Welcome

Hello! And welcome to our newsletter. Autumn 1 always feels like the longest half term, with the weather – eventually – getting colder and the nights drawing in; but if you're lucky enough to work in, for, or with a teaching school hub, it's also super-exciting. Autumn 1 is when we get to meet the ECTs and mentors starting their journey through induction with us, as well as welcoming back old friends from last year. So far this term we've delivered seven ECT and mentor conferences (with more next week) as well as refresher training for mentors and training for induction tutors. Not only that, but we've also delivered several NPQ sessions and supported two NPQ cohorts through their assessment this week. Such busy bees!

We know the start of term is a whirlwind in schools, so we truly do appreciate how hard you work to make sure the year gets off to a good start for your ECTs and mentors - thank you so much for all that you do.

Read on for mental health and wellbeing resources in honour of World Mental Health Day; a look at the EEF's new inclusive teaching CPD platform; and a new inclusive teaching reflection series from the East of England and East Midlands Research Schools.

BREAKING NEWS!

We have just published a brand-new blog from Tammy Elward of Spencer Academies Trust that's perfect for everyone who's ever wondered what Taylor Swift can teach them about inclusive practice (we know that's secretly all of you). Find it in the blog feed below.

And finally...

Susi's blog about supporting teachers with ADHD was recently published on the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators) blog. If it's been a while since you read it, you can refresh your memory here.

Keep in touch

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Spotlight on... World Mental Health Day

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day. The theme ‘Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change’ reminds us of the importance of listening to people’s experiences. We've rounded up some resources to help us all stay mentally well.

Education Support has a free toolkit of practical resources. Find it here.

The Mental Health Foundation has published a blog, Good listening for mental health, about active listening, how it affects mental health, and how to use it to support those around us. Read it here.

Mind is campaigning to transform the future of mental health support. Everyone should have access to mental health support that makes them feel seen, starting on the day they reach out. Read about See Me Now to learn more.

Finally, remember that we have a Wellbeing page on our website, with links and resources to help with CPD, workload and wellbeing.

Focus on... Inclusive Teaching

ICYMI: at the very tail end of last term, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) released their Guide to Inclusive Teaching. We summarised the key takeaways in a blog that you can find by scrolling down to the blog feed below.

An innovative part of the guidance is free CPD delivered via an online platform, ScenarioSpace. Each session is 30-45 minutes long, making them perfect for effective, evidence-informed CPD delivered in school by school leaders.

The available sessions are:

• Checking for understanding: help teachers check for understanding effectively, as a foundation for inclusive teaching.
• Scaffolding: help teachers use scaffolding effectively, as part of inclusive teaching that supports learning and increases pupil independence.
• Making effective adaptations: develop teachers' confidence in making effective adaptations, as part of inclusive teaching that helps every pupil learn.
• Working with teaching assistants: support teachers to work effectively with teaching assistants to enable every pupil to participate and learn.
• Creating a calm classroom environment: support teachers to create calm classroom environments where every pupil feels safe and ready to learn.

Check out ScenarioSpace in the Guide to Inclusive Teaching linked above.

Focus on... Inclusive Teaching in Focus

This reflection series has been thoughtfully curated by experts at Derby, Essex, Norfolk and Unity Research Schools, and will include blogs, case studies, and webinars. The series runs for two weeks and you will receive a daily email with expert resources created by teachers and leaders working in schools like yours. 

You can sign up via the news item below.