnsion o the curriculum and they have been analysed to show a major impact on pupil learning.

The brief evaluation report can be found in our faq blog. However one teacher reported:-

“My focus objectives for this study…were “to create and sustain a number of links with foreign school; promote internationalism around the school both to staff and students, and to gather evidence which proves that successful links can increase motivation and raise attainment” I am pleased to say a year later I have achieved all these objectives”

2007-07-27T10:56:00.000+01:00

Graduation Successes for Midwheb

This years success stories included Nicola Calder, Rebeccca Davies, Kate Davis, William Ngarandi, Sharon Preece, Yasmin Uddin, Clive Hollanby and Carly White. All have been gained their MA Education awards at the graduation ceremony at Hendon Campus a celebration attended by riewnds and family.

2007-06-26T10:19:00.000+01:00

The Evaluation of the Impact of CPD

Midwheb partnership hosted a discussion forum on "The evaluation of CPD in Education", guested by New Zealand Headteacher Roween Nickie, who is on a UK study visit. The discussion involved Elaine Wilmot, Carol Davis, Head of Education Gillian Hilton and Director of Midwheb Partnership, Ian Terrell.

We discussed UK based research and literature, dating back to Steadman's work in the 1990s on LEA inset, Harland and Kinder of a similar period and more recently, the "Logical chain"- Ofsted work. Our conclusion was that impact has many characteristics. It has covered a range of types including motivation of teachers, knowledge and skills, application to practice and indications of improved standards of learning. Midwheb programmes categorize impact for participants, and being long term professional development have a good track record. Each participants needs to show impact on themselves, their work and standards.
We be live the connection between impact and level 4 criteria needs to be explored, especially with regard to our participants showing they are at the forefront of best practice research and practical enquiry in their chosen field.

However, some schools and other agencies, Ofsted reports, are not good on evaluating impact of CPD. We were intrigued as to why this has endured since Steadman's work, or Hopkins 1988 book the Evaluation of School Improvement, for instance. Our discussions are going forward with a discussion with UCET colleagues about the theoretical framework underpinning impact. In September.

2007-05-11T10:32:00.000+01:00

Midwheb Teaching and Learning Module

Subject Focused Groups

Planning is underway for the relaunch of the popular Teaching and Learning Module led by Bernadette Clinton and Bernie Ashmore. This successful programme of workshops, demonstrations, and development work to improve standards, is to be enhanced by specialist subject input.

The first group will be "Primary Geographers" led by Bernie Ashmore, who is an ex geography adviser in Enfield. The programme will look at the proposed changes in the geography curriculum and address the problems raised by official reports on standards of geography. Details are available from i.terrell@mdx.ac.uk

Other groups are proposed for other subject areas including English, Maths, Science, D&T.

2007-04-23T11:49:00.000+01:00

Leading from Within Programme Launched

The 2007-8 Leading from Within programme was launched last week with 18 middle leaders signing up. The revised programme is now being presented by the joint partnership boroughs with specialist inputs being organised by Jenny Tosh, Barbara Breeds and Richard Griggs and colleagues from Enfield, Haringey and Barnet.

The year long programme will lead towards a major school improvement project where candidates will be using their skills of negotiation, planning, team building, coaching etc to improve standards of teaching and learning.

2007-02-28T15:04:00.000Z

Midwheb Moves to New Office Accommodation

The growth and success of the Midwheb Partnership has been acknowledged by movement to a new larger, and more suitable suite of rooms on the Trent Park Campus.

The new office combines the adminstrative hub led by the work of Ann Lea and Natalie Darvis, and the academic leadership of Ruth Green, Howard Hollands and Elaine Wilmot for the MA Distance (SEN, Specific Learning Diffiuclties and Gifted), The MA Teaching, and the MA Education (Leadership and Management, Teaching and Learning and Developing Professional Practice)

The new rooms are on the second floor of the Lakeview building with great panoramic views of the lake and park.(room L200)

2007-02-07T12:41:00.000Z

Personalised Leading Teachers Programme

The Haringey Leading Teachers Programme led by Ruth Proslmyr met again last night. Teachers have been working with school and national data, and policies to identified a need and focus for their projects.

Last nights session assisted by Director of Midwheb, Dr Ian Terrell focused upon planning personalised projects to
a. Learn what best practice is in the selected field.
b. Implement into practice
c. Research and evaluate the impact and effects on learning.

