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Around 200 teachers from all over England gathered to hear how school partnerships will play a key role in the Teacher Learning Academy at its third annual conference (Tuesday 4 March).
In addition, more than 60 schools were honoured for their contribution to teachers’ learning and named TLA Support and Verification Centre pilot sites. These schools span the whole of England from the North East to the South West.
This pilot scheme forms part of a new system of shared ownership with school, local and national partners, and is setting the stage for major growth of the TLA.
Schools are now being invited to take up key roles in the new structure, either as TLA Schools or TLA Support and Verification Centres. To do this they need to develop two or three members of staff as verifiers and leaders. This status will allow the school to verify TLA presentations and support other schools. It will help schools learn from other teachers’ innovations and give them the chance to offset the future costs of enrolling to the TLA by generating income from verification and support.
Diane Hoban is deputy head of James Brindley School in Birmingham, which provides education to children unable to attend school for health reasons. The school has just been named one of the TLA Support and Verification Centre pilot sites. She says:
'The unique nature of our school means that action research happens all the time to meet the needs of all our children. Staff not only have to have curriculum knowledge, they also need strategies to deal with the pupils’ conditions. For example, many have long-term mental health or special needs. We need a knowledge base in a whole range of areas to help break down the barriers to learning.
'Our teachers are not in one staff room where we can sit and pool our knowledge, so our challenge is to link 100 teachers across 13 sites. We share TLA presentations via our own professional resource library and a virtual learning gateway.'
One head teacher said the conference had given her: ‘wonderful ideas to take back and implement with professional development in the school’
Another enthused about the positive impact the TLA had already had in his school. He said: 'One of the reasons I got involved was simply to give staff recognition for their everyday work that they do in classrooms. The spin-offs have been remarkable – teacher collaboration, coaching and mentoring, and developing the idea of a learning community that’s not just for pupils – staff are continuing to learn all the time too.'
Teachers wishing to find out more about the TLA should visit www.gtce.org.uk/tla
