HPL Updates

HPL Update

01 November 2023

Call out for Peer Accreditors 2024!

The time of year is fast approaching when we put a call out to offer the opportunity for Principals of our World Class Schools within the FGC, to experience the role of Peer Accreditor and support the accreditation of our schools completing the final year of their pathway programmes in 2024. Accrediting schools appreciate the expertise of a principal who has already been through WCSA adoption and understands how to view HPL in action. In previous years, Accreditors have also found this to be an enjoyable and beneficial experience: 

“…Seeing other outstanding schools up close provides the perfect opportunity to view education anew, to refuel with new ideas, to clarify or refresh your vision, ready to lead your school forward through the next round of school development”.

Kendall Peet, Principal, International British School of Bucharest (IBSB)

To be considered for this role, in the first instance, Michelle Bradbury would need your Expression of interest by email, and confirmation from the outset of your availability to attend the compulsory online training courses, as detailed below, hosted by Melanie Saunders, Chief Education Adviser, HPL. 

You should also be aware that you will be required to review portfolio material and carry out an on-site visit which will fall at some time during the Accreditation window of 29th April to 17th June 2024.

Have you used AI to enhance outcomes? Have you accepted AI as a final outcome? Do you think AI stops students imaginative thinking?

Join in on Claire Smith's subject community forum from GEMs Wellington International School. Claire's latest post delves into AI.

"As we move into this progressive world, the use of AI is developing daily and hourly in many situations. As an art teacher, I have been asked about AI and if work that has been generated online could be used for portfolio work. Developing student meta-thinking skills through the use of AI I feel is incredibly powerful but is using AI fine to be used as a final outcome in Art? Have you used AI to enhance outcomes? Have you accepted AI as a final outcome? Do you think AI stops students imaginative thinking?"

Have your say and join in this interesting discussion.

Are you a Science or Maths Expert?

This is a call out to Science and Maths Leads. We are looking for subject community leaders for Maths and Science. You would be leading the HPL community discussion about HPL in your subject. Create a lively community and inform others. Those interested to contact Mark Tomlins.

Pathway Programmes Linking-Up Meetings

Heads/ Principals and HPL Leads don't miss out to mingle with like-minded individuals! Register and save the dates for upcoming WCSA and HPSA (Year 1) Linking Up Meetings. 

Dates for November 2023:

• 7th November - 11am (UK Time) - WCSA Year 1 (Heads/Principals) - Register here for this meeting
• 8th November - 11am (UK Time) - WCSA Year 1 - (HPL Leads) - Register here for this meeting
• 14th November - 11am (UK Time) - HPSA Year 1 - (Heads/ Principals) - Register here for this meeting
  
• 15th November - 11am (UK Time) - HPSA Year 1 - (HPL Leads) - Register here for this meeting

This update's Big Question

Can we create positive schools from the inside out? Could this be achieved through shifting our energies from “teaching wellbeing” to building “well communities”? 

What does this look like in your subject or phase? Head to your subject community and discuss it with like-minded individuals.

Teacher Certification Award Scheme 2023 - 2024 

FGC teachers and HPSA middle leaders can now register for the Teacher Certification Award Scheme of: 

• HPL Teacher (FGC only) 
• HPL Expert Teacher (FGC only) 
• HPL Teacher Leader (FGC and HPSA only)  

Registrations: 

• For FGC colleagues, please find the registration form here. The deadline for registrations is Friday, 1st December 2023. 

• For HPSA colleagues, please register candidates for the HPL Teacher Leader Award, by confirming the number and names (in full) of candidates with your Associate by Friday, 1st December 2023.

Baseline Impact Survey - All New Schools Only

Please be reminded that the Baseline Impact Survey period closes on Monday, 6th November at 9 am (UK Time).

These surveys provide valuable information about the views and attitudes of key members of your school community. Please do encourage as many people as possible within your school community to participate by taking the brief survey. This will provide a better analysis when the survey window closes on 4th December 2023. If you have any questions around this, please contact Michelle Bradbury.

Command Task Magic Encounters Competition with the Inspirational Development Group (IDG) has been EXTENDED!

This is a friendly reminder to sign up your students for the Command Task Competition with IDG by Friday, 17th November 2023. The deadline has been extended, thereafter, registration closes. 

