Details of the day's workshops are listed below.

Workshop one

The Sheffield Primary Singing Support Pack

Peter Taylor, Sheffield Music Hub

Clear evidence exists that musical activity in school age children has a profound impact on learning in all curriculum areas. Engagement in group singing and rhythmic activities will help children develop pro-social skills, sharpen the brain’s encoding of linguistic sound leading to improvements in reading and writing, and develop spatial reasoning skills. Singing together is also, of course, a brilliant way to build trust and friendship among students, to develop a positive environment where learning together is fun and rewarding.

This practical workshop gives the opportunity to reflect on the positive impact group singing can have on learning environments and outcomes, and introduces ways to use music to affect the emotional focus of your students. Starting from the Singing Support Pack songs, you will learn how to use any song as a springboard to learning in the full range of curriculum areas: PSHE, maths, music, writing, science, geography and much more.

Why can't people work together? Practitioner-parent/carer partnerships and SEND

Nick Hodge, Sheffield Institute of Education and Katherine Runswick-Cole, University of Sheffield

For more than 30 years Government policy has stressed the importance of parent/carer-practitioner partnership for children and young people with SEND but doing this successfully can still feel a major challenge for both 'sides'. In this workshop we will explore together the role that communication might play in either enabling successful partnership working or in the derailment of it. We will identify examples of where breakdowns in communication might occur, suggest reasons for why these might happen and propose strategies for developing communicative exchanges that are more likely to enable equal and positive partnership.

The presenters of this workshop are the authors of the chapter, ‘You Say, I hear’: understanding parent-professional partnerships in special education. This chapter is in the Handbook of Disabled Children’s Childhood Studies. Runswick-Cole, K., Curran, T. and Liddiard, K. (eds) Palgrave, Basingstoke

The Rochford Review recommendations and the implications for schools

Gill Robinson OBE, Interaction and Communication Academy Trust

This workshop will explore how teachers assess these groups of pupils and how important it is to provide a clear route of progression onto national curriculum assessments if and when the pupils are ready. The recommendations included:

• the removal of the statutory requirement to assess pupils with SEND who are working below the standard using performance scales (P scales)
• that the interim pre-key stage standards for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests are made permanent and extended to include all pupils engaged in subject-specific learning
• that schools assess pupils’ development in all 4 areas of need outlined in the SEND Code of Practice, but statutory assessment for pupils who are not engaged in subject-specific learning should be limited to the area of cognition and learning

Learning Naturally: Reaping the benefits of outdoor learning

Chris Smith, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust 

Ofsted state that learning outside the classroom contributes significantly to raising academic standards and improving pupils’ development. This workshop is designed to enable teachers to return to school and immediately incorporate more outdoor learning within their regular school day. It includes principles and strategies which facilitate outdoor learning and demonstrates ways to use a variety of natural resources in order to meet learning outcomes. The session will discuss how teaching staff can get the best from their school grounds and will also share a range of additional resources.

Healthy Minds

Bethan Plant & Matthew Peers, Sheffield City Council

In Sheffield, we have developed the Healthy Minds Framework for primary and secondary schools. The framework aims to promote a holistic approach to supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health in school, by providing “whole school” support for mental health. We’re currently in the process of rolling out the Healthy Minds Framework, with 45 schools taking part in 2017/18. In this session, we explain what the Healthy Minds Framework is, how it was developed and what our plans for the future are, there will also be time for question and answer.

Developing a whole-school approach to philosophy for children

Clive Belgeonne, Sheffield Institute of Education

This workshop will give participants a chance to hear from the experiences of P4C co-ordinators in Sheffield primary schools which are implementing SAPERE’s ‘Going for Gold’ scheme to embed P4C across the school curriculum and ethos over a period of three years.

Primary Science Quality Mark - how can this award help you to develop expertise in the teaching and learning of primary science?

