Professional Development

Leadership Training

The four Directors are experienced leaders in the roles of principal, school reviewer, contract and research directors, advisor and Board of Trustee Chair. Over the years we have trained principals, including newly-appointed principals, senior management teams, Deans, HODs, team leaders and school advisors. Leadership training programmes we provide include leadership theory and research, leadership roles and responsibilities, leadership styles, communication and relationship skills, school review and strategic and operational planning. We are able to tailor a programme to meet the needs of a specific group.

Curriculum Leadership

Collectively we have extensive expertise in all curriculum areas, in what constitutes effective classroom practice, especially, in assessment. We assist schools to make wise decisions about how to understand, interpret and implement the curriculum in a way that is relevant to their students and community. We help principals understand their role as the school’s curriculum leader and work with curriculum leaders, HODs and Team Leaders in leadership skills and the effective management of their departments or syndicates.

Quality curriculum leadership includes understanding what constitutes effective pedagogy and knowing how to help teachers develop the learning partnership required to engage and motivate students. We provide professional development in student locus of control, teacher/student relationships, formative assessment, differentiated teaching and learning, using student achievement data and cooperative learning strategies. We can also provide school development programmes in literacy and numeracy for Years 1-8.

Board Training

We have been involved in training Boards of Trustees since the beginning of Tomorrow’s Schools. We have wide practical experience and excellent resources for this task. We work across the deciles, school types and in a wide range of cultural situations. We tailor programmes to meet the specific needs of each Board and assist the Board to apply the knowledge and skills to their particular school and community. We assist Boards to understand their roles and responsibilities, the difference between governance and management, their role in curriculum leadership, how to manage student stand-downs and suspensions, policy development and review, strategic planning and preparing for an ERO review. We are frequently contracted by Boards as their Friend of the School for an ERO review.

Principal Professional Development

We work with principals in a range of ways. We facilitate Principal Professional Development Groups, work as Critical Friends/Mentors with individual principals and provide leadership training programmes. We have often been contracted to provide keynote addresses at conferences and other education forums.

Coaching

We pioneered the development of coaching programmes for teachers in New Zealand. New Zealand and international research and writing on effective professional development concur that development should be theory based, target needs identified through sound research that includes listening to student voices, be school-wide and be ongoing. It must involve teachers having opportunities to observe, practice, receive quality feedback and reflect and engage in professional discussions about what helps their students to learn. There are many very effective teachers in schools who model excellent teaching. They deserve the opportunity to continue to develop their practice. There are a number of new teachers and teachers new to schools, who need knowledge, support and skills. There are also some teachers whose performance could be improved. It is the teachers new to the schools and the teachers whose performance needs improvement who will be the main beneficiaries of the coaching programme. The Directors have helped primary, intermediate and secondary schools set up and sustain effective coaching programmes, provided intensive training for coaches and Specialist Classroom Teachers and evaluated the effectiveness of coaching programmes.

Managing Meetings

We are all highly skilled meeting facilitators and have provide training for a wide range of school personnel. We are able to help chairpersons run effective meetings, clarify the role and responsibilities of the other participants, provide strategies for ensuring that agendas, minutes and other documentation support wise decision-making and what to do when disagreements arise.

AP/DP Professional development groups
Deputy and assistant principals benefit from professional learning opportunities offered in small group situations. This gives participants an opportunity to discuss and debate issues that arise in their schools and to discuss current readings that relate to their role in schools. The Education Group directors currently run a number of these groups which meet on average eight times a year for a two hour session. Topics for discussion are negotiated with group members and have included interviewing techniques, learning about learning, appraisal, inquiry, staff professional learning and managing challenging staff members.