Our Training Hubs
There are two Training Hubs for Language First operating across the Black Country, delivering The Core Training well beyond the life of the project:
Ryders Hayes Teaching School (Walsall) and partners,
Manor Teaching School (Wolverhampton)
Ryders Hayes Teaching School, led by Lead Practitioner for the Project, Victoria Day, has created a revised and condensed programme for Language First, (constantly updated with latest research) in partnership with University of Oxford/A+ Education, which is designed to address the on-going needs within the Black Country and raise outcomes for our children across all areas of learning.
The programme is designed for the whole early years’ team – teachers and teaching assistants, so that they all have a shared understanding; language, and research-based practical strategies to take back immediately to their setting.
Alongside this high-impact Core Programme, schools are partnered with a specialist language coach and EYFS Specialist Leader of Educaton (SLE), to enable the team to implement and embedd their learning into everyday practice: to raise expectations and outcomes for all children, especially those most vulnerable pupils. Schools within the programme are invited to join a community of practice.
Overview of the DfE Language First Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) Project
The fund supports a broad range of school improvement activities, including but not limited to: improving school leadership; governance; teaching methods, and financial health and efficiency. The fund supports medium to long-term sustainable activities across groups of schools, with a preference towards school-led provision, that is, supported and provided by schools for schools.
This SSIF Project in Round 3, is a DfE grant to support the further building of improved outcomes in Early Years, with a focus on Communication and Language in the school-led system: to target resources at schools most in need; to improve school performance and pupil attainment (raised Good Level of Development); to help schools to use their resources as effectively as possible, and to deliver more ‘good’ school places.
