Lancaster and Morecombe schools – what a great training idea!

Here I am with two great headteachers!  I first met them when I was invited to speak at the Lancaster and Morecombe Headteachers Association Conference back in February 2015. The conference went really well and they wanted me to come back and work with all their staff – there are 28 schools in this particular cluster. They came up with a brilliant model which no cluster has ever suggested before – which meant that none of the schools had to close but every member of staff had a chance to participate in some training.

So, I was invited up to Morecombe for two days and the schools booked a big football stadium. On the first day, all the midday supervisors from all the schools were paid to come and work with me from 9.00-11.30. We got a lot done in this time.

In the afternoon all the TA’s came and then from 4 till 6 all the teachers attended.  It was a busy day, full of laughter and so many people becoming enthusiastic about new ideas.

The next day I did a morning for all pastoral staff including learning mentors, inclusion staff and behaviour support. Then in the afternoon I had all the senior managers and any headteachers who had been unable to attend the original day’s training. Isn’t this a brilliant training model – 28 schools have the chance to opt in to training and no schools close. They’ve nailed it!!!

In the photo above, I am with Alison Hickson (on my right), headteacher of Morecombe and Sandylands Community Primary School, who is the head of the association, and Catherine Armistead (on my left), headteacher of Skerton St Lukes CE Primary School, who it turns out had just won our free website / Facebook / newsletter draw to receive our brand new “How to Create Calm Dining Halls” book. The book, by the way, is having the most wonderful impact – another head teacher wrote to us recently and said, “I have never read a book so quickly as I did your ‘How to Create Calm Dining Halls’. It was like instant therapy!!” Candida Hutchinson, Principal, The Croft Primary School, Swindon! (If you would like to see and enter our future draws, you can email jenny@jennymosley.co.uk and mention the newsletter and/or follow us on Facebook and watch for our posts and/or follow our website blogs and articles.)

Thank you so much Lancaster and Morecombe schools for a fantastic two days and for having the creativity to design your own style of training day to suit your staff, children and schools.

ALL CLUSTERS PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TWO DAY MODEL GETS EVERYONE TRAINED WITHOUT CLOSING ANY SCHOOLS – AND THE COSTS ARE SHARED BETWEEN THE WHOLE CLUSTER.

Website Editor’s Notes

1. Jenny regularly delivers keynote speeches, seminars and workshops at conferences and training events including headteachers’ conferences. For further information about Jenny’s work and availability please phone 01225 767157, email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk or see our training section on the website.

2. For all enquiries about Closure Days and Working in School Days for positive behaviour, social and emotional skills develoment, staff well-being, circle time and lunchtimes and playtimes phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk

3. See details of ‘How to Create Calm Dining Halls‘ by Jenny Mosley.

4. To see other resources for schools, dining halls and playgrounds – click here.