At ATT Institute, our goal is to help your career take off!
This week, we’re celebrating the stories of some of our incredible ATT colleagues who’ve grown and developed in their roles during their time with our Trust. Read more in the stories below, and don’t forget to check back during the week to see more!
Alex Leung, Regional Network Manager
After working in my family business for a few years, I decided that I wanted to get back working in IT. As I had no experience working in the IT industry, I decided to look into apprenticeship as this would allow me to gain experience but also further develop my skills from college.
After starting my apprenticeship with ATT, I quickly picked up the role and was fortunate that ATT offered me a role as an ICT Technician after 7 months. I continued to develop my skills and worked closely alongside the previous Network Manager. When he retired, I was given the opportunity to progress further with my career and was successful in securing the role of Network Manager. Within 2 and a half years, I have been given many opportunities and support from colleagues at ATT, which have helped me progress from an apprentice to a Network Manager.
Joe Westwood- Assistant Principal, Jubilee Academy
Charley Minter- Principal, Beck Row Primary Academy
In 2014, fresh out of my GTP and fueled by the enthusiasm that comes with being a Newly Qualified Teacher, I joined Ravens Academy. I remember my first day vividly, as if it were yesterday—this was predominately filled with nerves having been trained as a secondary school teacher.
The first term was a whirlwind. I was assigned a Year 3-4 class, full of curious, lively students who both inspired me and tested my resilience daily. My mentor at Ravens, Mrs. Rendall, was an experienced teacher who believed deeply in the importance of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). She was the first to tell me, “Teaching is one part skill and two parts growth. Don’t ever let your learning stop.”
“Teaching is one part skill and two parts growth. Don’t ever let your learning stop.”
Heeding her advice, I enrolled in CPD almost immediately. My first was a behaviour management course (Essex Steps) tailored for primary school teachers, which became my saving grace in the early days. I learned strategies to manage a classroom, creating a positive environment while setting firm expectations. With each CPD session and course, I felt myself becoming more confident in my abilities. By the end of that first year, I saw tangible growth—not just in my students but within myself.
“I saw tangible growth—not just in my students but within myself.”
In September 2019, I was appointed as Vice Principal. Unfortunately, in October 2019 our school was placed into special measures. With a swift change in leadership, and extra support put into place from the Trust the school quickly started to change. And then Covid happened. Working in a school with a very high deprived percentage (70%), the school continued to stay open to the vulnerable children with a high amount of staff with the rest being taught online. This allowed for many training opportunities such as a credited voice training, restorative justice, and de-escalation training.
In January 2023, I stepped up as the Principal. This was my chance to really step into the position and continue to drive the school forward in the direction of a GOOD Ofsted. By February 2024, as a team we had succeeded and we had received our Good judgment and the special measures title was removed.
Then, in Autumn 2024, I made the transition over to Beck Row Primary to become their new principal. Beck Row had a different character, a new set of challenges, and an environment that could benefit from the leadership experience I had gained over the past few years. It was difficult to leave Ravens, but I knew that, with every CPD opportunity, every community, every mentor’s advice and every role I’d embraced along the way, I was ready for this new chapter.
Natasha Styche-Hocknull, Project Systems Accountant for ATT
I started my ATT journey five years ago as a Finance Administrator for Pool Hayes Academy, shortly after graduating from University. Not long after starting, I was given the opportunity to complete the ACCA Level 7 Accountancy and Taxation Professional qualification. The qualification, alongside practical experience and lots of support from my fellow colleagues, helped to enhance my skills and expertise in the accountancy field. I have now progressed to the role of Project Systems Accountant for ATT. This varied role means that I get to work with a range of teams across the trust and gain invaluable knowledge from many departments!
Naomi Brown, Trust Executive Primary Principal
“I have been provided with so many opportunities that there has been no reason to leave”
“I was incredibly thankful for the support from the trust when Ofsted called within my first six weeks as Principal!”
Brett Jones- Assistant Principal, Sutton Community Academy
From the exhilarating moments of sporting triumphs in my youth, early adulthood and the start of my working career, both in the UK and abroad, to my current role as Assistant Principal at ATT, my career journey has been nothing short of transformative. Each step has been laden with opportunities that have allowed me to not only develop professionally but also contribute to the broader educational landscape. My experiences have shaped me into a leader who is fiercely dedicated to nurturing talent, creating diverse curriculums, ensuring attendance is at the heart of opportunity and fostering a thriving school culture.
