Five Days Training With Peterborough Schools – Tailoring Training To Meet With School Needs And Aims

This week I have had a treat!

I have been carrying out a schools training project with a group of schools in Peterborough which has meant that I could stay in the same bed for 5 days – yippee!! Normally I am galloping up and down the highways to far flung schools so it is wonderful to carry out schools training with a group of schools who support and learn from each other. It’s a very good educational training model – they invited me to run a huge inset training day for all of them with about 150 staff from 9 schools. During the day I was able to refer to all the initiatives that I can set up and get going in schools. Then, a few months later they had organised that I would come back and work within each of those schools within a five day period so that I could specifically meet the needs of each school. So I have been running Circle Times with interesting classes and with lots of staff observing – focussing on how children’s happiness can come from supporting and helping others. I have worked with midday supervisors in the dining hall modelling how to promote calmer behaviour, good manners, trying new food etc. I have worked with TA’s who are doing a lot of work supporting teachers and parents and I have run Circle Times for staff themselves focussing on how staff can support each other with worries or challenges. What’s wonderful about this model is that each school will go off and work strongly on different initiatives and they will shine in different areas.

After I have left, they can get together and learn from each other. Midday supervisors and lunchtime supervisors, TA’s, teachers and children can be asked to run workshops for the other schools in the areas of their enthusiasm.

(This photograph is from ‘How To Create Calm Dining Halls‘ by Jenny Mosley, and has been used with kind permission from the school mentioned in the book.)

Here is a quote from one of the Headteachers:

We recently had the great pleasure of working with Jenny Mosley as part of a collaboration of 9 schools within our ‘self-improving schools’ system in Peterborough. Following a highly motivating joint training day in April, involving teachers from all of the 9 schools, Jenny returned to each of the schools in mid-May to deliver half a day of bespoke training. The model allowed all of the schools to be energised by Jenny’s work at the start, but then allowed time to reflect on how best her involvement could be used to make an impact in the individual schools themselves before her return. Each school then negotiated what would be delivered, ranging from modelling of quality circle time, delivery at staff meetings etc. to hands on work with midday supervisors through lunchtime and into the afternoon. Feedback from all schools has been fantastic and it’s clear that the impact of this model is so much greater than simply attending Jenny’s training, no matter how good that is!  Stuart Mansell, Headteacher, Nene Valley Primary School, Peterborough (2017)

Of course, every time I go into a school, I learn something new from children and staff as well. I was so pleased to see some parents eating with the children – because at Nene Valley Primary School, they have an open policy – any parent can come in on the children’s birthday and have lunch with them or any day! The cook cooks lovely food and is very good-natured so she will take up to 6 new people who have just asked that day if they can come in. Yes I do promote the Golden Table of the Week so that children can see adults and children eat and laugh together … but this is a much more relaxed and easy going initiative which shows openness and a welcoming warmth. I love this school, it is full of golden-hearted people and it always lifts my spirits.

Website Manager’s Notes

1. Jenny Mosley is available for INSET training days, Working In School Days and for longer projects involving several schools for schools training like the Peterborough Model Above.
2. If you are interested in booking just a day of training, Jenny runs open training conferences around the country throughout the year. Jenny also excels as an educational presenter at schools conferences, LA conferences and Headteacher conferences.
3. The areas of Jenny’s expertise include training for positive behaviour for learning, training for midday supervisors and lunchtime supervisors to promote calm dining halls and healthy, active playgrounds, also training for promoting social and communication skills for learning and training for mental health and wellbeing.
4. Jenny’s resources support all her areas of training and are available form her webshop.
5. To contact us please phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk or use the contact form on our website. We look forward to hearing form you.
6. Do see Jenny’s Calm Dining Halls articles in Headteacher Update and the TES.