Our aim to is to share our outstanding specialist knowledge and skills to other schools and settings to improve outcomes for children with complex needs. As an Outstanding school, we feel this is our duty. Our aim is to develop and share effective practice and provide a cohesive response to need, through the provision of specialist knowledge and support locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

We believe in investing in our school through proactive, leading edge, learning and development. To add value to the workforce by continually investing in enhancing the knowledge, expertise and skills in order to maximise continuous improvement of staff practice for the benefit of the school and its community.

We do not view costs of training as expenditure, we view this as a long‐term cumulative investment in the future sustainability and success of our school, our staff and our students’ lifelong learning pathways. We don’t consider that we train individuals, we train our workforce to enhance the roles they play within the organisation. We encourage our workforce to take individual responsibility and to be willing to actively participate in their continuous professional development. It is our intention to focus whole heartedly on developmental training that enhances the workforce in order to ensure that we continue to surpass our ‘Outstanding’ status through every individual and department becoming the best they can be.

We have a dedicated Learning and Development department that work alongside our skilled and experienced staff, providing a full range of workforce development opportunities to our own staff, and externally, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Considerable investment enables the school to share knowledge and expertise, and supports our intent to embed as a Centre of Excellence. The school is involved in pioneering research in our field of SEMH and ensures this is used innovatively, and delivered across SEN, maximising the progress of all students, and ensuring a social return on investment. We share through training and by upskilling, delivering qualifications and as a Centre of Excellence, we deliver training to families, schools, colleges, Universities, NQT’s, SENCo’s, PRU’s/Alternative Provision, and Local Authorities. We have a track record over a number of years, delivering a cohesive response to the needs of students in various settings and through a range of approaches.

All our trainers are active practitioners and specialists in their field. We deliver a range of courses throughout the academic year to external agencies at our training venue and within the schools’ own setting. In addition, we provide support through quality assurance and organisational visits, behaviour audits and much more. We offer peer to peer support and coaching to leaders regionally and nationally, and offer our expertise

How we currently achieve this

• Lead / chair school of the Calderdale Specialist Provision Cluster
• Membership at board level on NASS trustees
• Chair of Engage in their Future (General Information Brochure)
• Membership with SEBDA
• Delivery of our annual external training programme and provision of specialist advice
• Chair of the East Calderdale SBM Cluster and representation on the Calderdale SBM Board
• Chair of the NASS North East Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group
• Representation and input at special interest groups (Care/HR & Finance, Teaching & Learning), locally, regionally and nationally
• Delivery of specialist knowledge (Key Note Speaker) at Conferences, locally, regionally and nationally.
• Sharing resources, including staff expertise
• Participating in research and evidence based projects (staff undertaking research degrees etc)
• Including in our vision and strategy both school and wider LA needs including growth models, succession planning and capital projects
• Innovation in pedagogy to respond to a complex and increasing population
• Leadership support and Coaching
• Peer review
• A comprehensive annual package of training and support based on needs analysis and emerging themes
• Free sharing of evidence- based practice and resources
• Providing access to the skills, knowledge and experience of a significant number of front line staff
• Signposting schools to innovative practice and that which is grounded in practice and research
• A commitment to ensuring that every child and young person with SEND can achieve their potential
• Behaviour audits and an offer of other services such as Psychotherapy/Psychology/OT & SaLT

Equipping schools to identify and meet their training needs in relation to SEND.

Positive Behaviour Support Training

• Talking Strategies to reinforce Positive Behaviour
• Team Teach

These topics looks at what behaviour is about, particularly in terms of communication between children and adults focusing on the best means of verbal and non-verbal communication to avoid conflict and de-escalate situations to prevent physical interventions. 

It also looks at personal safety, risk reduction strategies, positive handling, together with documentation and legal guidance.

We also offer full behaviour audits in your setting, this includes 1 day reading and planning, 1 day on site and 1 day report writing and feedback to your setting, complete with action points. Please see the link to our training programme below for further details. 

Holly Rigg

holly.rigg@thesmithfoundation.org.uk

Tel: 01484 710123

Click here to Download our new 2023/2024 external training programme

(Please note that we can adapt the aspects within the schedule and those listed on this page)