“My career journey has been nothing short of transformative”
Upon joining the incredible team at Sutton Community Academy, I was presented with the remarkable opportunity to mould the PE curriculum in a way I believed worked for our community. This experience was more than just a job; it was a privilege that has instilled in me a strong sense of ownership and responsibility within the ATT community. The access to Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and mentoring has been invaluable, equipping me with the skills needed to guide not only our students but also my colleagues towards excellence. The journey did not stop there; the progression opportunities were forthcoming. Programs like the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) and the Lead Practitioner Accreditation have empowered me to expand my horizons further, whilst becoming a Fellow and NPQ facilitator for the trust is a testament to not only personal growth but also the trust’s commitment to its staff.
Moreover, the most enriching CPD experience I have encountered is the Aspirant Leaders Programme. This initiative provided me with insights into effective leadership and the tools necessary to inspire others, heightening my confidence in leading teams and fostering positive change. Each workshop, mentoring session, and discussion opened doors to new ideas and perspectives, solidifying my belief that strong leadership is not just about authority but about empathy, understanding, and the desire to uplift those around you.
Transitioning into the role of Assistant Principal at ATT further broadened my horizons and solidified my purpose within the educational community. In this new position, I gained invaluable experience in managing key areas such as attendance, admissions, and alternative provision, all of which are crucial in ensuring every student has access to an inclusive educational experience. The focus on community involvement has been profound; I’ve had the opportunity to engage directly with local families, understanding their challenges and aspirations. This connection has placed me squarely on the leadership pathway, inspiring me to champion initiatives that support all students, regardless of their background or situation.
“The unwavering support from the ATT community throughout my journey is a reflection of a culture built on collaboration and growth”
The unwavering support from the ATT community throughout my journey is a reflection of a culture built on collaboration and growth. As I continue to evolve as a leader, I am reminded that my success is intricately linked to the opportunities granted to me by ATT. I stand poised to take on new challenges, further developing our future leaders and continuing to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Together, we can shape brighter futures for our students and the community we serve—a mission that drives me forward every day.
Amy Staniforth- Vice Principal, Iceni Secondary Academy
My journey at ATT started as an ECT (or NQT as it was, then!), at Iceni Academy. The academy was new to the ATT family, and the development both the academy and the Trust have afforded me in the years since have allowed me to develop both pedagogically as a teacher and as a leader, too. I have always waxed lyrical about the opportunities available in our Trust, and know that I am in the position I am today thanks to the challenge, support and training made available to all ATT colleagues.
Access to nationally accredited courses, such as the SSAT Lead Practitioner accreditation and the NPQSL, helped frame my practice in the context of the best research and ideas, from not only Trust experts but sector leaders too. Co-facilitating the NPQLT on behalf of the Trust also allowed me to experience what it was like to contribute to the development of other colleagues.
“Access to nationally accredited courses helped frame my practice in the context of the best research and ideas”
Jumping for secondment opportunities within the academy allowed me to see what different roles would be like, and gave me the confidence to apply for my first senior leadership role – Assistant Principal at Iceni Academy. I also gained valuable experience of system leadership, with a secondment to the fantastic ATT Institute team as Research Lead. This role allowed me to work collegiately with academies across our family, learning from their best practice and contributing to the development journey of a range of our academies.
“A brilliant leadership coach has allowed me to continue to grow, in my 12th year with our Trust”
One of the career development opportunities I was afforded most recently was a place on the Aspirant System Leaders Development Pathway. What an experience this was! It was rigorous and hard; exciting and scary; I loved every second and grew my leadership skills exponentially. To have the opportunity to complete a ‘ColourWorks’ profile, take part in a fantastic residential course filled with opportunities to learn, and to have access to a brilliant leadership coach has allowed me to continue to grow, in my 12th year with our Trust.
