Title of innovation provision: Effective Pedagogy Programme (CLEAR)
Date of innovation provision: Autumn 2019
Current organisation details: Hayley Blackwell, Ysgol Eirias – Blackwellh5@hwbcymru.net
We applied for an innovation pathway grant from the National Academy for Educational Leadership in June 2019 to support the development and delivery of our 2-day Effective Pedagogy Programme. The programme focuses on the principles of CLEAR (Challenge, Learning, Engage, Assessment, Reflection) and comprises of modules associated with the 12 pedagogical principles and supports aspects of the new curriculum for Wales. The programme is highly facilitated and works on a practice-modelling basis which contains a small-scale action research project. The Leadership Academy have supported us in the inclusion of more current elements such as Schools as Learning Organisations and the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership, which made the programme more bespoke for Wales. The programme was run in autumn of 2019 over 2 days and included 12 delegates. The feedback was extremely encouraging and suggested that the programme should be run regularly across all phases for teachers wishing to improve their pedagogy.
The application was a very straightforward and thorough process which was really reassuring. The process began with the completion of the application form and the collection of any relevant supporting material or data and was concluded through an interview panel. I found the process relatively easy as the data had been collated as part of action research that I was undertaking. The application form was through but necessary to ensure that the programme was right for the grant and the interview was very helpful in terms of how we could develop the provision further to meet the needs of the Welsh Government directives.
We are now in the process of applying for endorsement. It is really important to us that our programme is supported by an organisation such as the Leadership Academy and that we carry that accolade. We want to continue to deliver the programme across North Wales and feel that the endorsement will support our promotion and future development.
“To be recognised at this level is a real compliment to any programme. It means that we are recognised in Wales as providing a quality programme and offers delegates with reassurance that the programme quality has been recognised.”
“The CLEAR programme was an invaluable tool that continually helps to develop my teaching practice. It was incredibly beneficial to talk to teachers with a variety of experience, across a range of subjects, specialising in different Key Stages. I was able to feedback the practices that were encouraged by the course leaders which has benefitted my faculty. I often refer back to the resources that we were given during this course as I genuinely feel that these ensure my lessons provide the right amount of challenge, engagement, assessment and reflection to allow my students the best learning experience. I think this course would invigorate anyone’s teaching practice.” – Participant