Title: Bringing history to life in the classroom: An exploration of how the study of visual and aural artefacts can give voice to the forgotten and disenfranchised.

Presenter: Alison Morgan

Bio: Alison Morgan is an associate professor and head of secondary teacher education at the University of Warwick. Following completion of her PhD on Shelley's Peterloo poems in 2012, Alison has continued to research in the field of radical poetry and song in the long nineteenth century and has published a range of work, including a monograph, Ballads and Songs of Peterloo, in 2018. Currently, Alison is researching the life and work of John Stafford, a working-class balladeer from Lancashire and has recently written a book chapter on Staffords™ contribution to electoral culture which will be published next year.

Outline: This session begins by considering how the theories of feminism and historicism can be used to enhance and support learning. Using Alison's research into the Peterloo massacre of 1819 as a case study, trainees will explore a range of visual and aural artefacts through feminist and historicist lenses, discussing how they can be deployed effect learner engagement.

Suitable for: Secondary

WTV: Social Justice

Supplementary materials:

Presentation slides

Title: Creative thinking: the cement in between the blocks of the writing process.

Presenter: Adrian Copping

Bio: I have been involved in teaching for over 25 years, as a primary practitioner, senior leader, curriculum leader and teacher educator. I taught in two contrasting primary schools in the North-west of England, mainly working with Years 3-6. Over the years my research interests have varied, including reflective practice, talk to scaffold learning and more latterly creative thinking and how it impacts writing. I currently lead the University of Cumbria's range of primary PGCE programmes, teach undergraduate and postgraduate modules and mentor PhD students.

Outline: This talk draws out some key implications for primary teachers in their teaching of English, particularly writing. Within it, I make some evidence-based assumptions about the challenges children face when writing. One of these challenges I think is that the children in your class are not inside your head as you are planning. Whether you are using a scheme, published resources or planning from scratch, you will be designing the learning process, creating connections in your head between your shared reading and writing, your modelling and their writing and to you it all makes sense. But to the children it may not. To your learners, the incredible connected design that you have created for their learning may well just be a series of unrelated tasks to be completed and hopefully get right. In other words, they are blocks that are not joined together. In order to get the most from the learning and make it make sense your learners need to be able to connect those blocks with the cement of creative thinking.

Facilitator: Holly Heshmati

Suitable for: Primary

WTV: Creativity

Title: Is the SPELL Framework as Magical as it Sounds? Exploring Its Effectiveness in Supporting Autistic Students.

Presenter: Grace Muirhead

Bio: As a Psychology graduate, I am passionate about applying psychological principles in educational settings to support children and young people, fostering inclusive, positive, and healthy school environments. My experience includes working in support roles within primary and specialist education, particularly with children on the autism spectrum and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). While working as a learning mentor in an autism-specialist school, I completed the PGCert in Professional Education at the University of Warwick.

Outline: This presentation will consider my research into the effectiveness of the SPELL framework in supporting autistic students in educational settings. SPELL, which stands for Structure, Positive Expectations and Approaches, Empathy, Low Arousal, and Links, is a framework developed by the National Autistic Society to guide best practice for understanding and responding to the needs of autistic students.

Facilitator: Emily Davies

Suitable for: Primary

WTV: Intellectual Curiosity

Supplementary materials:

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Title: The development of a competency framework for Designated Safeguarding leads in Education.

Presenter: Nicola Law

Bio: Nicola has worked in the field of safeguarding for 20 years, with the last 15 years in Education. Nicola has experience leading safeguarding across five different Multi-Academy Trusts, covering primary, secondary and special schools. Nicola is passionate about preventative practice, working with children and building relationships with families, having started out as a family support worker and parenting practitioner. The role of the Designated Safeguarding lead is a critical role in education and having co-produced a competency framework for DSL’s, aims to further develop understanding and practice across the sector.

Outline: Having worked as a safeguarding lead in education for the last 15 years, I have experienced first hand how the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the responsibilities of the DSL have grown exponentially, however I have also experienced the challenges due to deficits in the development of practice standards or quality assured training to equip safeguarding leads effectively and consistently in education. This has resulted in different conceptualisations of the role and significantly variable practice. Having focussed my research on the development of competency frameworks and comparator competency frameworks in other sectors, such as in social care, I have co-produced The DSL standards with the aim to address these challenges in part and support the development of qualification routes for DSL's.

Facilitator: Jonty Leese

Suitable for: All trainees

WTV: Social Justice, Intellectual Curiosity, Creativity.

Supplementary materials:

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Title: Teacher Training Experiences and Observations of Homophobia in Boys' Secondary Physical Education: Attitudes, Responses, and Strategies for Intervention.

Presenter: Simon Dougherty

Bio: I am a Senior Lecturer in Secondary Physical Education at Edge Hill University. Currently lecturing on the ITE Secondary Physical Education PGCE with QTS programme, having started my career teaching in the Secondary sector, specialising in Physical Education. I have 15 years of experience teaching the 11– 18 age range in a range of comprehensive schools, holding middle leadership positions in Lancashire and Merseyside. Having made the move to Higher Education, I have become an early career researcher and I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Outline:

The research is currently ongoing in preparation towards an MA Education dissertation with the intention of continuing this area of study beyond the submission. Physical education for secondary school boys will be scrutinized in it’s delivery, culture and attitudes of the subject and through the eyes and experiences of PGCE PE trainee teachers who will be embedded within school PE departments, therefore drawing on their observations, lived experiences and perceptions of homophobia within boys physical education. The outcome of the research will aim to produce strategies for combatting any injustice identified through the data collection.

