Popular Inset Topics

Currently the most popular inset topics relate to aspects of Teaching Outstanding Lessons, NQT Training and ‘Sticky Teaching’ (helping pupils prepare for examinations successfully and developing pupils' metacognition). Caroline runs training on a wide range of areas and these are listed below. If you are looking for a specific area that is not listed below Caroline has links to a wide range of other quality presenters.

a) Sticky Teaching! Helping Pupils do better in examinations.

Many pupils are unsure about how best to revise and lack motivation. This one day training course gives subject teachers and school leaders practical suggestions for helping make revision more fruitful, interesting and engaging. The course considers aspects of motivation and metacognition, as well as interesting and engaging techniques for helping pupils get interested and ready to learn. Now that final examinations have an increased importance in determining results; this training is essential for helping staff develop engaging and interesting ways to ‘make learning stick’.

For more information on Sticky Teaching™ and INSET details see sticky-teaching.co.uk

b) Outstanding Lessons

Unlike many course providers Caroline has trained as an Ofsted inspector and her course will dispel the myths and misconceptions regarding Outstanding Learning. This session gives practical strategies for helping teachers in all subject areas improve the quality of teaching and learning in their lessons. The session will ensure all staff are confident about the inspection criteria for teaching and learning. It gives them strategies for ensuring lessons are engaging and that pupils are making good progress. It will have a particular focus on unpicking the qualities of the best (outstanding) teaching so that staff are clear about how to review and develop their own teaching skills.

c) Raising Boys' Achievement

This training gives teachers and school leaders a clear picture of the latest research findings about boys' achievement and more importantly shows what strategies schools can put in place to improve boys' achievement. The day looks at school wide issues, classroom environment and key ways of improving the learning experience of boys. It draws on Caroline's experience in leading on countywide boys' achievement projects, observations of good practice and her own practical Masters Degree research.

d) Newly Qualified Teacher Training Sessions: Behaviour Management

If you have several newly qualified, overseas, or unqualified staff, it may be more cost effective to run in-house training for them, rather than sending them on day courses - in fact, Caroline often works in the same schools running their NQT lead day each year. This package focuses on the essential skills that newly qualified teachers must secure to become successful teachers. Staff will understand how to plan effective objective led lessons, manage the top ten behavioural issues, deal with marking and develop their role in the department. As an experiences NQT tutor, Caroline is aware of the real issues for Newly Qualified Teachers and their desire for practical, workable solutions.

e) Assessment for Learning

Effective Assessment for Learning is at the heart of improving standards and helping students become better learners. This course ensures that all staff are familiar with the key principles of assessment for learning and understand how it will benefit the pupils that they teach. The course focuses on questioning, lesson planning, marking processes and involving pupils in assessing their own work. It also includes a self- review by individual departments and their progress towards effective assessment for learning.

f) Feedback and Effective Marking

Many schools are seeking to improve their feedback and marking practice. Current research also shows that feedback is the most important factor in raising pupil achievement so it is important to get this right! Ensure that your staff are aware of the best practice techniques and are skilled up to know how to do this effectively. Ofsted often comments that schools that are not yet good fall down because of lack of consistency in marking and feedback across the school. Running a twilight session with Caroline will ensure that all staff receive the key messages and workable solutions. Caroline even runs follow up marking reviews where she reports on what she finds, by looking at a range of marking, and assesses the impact of the training on staff.

g) Literacy Across the Curriculum

Effective literacy skills are crucial in enabling pupils to access the curriculum and make good progress across the school. As the author of the best selling ‘Literacy Across the Curriculum Pocketbook’ Caroline knows the tips and techniques that every teacher can use to promote Literacy and help pupils succeed in their subject area. This training gives practical strategies and suggestions for improving pupils' literacy skills across the curriculum. It gives all subject staff a better understanding of the current issues and importantly how they can develop strategies to improve pupils' literacy ability in all lessons.

h) Middle Leaders Training

Twilight or whole day Inset for middle leaders. These sessions ensure that middle leaders are clear about their role, giving useful and practical strategies for leading improvement, managing a team, observing lessons, giving feedback and monitoring their work across the department. This session is of particular benefit to schools with new middle leaders or in schools where middle leadership needs to be strengthened.

i) Stretch and Challenge

Ensuring that the more able pupils are challenged is an area that needs developing in many schools. Give your staff the opportunity to discover strategies and solutions for helping the Gifted and Talented students excel in the everyday classroom.