Happy Wednesday!

The latest from the WELL Team:

Sentenced to Success: Primary Writing Project for Clusters

Town End Research School

Please see the ERA section of this WOW to find out more about our exciting Primary Writing programme for up to three clusters, to be delivered by Town End Research School next academic year.

Looking at Attendance with CET

WELL is enjoying the opportunity to support the Attendance Project, currently being offered by Cumbria Education Trust (CET).

Session 3 of the project, focused on 'Attendance and Inspection' will take place this evening (21st May) 15:45 to 16:45, Online. 

The fourth and final session of the project, will focus on 'Culture and Climate'. This is scheduled to be delivered by ERA and Marc Rowland on Wednesday 2nd July 15:45 16:45, Online.

For more information and to reserve spaces to attend either of the upcoming sessions, please visit the Cumbria Education Trust website HERE.

WELL Schools Attendance (Potential) Project 2025/26

Express an Interest by Friday 13th June

Last year, we explored whether there was interest in a pilot attendance project with ImpactEd for WELL schools. Expressions of interest at that time were relatively low, in part due to the need for our schools to digest national and local developments.

In order tp the consider the feasibility of and need for this programme, please see the proposed ATTENDANCE PROGRAMME OUTLINE which identifies what this opportunity would consist of. Please email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk by Friday 13th June, if you wish to express an interest in participation.

Maximising the Impact of TAs

Cohort 2 (2025/26)

There are only 2 places left on Cohort 2 of the Maximising the Impact of TAs programme next academic year, with Sally Franklin.

If you would like to join this programme, please view the MITA (COHORT 2) OUTLINE for full details and email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk before this Friday (23rd May).

We will allocate the remaining two places on a first come, first served basis.

Great Teaching Toolkit (GTT): 2025/26

Opportunity to get involved next year!

We now have 32 WELL schools that we are pleased to support, with access to high quality professional development through the Great Teaching Toolkit programme and bespoke inputs from the Evidence Based Education (EBE) team next academic year.

After this Friday (23rd May), we will not be in a position to fund any new schools to access the GTT in 2025/26. If you would like to get involved with GTT in 2025/26 please email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk, by Friday 23rd May.

Sellafield & Amentum Nuclear Sector: Employer Outreach Insight Event

Thursday 10th July, 20:00 - 23:00

Sellafield ltd and Amentum invite WELL Schools to explore outreach opportunities from the Nuclear Sector, designed to support careers education in schools (Gatsby Benchmark 4, 5 & 6):

"Join us for the Employer Outreach Insight Event on the evening of 10th July aboard El Galeon, temporarily docked in Whitehaven Harbour, where you'll discover activities for learners from EYFS to KS4, including STEM engagement, career-focused initiatives, and work experience opportunities.

Connect with industry professionals actively delivering outreach in the community and learn about the diverse career paths available to students in West Cumbria.

Due to limited space, only one representative from each education provider is invited to attend."

Please register your attendance HERE and note that registration will close on 30th June.  

Sentenced to Success: Primary Writing Project for Clusters

Town End Research School

As outlined in our previous WOW, we are delighted to confirm that WELL will be working with Town End Research School to offer the opportunity for WELL clusters to participate in a Primary Writing programme next academic year. 

One of our clusters, that helped shape this programme, has already confirmed an intent to participate. There is capacity to include up to 2 additional clusters, next academic year. Please note, this is designed as a cluster Writing programme.

To inform your cluster conversation about this opportunity, please see the PROGRAMME FLYER AND OUTLINE, including dates for each of the sessions.

The 'pre-launch' onboarding webinar for this programme will take place on:

Tuesday 1st July 15:45 - 16:45, Online

The programme outline sets out the objectives and outcomes together with participation commitment requirements. We encourage you to take some time to read these to inform feasibility and capacity before expressing an interest.

Priority will be given to clusters where the highest proportion of schools in that cluster commit to participate. Consideration will also be given to how many schools in that cluster, have identified Writing as a key priority in their WELL funded implementation work.

Email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk by Friday 13th June to express an interest in participation. 

EEF Blog: Math Awareness Month Blog 

Mathematical Fluency in Early Years

As we celebrate Maths awareness month, the EEF have published a blog looking at the importance of fluency in Mathematical learning for Early Years.

Please find the link to view the blog by Julian Grenier below:

'EEF Blog: Maths Awareness Month: Fluency and Fun in the Early Years'

Evaluating WELL funded Implementation work 2024/25

As outlined in your signed grant agreements, participating schools have committed to contribute to the WELL evaluation for the purposes of evaluating WELL project effectiveness, including an annual evaluation of the school’s WELL Implementation Plan.