Facilitator: Kate Hamer

Suitable for: All trainees

WTV: Social Justice

Supplementary materials:

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Title: Trainee teacher research in Early Reading (SSP) Intervention: A two-fold study considering the potential impact of the intervention and trainee perspectives on engaging with research during a PGCE.

Presenter: Kirsty Weeks (Associate Professor at CTE), Jo Dobb (Assistant Professor at CTE ), Molly Stronge, Grace Thomas.

Bio: Jo and Kirsty have worked at CTE for over 10 years. Jo is the school-lead for the Primary PGCE, previously having led the Primary English Programme which she continues to teach on. Kirsty heads the International Programmes having previously led Early Years Programmes at warwick. Jo and Kirsty have extensive experience teaching SSP in primary schools. Kirsty was a SSP consultant and moderator for the Warwickshire Local Authority and Jo was a Local Authority Moderator.

Outline: This talk will be of interest to anyone concerned with supporting early reading for primary aged pupils; anyone engaging in collaborative small scale research or anyone considering applying for IATL funding.

Suitable for: All trainees

WTV: Social Justice

Supplementary materials: Presentation slides, Link opens in a new windowPosterLink opens in a new window

Title: Becoming an expert teacher - how to develop your professional teacher knowledge

Presenter: Will Haywood (Assistant Professor at CTE)

Bio: Will is the subject lead for science across the secondary PGCE, digital and iQTS courses. He also works as an academic developer supporting the development of new lecturers to the university. Will has also worked as an international curriculum design consultant and before joining the University of Warwick he was a secondary science teacher.

Outline: We will consider what makes an expert teacher and how teachers develop expertise. In particular, we will explore the Knowledge Quartet framework and how it can be used to look beyond the procedural elements of the classroom and focus on what is being taught and how it is being taught. We will consider how you can build your professional teacher knowledge in a deliberate way and analyse how it is expressed in the classroom. The session is draw from my MSc research project, and the key research in the field of teacher knowledge and expertise.

Suitable for: All trainees

WTV: Social Justice, Intellectual Curiosity, Creativity

Title: The First Steps Towards Creating an Anti-Racist Education Department: Curriculum, Pedagogy and Organisational Structures.

Presenter: Emily Davies

Bio: Emily Davies is an Assistant Professor at CTE.

Outline:

This presentation explores anti-racist practices in Initial Teacher Education, addressing disparities in representation and training. Following George Floyd's murder in 2020 and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it examines experiences of Black, Asian, and Global Majority (BAGM) student teachers. Using the Anti-Racism Framework (2022), the Centre for Teacher Education launched a project in 2023 focusing on curriculum, pedagogy, and structures. Early actions include auditing admissions and attainment data and implementing inclusive assessments. With BAGM pupils comprising over 35% of school students but only 10% of teachers, this initiative aims to close the awarding gap and foster equity.

Suitable for: All trainees

Title: 365-day teacher wellbeing. Fantasy or reality?

Presenter: Georgina Newton (Associate Professor at CTE)

Bio: Having researched what motivates teachers to quit and what should be done to keep them, Georgina has a developed understanding of teacher well-being, school culture, and retention. She has spoken in Parliament on this topic and advised the DFE prior to the release of the Teacher Wellbeing Charter. An experienced teacher herself, she offers practical tips and research-informed principles for prioritising your own well-being in the busy world of teaching.

Outline: In this workshop, Georgina will introduce a new international trainee teacher wellbeing toolkit and facilitate discussion and reflection on your first term in teaching.

Title: Feedback not marking!

Presenter: Liz Pyne

Bio: I have been teaching for 27 years in the state and independent sector. Over that time my focus has always been teaching and learning and I have led numerous initiatives across Coventry schools and with Warwick University. My research into educational pedagogy is varied, but my passion is to provide pupils will the best possible opportunities to make progress in the classroom. My time at Princethorpe College has been instrumental in furthering my research into effective feedback. This was documented in my article 'Feedback is an act of love' which was published by the Chartered College in July 2024.

Outline: What is the difference between marking and feedback? This session will explore the current research about what makes effective feedback in the classroom. It will also be full of tips on how to manage workload as a busy teacher but simultaneously continue to offer the best possible feedback and support for pupils.

Facilitator: Mark Harris

Suitable for: Secondary

WTV: Intellectual Curiosity

Title: Listen up!

Presenter: Sally Edwards

Bio: Sally Edwards is a Primary Trust Lead at Castle Phoenix Trust, working across three primary schools in Coventry to improve the life chances of their students. With a background as a deputy headteacher and English lead, Sally has extensive experience working across a range of primary and all-through schools. She is passionate about learning, with a particular focus on language acquisition, speech development, the unspoken rules of talk, the importance of reading and being read to and current research that should shape education. She is driven by her belief that every child has the right to an excellent education.

Outline:

"It's like I'm talking to a brick wall today!" "I'll wait... I've got all day." "If I have to repeat myself one more time...!" Sound familiar?! In this fun, practical workshop, we'll turn those classic frustrations into real solutions by focusing on active listening as the key to improving oracy, boosting engagement and managing behaviour. With easy-to implement, tiny tweaks to your practice, you'll learn how to secure the attention of your students, keep your students actively involved in their learning and create a space where everyone's tuned in!

Facilitator: Anna Donnelly

Suitable for: All

WTV: Social Justice