Bryony Turford, Primary Science Quality Mark

Bryony Turford, Senior Regional Hub leader in Yorkshire and the Humber, shares her experiences of working successfully with over 100 schools to achieve the award in the past 5 years including case studies of local teachers and the impact the award has had on them beyond the certificate. In September 2017, the PSQM awards were relaunched with three brand new whole school appropriate awards. Bryony will introduce you to these and provide up to date information about how your school can take part in this nationwide quality mark for science in your school.

Workshop two

Disadvantage in the Early Years

Lee Owston, Her Majesty's Inspector Specialist Advisor

This workshop will share the findings of Ofsted’s 2016 survey report, ‘Unknown children: destined for disadvantage?’. This report explores the strategic direction and approach of local authorities, as well as the practical, everyday strategies used by the schools and settings within them to address issues of poverty and deprivation. Best practice examples will be shared through case study material.

Partnership for attainment

Sean Cavan, Sheffield Institute of Education

This workshop will share information and invite discussion about this new initiative which involves all the teacher training providers in the Sheffield City Region and aims to improve the supply of teachers to all our schools.

Using cooperative new games to involve students

Dale Le Fevre, inewgames.com

New Games are activities and games that are for all skill levels and genders. Because winning is not the most important element, even in games where there is competition, everyone feels free and even enthusiastic to participate. Teachers can use the games to teach subject matter in a novel way which involves students in lessons in ways that they will remember what is taught. This workshop will present a number of ideas that can be used directly or slightly changed and others that can be adapted - and we will look at ways on how to adapt them. This is a tool that can be used immediately with students. A handout will be available with concise descriptions of the games.

Learning explorations: developing successful project-based learning approaches

Neil Butler, Green Top Primary School and Gwyn ap Harri, XP Multi-Academy Trust

In January 2017, Year 5 and Year 6 children launched into Green Top Primary School’s first ever learning exploration (see http://greentopschool.co.uk/how-do-think-we-will-evolve/). Inspired by successful project-based learning approaches and supported by our friends at XP, the children and staff embarked on their exploration ‘How do you think we will evolve?’ We looked at how Christianity has explained evolution and compared this to the work on Charles Darwin. In our English lessons, we read the novel ‘Skellig’ by David Almond. Skellig inspired our reading and writing development over the entire learning exploration. Mr Mumby was our in house expert, utilising his degree in Art. Mr Mumby developed the children’s sketching and printing techniques. Our significant assessment pieces for this exploration were writing-based, writing a science fiction story, producing a chronological report on Charles Darwin’s discoveries and producing information text for a target audience. The Learning Exploration culminated in an educational book for 11 year olds, 'How do you think we will evolve?' This session will explain the pedagogy involved in this innovative approach and share examples of children's work, illustrating how 120 children aged 9-11 can work collaboratively across the curriculum to produce beautiful work.

Incorporating british values in schools

Lynsey Hunter, Sheffield Institute of Education

British Values is an important part of the current educational agenda but what does it actually mean, and most importantly, what does effective practice look like in the classroom? (In case you were wondering, it is not just about a display of the Union Jack and drawing a picture of The Queen...!)  This workshop looks at how you can ensure that you incorporate British Values into your teaching and day-to-day classroom practice so that you avoid being 'tokenistic' and 'just ticking boxes' and how you can use British Values as a tool to support you to create effective citizens beyond the classroom walls. 

101 ways to...creative pedagogy in primary practice

Vicki Randall, University of Winchester

Creativity has a longstanding association with enjoyment and engagement in learning. So much so that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) now believe it to be central to young people’s well-being and future prospects. This workshop will explore practical approaches to creative pedagogy in primary education to help develop curiosity, independence, divergence, and cooperation across the curriculum. It will also explore strategies that will encourage young people to become more active in their learning too

Building an active School - 4 steps to success

Imogen Buxton, Imoves dance

This workshop is aimed at schools who are looking for practical ideas on how to get the whole school more active, not only in PE but also in the classroom and through activity breaks, all helping towards the 30 minutes of structured activity that teachers are being asked to deliver. Topics include: changing mindset, culture and ethos; developing an active classroom; and how to roll out successfully with the imoves model. Teachers get to experience an active lesson with a focus on Literacy, Science, PSHE and Mindfulness. Following the session, teachers will take away lots of practical ideas that can be rolled out straight away, along with access to our free online resources where they can try 5 lessons with their classes for free.

