Categories: News

The framework for Early Years is changing from September 2012 and Prospects Improve are providing half day briefings in June and July for all those responsible for Early Years provision.

22nd June – Crowne Plaza, Birmingham

26th June – Moor Hall Hotel, Birmingham

27th June – Woodside Conference Centre, Warwickshire

16th July – The Beeches, Birmingham

These events [...]

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]]> The framework for Early Years is changing from September 2012 and Prospects Improve are providing half day briefings in June and July for all those responsible for Early Years provision.

22nd June – Crowne Plaza, Birmingham

26th June – Moor Hall Hotel, Birmingham

27th June – Woodside Conference Centre, Warwickshire

16th July – The Beeches, Birmingham

These events will consider the implications of the changes for practice, in terms of both provision for learning, development and assessment. Delegates will be provided with the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and assess what changes are needed to met the new requirements. 

For more details and to book a place, please visit our Events page.

Categories: Blog, News

Prospects Olympic Curriculum is the ideal way to embrace the Olympics in your school this term. Inspirational ideas and detailed lesson plans are available for the whole school for the price of £75 plus VAT. For more information on this product please contact Prospects Sales Unit at resources@prospects.co.uk or alternatively, please call 01229 814 840.

Download the Olympic Curriculum [...]

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]]> Prospects Olympic Curriculum is the ideal way to embrace the Olympics in your school this term. Inspirational ideas and detailed lesson plans are available for the whole school for the price of £75 plus VAT. For more information on this product please contact Prospects Sales Unit at resources@prospects.co.uk or alternatively, please call 01229 814 840.

Download the Olympic Curriculum flyer and order form here.

Categories: News

Prospects Improve are pleased to offer a one day training course for teaching assistants during the Summer term, designed to support all those working with groups or one to one with individuals to develop their role and build on their skills. The course will focus on specific skills in the teaching of reading as well [...]

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]]> Prospects Improve are pleased to offer a one day training course for teaching assistants during the Summer term, designed to support all those working with groups or one to one with individuals to develop their role and build on their skills. The course will focus on specific skills in the teaching of reading as well as strategies for children with special educational needs such as dyslexia and Asperger’s syndrome.  The training has also been adapted to run as a bespoke event for individual schools interested in training groups of teaching assistants.  For more information about this training please visit our events page.

Categories: Blog

The first term of the new inspection framework is now over. It has certainly delivered on its promise to raise the bar. Unofficial figures from Ofsted show that there has been a 60% increase in the schools slipping into category. It is clear that there is no intention of softening the approach. The consultation on [...]

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]]> The first term of the new inspection framework is now over. It has certainly delivered on its promise to raise the bar. Unofficial figures from Ofsted show that there has been a 60% increase in the schools slipping into category. It is clear that there is no intention of softening the approach. The consultation on changes to inspection from September 2012 continues and I would recommend to colleagues that you complete the on-line questionnaire. Clearly with the advent of no notice inspections, the re-inspection of outstanding schools with less than outstanding teaching and the strong focus on ‘satisfactory’ schools there is much at stake. There is much to give us concern, but the evidence from the Prospects Improve team is that there is much practice in our schools that needs to be celebrated.

Categories: Blog

Tags: requiring improvement

Already we are half way through the school year and you may be planning your summer holiday. Just to keep you focused on the next half of the school year, Ofsted have made several announcements that will change the face of inspection from September.

Once again there will be a raising of the bar [...]

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]]> Already we are half way through the school year and you may be planning your summer holiday. Just to keep you focused on the next half of the school year, Ofsted have made several announcements that will change the face of inspection from September.

Once again there will be a raising of the bar with an even sharper focus on teaching. Outstanding schools are now likely to be inspected if at their last inspection teaching was judged as good. Outstanding schools must have outstanding teaching. The introduction of a new category of ‘Requiring improvement’ may be applied to the 3,000 schools that were judged as satisfactory at the time of their previous inspection. These inspections will be in a tighter timeframe of 18 months. If a school is judged as satisfactory twice it will be put in special measures. Schools must recognise that the Secretary of State has power to make them become academies or be taken over by a chosen sponsor.

