What's new from WELL?

'Finding your Oomph' with Laughology

Tuesday 3 September (INSET DAY) 13:00 - 15:30, Energus

As mentioned in the last WOW, the WELL team has arranged for Stephanie Davies, the CEO and founder of Laughology, to run a session on the afternoon of 3rd September (details are above), which we know will be an INSET day for many schools. We have done this to make it as accessible as possible. 

Entitled 'Finding your Oomph, Getting Motivation & Joy back in the Classroom and Staffroom', this session will:

• Find the passion, fun and joy in everyday learning and teaching
• Use laughter and fun to help pupils overcome barriers and create a positive learning experience
• Explore ways to adapt and flex to fit what’s happening in the classroom.
• Consider the power of connections over content to build joy and motivation

All WELL School based colleagues are invited to join this energising afternoon. Bookings are limited to 20 delegates per school in the first instance and can be made now with the School Development Team.

Please email WELL@Cumberland.gov.uk if you would be interested in booking more than 20 places for your school and we can explore this.

Early Years Evidence Conference

Last week, Dale attended a conference focused on implementing evidence based approaches in the Early Years.

Reassuringly, best practice in implementation aligns with the WELL inputs provided to schools over the last three years. A key message is the importance of taking time to identify barriers and enablers.

In terms of barriers, evidence indicates that our best chance of success is to consider these in relation to the people connected with our school/settings, factors within our organisation and factors from outside our organisation. By looking at the potential barriers for each of these, we can then consider the enablers to overcome them.

Another key piece of learning is the importance that, as leaders, we move from helping improvements through allocation of funds, training and professional development but making these happen through effective implementation strategies. There is strong evidence that choosing a less effective programme and implementing it well can have a better impact than a proven programme and implementing it poorly. We will be building on our implementation work so far, including the updated EEF implementation guidance as one of WELL's key enablers going forward.

3 years of WELL

Thank you for your incredible commitment to WELL over the three years of this phase.

Before you complete this year's independent evaluation survey in June, we will send each school a breakdown of all the elements that have been made available to you through WELL over the last three years.

This will be sent directly to your Headteachers the week after half term.

Reciprocal Reading Training 24-25

We are exploring the PD offer for next year and this includes the potential to offer more Reciprocal Reading expert training.

If this is something your school would be interested in please email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk to let us know.

Revised EEF Implementation Guidance

Please find a link here to the updated EEF Implementation guidance, which was published last week.

Dale was in direct conversation with the author, Professor Jonathan Sharples last week. The WELL Team and ERA will be developing some briefings and PD to support you all. 

Further details will be included in a future WOW.

EEF: Working and Long Term Memory Resources

Please find a number of links to new EEF easy to access/quick read resources on working and long term memory and Cognitive Load Theory below:

• EEF blog: Supporting professional development: Deepening understanding of memory
• EEF Video: The Processes of Memory: A brief explainer animation
• EEF Video: Cognitive Load Theory: A brief explainer animation 

Marc Rowland Pupil Premium Audits

The pupil premium audits are well underway and we are grateful to the schools for their commitment to this element of WELL.

We will share the learning from this work with all schools and there will be opportunities for more schools to get involved next academic year.

Effective Implementation Guidance for Maths Leaders - Tuesday 18th June

As part of the Cumberland Council Maths Action Plan for 2023-2025, ERA will be delivering training on 'Effective Implementation for all leaders of Maths' within Primary and Secondary settings throughout Cumberland. The first day of this training will take place on:

Tuesday 18th June 9:30am-3:30pm, Greenhill Hotel, Wigton.

This session will look at:

• The principles around the process of effective implementation (taking into account the newly updated EEF guidance report)
• The EEF guidance reports key recommendations for Maths
• Supporting leaders determine how to identify their school Maths priorities
• The use of evidence to choose best bets approaches
• How to effectively plan to support colleagues through PD, monitoring and evaluation processes.

This session will form part of a 12-18 month package of support that will continue throughout the academic year 2024-2025 (further dates to follow).

Please book places for the first session on 18th June with the School Development Team.

Stock Take and Re-energiser Session

A reminder that the next Action Research session with Professor Philippa Cordingley and Bart Crisp will take place this afternoon:

Wednesday 1 May 13:00 – 15:00, Online

If you would like to join this session, please contact WELL@cumberland.gov.uk for the zoom link.

Online Resources Padlet

An online padlet has been developed with resources to support our schools with their action research work.

Please find the link to the online padlet here.

Evaluation Framework

Thank you to all our schools for your implementation work, during the 2021 - 2024 phase of WELL.

A framework will be sent out in the next WOW to enable schools to summarise learning and impacts for your chosen priorities. This will include, a focus on impact for our disadvantaged children and young people.

Annual Planner 23/24 

Click here to view the WELL Universal Grant Offer Annual Planner 23 -24 for all events and training opportunities remaining this academic year.

This planner is a live link and is updated throughout the year.

Evaluation Framework

Thank you to all our schools for your implementation work, during the 2021 - 2024 phase of WELL.

A framework will be sent out in the next WOW to enable schools to summarise learning and impacts for your chosen priorities. This will include, a focus on impact for our disadvantaged children and young people.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

The final Youth Mental Health First Aid cohort of this academic year will take place:

• Day 1 – 5 June 09:30 – 16:30, Whitehaven Golf Club
• Day 2 – 6 June 09:30 – 16:30, Whitehaven Golf Club

Places are still available and can be booked with the School Development Team.

Put these dates in your diary for this term's upcoming WELL events!

A live link to our Annual Planner for all 2023/24 events is available for Universal and Targeted Grant Offer Schools on our website.

SUMMER TERM 2024

Action Research: Re-energiser and Stock Take (Book via SDT)

• 1 May 2024 13:30 - 15:30, Online

ELSA Conference 2024 (Book via SDT)

• 4 June 09:30 – 15:30, Energus

Youth Mental Health First Aid 5 (Book via SDT)

• Day 1 – 5 June 09:30 – 16:30, Whitehaven Golf Club
• Day 2 – 6 June 09:30 – 16:30, Whitehaven Golf Club

RR Mixed-Phase Training Day 2 (Attend via WELL Invitation)

• 25 Jun 2024 09:00 -15:00, Energus

Action Research: Write-Up Session - Attend 1 Session (Book via SDT)

• 3 Jul 2024 09:00 - 12:00, Whitehaven Golf Club
• 3 Jul 2024 13:00 - 16:00, Whitehaven Golf Club 

RR Secondary Celebration Event (Attend via WELL Invitation)

• 9 Jul 2024 09:00 -15:15, Energus

Great Teaching Toolkit - Summer Learning Community (Attend via WELL Invitation)

• 11 Jul 2024 12:30 - 15:15, Energus

AUTUMN TERM 2024

Finding your Oomph, Getting Motivation & Joy back in the Classroom and Staffroom - Laughology (Book via SDT)

• 3 Sep 2024 (INSET DAY) 13:00 - 15:30, Energus