Workshop three

Curriculum in reception

Lee Owston, Her Majesty's Inspector Specialist Advisor

This workshop will present the findings of Ofsted’s forthcoming survey report (November 2017) on the Reception curriculum. It will draw on the research evidence gathered by HMI on visits to over 40 good and outstanding schools across the country where children achieve well at the age of five and continue to do well across their primary school years. The best practice observed during these visits will be shared with delegates through case study and video material.

Science for all – it is more than just science

Joelle Halliday & Andy Bullough, Sheffield Institute of Education

Primary Science For All – its more than just science In this session we will actively explore successful approaches to teaching and learning that are based around scaffolding as a tool to support pupils accessing content and skills, whilst reducing the cognitive demand paced upon them. edsacb@exchange.shu.ac.uk and dsjh17@exchange.shu.ac.uk

SMSC/Citizenship through story telling

Michelle Mangal, Go Givers

The workshop will explore how the use of stories and narrative can be employed to embed emotional resilience and the social, moral, spiritual and cultural values that underpin your school. Stories and storytelling can contribute to social, emotional and personal developments as well as academic achievement. Learn how you can use stories to help pupils make sense of the world and support the school in delivering SMSC such as British Values across the whole school.

Areas covered will include:

• The importance of sharing stories and telling stories in today’s schools
• What do we mean by SMSC and Citizenship?
• How stories can impact on emotional literacy, empathy and inference
• A whole school approach to embedding the use of story to promote emotional well being
• A range of school approaches to embed storytelling into the reading culture of your school
• Book lists for KS1 and KS2

What does a broad and balance picture Look Like?

Lynsey Hunter, Sheffield Institute of Education

The Wider Curriculum has been neglected in recent years and it is fantastic that there is now a renewed emphasis on ensuring that children receive the broad and balanced curriculum to which they are entitled, and not just focus on the Core subjects at the expense of everything else. This workshop looks at how we can assess within foundation subjects and use Assessment for Learning techniques to ensure we are able to articulate and demonstrate children's progress in subjects other than maths and English, and be certain we as teachers have a 'broad and balanced' picture of what a child can do and needs to do next.

Building Concepts: A cognitive (and playful) approach to deeper comprehension

Paul Main

The EEF has highlighted in their recent guidance report the importance of thinking and talking for raising literacy levels. The benefits of organising thoughts can be applied across the curriculum and in this engaging session we will be using a new classroom tool that puts critical thinking into the hands of every learner. This metacognitive approach using building bricks is being researched across the UK and embraces multiple evidence-informed principles.

Searching for the forgotten child…

Martin Illingworth, Sheffield Institute of Education

Children always act in their own self-interest; if that means not behaving in your lesson of falling silent then you need to investigate why that might be. The most distinctive feature of any good teacher is their ability to reflect on their practice. Martin and Mike vibrantly discuss and share their vast array of experience and ideas to provide you with strategies to evaluate your practice effectively. Developing an ability to carefully reflect can have a positive impact on not just your pupils' progress but also on your own professional learning.

3 Edmigos – Raising aspirations and attainment through a broad and balanced curriculum

Adam Newman (Farmilo Primary School and Nursery)

We will explore how effective curriculum design and innovative pedagogy helps to raise attainment and aspiration, especially for disadvantaged pupils. Sharing our practice which has included opening a Mexican restaurant, publishing a book and roleplaying social injustice with our classes, we will give you ways to design and reinvigorate your curriculum to maximise attainment and aspiration.