Nicola Hood, Trust Executive Secondary Principal
On completing my BEd Hons I became a teacher in 2002 and started my career at a small upper school teaching PE and History. Whilst in post I completed my NQT year and also a course called ‘Leading from the Middle’. In 2004 I joined Mildenhall College of Technology as Head of Girls PE teaching PE and Leisure and Tourism, having a tutor group and leading a number of sports teams. Over the years I was given many opportunities to broaden my experience and in 2009 I was appointed Assistant Principal quickly facing my first Ofsted inspection as a leader. After this inspection as a leadership team we agreed that we should look for a Trust to help us improve our provision so that we could aim for outstanding at our next inspection. After many presentations we decided to join ATT. As a senior leader at the newly named Mildenhall College Academy which, as a result of SOR, was now an 11-18 years provision I was soon provided a range of training and collaborative working opportunities including training to become an Ofsted Inspector.
ATT allowed us to keep our unique academy identity whilst having access to ideas and training from colleagues working centrally and in other academies. As Assistant Principal I was given the opportunity to deliver training across the Trust sharing my learning from Ofsted which then developed into helping other academies in the Trust prepare for their inspections. As a result of my training and development and the opportunity to experience senior leadership at MCA in a range of roles including personal development, behaviour, SEND, teaching & learning and curriculum I was then asked to support other academies more formally as part of my role at the same time being successfully appointed to the role of Vice Principal at MCA.
I did this until I was appointed Head of Academy in 2018 leading the academy through another successful inspection. Through the increasing range of collaborative opportunities for Trust wide working I was able to further develop my thinking and skills helping me to be successful in my application for the role of Principal of MCA in 2019. This was an eventful period where the traditional way of working was tested as a result of the pandemic and the need to support staff, students and communities required a different approach. This was a time where the benefits of belonging to ATT really came to the fore and all elements of the Trust became integral to the successful running of the academy. This really brought the Trust community together and made it a family.
“ATTI has a really progressive approach enabling staff to shape the offer at the same time accessing training and qualifications led by world leaders in education”
Fast forward to 2024 and I am now a Trust Executive Principal using my experience to support 5 Principals in leading their secondary academies. My role requires me to draw upon my experience across all aspects of academy life working with other colleagues across the Trust to ensure the best possible outcomes for our learners. I see my role as developing the knowledge and skills of other leaders as they seek to improve their academies through a strong rounded educational provision. The work we do in schools is very much about the opportunities we provide for our learners and their achievements. However, the staff who make this possible are key and so important to this success. I am so proud of how our Trust has developed its approach to people development with staff at the heart of it and the ATTI has a really progressive approach enabling staff to shape the offer at the same time accessing training and qualifications led by world leaders in education.
“ATT’s approach is what has enabled me to develop as a person, a successful leader”
They say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and this is the approach I believe ATT takes in its work to provide an outstanding education for its learners. I feel that this same approach is what has enabled me to develop as a person, a successful leader and hopefully now I can share this with current and future leaders so that they too can continue to develop and achieve personal and professional success.
Ready to Develop Your Career?
We have a broad range of opportunities to learn, train and develop. No matter your role, there’s something to help you get to where you want to be.
At ATT Institute, we believe in developing a comprehensive professional development offer that supports every colleague across our Trust. This includes not only those who lead and deliver education, but also those who enable education by performing vital roles that help to remove students’ barriers to learning.
This week, we’re happy to be celebrating our Enabling Education Colleagues by sharing their voices and experiences within our Trust. Each day, we’ll be posing a different question to our amazing EEC colleagues and sharing their thoughts with you here. Our EEC week will end on National Teaching Assistants’ Day on Friday 27 September, with a celebration of our incredible TAs!
Tuesday:
What do you enjoy about your enabling education role?
“I enjoy how enabling education can open up new opportunities which empowers students to reach their full potential. Supporting both students and their families helps build a brighter future for everyone involved.”
Opal Degville, Deputy SENDCO, Westbourne Academy
“I really enjoy supporting teaching and learning by: engaging students in formal reading interventions and fun reading initiatives/events, ensuring students have access to resources that support academic progress (books/technology etc), encouraging students to gain additional knowledge, independently, through curiosity and discovery, in a calm, inclusive, supportive library environment.”
Anne Plimmer, Librarian, Pool Hayes Academy
Wednesday:
What has been the most valuable professional development you have received?
“I’m thankful for the Trust for supporting me to become a Trauma Aware Elsa.”
Jenna Jones, Pastoral Assistant, Beck Row Primary Academy
“I’ve worked in a few schools over the past twenty years and this is the first time that I’ve been included in anything like this. Usually, as a librarian, you are kind of an anomaly in the school and they don’t really know what to do with you.”
Teresa Fisher, HLTA Librarian, Hathaway Academy – In response to the new EEC Trust Induction
Thursday:
How does being part of a Trust Community benefit you in your role?
“I enjoy being part of the Trust Community as it gives me more ideas to suggest to our SEND team within our school. It also gives me more confidence to know that I can ask questions about, for example, different interventions that run in other secondary schools and how they work to benefit students.”
Jackie Rawson, Reading Skills Leader and TES TA of the Year 2024, The Nicholas Hammond Academy
“Being part of a Trust community benefits me in several ways, I get to gain access to a network of colleagues and mentors, providing emotional and professional support. Working within a trusted community encourages collaboration, learning new teaching strategies, and problem-solving approaches. The shared knowledge and feedback within the community foster personal and career development for myself and colleagues. Being part of a trusting environment boosts confidence and motivation, improving performance and job satisfaction. Overall, this creates a positive, collaborative space that helps TAs grow and succeed in their roles.”
Rehana Kausar, Teaching Assistant, Caldmore Academy
Friday:
National Teaching Assistants’ Day
Teaching Assistants are classroom champions, enabling education for learners across our academies. That’s why we’d like to wish a heartfelt thank you all our amazing TAs on this National Teaching Assistants’ Day. This includes the incredible Jackie Rawson at The Nicholas Hamond Academy, who won this year’s TES TA of the Year award!
Check Out Our BRAND NEW
EEC Essentials Programme
EEC Essentials is our brand-new offer for Enabling Education Colleagues- those who perform the vital role of removing barriers to learning, therefore enabling education for our students. EECs include roles such as Teaching Assistants, Pastoral Leads, Attendance Officers and Librarians.
This course aims to provide EECs with a strong knowledge base of the barriers to learning that students experience, and allows them to see their contribution to the organisational mission.
Coaching the Coaches: Launching a Leadership Coaching Programme to Provide Transformational Professional Development to Our Facilitators
by Cat Rushton
Director of ATT Institute
Prior to launching our leadership coaching programme at Academy Transformation Trust, we faced a scenario where our most skilled leaders frequently assumed the role of delivering professional development. This posed a challenge in securing their entitlement to meaningful and tailored developmental opportunities. Additionally, we have always recognised that the geographical spread of our academies limits the opportunities for colleagues to build informal supportive relationships between educational settings. Therefore, we have developed systems designed to give space for relationships to form and we constantly pursue new and innovative ways in which we can continue this work, with the aim of sustaining Trust culture and enhancing the sense of collective endeavour.
“We needed an approach that aligned with our values, including being research informed, inclusive and developmental”
Leadership coaching offered an opportunity to provide our most senior colleagues, including the executive team, with meaningful development opportunities which would allow them to not only support their allocated coachees but also work differently with their teams and apply coaching conversations within the remit of their roles. Leadership coaching also allowed us to identify senior colleagues, including all of those being trained as coaches, to be coached by a colleague. This offered tailored support for our most skilled leaders by providing space for reflection and opportunities to slow down thinking processes to allow for insight and strategy to emerge.
Not all coaching provision is made equal, and we felt strongly that we needed an approach that aligned with our values, including being research informed, inclusive and developmental. My initial meeting with Alison allowed me to share the organisational challenge and she asked a range of expert questions to determine how we could co-construct a solution that matched the organisational need, her expertise allowing her to carefully craft a bespoke coaching programme.
At regular intervals since commencing the programme we have sought feedback from both coaches and coachees, with this providing unanimously positive feedback about both the leadership coaching programme and the experience of being coached. Coaches have reported the impact both on their ability to explicitly coach, but also their confidence in utilising opportunities for informal coaching conversations within their roles. Coachees have described a feeling of being invested in by the Trust and its leaders, as well as improvements in their ability to solve the complex challenges faced in educational leadership roles.
As we continue with our commitment to developing a coaching organisation, leadership coaching has provided the space for leaders grapple with the complex, build meaningful supportive relationships and embedded the mindset of curiosity within our leaders.