Last year, we provided an online form for schools to complete and submit. The feedback was positive that we gave sufficient time to undertake the evaluation and that schools were able to save and return to the online form. However, a few schools experienced challenges with the technology and stated they would appreciate a bit more guidance on how to best respond to the questions.

This year, we intend to provide you with a personalised template with your key priority/ies and assessment/ outcomes measures pre-populated, as identified in your 2024/25 WELL implementation plan. Our intention is to remove the need to duplicate anything you have already written/ submitted to us in your plans. These will be sent to Headteachers and Implementation leads the w/c 30th June.

The deadline for completion and return of evaluations is Friday 24th October 2025.

This will give schools 10 school weeks to complete the WELL evaluation template for your 2024/25 funded implementation work. In order to support your evaluative thinking, we offer the following questions that implementation teams may find helpful to discuss before the evaluation templates are sent out:

• To what extent has your identified English and/or Maths priority/ies been addressed? Share evidence/ anonymised pupil outcomes data to support your evaluation.
• What is different and better for disadvantaged pupils in your school, as a result of your WELL funded implementation work? Share evidence/ anonymised pupil outcomes data to support your evaluation.
• What has been the impact of this work on adults within the school and how do you know?

On the below dates, the ERA building (Ashfield Junior School, CA14 4ES) will be available to use by implementation leads/ teams to complete their evaluation summaries:

• Tuesday 9th September
• Tuesday 16th September
• Tuesday 23rd September
• Tuesday 21st October

Dale and the WELL team can be available on these dates at the ERA building or via teams, to offer 1-1 support to complete the evaluation. If these dates aren't suitable, please email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk and we will find a date that works for you. This support can also be provided on Teams, at times that will suit you best.

'Implementing WELL': Leading the way on Evidence Informed Implementation

Universal/ Targeted Grant Implementation

We are delighted that 75 of our schools have confirmed their commitment to participate in our 'Implementing WELL' programme and to access Universal and Targeted funding for 2025/26.

A gentle reminder that there are only 2 days left to confirm participation in the Universal/ Targeted grant funded element of WELL next year, by completing a short form HERE before Friday 23rd May 2025.

Further detail of this project, working directly with ERA and the authors of the EEF Implementation guidance Professor Jonathan Sharples and Jon Eaton can be found in the PROJECT FLYER and PRESENTATION FROM DALE.

Headteachers and Implementation Leads will need to participate in the initial 'launch briefing', alongside any colleagues who have a responsibility for implementation. The 'launch briefing' will take place on the below dates:

• Wednesday 18th June  09:30 - 12:30, Energus, Lillyhall
• Wednesday 18th June  15:30 - 17:30, Online
• Thursday 19th June 09:30 - 12:30, Whitehaven Golf Club

Bookings for these sessions are now available to book through the School Development Team. Please ensure to secure your schools places on one of the above dates, if you haven't done so already.

If you would like to discuss this, please email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk and we will arrange a conversation with Dale. For our smallest schools, please look out for a direct email from the WELL team, offering some time to meet with Dale to discuss participation if this is a concern.

Development Team

Over the next few weeks, ERA and WELL will be putting in place a 'Development Team' of local leads to work with WELL/ ERA, Professor Jonathan Sharples and Jon Eaton in shaping the 'Implementing WELL' Project.

We are very conscious that we work with a range of school sizes and phases, in a range of contexts and this is also well understood by the project leads.

The development team will reflect this, so that the programme design considers ways to provide support, PD and resources in ways that are accessible for all. The opportunity for WELL schools, is to take a priority already identified and to use this project as the way to implement your work in the very best way possible.

Potential cohort 2024/25

Since our last WOW, the number of schools expressing an interest in the ELSA programme for next academic year has increased. We are now exploring options that can meet the needs of our schools in 2025/26.

If you would like to express an interest in joining a possible ELSA cohort next academic year, please do so by emailing WELL@Cumberland.gov.uk by this Friday (23rd May).

Sellafield Ltd Graduates 

During the previous phase of WELL, we were delighted to work in partnership with Sellafield Ltd Graduates to develop ELSA environments in a number of WELL schools.

We are in the process of exploring this as a potential option again.

If you have ELSAs in your school and would be interested in the potential to work with WELL/ Sellafield ltd graduates to develop the ELSA environment in your school, please email WELL@cumberland.gov.uk by Friday 6th June to support us in this exploration.

Annual Events Planner and Programmes Padlet 2024/25

The WELL Programmes Padlet outlines all of our high quality professional development programmes available for 2024/25.

All WELL Events and upcoming training sessions are detailed in the WELL Annual Events Planner.

Events on the Annual Events Planner with a 'green dot' are bookable via SLA Online/ School Development Team. For all other events, please email WELL@Cumberland.gov.uk directly to express an interest.

The Annual Events Planner is a live link and will be updated throughout the year.