Research School Network: Excitement grows as new Lead Practitioner scheme welcomes cohort of 20


Excitement grows as new Lead Practitioner scheme welcomes cohort of 20

We are delighted to have officially launched our Lead Practitioners scheme, which identifies staff who will act as leaders of teaching and learning across the Eastern Region.

The scheme is unprecedented in Suffolk and the quality of people involved makes it hugely exciting.

This group of 20 come from primary and secondary schools, both within Samuel Ward Academy Trust and also outside our own Multi Academy Trust (MAT) – something we view as a very important aim of our Research School.

The new Lead Practitioners have been identified as exemplary and highly-skilled role models who will work with other staff and coach them to further improve evidence-based practices within the classroom, whether on an individual basis or within a small group.

How did we identify this group of 20

Working with various headteachers and deputy headteachers, staff members were identified who might be appropriate.

I then met with them and discussed what the role would entail. I am delighted with the calibre.

Under our previous in-house scheme, we already have nine Lead Practitioners but this didn’t have national recognition.

We also had no representation from our primary schools and nothing scalable as the Trust and Research School grows bigger. We took a long hard look at the programme and realised we wanted to do something different.

The result was our new Lead Practitioners programme which we launched on Friday 6th October.

We have partnered up with the SSAT (the Schools, Students and Teachers network), which has robust national and international accreditation, and aligned our new programme with theirs.

We are also delighted to announce that we have been designated as a Lead Practitioner Learning Centre by the SSAT which means the Research School now has the responsibility for the identification and training of future LPs.

Our existing group of nine Lead Practitioners will be fast-tracked within five months and by the end of the year will be leading this training. The new cohort of 20 will complete their training by June 2018.
It is a fantastic opportunity for them all and I wish them well.

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