We’re welcoming a brand new leadership coaching cohort this July!
Click here to find out more about our coaching approach, or follow us on X to keep up to date with all things coaching.
Breaking Down Barriers: Using Our DEI Community to Implement Change
by Viv John
Regional HR Business Partner and ATTI Support Colleague Profesional Learning Lead
When I was asked to write a blog for our DEI community, I felt quite overwhelmed and anxious about it. That’s a little silly really with all the tasks I do on a daily basis! But for me, DEI is a huge responsibility, something that comes from the heart and requires determination to implement and influence change; to strive to create an inclusive environment for pupils and colleagues.
Luckily for me, the DEI allies community has the heart and determination to achieve this – and what an impact they have had over the last 12 months!
Our community happens termly, and we strive to engage with learning such as passive ableism, microaggressions in education, and exploring what Neurodiversity is for our pupils and our colleagues. We always focus on and promote a selection of celebration events from the DEI calander – Black History month, World Kindness Day, IWD to name but a few. We do this by learning about the celebration and then sharing best practices and lesson plans and assemblies.
The last 12 months we have focused on what I call the ripple effect; creating ripples in each academy that will grow and grow and have a bigger impact when the ripples start to connect. We have definitely achieved this, our ‘soft launch’ has had an impact and we are now ready to move forward, focusing on more learning, training and breaking down barriers to create the truly inclusive community we all strive towards.
The next academic year is full of excitement and promise around the projects we are going to deliver, such as Elevating Women, alongside understanding our data to help us support our pupils seeing themselves represented in their academy.
Our work around DEI will never be done, there will always be learning, reflecting and implementing change, however I truly believe the more we talk, the more we break down barriers, and the more we listen, we will create a more engaged inclusive workforce and pupil environment for all.
DEI Community Member Case Study
Chloe Stevens, The Hathaway Academy
Pupils: Agents for Change
Our Agents for Change event was a huge success.!There was positive feedback from all pupils, and the facilitators who were extremely impressed with existing knowledge. Pupils were fully engaged in the tasks, discussions, and feedback. We have had two meetings since as a group, whereby we discuss any current issues around the school and how to deal with those issues. We review and adapt our AFC action plan. We are currently working towards trying to hold a Culture Day, which will include wearing clothes to represent heritage, cooking national dishes, and culture based lessons for the day. We also aim to hold an assembly at the start of the new school year, that the Agents would like to lead. Our Agents are keen to hold a workshop, like the Equaliteach one that they attended, to share awareness and help push forward a positive change I our DEI culture here at The Hathaway academy. There are several students who come and see me to discuss becoming an Agent of Change, so I will be working on expanding the group from September.
Colleagues: PD Training
We have two PD sessions for DEI. The first led by Equaliteach, which was a very informative session which gave more of an insight of what the DEI community is about and what we do is so important. The following session I led myself, which was aimed at Microaggressions. This was a very successful session, where I felt colleagues were able to extend their own knowledge around DEI matters. It worked well, because I was able to tailor the session to our academy and our pupils, which gave the session more value. Colleagues were able to open and up and discuss their views and experiences, not only at work but in and around their communities too. This opened up a door for colleagues to be able to share, what they otherwise wouldn’t. the positive impact has allowed my colleagues to feel comfortable enough to come to me and discuss any issues around DEI. I am also able to advise how to deal with different situations. I am really pleased at the result of this and that I can continue to help and support my colleagues moving forward.
In the Classroom:
I have tried to encourage “Stop and Teach”. This means that any time around the academy, whether it is a lesson, break time, transition etc, that if certain behaviours are seen or heard we stop and teach! This idea is to be able to take an issue in the moment and discuss it with the pupils concerned, or as a whole class. I am trying to create an environment whereby everyone feels comfortable to talk, raise concerns, ask questions and have those questions answered the best way that we can.
This role does mean a lot to me and I feel very passionately about it. The DEI community meetings are extremely useful and help give me that drive to push the cause forward. It has been very helpful to share each other’s activities and resources. For instance, I was able to hold my first ever assemblies for International Women’s Day, with the help, support and ideas from my DEI community. As nerve racking as it was, it was a great success and has geared me up to hold future assemblies.
