How I used Lead Practitioner Accreditation to embed a new English writing structure and RE curriculum

By Sarah Scott, KS1 Phase Leader, Fawbert and Barnard’s Primary School

As a dedicated educator with eight years of teaching experience, currently serving as a senior teacher at their third primary school, I am always looking to develop and improve my practice. I currently lead English and religious education (RE) while also taking on the role of phase leader for key stage 1 at my one form entry school. I have always been passionate about shaping young minds and fostering a love for learning. My interest in the SSAT Lead Practitioner (LP) Accreditation came from a deep-seated desire to enhance my ability to positively influence children’s learning experiences. I was eager to leverage my existing knowledge and skills in leadership more efficiently and effectively to make a meaningful impact. By participating in this programme, I wanted to further develop my understanding of best practices in education and refine my strategies for maximising student learning outcomes. I wanted to refine my leadership capabilities to better serve the educational needs of the students and contribute to the overall growing success of my school and its community.

Through the LP programme, I discovered the invaluable skill of identifying priorities and needs within our school and academy. Utilising the tools provided in the sessions, I focused on the necessity of embedding a new English writing structure to positively impact our students and encourage an enthusiasm for writing. Collaborating closely with staff and senior leadership, we rolled out the new sequence tailored to meet the specific needs of our children. Attending relevant courses to further support and refine components of the sequence, I delved into areas such as prosody, fluency, and oracy, which have since become focal points in our school’s curriculum.

Effectively supporting staff with new strategies and pedagogical techniques can be daunting, but the programme equipped me with the necessary skills to coach and mentor with confidence. Overcoming personal challenges in self-confidence, I emerged from the programme as a more assured and effective lead practitioner.

I signed up for the accreditation via Kingsmoor Academy’s LPLC (Lead Practitioner Learning Centre) and the support received from their LP trainer was so encouraging and insightful. When I reached out, a 1:1 call really helped me to understand the process and obtain guidance with my application.

While English remained my primary focus, our school found itself in the position of needing to embed a new RE curriculum. Drawing upon my networking skills, acquired through the LP programme, I collaborated with fellow leaders within our academy to devise and organise training sessions. Together, we pooled our specialist expertise, facilitating the implementation of a vastly different RE curriculum from previous ones. This provided an opportunity not only to support others but also to engage in self-reflection on effective leadership practices. I am lucky to continue to work alongside a great team of RE leaders and with an amazing group of work colleagues who were always keen to share the new learning approaches within their classroom, providing me with evidence to support my portfolio.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been able to incorporate children’s work into my portfolio, showcasing the positive impact our initiatives have had on their learning outcomes. The inclusion of their work not only illustrates the implementation of the new RE curriculum but also highlights the increased enthusiasm and engagement they’ve displayed. Subsequent surveys have provided further evidence of their enhanced understanding of the purpose of RE within our school community. Similarly, the success of our writing sequence has been evident, with positive outcomes observed.

An important personal outcome has been my newfound belief in myself as both a learner and a leader. The course empowered me to identify priorities, embrace experimentation with new strategies, and step confidently outside the comfort of my team.

This experience has created a drive within me to continue developing these skills so I can make a lasting impact on children’s education.