The teachers are focusing on important current issues including raising standards of literacy and oracy, assessment for learning, appropriate learning styles, and collaborative groupwork.

A significant development, introduced this year will be the use of e-portfolios for teachers to demonstrate their evidence, and contain useful materials to demostarte to others.

2007-01-29T12:03:00.000Z

Enfield - NLSIN - Haselbury Infants Seminar Day
and Midwheb

Midwheb is becoming a real centre of research and development into links with schools in other countries with three groups now working on this topic, and a further group developing foreign languages in primary schools.

Teacher gathered in the Mansion at Trent Park on Saturday 27th January for the "International Studies" projects organised by Enfield, the North London Schools International Network and Haselbury Infant's School.

New participants worked with Leonie Breeds and Lilian Sanders while the group from last year were able to put the finishing touches to their assignments and research on the impact of the links with schools. Lessons have been learned in linking with Ghana, Beijing, Jamaica and other places. Bernie Ashmore led a session on the aims and outcomes of linking schools and its contribution to the curriculum.

Once more the highlight of the day was delicious international meal to celebrate the links with China that are being forged.

2007-01-24T12:07:00.000Z

Developing Professional Practice in Primary Modern Foreign Language Teaching.

A real delight of the Midwheb programme is the MFL in Primary Schools programme, which is innovative and ground breaking in developing languages.

The Enfield LEA group led by Bernadette Clinton met on Wednesday 22nd January. The programme included outlines of each teacher's personal journal in learning languages, which proved to be fascinating insights into how laugages are learned, with obvious implications for teaching.

Each teacher brought some representative artifacts of their journey. The group went on to plan individual practitioner research projects into aspects of learning languages in the primary school including, using Visual, Kinesthetic and Auditory learning styles, games and memorisation.

Julie Advantage of IWB games in order to teach MFL
Laura Impact of using IWB and software on motivation and learning
Sera Impact of memorisation techniques.
Caroline MFL and EAL: A symbiosis.
Jennifer How movement can enhance FL learning …
Sandra Impact of use of IWB in MFL lesson
Jo Action and movement in MFL lesson….
Jane MFL: movement for learning!
Debbie Implementing French into KS2 curriculum by non-specialists:
Class teacher or external specialist?

After the development of the approaches and the materials the teachers will be researching the impact of their approaches on language learning later in the year

2007-01-21T13:02:00.000Z

The Midwheb - SSAT Lips Group
Course Tutor Gina Revill on the web link to New Zealand with Frances and Kitty

Launch of Learning through International Partnership Programme.

Developing partnerships with schools across the world is the growing as a major theme of the Midwheb Partnership with two projects with partners.

Saturday was the launch of the "LIPS" programme in conjunction with Kathy Wicksteed and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and Gina Revill of Core Education in New Zealand.

Featured here are researchers Frances Carr and Kitty Walsh.

Teacher-Researchers on the programme are drawn from specialist schools across the UK who are developing internal links. The programme is a year long project aimed at developing effective links, planning implementation and evaluation of the link, and revealing the impact that such links make on student learning.

The day featured a video link with Gina Revill in New Zealand a leading expert on online learning communities introducing the new online learning environment. Researchers across the country will be developing electronic portfolios of their work. Kathy Wicksteed developed a seminar theme looking at the purpose of international links and who they are designed to benefit.

Next week see the launch of the London Borough of Enfield and North London International Schools Consortium, second cohort activity "Developing Professional Practice through International Study"

2007-01-18T09:02:00.000Z

Midwheb Researcher of the Week

Working with Carol Gray at Stratford School yesterday. Carol is developing 'peer and self assesment" with gifted and talented pupils in Geography. The work has been stimulated by the secondary national strategy and specifically the "assessment for learning" policies. ( see QCA, DFES Standards Site, AAIA and others)

She plans to develop from best practice literature and research lesson activities and materials anbd then to explore what happens to the learning process and outcomes. She will be using observation, and asking students questions about the impact of the activity on their learning.

Carol said that her previous assignments on Gifted and Talented Learners and Coaching had stimulated a lot of interest from staff and senior managers. We talked about starting a school based programme down in East London as she had colleagues in local schools who may be interested. Watch this space!

2007-01-16T09:32:00.000Z

Hi Everyone

This is the new blog of the Midwheb Partnership for 2007.

I hope that you enjoy the news and stories.

Have a look at our website and see our programme of Post Graduate Professional Development for Teachers. Or have a look at our evaluation of the impact