DEI Community Member Case Study
Georgia Sims, North Walsall Primary Academy
This year, North Walsall Primary Academy learned and celebrated about lots of different Diversity, equality and Inclusion such as Autism Awareness, International Women’s day, Kindness day and Happiness week. The children all loved taking part in the activities and the assemblies that was took place. The children made things for our DEI display board and learned about the topics.
World Kindness Day
Our children all had a leaf where they chose someone in their class to write something kind and positive about that person. The staff also choose other staff to write about this also! We then created a Kindness Tree to display all these positive thoughts.
Autism Awareness Month
Our children all had an a powerpoint to go through and there was videos too. The activity that we did was all children to have a butterfly and each year had a specific colour. The older children wrote things that what is powerful and meaningful. With the butterflies we made them going around in an infinity sign and put we see your true colours. This would be for anyone who is neurodivergent. Be it Autistic, ADHD, Tourettes. We see you.
Building Success: Enhancing the Curriculum and Collaboration in the English Community
by Stephanie Badham
Curriculum Leader of English at The Queen Elizabeth Academy
The work of the English Community this year has been pivotal in creating a cohesive and effective curriculum while also fostering a collaborative and supportive professional environment. The combination of consistency in curriculum plans and a focused approach to KS4 outcomes has ensured that we continue to build on our successes and strive for excellence.
At Key Stage 3 (KS3), all departments now cover the same content, skills, and powerful knowledge, with assessments aligned at the end of each term. This consistency ensures that every student receives a high-quality and rich diet in English across the trust. At Key Stage 4 (KS4), we have structured the curriculum so that Literature is delivered in Year 10. This approach allows Year 11 to be dedicated to revision, providing students with the necessary time and focus to thoroughly prepare for their exams.
Working closely with each school this year has also provided an invaluable opportunity to shape the focus of community meetings based on the insights gained from visits. These findings have informed a range of strategies aimed at improving outcomes and enhancing teaching and learning in English. As a result, we have been able to implement targeted interventions and support mechanisms that address specific challenges and leverage best practice across the trust.
Community meetings are very much outcome driven, providing staff with the opportunity to actively contribute to the creation and sharing of resources. This collaborative environment has fostered a sense of shared purpose and collective responsibility among the staff, driving continuous improvement in teaching practices and student outcomes.
The dedication and hard work of the English Community has laid a strong foundation for future progress. Looking ahead, we remain committed to fostering an environment of excellence and collaboration, ensuring that every student is equipped with the knowledge and skills to lead successful lives.
ATT Communities
ATT Communities are groups of colleagues with shared priorities and areas of responsibility, who work collaboratively to share knowledge, build solutions and enact strategies to improve our academies and provide the highest quality education for our students.
SSAT Lead Practitioner Accreditation: The Stepping Stone to Success
By Phil Segar
Lead Practitioner for Maths at The Nicholas Hamond Academy
The SSAT Lead Practitioner course was one of those courses that gets it just right. From one side the delivered sessions and supported reading allowed us to keep up to date with the latest research and ample time to discuss and critique certain view points. The other side was the project which was open and chosen by us to support our current roles. This meant that everything we did could have direct impact on our current work as well as support the accreditation.
My choice of designing and leading consistent online walkthroughs for lessons, showed how adaptable the course is, as who was to expect the disruption to learning that we faced in the covid years. I believe that it was a very important stepping stone to prepare me for my future roles since completing the course.
Unlock Your Leadership Potential
Interested in our Lead Practitioner Accreditation? Click here to apply now.
Apply now for our July Teaching Cohort or our Autumn Pastoral Cohort. Applications for the July cohort close on 17 June, but don’t worry- you can apply after the deadline to be part of the susequent cohort.
Click here to find out more about the Lead Practitioner Accreditation
Challenging Imposter Syndrome: Managing the Intellectual Self-Doubt When You Don’t Believe Your Achievements Are Real
By Viv John
Regional HR Business Partner and ATTI Support Colleague Profesional Learning Lead
Many of us experience Imposter Syndrome at some point during our working career, and those that have will know the impact it has on our confidence. At times, it can create an overwhelming anxiety that impacts on our overall wellbeing.
