Archive: February 2020

If you are looking to move into a leadership role, it is essential you stand out as an exceptional candidate in a very competitive field. One of the most effective ways to do so is to achieve a National Professional Qualification (NPQ).

These qualifications are designed to give delegates the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and leadership behaviours needed to lead an effective education setting, as well as moving ahead in their careers, through gaining a DfE-recognised qualification in leadership.

We offer two DfE-approved NPQs that can greatly increase your opportunities in these areas:

• NPQSL – for current and aspiring senior leaders with responsibilities across an education setting.
• NPQML – for current and aspiring middle leaders with responsibility for a team.

These qualifications are designed to develop your leadership skills, knowledge and confidence so that you can become highly effective leaders in your setting. With our flexible, online and practice-led learning model you will be able to set your own study schedule and work at your own pace, implementing improvement plans into your setting from the outset.

Book for the March cohort here to get started as soon as possible. Start your learning journey with us in the next couple of weeks and book by 15th March to join this cohort.

If March is too soon, please visit our NPQ web page for information on upcoming cohorts throughout 2020.

Why study with Real Training?

• Ease of application – we don’t have complicated application processes, no interviews to attend and there’s no application essay to write. So long as you have an undergraduate degree, are working in a UK or international education setting, full support of a sponsor and plan to move into a headship role within 18 months, all you need to do is book your place online.
• Flexible learning – Our NPQ courses are delivered fully online through Campus Online, our very own virtual learning environment, featuring learning experiences and activities that will give you the practical edge in your setting at the click of a mouse.
• Practice-led learning – Real Training’s practice-led learning model means you receive the content and theory you need, along with opportunities to make a difference to your setting through putting theory into practice and reflecting on the process.
• Qualifications with credibility – Study with us and you will discover highly respected NPQ courses validated by Middlesex University and recognised by the DfE.

NPQH qualification also available

We also offer the NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship) for those who aspire to rise to the position of Headteacher in the next 12-18 months. If you are already an experienced senior leader who is highly motivated to become a headteacher soon and have the full support and endorsement of a sponsor (usually, this will be your headteacher or line manager) then this could be the perfect qualification to fulfill your ambitions.

When you have decided which cohort works best for you or your colleagues to move in a leadership role, please complete our simple online booking form. If you have any questions regarding our NPQ courses, please get in touch with us – you can call us on +44 (0)1273 35 80 80 or contact us here.

The next Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) course has been announced. It will take place in London on 23-24 June 2020 at the Novotel London Bridge Hotel.

This course is designed to train professionals in the comprehensive use of CAP. As a detailed evidence-based tool for consultation and structured data collection, it can be used by a range of professionals, including:

• Educational and clinical psychologists
• Therapists
• SENCOs and specialist teachers

Although the course will be highly relevant to psychologists, therapists, and teachers, those who do not work in one of these professions are also welcome – as long as they work in the learning and development of children, adolescents, and adults.

This Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) course will bring the unique benefits of dynamic assessment (DA) and cognitive education into the mainstream work of practitioner psychologists and specialist teachers. This will not only teach you how to use CAP to structure an in-depth individualised assessment but will also show you how to use CAP for systematic consultation and observation – which may mitigate the need to carry out individual direct work with a particular student.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Use CAP to help teachers, parents and others understand the learner’s needs.
• Develop recommendations that lead to an intervention plan (IP).
• Understand how to use the profile systemically to review progress.

This course isn’t formally assessed. However, clear staging posts over the two days will ensure that your learning and practice are embedded every step of the way.

For more details, and to book your place, please visit our CAP page.

Feedback from our delegates is very important to us. This is why we ask every delegate to complete a feedback form upon completion of their course. This provides us with extremely valuable data on what we’re doing right, and what we can improve upon. We’ve been carefully analysing the data from over 1,000 delegates in 2019, and below are highlights of the results.

• 96% of delegates rated our course as good or very good.
• 97% of delegates rated the extent to which their course met their developmental priorities as good or very good.
• 93% of delegates rated the course tutors as good or very good.
• 93% of delegates rated their experience of the course administration from Real Training as good or very good.
• All metrics have improved year-on-year from 2018 to 2019, reflecting how we strive to improve, always.

Nearly 3/4 of our delegates report that they are considering studying further modules with us.

Some comments from our delegates

“An amazing course. I loved how accessible it was. I could work in the evenings/ weekends/ holidays etc. It fitted around my workload easily as there are no formal deadlines apart from the one a year on from when you start. As everyone’s workloads are different this is ideal. There were no university visits so no time off of work. The website was easy to use and navigate around. My Tutor was fantastic, and always available for support. I would really recommend booking a course with Real Training.” – Sarah Phillips, NASENCO

“It is an excellent organisation which will help you advance in terms of your personal development, knowledge and understanding whilst providing all the support you may require, want or need.” – Daniel Smith, AAC Online

“I have recommended Real training to several colleagues from the North east who are in the process of completing this accreditation.” – Dawn Ablewhite, CCET Intensive

“The tutoring I have received through Real Training has been far superior to that during my undergraduate degree or masters both of which were face to face not distance learning. My tutor has been encouraging and supportive throughout and offered really clear feedback. Overall it has been brilliant! With the support of my tutor I have had everything I needed to complete this course. I loved how easy everything was and how varied the online journals etc there were for you to access. It was also so lovely to have an online community. It’s a brilliant way to complete the task especially if you’re a parent. Very supportive tutors and community.” – Ella Browning, NASENCO

If you are thinking of enrolling on a course with us, either for the first time or a returning delegate, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on +44 (0)1273 35 80 80 or contact us here.

This week is the UK Children’s Mental Health Week. Set up by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, UK Children’s Mental Health Week aims to bring to the national attention the importance of children and young people’s mental health. For 2020, the theme is ‘Find your Brave’ and the organisers will be asking everyone to think about what makes them feel brave, what bravery means to them and tips for young people on how to be brave.

Understanding Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs within your educational setting

According to Place2Be, around one in three children in every primary school class has a mental health difficulty, and many others struggle with challenges including bullying and bereavement. The issue has never been more apparent with the rise in importance of social media in the lives of young people. Having the theoretical understanding and practical skills to make a positive difference to young people with mental health challenges has become very desirable in educational settings. Fortunately, these topics and more are covered in our module; Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH). This 30 masters-level credits module is available as part of our Masters in Leading Inclusive Education (MALIE) Programme, and our Master of Education in Special Educational Needs & Disability (MEd SEND) programme.

SEMH & MALIE

MALIE is an exciting, distance-learning pathway for education professionals from all phases and settings, who wish to progress into leadership roles or to develop their leadership skills, in the crucial area of inclusion. Developing inclusive education practice to support the needs of all learners is one of the most important challenges facing education professionals today. The programme includes the completion of two 30 masters-credit modules from a choice of six, of which Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) is one. The MALIE Programme aims to develop your skills and confidence to enable you to lead inclusive practice in your setting, allowing you to create a safe, supportive learning environment for students with special mental health needs.

SEMH & MEd SEND

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) is also available as a skills & knowledge module in our award-winning SEND programme. This module has been designed to develop your understanding of social, emotional and mental health needs, understand the skills that you need to use to make a positive difference to your setting, and develop the essential knowledge of the latest policies, theories, and research. Completion of this module along with the Evidence and Pedagogy for Inclusion module leads to the Postgraduate Certificate SEND: Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs, or you can take the 30 masters-level credits to work towards a Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) or MEd SEND (180 credits).