Please complete the attached entry form and send it to IDG as soon as possible at magicencounters@inspirationaldg.com 

After signing up, teachers will be sent the competition requirements, rules, and marking criteria. They are looking forward to seeing your students' submissions!

We have three Magic Encounters Competitions running simultaneously, click on the orange links to find out more.

• IDG's Command Task Competition 
• The Economist Educational Foundation Topical Talk Competition 
• 8billionideas World Changers Competition

HPL AT THE 30th FOBISIA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE - SHANGRI-LA KUALA LAMPUR

3 - 5 November 2023 

We're thrilled to be speaking at the FOBISIA 30th Leadership Conference this week. If you're there, don't miss out on #HPL Founder and Chair, Professor Deborah Eyre's workshop on Connecting your School Vision to the Classroom at 1:45pm on 4 November.

HPL 5th Annual Conference 2024 - 20th and 21st March 2024 

Connecting Vision to the Classroom

Join us for two days of inspiring and challenging presentations, dynamic workshops and discussions for school leaders on achieving High Performance and the continuing journey towards everyone becoming a high performer. School leaders interested in strengthening their teaching and learning will leave our annual conference with new and innovative ideas, reflections on their own practices and great memories of coming together with colleagues from across the global community of HPL Schools and beyond.

Our 5th Annual Conference will focus on the critical role HPL plays in connecting the visions of school leaders with the real-world classroom. 

We are delighted to bring the HPL family together again and unite to answer questions including: 

• How do you engage staff with your vision and values? 
• How do you transform culture for the better? 
• How does HPL turn vision into reality in context?

Upcoming FGC Webinar

Explore the Evidence: Student Grouping with Melanie Saunders 

16 November 2023 | 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. (UK time)

During this session colleagues will discuss the paper by Wiliam & Bartolomew (2001). It’s not which school but which set you’re in that matters: the influence of ability-grouping practices on student progress in mathematics. 

Register for this session below. Please note that places are limited for these sessions. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session.

Please follow the below link to access the suggested reading. It isn't necessary to have read all the materials before attending the session, but it would be helpful if participants had read the discussion paper by Dylan Williams and Hannah Bartholomew and Melanie's blog. The additional papers relate to research on a range of aspects of the setting debate and provide interesting further reading. This is a discussion group which will explore the evidence about student grouping and provide an opportunity to reflect on its implications and exchange views. 

We looked forward to welcoming you to the session on 16 November 2023.

FGC Programme Round Up

Creating the conditions for effective dialogue with colleagues as you lead practice in an HPL school with Nicholas McKie

Last week we were thrilled to welcome Nicholas McKie to the Fellowship and Global Community to deliver an insightful webinar on ‘Creating the conditions for effective dialogue with colleagues as you lead practice in an HPL school’.

To revisit or access the presentations and recordings, please follow the below link.

HPL in Primary Schools with Mark Tomlins 

We were also delighted to welcome colleagues to the Sector Network: HPL in primary schools hosted by Mark Tomlins.

If you have missed the sector network meeting, you can access the recording below.

Congratulations to Durham School for Girls Doha who were selected as a Microsoft Showcase School for the the third year in a row! We are extremely proud of all learners and staff at DSGD!

We would like to spotlight the learners in Years 7-9 at St Lawrence College, as they took part in High Performance Learning (HPL) skills mornings that challenged their creativity and teamwork. The HPL Skills Day was planned to provide a unique opportunity for pupils to step outside their comfort zones and engage in hands-on, experiential learning. With a strong focus on practising key HPL skills, these events have provided a first foundation for learners to develop as independent learners as the academic year progresses. This is incredible. Let's continue embedding the #HPLSkills inside and outside the classroom #EveryoneCan 

We are pleased to announce that Two Year 11 teams from Scholars International Academy participated in the Curtin Dubai Business Challenge Cup 2023, focusing on nanotechnology. They tackled case studies online, proposing solutions to impact UN SDGs like Zero Hunger, Clean Water, Good Health, and Biodiversity.

One of the teams was among the top 10 after the preliminary rounds. Learners used HPL values all through out their 3 week journey:

• Imagination to propose viable innovative measures for the sustainability goals
• Critical Thinking to reason and provide supporting evidence to show their suggested method is cost effective
• Flexible Thinking for their 40 second pitch
• They were Collaborative, Confident and Creative while doing their research, writing their 2000 word reports and making submissions on time.