theenglishteam
Educational consultants for INSET and CPD
Support and training for schools and learning networks
At the English team, we provide creative CPD and Inset for whole schools, groups of teachers and other education professionals. Our core belief is that children need sustained and exciting learning opportunities in order to raise attainment and standards across the Primary English curriculum.
We offer a valuable, bespoke service to schools, including staff development; support for school self-evaluation and analysis of writing needs, with appropriate targets identified. Additionally, the English Team is renowned for its creation of a unique product that has enhanced primary children’s story writing since 2005: Play-Talk-Think-Write® Boxes and the accompanying Guidance and Research file; these are outlined in our list of services.
We believe English is at the heart of learning. It includes, but is far more than, the literacy skills of spelling, punctuation, grammar and both decoding and encoding words. It is concerned with understanding, insight, building a rich and meaningful vocabulary, creating stories, persuading, entertaining and informing others through talking, writing, speaking and listening. It is about learning to love, understand and extend language in spoken and written forms, to push the boundaries of understanding within these forms, enhanced through the senses of hearing and seeing, and enacting.
We also believe that drama is closely linked to English, in scripted form and in use of more flexible, classroom forms, as in Mantle of the Expert. Please note that drama support is available across all phases of education from Foundation stage, through all four Key Stages up to and including post-16 education.
Year 1 children being introduced to the Play-talk-think-write® approach: The children loved the characters and, as Sara talked through each of their unique personality traits and attributes, it became clear how the story structure could build from this. The children got ‘into role’ as they moved the puppets around the Play Plan. They began using the story language that Sara had modelled for them alongside their own language. I was especially pleased to see the boys so engaged.
(Angela Brady, teacher: Bidston Avenue Primary School)
I’ve loved doing the Drama workshops with Jo, she is a fantastic teacher. It has given me more confidence in my performance and it is amazing how we created a piece of drama from a painting about Cammell Lairds. We worked hard but it was fun. I hope to do more drama in the future.
(Graham, Student: University Academy of Birkenhead).
With thanks to Georgina for working in partnership with Senior Management, providing good support and advice to bring about improvements in writing. Her expertise was particularly evident in her meticulous book scrutiny, which she followed through with detailed cohort action plans, supporting staff and guiding them to bring about the positive impact now evident in the children’s books.
(Monique Stephenson, Head teacher, St Werburgh’s Primary School)