Our CPD offer

Effective continuing professional development (CPD) is at the heart of our work to engage, develop and retain talented staff within the trust central team and schools in each of our regions. It is a core part of securing effective outcomes for our children. It cannot exist in isolation, rather it requires a pervasive culture of scholarship with a shared commitment for support one another and to develop, so that pupils benefit from the highest quality or support, teaching and care. The thousands of professional decisions that must be made every day need to be informed by the best evidence, knowledge, skill and professional wisdom.

Our CPD offer operates at may levels from school-based CPD, to regional CPD opportunities to national and trust-wider CPD courses, training and events. And in some cases, we are also able to offer these opportunities to other non-OAT schools and trusts.

It is our ambition to ensure the CPD offer/package captures the needs of all career stages and levels, and one that continually adapts to ever-changing needs.

Early Career Framework

At Ormiston Six Villages Academy, our Early Career Teachers (ECTs) are supported extensively within their first two years of teaching. Everyone one of our ECTs receives the full Early Career Framework entitlement plus additional bespoke support.

An ECT working at Ormiston Six Villages Academy will receive

  • A highly trained mentor and a weekly mentor session
  • Weekly pedagogical readings and exercises in line with the ECF scheme of learning
  • Weekly lesson drop-in’s and feedback session
  • A weekly trust wide CPD session focusing on appropriate pedagogy
  • Half termly trust wide CPD and networking sessions
  • A weekly in-house professional studies seminar
  • Termly progress reviews and reports
  • Bespoke subject specific CPD

I found the support I received within my first two years of teaching at Six Villages to be amazing. I always had someone to talk to and we were consistently focusing on developing my practice and pedagogy. I couldn’t have asked for any more from my mentor, he was amazing!

The support from both my mentor and the trust was so valuable within my first two years of teaching at Six Villages, I like how much of a community the school is, I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else! I am now second in department and looking to progress further over the next few years.

After moving to the UK from oversees I found the support I received from my mentor and professional tutor to be so important, I always had someone to bounce ideas off and support me when times were tough. I highly recommend working at Six Villages!’

If you have any questions about the Early Career Framework or the offer at Six Villages, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Core services

Core services staff at Ormiston Six Villages Academy complete all mandatory training annually, e.g. safeguarding, GDPR. Aside from this, staff undertake bespoke training as required and in line with their individual roles.

Teaching staff

Our aim is that our teaching CPD adheres to the following key principles:

  • Built around participants’ needs
  • Subject specific content
  • A clear, logical thread
  • Involves explicit discussion, reflection and active research
  • External input
  • Collaborative learning
  • Powerful leadership

Amongst all other benefits of joining Ormiston Six Villages Academy, our teachers will have access to:

  • A bespoke induction programme for all colleagues new to the school.  This can include a day’s induction to familiarise with our routines and systems or a five-day induction including learning walks, lesson observations, team teaching. 
  • Weekly joint professional learning sessions with other teachers 
  • Personalised line management time for all teachers  
  • High quality INSET days and twilights, based on staff voice and their skills/knowledge audits 
  • Coaching and support for all colleagues who like to take responsibility for leading an element within the community – pastoral as well as subject specific 
  • Opportunities to lead CPD sessions and grow as a professional 
  • Participation in joint INSET days – locally as well as with the OAT community 
  • A free account with The National College.  This allows online access to a wide range of opportunity from support subject specific topics to developing leadership – all the way to the Senior Leadership Team 
  • Leadership is developed by encouraging new leaders to join the NPQs (National Professional Qualifications) for a variety of roles – pastoral, subject leadership or Senior Leadership 
  • Professional Development is also supported by the OAT Lead Practitioners who spend 1:1 time with teachers and share effective resources to support a healthy workload for teachers 
  • We are supported by the trust in developing excellent opportunities for scientists joining the OAT family. For example:
    • Established Teacher Offer (includes subject knowledge enhancement opportunity)  
    • New Teacher Offer (free ASE membership as well as workshops for teaching practical skills) 
    • OAT Teacher Offer (free programme for growing our curriculum leaders)