NQT Training event CPD at Calder High School ITT - Standards Grid template

Are you considering a career in secondary school teaching?

Following the success of Calder High School’s “Taste of Teaching” event last year, the school is once again hosting a two day event on Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th June for aspiring entrants to the profession or career changers.

Up to 20 delegates will have the opportunity to find out for themselves what life is really like as a secondary school teacher in the 21st century. They will observe lessons, meet key staff and students, speak to former trainees, plan and deliver a short teaching episode, and find out about the different methods of entry to the profession and career progression within it.

Feedback from delegates at last year’s event was extremely positive: “The event went above and beyond my expectations…a wonderful few days…Thankyou very much for this event – I would have no hesitation in recommending it” said one delegate, with another noting it was “very persuasive and informative.”

“The training has inspired me to pursue this” said one visitor. “It has definitely confirmed the fact that I want to go into the profession” said another.

"A Taste of Teaching” is part of Calder High’s outreach function as a Training School, and therefore free of charge, but places are strictly limited to 20 delegates who must be qualified to degree level and commit to attending both days.

If you would like to take part please contact Training School Administrator Yvonne Harrison at Calder High by Friday 18th June by phone (01422 883213) fax (01422 881876) or email: yharrison@calderhigh.calderdale.sch.uk.

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EPS Programme: Sept 2010 to Jan 2011

A Taste of Teaching 2009


On Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd July Calder High hosted at two day “Taste of Teaching” event for aspiring entrants to the profession and possible career changers.

21 delegates from the local community took up the opportunity to find out for themselves what life is really like as a secondary school teacher in the 21st century. They observed lessons, met key staff and students, spoke to former trainees, and planned and delivered a short teaching episode, as well as finding out about life as a teacher and the different methods of entry to the profession and career progression within it.

Deputy Headteacher Mr Chris Sylge said “As a Training School, we have a duty to ensure high quality workforce supply, and events like this, organised with such flair and professionalism by my colleague Kerry Standring, are a critical first step for potential career changers.”



Feedback from delegates was equally enthusiastic: “The event went above and beyond my expectations…a wonderful few days…Thanks you very much for this event – I would have no hesitation in recommending it” said one delegate, with another noting it was “very persuasive and informative”. “The training has inspired me to pursue this” said one visitor. “It has definitely confirmed the fact that I want to go into the profession” said another.

The event will be back again next year, with provisional dates of 28th and 29th of June. Thanks go to all staff involved, and in particular to Ms Standring and Mr Emberton for their leadership of the event.

NQT Training Event at Calder High: Wednesday 6 May 2009



On 6 May Calder High School played host to thirteen Newly Qualified Teachers from across Calderdale who are coming to the end of their first year in the teaching profession. Colleagues from primary, secondary and special school settings took part in the first of two day’s activities to help them reflect on the “core standards” for the profession to identify an area of their practice which they would like to research by applying new techniques or approaches in the classroom.

Delegates spent the morning looking at strategies for inclusion and personalisation, with specialist input from Julie Edwards, Calderdale’s consultant for gifted & talented learners, and educational psychologists Vicki Harold and Magdalen Maguire.

Calder High Teaching & Learning Consultant Kerry Standring and Advanced Skills Teacher Jonathan Emberton led the afternoon session with an introduction to The Teacher Learning Academy - part of the General Teaching Council for England.



With help from Inclusion Consultant Debbie Sweet and Calder High SENCo Brian Muir, delegates then finished the day planning a short-term research project to tie in with the morning’s themes, which they will undertake before the second meeting on 30 June. On that day they will write up and submit their projects as a presentation to The Teacher Learning Academy, and assuming the TLA criteria are met, will receive formal professional recognition for their research work – all within the first twelve months of their professional life.

Deputy Headteacher Chris Sylge said: “It was great to see the wealth of ideas coming from these young professionals, and particularly to have both primary and secondary colleagues working together. As the Calderdale Training School it is important for us to give colleagues from a wide range of settings the opportunity to reflect on and develop their practice. The Teacher Learning Academy provides a means of recognising the learning and professional development that teachers gain through their day-to-day practice and we are now putting together a plan to become a TLA Centre.”

Delegates were very positive about their experiences: “I was impressed with the level of knowledge and enthusiasm shown by the instructors and found the day extremely interesting” said one colleague. Other comments included: “There was excellent use of up-to-date resources”, “brilliant ideas”, “each of the presentations was relevant, specific and interesting”, “I loved sharing ideas for professional development with primary and secondary NQTs”.

Research projects identified by delegates range from strategies to engage boys in English, to working with support staff to make GCSE work more accessible in year 10.

The next day is planned for Tuesday 30 June.

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CPD at Calder High School (Click here to link to website)

The website contains the following links:

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ITT: Standards Grid Template (Click here to open template)
This grid to track progress in meeting the professional standards for Qualified Teacher Status was devised by Doctor Zafar Iqbal, a Science teacher at Calder High School, when he was undergoing the Graduate Trainee Programme, based at Calder High School, with Bradford College. It has been widely shared with other trainees and found to be an invaluable resource.

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