News
Crisis at Christmas
November 23 2016
Best Practice Network work has again this year helped to support Crisis at Christmas by sponsoring 20 places. This will provide 20 homeless people with hot meals including Christmas dinner, a chance to shower and get clean clothes, a health check and information about Crisis’ year round services for training and support.
Let’s take some of the complexity out of school improvement
October 18 2016
It’s time that policy makers and some parts of the media took the time to understand the drivers of school performance. Organisational structures continue to remain a focus - the latest example is grammar schools, but we have had countless other attempts over the years to pretend that structure is what drives improvement.
Best Practice Network bids successfully
October 14 2016
Best Practice Network has successfully secured three contracts from the National College of School Leadership to deliver training on Leadership - Equality and Diversity.
The courses will take place primarily in Newham with an additional two programmes in Havering and will involve 20 female and ethnic minority leaders in each course. Best Practice Network will be working with local teaching schools to deliver the courses with Gill McMillan Associates delivering the coaching element.
From Special Measures to Good in just two years
October 10 2016
A new head's peer networking takes a hospital school from Special Measures to Good in just two years.
Improved CPD system raises attainment by 12%
October 10 2016
NPQSL graduate Adam Rashud shares his efforts to create a self sustaining school CPD system.
Meet our HLTA of the Year regional winners
October 03 2016
We’re proud to announce our regional winners of the 2016 Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) of the Year awards.
The winners in the South West, West Midlands and East of England regions - where Best Practice Network is the assessment provider for the HLTA programme - will now go to the national awards ceremony in London in November when the national winner will be chosen from nine regional finalists.
Many congratulations and best of luck to them all as we look forward to the national ceremony.
Could new CPD standards unlock career paths in our schools?
September 21 2016
The recently published standards for teacher professional development put in place a much needed framework for teaching schools and training providers to work with.
It also clarified things for all who work in our schools, spelling out exactly what they should expect from professional development. The key messages from these standards, which I won’t repeat as they can be read elsewhere, won’t be a surprise to anyone.
Funding formula delay piles on the pressure
July 28 2016
There are two sides to the decision to delay the introduction of the new national funding formula.
For schools in poorly funded parts of the country the delay is a crippling blow. For those in well-funded areas it is a welcome delay of the inevitable cuts that such a development will bring.
As a trustee of two multi-academy trusts, one in a well-funded district and one in a poorly funded area, the delay underlines for me the stark inequity in the funding of schools in England.
National College funded pilot programme success
July 07 2016
Participants on a pilot leadership programme in Newham have successfully completed their final day. The equality and diversity focused programme aimed to ensure that participants would:
Best Practice Network at the Dragon Boat Race
June 20 2016
Thank you so much to everyone who took part in and supported the Bristol Dragon Boat Festival 2016. Whether you cheered from the bank, baked (and ate) cakes, paddled in the crew, helped with arrangements, or sent us good vibes on the day it was a big team effort and a great event!
We have now finished fundraising and have raised £1100 towards the The Green House charity based in Bristol.