Categories: News

The Leading Parent Partnership Award is running 2 conferences this March on Progressing Parental Engagement. The aim of these conferences is to extend understanding and the principles and practice of parental engagement for the greater benefit of children and young people. The events are being held in London and Manchester and further details can be found [...]

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]]> The Leading Parent Partnership Award is running 2 conferences this March on Progressing Parental Engagement. The aim of these conferences is to extend understanding and the principles and practice of parental engagement for the greater benefit of children and young people. The events are being held in London and Manchester and further details can be found on our events page or by visiting www.lppa.co.uk.

Categories: News

Prospects, in association with the Titan Partnership, is hosting an Academy School Breakfast Briefing on Wednesday 29th February 2012, 8.30 a.m. at St. George’s Community Hub, Great Hampton Row, Birmingham, B19 3JG. Refreshments will be available.

The briefing is aimed at Head teachers, Governors and senior colleagues in schools that are considering converting to an [...]

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]]> Prospects, in association with the Titan Partnership, is hosting an Academy School Breakfast Briefing on Wednesday 29th February 2012, 8.30 a.m. at St. George’s Community Hub, Great Hampton Row, Birmingham, B19 3JG. Refreshments will be available.

The briefing is aimed at Head teachers, Governors and senior colleagues in schools that are considering converting to an Academy.

Please book places by e-mailing suzi@titan.org.uk or by telephoning the Titan Partnership office: 0121 212 4567.

Categories: Blog

More information about the new category of a school requiring improvement has emerged. The following is a summary of Sir Michael Wilshaw’s comments.

Sir Michael Wilshaw has confirmed his intention to scrap the ‘satisfactory’ judgment for school inspections. The move is designed to tackle the number of coasting schools that have remained stubbornly ‘satisfactory’ [...]

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]]> More information about the new category of a school requiring improvement has emerged. The following is a summary of Sir Michael Wilshaw’s comments.

Sir Michael Wilshaw has confirmed his intention to scrap the ‘satisfactory’ judgment for school inspections. The move is designed to tackle the number of coasting schools that have remained stubbornly ‘satisfactory’ over a number of inspections. The proposals, which will be subject to consultation, would mean that any school that does not provide a good standard of education will be given a new ‘requires improvement’ grade.

No schools will be allowed to remain in the category of “requires improvement” for more than three years. Under the proposals, schools judged in this new category would be subject to earlier re-inspection, within 12-18 months rather than up to three years as at the moment. Schools will be given up to two inspections within that three year period to demonstrate improvement. Any school failing to do so will then require special measures.

Sir Michael Wilshaw HMCI, said: ‘There are too many coasting schools not providing an acceptable standard of education. Of particular concern are the 3,000 schools educating a million children that have been “satisfactory” two inspections in a row. This is not good enough. That is why I am determined to look again at the judgements we award, not only so we are accurately reporting what we see, but so that those schools that most need help are identified and can properly begin the process of improvement.

‘I make no apology for making even greater demands of an education system which has to respond with greater urgency to increasingly difficult and competitive economic circumstances. We will consult properly about the changes that we make but I am clear about our mission. It’s the same one I have been pursuing for many years as a head teacher: to help ensure our young people get an education that is really good or outstanding, whatever their background.’

Categories: News

Prospects Improve is pleased to announce its new partnership with The Oxford Academy Leadership Centre. This partnership is designed to provide high quality leadership and other professional development opportunities for senior staff in schools, academies and other organisations within Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas. For more information the courses on offer this term, please visit [...]

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]]> Prospects Improve is pleased to announce its new partnership with The Oxford Academy Leadership Centre. This partnership is designed to provide high quality leadership and other professional development opportunities for senior staff in schools, academies and other organisations within Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas. For more information the courses on offer this term, please visit our events page.

Categories: News

Prospects Improve will be holding termly breakfast briefings to provide you and your school with up to date information about what is happening in the educational world at both local and national levels. The events this term will take place on 5th March at the Arden Hotel, Birmingham and 9th March at The Beeches, Selly Oak. [...]

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]]> Prospects Improve will be holding termly breakfast briefings to provide you and your school with up to date information about what is happening in the educational world at both local and national levels. The events this term will take place on 5th March at the Arden Hotel, Birmingham and 9th March at The Beeches, Selly Oak. Please visit our events page for more information and to book your place.