One way to help influence our wellbeing is to engage in CPD! Regular engagement in CPD signifies a commitment to adaptability and change. It helps us reprogramme our brains into handling change and setbacks more effectively and having less of a traumatic impact on our health and wellbeing.
It’s not just me making these comments up… A CPD article states “Engaging in new learning experiences stimulates the brain to forge and reinforce neural pathways. This not only aids in the assimilation of new knowledge but also enhances cognitive flexibility, allowing individuals to adapt to changing situations and think freely.” And the even better news is, by engaging in learning and developing new skills, dopamine is released into our bodies. Dopamine doesn’t just provide a ‘feel-good’ sensation; it enhances attention, motivation, and memory consolidation – continuous learning and CPD reshapes our brain.
This is why our Institute is so passionate about everybody’s personal learning and developing communities and webinars to engage with all of our colleagues. Not only does CPD increase our knowledge and impact on our pupils, it also creates a more enhanced and positive experience within our workplace.
Our Institute offering gives colleagues the opportunity to be involved in courses, webinars and community events, collaborate with colleagues who we wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to work with – finding out best practices from others who do the same role as us in a different academy, and sharing our combined knowledge and experience as well. Topics could be practical, such as how to maximise the systems we have, whilst others are more general and emotive, like time management tips or how to handle difficult conversations.
Culture is also key to the success of our Trust and is something else we are passionate about. We want to continue to create a culture where we can be our authentic selves and have opportunities open to us.
Taking our personal development seriously is key to helping us manage our wellbeing at work. We will continue to develop our offering and we really encourage all to engage!
We also have an amazing Wellbeing Community, led by Gemma Morris, Deputy Director of People Strategy, who has developed our Vivup offering to support our ATT colleagues. There are other initiatives that the Wellbeing Community support throughout the year, and Gemma will update us all as and when they are happening.
I can honestly say that since working in Education, I have invested a lot of personal time in my personal development; completing a CIPD qualification, as well as reading more research books and developing my knowledge in areas I am passionate about. It really has helped with my personal anxiety and given me confidence to grow and develop our support staff communities, something I would never have had the confidence to do 6 years ago!
Join Our Elevating Women in Leadership Programme!
At ATT Institute, we want to make sure all the women across our Trust have the skills, knowledge and resources they need to thrive. That’s why we’re developing Elevating Women in Leadership, a series of ongoing opportunities for female leaders and those with leadership ambitions. Join a community of strong and inspiring women and learn to balance your personal commitments and development as you continue on your leadership journey!
Creating Connections with Our Library & LRC Community
By Abi Joachim
Trust HLTA & Suffolk TA Network Coordinator
As part of our development of CPD opportunities for support staff across ATT, I recently launched two new communities, one for pastoral colleagues and the other for those leading our academy library provisions.
These launch sessions gave staff the chance to network with colleagues in similar roles across the Trust, often for the first time. The excitement, enthusiasm and engagement in both sessions clearly reflected the commitment our staff have to continually develop, improve and share practice.
Charlotte, librarian at Bristnall Hall Academy, expressed her eager anticipation for the library community launch:
“I’m really looking forward to the launch next week and getting to know everyone.”
And later reflected:
“It was absolutely spot on, so informative to hear what all the other school librarians were saying, I could relate to almost everything.”
I am looking forward to seeing how these new communities develop and work together to transform lives for pupils across ATT.
ATT Communities
ATT Communities are groups of colleagues with shared priorities and areas of responsibility, who work collaboratively to share knowledge, build solutions and enact strategies to improve our academies and provide the highest quality education for our students.
Building Connections Through Collaboration: The Impact of Our TA Community
By Jackie Rawson
Teaching Assistant at The Nicholas Hamond Academy
Being part of the TA Community has been greatly beneficial to both me personally and to our SEND team at The Nicholas Hammond Academy. I have learnt how other teaching assistants work in similar settings, which interventions they run and the impact they have had. I have also had the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons with them to enable us to adapt our interventions accordingly. It has given me confidence and built up my enthusiasm to ask questions about best practice as I know my colleagues within the TA Community will help me through sharing their own experience.
