Harris Chafford Hundred Teaching School: An Educational Force in Teacher Development.

The Harris Academy Chafford Hundred Teaching School Hub is one of six Teaching School Hubs nationally. Our Hub, which is based at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred in Essex, is responsible for the following Local Authority Districts: Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Maldon, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

As part of the Harris Federation Teaching School Network, Harris Academy Chafford Hundred (HACH) offers a number of courses to teachers including NQTs, middle leaders and senior leaders.

As a leading school in the Harris Federation we believe in excellence, every day, for every child. To achieve this aim, the Chafford Hundred Teaching School Hub works closely with the Department for Education to deliver on the golden thread of professional development for all the schools in our designated area of Southend, South Essex And Thurrock. 

Practices backed by experts

Evidence informed practice* tells us that that the quality of teaching is the single biggest variable in student achievement, outside the students themselves, and it is also the variable most susceptible to the impact of good or poor leadership. We will use our influence and resources to build and sustain a growth environment for the region, that provides the very best in initial teacher training, newly qualified teacher induction, early career support and CPD pathways to retain and develop expertise for the entire workforce including national professional qualifications for school leaders, headteachers and executive leaders in multi-academy trusts. 

School Improvement and Regional Collaboration

Our vision is to strengthen school improvement through effective partnerships across every school in our region. We believe in system-led change, led by schools for schools. Our strategy is to simplify access to high-quality ITT, AB, ECF and NPQ providers and increase school engagement with Curriculum Hubs, Research Schools and the EEF. Our position as a hub, will enable us to deliver new opportunities at scale for the whole region, whilst sustaining a local focus on our local needs. It is our ambition for all teachers and leaders to be able to receive centralized support from the Teaching School Hub at any point in their career. 

The success of our work will be measured by our schools and pupils that succeed. By investing in our people and making informed choices, we hope that they will learn and live well.

 

*Hattie (2003), Hanushek (2011), Cordingley et al (2015) Weston (2016), Burgess (2019), Fletcher-Wood (2020)

 

Our Teaching School Priorities for 2020-21

1. Raise awareness of the TSH, through regular and effective communication with all stakeholders, uniting regional schools, through the golden thread of teacher and leader development.

 

2. To build and sustain a growth environment where schools can retain and develop expertise in quality-first teaching and evidence-informed practice.

 

3. To strengthen and simplify system leadership by providing access to and delivery of high-quality CPD that meets local needs.

 

When it works, it works.

Cultivating an environment where teacher development is encouraged and supported is vital to ensuring happy and dedicated teachers. As we continue to exemplify the values we promote, we attract and retain a fantastic team of staff. Ultimately, this contributes to ensuring our students are getting the best in learning experiences.  Speaking to an NQT at HACH, we hear more about how the wider academy works to create and maintain a thriving teaching development hub.

“As a Science NQT at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, my own background in education starts at HACH, as I am also an ex-student. In 2009, I started at Chafford Hundred Campus- the former school prior to becoming an academy. I then stayed at the academy for sixth form before moving to Leeds for my degree. In my time at HACH as a member of staff, I can say that the culture and environment at HACH are something that I am so proud to be a part of. While we are all abiding by social distancing guidelines, we all have each other’s back and will be there to support each other as much as possible. 

To support each other during this stressful time we have designated time during our whole school Monday Briefing where we go into MS Teams breakout rooms with random teachers around school to just talk and interact. We have a member of staff who looks at mental wellbeing and sends out additional links and will help direct us down channels where need be. I wouldn’t call us a team because we are more a family – even if it is a little strange that these family members used to be my teachers once upon a time!"

 

CPD at Chafford Hundred

“CPD at Chafford is something that we take seriously because no matter what stage in your teaching career there is always ways that we can improve. Whether that be within our own subject knowledge, learning more about lesson delivery, how to meet the needs of all pupils or how to know if they really know- and the last one is something that I have personally focused on recently.

In addition to the CPD that we all do we have NQT training roughly 3 times per half term which will go over the above but, in more depth, - and we have the ECF training online. There is a lot, but it is only there to help us improve our practice. This week I have been asked to join in with the ‘Book Club’ so to speak. Various members of staff of all levels of experience have been asked to read ‘Running the room’- I am advantaged having already started the book. But the aim is to challenge not only the book but the way that we manage behaviour for learning in school too.”

 

Investing in tomorrow’s leaders.

To us, professional development is one of the most important aspects of working at the Federation. Providing a space for learning and professional development means we can continue making a difference in education with the inclusion of exceptional, highly skilled individuals at the centre.

In addition, Harris Academy Chafford Hundred offer a variety of Twilight CPD training sessions each term for both Primary and Secondary schools and are always open to suggestions for new courses and bespoke consultations.  Alongside our collaboration with leading schools and educational organisations for the School Led Network, we continue to provide outstanding teacher training and development programmes. This is an exciting time for both Harris Academy Chafford Hundred and the wider Federation as we continue to lead innovative change and share best practice for schools to benefit across the UK.

If you want to find out more about courses at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred Teaching School Hub you can you can contact Director of Teaching School Hub, Mark Beyer-Woodgate: M.beyer-woodgate@harrischaffordhundred.org.uk or Teaching School Hub Administrator Martha Lopez: m.lopez@harrischaffordhundred.org.uk for more information.

 

Visit HACH Teaching School Hub here.