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Children and Young Peoples Services

Services for Adults on the Isle of Wight

Learning & Development

Schools & Learning Workforce Development

The Service commissions and brokers workforce development opportunities for school staff to enhance the quality of teaching and learning for the benefit of all pupils.  

It provides access for all school staff to professional development opportunities which will assist schools to manage curriculum, staff and governor development at their own pace, taking into account their own plans and priorities.

Training and development activities and resources are co-ordinated through the Learning & Development Service, in response to schools’ changing demands and to enhance and expand provision. Subscription to the Service is strongly recommended to all Island schools.

Through an Integrated Training and Development Programme for the Schools and Learning workforce and a wide range of associated activities, schools can create their own programmes in response to particular priorities, needs and interests.  The programme is guided by the demands of schools and current national and local developments and initiatives.  The Service also provides schools with a source of external advice, facilities, mutual support and is active in promoting the exchange and dissemination of good practice through joint work and networking on and off the Island.

As greater demands are placed on governors there is an increasing need for a consistent route to advice and guidance and a coherent package of governor support and training.  In the ever-changing environment of education, a strong, challenging, supportive and informed governing body can lead the way to successful school improvement.

There is a wide range of training, support, advice, information and examples of good practice available for governors and their clerks through Isle of Wight Governor Services.

Schools and Learning Workforce Development 

The Service offers leadership of an island wide approach to continuous professional development through working in partnership with the Binstead Teaching School Alliance and other partners both on and off the Island.  The Service level Agreement includes:

  • Audit, collation and analysis of data from schools on staff training needs is undertaken to assess the needs of the workforce.
  • An extensive integrated training and development programme for Head teachers, teaching staff, support staff and governors
  • Information, advice and support to meet staff learning and development needs
  • Analysis of training needs of Governors
  • Brokerage and networking with a large range of providers – ensuring delivery meets identified outcomes and accommodates different learning styles
  • Development of course specifications with clear aims and outcomes 
  • Commissioning of training opportunities, bringing national expertise to the island
  • Commissioning and monitoring of the Newly Qualified Teachers induction programme
  • The co-ordination and provision of training and development opportunities for all new and acting head teachers
  • The development of Leadership Succession and Leadership and Management training and development for aspiring leaders, middle leaders, teachers, deputy/assistant heads and head teachers working as part of the Pan Solent Partnership.
  • Co-ordination of venues, registration, confirmations, certification, materials & marketing
  • Conference organisation service for the Children and Young People’s Workforce
  • Full evaluation of training – evaluation summary reports available to monitor development of staff ensuring learning outcomes are met, performance assessment on training delivery – quality assurance, improvement and value for money
  • Full group & individual training records held on central database – to include training history reports with CPD hours available on request
  • Invoicing on a monthly/quarterly basis

The Learning & Development Resource Centre

The Service Level Agreement includes:

  • Provision of a loan service for staff in response to schools’, clusters’ demands and to support a wide range of professional development activities
  • Full access to the vast range of up to date resources, books, artefacts, puppets, DVDs, curriculum packs etc for all staff within the subscribing school/organisation
  • Up to date wide range of relevant, development, study and teaching materials
  • Access to support from an experienced Librarian to assist with curriculum packages, reading lists, and advise/recommend appropriate training & study support resources
  • Access to advice and support with publishers’ offers & exhibitions of Literacy resources for schools to purchase at reduced rates
  • Use of Study/Planning Area with full IT and Internet access, available to book, with search & catalogue assistance when required
  • Support for specific training courses, displays, exhibitions through the purchasing of requested resources

Governors’ Support Service

The Service offers a consistent route to advice and guidance and a coherent package of governor support and training.

In the ever-changing environment of education, a strong, challenging, supportive and informed governing body can lead the way to successful school improvement.

There is a wide range of training, support, advice, information and examples of good practice available for governors and their clerks through Isle of Wight Governor Services.

Training for all governors and clerks is encouraged as it will help them become more effective. It is not compulsory, but all governors, however experienced, need training to improve their effectiveness in the role and to keep abreast of developments that may affect their school and their role as a governor. New governors, especially, should take advantage of the Governor Training Programme.

Governor training and development opportunities are informed by the Isle of Wight Development Governors’ Consultation Group, regular Clerks’ Briefings and a strong line of communication with clerks and governors. Development governors should take a lead role in ensuring their Governing Bodies are updated and appropriately trained and should track the training undertaken by their governors.

  • Direct access to information and advice via phone and e-mail
  • Support on School Governance matters and issues including Help and support with governor appointments and elections
  • Networking opportunities for governors and clerks through a range of groups and meetings
  • Examples of good practice, policies and procedures
  • Access to a Governor Website with local and national information via the Virtual Learning Environment
  • A comprehensive training package advertised online and through regular e-mail updates
  • Training and development courses/workshops and activities for governors include a core base as follows:  Induction Governor Training Programme; Induction training for new clerks & DfE National Training for Clerks; Performance management; Safeguarding & Safer-Recruitment; Self-Evaluation;  SEN and Monitoring Vulnerable Groups; Monitoring Gifted & Talented Provision
  • The distribution of the Governors File – this provides governors with an extremely useful A4 File containing national and local information, useful contacts, reference to the day to day running of a governing body and relevant legislation plus a glossary of terms, a calendar section and sections for minutes and papers.
  • Annual updates to the Governors File  

In addition all governors and Clerks are invited to attend the following:

  • Clerks’ Briefings
  • Development Governor Consultation Group
  • Director’s Governors Briefings and Conferences 

Standards of Service

The Service holds the Matrix Quality Standard for the provision of Information, Advice and Guidance for learning and work. The standard recognised organisations who work within the following quality assurance standards:

  • Effective forward planning, goal setting, progress measures and use of resources
  • Meeting clients’ needs and ensuring consistency through the employment of competent and appropriately qualified staff, efficient and prompt administrative procedures and high standards of facilities and accommodation.
  • Improving retention, achievement and progression rates on courses
  • Evaluating performance and identifying ways to continually improve and develop programmes through representative groups such as development governor forum, CPD leaders’ meetings, observations of training programmes

The Learning and Development service is working towards the National Occupational Standards for Commissioning and are a registered City & Guilds Centre (Skills for Life & professional qualifications.  We also hold the Investors In Quality Licence in order to accredit learning opportunities.