Professional Learning & Development
Learning and development at every stage of your career
We are fortunate enough to work in an environment where learning is at the heart of everything we do.
It is important for staff to feel empowered to seek learning out, ask for development opportunities and make them happen.
We deliver a range of training and professional qualifications for support staff across all of our Laurus Trust schools.
Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill, aspire to be a manager or complete a degree apprenticeship, there is something for everyone in support staff roles.
We provide a range of in-house training courses and access to professionally accredited qualifications, to help staff improve their skills and knowledge across specialist areas.
Masters and Doctorates
The flagship programmes of the Laurus Institute continue to be the Masters and Doctorates in Education.
The aim of these programmes is to develop teacher’s research literacy with the aim of improving their classroom practice. They are entirely voluntary in nature and require a significant amount of work in additional to normal classroom practice.
Chartered Teacher Status
The Laurus Trust was one of the founding accredited learning partners for the Chartered Teacher Programme (CTeach). As a Trust, we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence across all aspects of school life.
This is particularly true of our Professional Learning which we believe to be the bedrock of a successful school. Research-based practice is not something we merely preach, but insist on as a way of ensuring positive professional development.
We already lead on a number of external CPD courses and the Chartered Teacher Programme is now a very valued part of that CPD.
Chartered Status is a professional standard that represents the highest standard of professional excellence. It recognises the knowledge, skills and behaviours of excellent teachers and school leaders, and their commitment to evidence-informed practice and continuing professional development.
The standard has been designed to be rigorous and yet equally accessible to individuals working in any phase, subject or school type. Chartered Teacher Status is a celebration of teacher and school leader expertise.
Action Research Communities (ARC)
Action Research Communities (ARC) are groups of teachers coming together to develop their understanding and to research a particular aspect of classroom practice. They conduct research as a team throughout an academic year.
The action research topics are linked with the school development plan but may also inform the following year’s priorities. There are a series of meetings during the year where the groups gather to review progress and formulate next steps. There are also opportunities to feedback to other staff in school.
Further Professional Learning (FPL)
Further Professional Learning (FPL) sessions take place at points throughout the academic year. The primary focus of these meetings is to enable interested staff to stay up to date and discuss current classroom practice. A few sessions will cover some of the wider work that takes place within school.
In many Laurus schools these sessions take place in the morning. They are an opportunity to discuss current best practice.
Each session can be seen as a ‘think piece’ – an introduction to a particular area of work or strategy. Action Research Communities (ARCs) and FPLs provide the core of the Professional Learning offer.
In addition, subject development takes place within each faculty through the departmental meeting structure.
We also offer leadership development opportunities as well as additional voluntary Professional Development opportunities.
Training
Some of the training and courses we have available for all staff are listed below.
Development for all staff
Achievement in Action
This session has been designed to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to help bring our ‘ACHIEVEMENT’ acronym to life.
ACHIEVEMENT stands for:
- Adaptable
- Courageous
- Hard-working
- Inclusive
- Engaged
- Value
- Enquiring
- Motivated
- Encouraging
- Navigator
- Tenacious
The aim of this session is to help staff understand the meaning of ‘whatever it takes’ at the Laurus Trust and to reflect on their communication skills, personal resilience, personal effectiveness and motivation.
Apprenticeships
The Apprenticeship Levy can be used to develop and upskill our employees within the Trust.
Whether you are keen to complete a formal qualification in a particular area, something that will help you to advance in your current role, or you are looking to progress into a different role within the Trust, funding can be made available through the Apprenticeship Levy.
Level 2 (GCSE) to Level 7 (Masters) are available in a wide range of subjects, from Facilities Management to Professional Coaching.
Communications & Social Media Training
With the growing demands of social media, we provide staff with expert advice and support to manage social media accounts and communicate effectively with relevant stakeholders.
First Aid Essentials
This high impact training session is aimed at all staff and can be used inside and outside of work. It provides information, support and practical guidance on what to do in the following situations:
- asthma attacks
- anaphylaxis
- bleeding
- choking
- CPR (including using a Defibrillator)
Further Professional Learning (FPL)
FPL sessions are delivered weekly across all Laurus Trust schools, as bitesize sessions, usually lasting 20-30 minutes for both teaching and non-teaching staff. The sessions cover a range of topics relevant to helping staff develop in their roles.
IT Skills
Employees can access IT Skills training tailored to meet specific development needs covering anything from Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams or SharePoint to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.
Mental Health Awareness
The aim of this session is to increase the awareness of employee emotional and mental health and how to prevent stress in the workplace. The session aims to help participants feel more confident about recognising the signs of poor emotional wellbeing in themselves and in others.
Online Learning
Staff across the Laurus Trust have access to a wide-range of online learning platforms, enabling them to improve their skills and knowledge at a time convenient for them during the working day.
Presence in the Workplace
The aim of Presence in the Workplace is to enable participants to develop the tools and techniques to communicate clearly and confidently with people at all levels and in all aspects of their role.
Our voice is an essential tool to effective communication and yet we can often let nerves dominate our thoughts, our preparation and our delivery. A combination of wanting to perform at our best and a lack of technique and skills can often feel overwhelming. Presence in the Workplace offers actionable techniques to overcome these fears and develop self-confidence.
SEMH Workshops
A series of workshops to develop staff’s knowledge and understanding of Social, Emotional and/or Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The workshops are beneficial to all staff, particularly Learning Support Assistants looking to learn more about SEMH, how it relates to their current role and also enhance their professional learning in this area.
Workplace Coaching
Across the Trust we have specialist coaches, who can work with you to establish your goals, help you identify where you are now in relation to those goals, and then find ways to take the appropriate action to progress towards achieving them.
Development for Managers
Finance and Budgeting for Managers
This CPD training session is delivered by the Laurus Trust Finance Director and is aimed at anyone who is responsible for managing a departmental budget.
Thie session covers:
- How schools are funded
- Budget setting
- Finance controls and procedures
- Process overview
- Useful resources
Manager's Journey
The Manager’s Journey session is designed to help managers and aspiring managers develop their understanding of the employee lifecycle, and what is required at each stage to support the teams they lead.
Projects in Practice
This session has been designed to give an introduction to project management so that all staff can develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be able to utilise project management tools in any role.
By exploring stages and life cycles of projects – staff will learn more about managing change and stakeholders – and how we can adapt a “project mindset” to really benefit our work through innovation, new ideas and increased commitment.
Recruitment Essentials
Our Recruitment Essentials training provides managers with the knowledge of how to make safe and effective recruitment decisions.
Team Essentials
A successful team is characterised by its ability to grow as individuals and as a team in facing challenges, tackling problems, finding solutions and delivering results.
This CPD session includes:
- The definition of a team
- Foundations of effective teamwork
- Characteristics of effective teams
- 5 dysfunctions of a team
- Stages of team development
- Team roles using Belbin
- The ideal team player
Employee benefits
The Laurus Institute