We have discussed various courses to develop our practice and, as a result, two of our teaching assistants have finished level 3 Dyslexia Awareness course, which we wouldn’t have been aware of without the connection with others within the TA community. This has boosted their knowledge and has enabled them to be more supportive to students in the classroom and to offer more bespoke interventions.
Engaging with the TA community has allowed me to be part of a wider team, which has been very important to me as it helps me look at ideas and problems from a different perspective. I often go back on the notes I’ve written from the TA meetings, which give me new routes to explore, and I know I can always reach out to other teaching assistants, who may have more experience in the project, intervention, or different resources. It also allows me to pass on new information to our team at The Nicholas Hammond Academy, which opens up new doors for our colleagues and most importantly our students.
Congratulations Jackie!
Jackie Rawson, author of this blog, has recently been shortlisted for Teaching Assistant of the Year at the 2024 Tes Awards! Find out more about her amazing achievement here.
Making Positive Change Through Osmosis: Why You Should Share Your Knowledge, Make a Difference and Become a Fellow
By James Morris
ATT Institute ECF Fellow
Despite what we are told in the press and on social media, working in education is not about the holidays, the pay or the fictional 3:30pm finish time. Those of us privileged to work in the world of education know that we are all motivated by the same core purpose: to make a positive difference to as many young people’s lives as possible.
When I started teaching, I thought the only way I could do that was to work with the students in front of me, those in my direct care, be it as a teacher, a form tutor, a head of year or senior leader. I mean that would make sense, I am working directly with these students, giving them my time, whether through sharing my passion for my subject, having a ‘supportive chat’, giving a ‘pep talk’ or telling the odd story. Of course, these things unquestionably impact those that you work with closely or those to whom you say ‘good morning’ to in the corridor and ask them how they are in a passing conversation. You see this first hand, on results day, following a difficult time for a student, in a smile or a thank you. For many of us, this lights the fire inside of us to keep going in what can sometimes be a very difficult job.
However, as my career has progressed, my perception of how I can impact young people’s lives started to change. I began to realise that by working, coaching and supporting staff to improve their practice and become the best versions of themselves I was indirectly affecting students. I remember working with an MFL ECT who was having difficulty managing behaviour in the classroom. Over time, working with the member of staff through observations and feedback, coaching and modelling, not only did I see their confidence grow (which had a positive impact on their lessons) I saw the students starting to engage and overtime begin to really enjoy the inspiring lessons the teacher was delivering and respect the clear expectations of the lesson. Whilst I did not work directly with the students, by working with the member of staff I indirectly impacted the students. I started to realise it wasn’t just about those students I worked closely with or taught, it was about all the students that sit in front of all the members of staff I worked with, coached, mentored or supported to become a better teacher.
It was this realisation that led me down the exciting path of becoming a Fellow.
Being a facilitator allows me to share my passion, experiences and knowledge with many ambitious teachers and leaders who take this back into their own schools who then affect the students they work with, and at the level of NPQ I facilitate, also support the staff they work with. So, you go from changing the lives of the students in front of you to changing the lives of students from many different schools across the country through those members of staff you work with.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a facilitator, getting to meet new colleagues, working closely with them, getting to know them, sharing problems and finding joint solutions. The biggest reward for me, however, is watching them as leaders grow in confidence, share the stories of elements they have learnt from the course and taken back into their settings and how they have successfully implemented change or adapted their practice to have a positive outcome.
Throughout my time as a fellow, I have also been really closely supported by ATT and my fellow facilitators, meeting regularly to discuss barriers they have found within the course or best practice, allowing me to grow as a facilitator and continually improve my practice.
So, I entered education to positively impact as many young people’s lives as I could. I have been lucky enough to work in a number of schools but even in the largest schools I was only impacting a few hundred students. Now, through being a facilitator and by some sort of information osmosis, I am positively impacting thousands through the staff I have worked with whilst also having the direct influence on those within my own school. What a way to achieve your aspirations and fulfil the reason you chose to enter the world of education.
Become an ATTI Fellow: Apply Now!
Applications are now open for our Fellowships. As an ATTI Fellow, you can support the delivery of a range of exciting programmes, including brand new NPQs, our innovative Initial Teaching Training in partnership with Ambition Institute, and the hugely rewarding Early Career Framework.
Interested? Fill out an application today. Applications close on 24 May 2024.
