Trent Vineyard in Nottingham became the venue for a special day of enhanced workplace training for 1100 school staff, ranging from site managers to head teachers, who travelled from across the region for the event.

Aimed at promoting leadership and enhancing workplace skills, staff accessed a plethora of workshops employing the latest research to assist in delivering the most effective educational experience for children.

The ‘inset’ event was organised by The Flying High Partnership (FHP), a primary only multi-academy trust (MAT), excelling in the ranks of the MAT League Tables countrywide when compared to similar MATs with twenty or more schools.
Latest published results show that the multi-academy trust, founded in Cotgrave in 2012, is the 3rd best performing MAT in the country for combined outcomes, 6th for writing progress and 2nd for both reading and maths progress. For children recognised as disadvantaged it was the 4th highest attaining trust in the country for combined outcomes at KS2, the 2nd highest performing for reading progress, 7th for writing and 3rd for maths.

The event welcomed experts from across the region to share their expertise and closed with an inspiring speech given by Musharaf Asghar, affectionately known as ‘Mushy’ who shot to fame and into the hearts of the viewing public on the show ‘Educating Yorkshire’.

He said, “I wanted to talk about the power of education and the power of teachers. How my teachers played a pivotal role in my life and helped me in overcoming a speech impediment which I had as a teenager. I feel teachers don’t always get the recognition they truly deserve. You don’t hear people looking back after many years and thanking their teachers and I am in a fortunate position to be able to do that. I want teachers to see the impact they can have in a student’s life. I want every member of staff here to know just how important they are, and how important they can be. I was shown a sense of warmth and love by my teachers, and I think that aspect shouldn’t be overlooked in schools. It’s the reason I found this voice of mine.”

Claire Stirland (Flying High Partnership Director of Education), addressing the audience spoke of the aims of the day and importance of continued training for staff. “It is crucial to make the most of opportunities that will help us be the best versions of ourselves; because of the positive impact this will have on our children. Of course, we are delighted at our results in the Multi Academy Trust comparison tables, but it is important to remind ourselves that those figures represent children. They represent children who, due to the care, personal development and quality of education they have received in our schools, are now in a strong position to access their secondary education. Let’s break down barriers for every single one of our children, so that their potential is unlocked, and their achievements continue to be exceptional.”

Founder and CEO of The Flying High Partnership, Chris Wheatley, said the event was an opportunity for staff to learn from experts, keynote speakers and each other. “The event has been a great success, and we are grateful to all of our experts and speakers for sharing their knowledge and time to develop the skills we need to change the lives of children for the better.
“This year’s programme saw staff from every role within schools, come together to shape the future of education, accessing further training in their own disciplines, and exploring ways in which we can all unlock the potential of every child we care for. We are all aware that we have a short time to positively change the lives of each and every child who attends our schools, and this event is crucial to ensure that staff can develop their craft and support each other to be the best.”