Agenda item

To receive a presentation from the AD for Curriculum & Professional Learning (CSC).

The Managing Director CSC began by explaining that the presentation was being provided as teaching and learning was probably the most important thing that schools did, and this was an opportunity to talk about what was done to support teaching and learning.

The Principal Improvement Partner - Curriculum Cohesion and Assessment, CSC then took Members through a PowerPoint Presentation which shared some of the work that was happening around teaching and learning.

A Member asked how much Teacher Training courses covered this, so that Teachers were properly prepared for the quite different world that Teachers now operated in.

The Principal Improvement Partner - Curriculum Cohesion and Assessment, CSC explained that this built on what was already in Initial Teacher Education but acknowledged they had a relatively short time with their trainees, so within a year’s PGCE, it was 9 or 10 months at best with a lot to fit in. She continued that there was an amazing professional learning programme, the Aspire Teaching Programme,  for newly qualified teachers and those in the early years of teaching, that built on that and kept on building.  There was a lot being done to prepare for Curriculum for Wales (CfW) with a number of area leads and associate advisors working very closely with Universities, particularly with Cardiff Met, so the collaboration was really helping.

A Member sought clarification around the qualitative/quantitative data in terms of investment in a teacher e.g., are we getting paid back in terms of what is expected from the development and how this was evidenced and analysed.

The Principal Improvement Partner - Curriculum Cohesion and Assessment, CSC felt that there was really sound and robust systems in place for CSC,  so that any school that had attended a project or programme, or any schools that had bespoke support, the IP was notified immediately of those conversations before any support plan was generated e.g., is this definitely what the schools needs, what other context do we need. The IP then has a copy of that support plan, so they can see what support is happening and that support is then evaluated. Any time a school has contact with CSC it is recorded in the School Improvement Partnership Log (SIPL), so anybody working with that school is aware, and the IP’s when visiting the schools can ask how it went. The Principal Improvement Partner - Curriculum Cohesion and Assessment, CSC concluded that she did feel that it was a real strength in CSC, because it ensured the loops were closed.

The Chair thanked the Principal Improvement Partner - Curriculum Cohesion and Assessment, CSC and said that she found the presentation really interesting, and it was gratifying to see that people were being offered such comprehensive support. The Chair continued that it would be useful to know at another meeting, how many people CSC were reaching with the programme and how well schools were engaging with it.

Following consideration, Members RESOLVED to

1        

• Note the support for high quality teaching in CSC; and

• Consider the benefits to all stakeholders;

• Request that the Principal Improvement Partner - Curriculum Cohesion and Assessment, CSC bring back some school sharing practice on the impact of coming to the CSC Professional Learning, to a future meeting of the Joint Committee.