Staff Development – Mulberry Academy Woodside

Staff Professional Development

At Mulberry Academy Woodside, we take staff development seriously, as it is fundamental in providing the students with the best possible education and the most equitable class room experience. Teach First and Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) along with all staff new to Woodside are provided with comprehensive training to develop excellence and ensure high standards.

Furthermore, all teachers participate in regular professional development through a programme of INSET days and Twilight training sessions throughout the year.

Instructional Coaching: Steplab

Instructional coaching involves one teacher working with another teacher, to help them take small, personalised steps to improve their practice. Instructional coaches help their teachers to get better by doing two things on a regular basis:

Identifying an area for improvement, usually based on a short observation.
Providing teachers with opportunities to rehearse, get feedback, and make a habit of their improvement.

In the observation phase, the instructional coach will often drop in to the teacher’s lesson for about 15 minutes. This is a chance to see how their teacher is getting on and identify the next best small step for them to work on. Instructional coaching observations are about developing teachers, not judging them.

In the feedback phase, the instructional coach and the teacher get together for a structured meeting lasting about 30 minutes. During this time, the instructional coach leads the teacher through 3 activities designed to help them to improve:

Providing the teacher with praise on any progress they have made.
Agreeing the next best step for them to work on, before modelling the step to help the teacher develop an understanding of ‘what good looks like’.
Helping the teacher to plan and rehearse their step, just as they’ll use it in their classroom.

Coaching works best when we focus on small changes. Steps work best when they accumulate over time to help teachers achieve a bigger teaching goal.

During rehearsal, teachers typically try out their step multiple times, with the coach giving balanced feedback between each round. Rehearsal in this low-stakes environment allows teachers to focus all their attention on improving, so they can begin to master their step before taking it to the demanding environment of the classroom.

The instructional coach then works in some time to observe the teacher using their step, and the cycle starts again. Here’s a diagram of the whole instructional coaching model:

Staff Wellbeing

Wellbeing is an important priority at Mulberry Academy Woodside. It is a core value that staff feel supported and valued. Prioritising wellbeing is critical to the success and ethos of our school. Wellbeing takes different forms for every individual, so Woodside’s wellbeing strategy takes that into consideration. The wellbeing offer is varied and diverse, and is for everyone to take up as and when they feel they need it. However, all staff are asked to ensure that they make time for their wellbeing, in whatever way that is for them. For some, this will require a shift in thinking – one that understands that a high performance environment is one that includes preventative measures in addition to support. We know that physical activity, for example, leads to better physical health which is linked with better mental health and enhanced wellbeing. We ask that all staff at Woodside seek to take up as much of our wellbeing offer as possible.

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Free support for every member of staff via a monthly “stress out” drop-in session delivered by mental health organisation, Deep Black
Managers will be receiving training on early identification, support and signposting for colleagues and students to mental health services
Sessions on emotional wellbeing and mindfullness available to all staff
Access to a confidential counselling helpline
6 staff trained in Mental Health First Aid
Thank you/appreciation box in the staffroom
Coaching culture
Woodside Shared Values

PHYSICAL WELLBEING

A range of physical wellness sessions will be available for staff throughout the year e.g. step count challenge, yoga sessions, badminton etc.
Cycle to work scheme open to all staff

NUTRITIONAL WELLBEING

Treats and refreshments throughout the year (serotonin-increasing food on Time to Talk Day, fairtrade tea and granola for Fairtrade Week, “good food for good mood” for Mental Health awareness week, for example)
Free fruit Fridays
Water bottles

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Early closures on days where we host parents’/carers’ evening
No more marking policy – no requirement for marking of exercise books and the introduction of a whole-class feedback policy instead
Reduced examinations and data collection points throughout the year
No more written student reports
No more formal lesson observations
Reduced number of calendared meetings
Removal of unnecessary paperwork
More open-door communication and fewer formal line management meetings
Whole-school appraisal and development system that has an emphasis on development and coaching

White Hart Lane,
Wood Green
London, N22 5QJ

020 8889 6761
020 8365 8164
mail@mulberrywoodside.org

Part of the

Mulberry Academy Woodside is part of the Mulberry Schools Trust which is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company No. 10035860).

Company’s registered office: Mulberry Schools Trust, Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP.