HPL Updates

HPL Update

7 February 2024

Professor Deborah Eyre | 40 Outstanding Global Women 2023

Congratulations to Professor Deborah Eyre for being featured on the list of top Outstanding Global Women 2023! It’s our role and that of schools to nurture young minds and create global citizens who can meet the demands of a rapidly changing world! Read the full article below.

HPL at #CISCConference

We had a wonderful time at the Catholic Independent Schools' Conference last week in Wales, where our founder Deborah Eyre was a panelist for a hosted conversation on 'Sustaining the Spirit in the Mission of Catholic Education Mission Context – the way forward'.

We are also happy to share that Global Education Director, Russel Ellicott hosted a workshop on 'Translating a Catholic Vision to the classroom'. During the conference, we had the pleasure of seeing 5 of our High Performance Learning schools. 

A special thank you to:

• Charlotte Avery from St Mary's School, Cambridge
• Matthew Burke from St Edward's School, Cheltenham
• Matthew Mostyn from St Edmund's College & Prep School
• Joe Smith from St Benedict's School
• Richard Hester of Misks Schools, Saudi Arabia. 

It is always lovely to catch up and hear about the impact that we are having in your schools.

HPL in the UAE

It was a privilege to visit GEMS Founders School Dubai on Monday. One of our World Class High Performance Learning schools. Our founder, Deborah Eyre, visited the school and met with staff and HPL student ambassadors who offered insights into how the framework is transforming the school. Thank you to all the staff at GEMS Founders School for such a wonderful visit.

Sign up today and benefit from these enriching HPL CPD!

Strategies for Normalising High Performance in your Department or Phase 

28 February 2024 | 9.30 am to 4.00 pm (UK Time) 
£180 + VAT per delegate 

This full-day course is aimed at subject leaders and heads of department working in an HPL school. It is designed to: Support those newly promoted to subject leadership in an HPL school to understand the cultural change needed and how to lead it. Support experienced subject leaders in an HPL school to reflect on their leadership of high performance and how to optimise it in classrooms. 

Email: getintouch@highperformancelearning.co.uk to register now!

Invitation to the High Performance Learning Annual Conference 2024

We are thrilled to extend a formal invitation to the prestigious High Performance Learning Annual Conference 2024, a gathering of innovative minds and thought leaders in the field of education.

• Date: 20th-21st March 
• Location: Warwick Conference Centre, UK

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?

HPL International Research Schools – Consultation

The designation of HPL International Research Schools is being developed at the request of FGC schools, and would be open to any HPL accredited school for whom teacher research is part of school culture, and where the use of evidence is intentionally foregrounded as integral to the school’s continuous development. 

The community of HPL International Research Schools will help us all to continuously develop our understanding of how HPL can and does drive teaching and learning forward. Following on from sharing the HPL International Research Schools – Consultation paper on Tuesday, 23rd January, we would like to thank all of you who have provided your responses, which will form an integral part of developing the scheme further. 

After discussion with recipients, I am delighted to be able to inform you that we have been able to extend the deadline for return of responses to Sunday, 11th February, to allow those who have not yet been able to provide their feedback to share with us. 

Feedback can now be provided either via returning the attached questionnaire to office@highperformancelearning.co.uk, or via completing the interactive form found here.

Are you a Pathway Programme School and interested in attending an FGC event? Now is your chance!

Pathway Programme Schools (WCSA / HPSA) can attend any two FGC Professional Learning events for the year for no additional cost. If you would like to attend any of the FGC events in the link below, please contact Cassey Benito at cassey.benito@highperformancelearning.co.uk. 

The HPL Lead or Headteacher/Principal can request to attend two FGC Taster Events for the academic year on behalf of the academic staff. 

Please ensure that staff members are made aware of these two events. HPL central wants to prevent individual staff members from attending other FGC Events outside of what was agreed upon by the school. 

Please include the following information in the email: 

• Name of event 
• Time of session you would like to attend

Pathway Programmes Linking-Up Meetings

Register and save the dates for upcoming WCSA and HPSA (Year 1) Linking Up Meetings. 

Dates for February 2024: 

• 13th February 2024 - 11am (UK Time) - HPSA Year 1 - (HPL Leads) - Register here for this meeting. 
•  14th February 2024 - 11am (UK Time) - HPSA Year 1 - (Heads/Principals) - Register here for this meeting. 
• 20th February 2024 - 11am (UK Time) - WCSA Year 1 (Heads/Principals) - Register here for this meeting. 
• 21st February 2024 - 11am (UK Time) - WCSA Year 1 - (HPL Leads) - Register here for this meeting. 

Accrediting or Re-Accrediting Schools’ Surveys

The Wave 2 Perception Impact Surveys are now live, with links to each survey issued to Heads and HPL Leads on the 29th of January 2024 for sharing with Staff, Parent, and Student cohorts.

Links will remain live until the 11th of March 2024. These Perception Impact Surveys are a wonderful tool to allow you to chart the impact of HPL within your school, and we encourage you to work towards maximum completion levels wherever possible. 

For any questions or advice on administering the survey, or for any technical queries, please contact Kerri Lyon, Chief Operating Officer at HPL, who will be happy to assist you.

This update's Big Question 

We would like our HPL colleagues from around the world to think about Wellbeing. This is high on all our agendas.

We would specifically like to know:

• What our schools are doing under the title of Wellbeing and,
• How have we used HPL competencies to develop the skills in our pupils to build their wellbeing? 

FGC Spring-Summer Programme Events Round Up

Explore the Evidence | With Students Not to Them | Mark Tomlins 

In the first Spring Explore the Evidence session focused on "Self-directed learning and student-centred learning", these are two key theoretical constructs in the educational literature. 

We explored the article by Morris, T. H., Bremner, N., & Sakata, N. (2023) and looked at three key questions: Firstly, we explored our understanding of each of the terms; then we looked at where the High Performance Learning framework linked to and supported these learning strategies; finally, we looked at our classroom practice, where do we see these and how might we see these in our classrooms. The article compares the two and we discussed this comparison. This was an interesting article that produced an interesting discussion and had many resonances with HPL. 

If you wish to join the next Explore the Evidence session it will be on Enquiry Based Learning with Amy Lilley-Stewart on the 29th of April 2024 at 10.30 am and again at 2.30 pm (UK time).

• Register for 10.30 am or 2.30 pm (UK time) session here.

To watch the recording please select the button below.

Spotlight: Developing a High Performance Culture by Claire Smith, GEMS Wellington International School (WIS)

Last week we welcomed colleagues from across the FGC to the first Spotlight: Developing a High Performance Culture by Claire Smith, GEMS Wellington International School (WIS). It was a privilege to attend and to gain insights into how the VAAs have been embedded into developing a high performance culture at GEMS Wellington International School. Claire's presentation showcased the positive impact that performance management framework has had on staff retention, a sense of belonging and having a shared vision for all students to succeed. 

Sign up for the next Spotlight session on Building High Performance Teams Through Belonging by Peter Mayland and Linda Burrows from Chorley New Road Primary Academy - Albany Learning Trust on the 9th of May 2024 at 1.30 pm - 2.15 pm (UK time) 

Register for 1.30 pm (UK time) session here.

To watch the recording please select the button below.

FGC Spring-Summer Programme 

View the Spring and Summer FGC Professional Learning Programme here.

8BillionIdeas World Changers Magic Encounters Competition

The World Changers Competition is a Magic Encounter that will challenge students to do just that: change the world with their ideas! This competition is aimed at Year 12 and 13. Throughout this competition, students will explore social entrepreneurship, inspiring positive change, and impacting the world around us.

All interested HPL FGC schools will be invited to join the Welcome Webinar on the 27th of February 2024, as 8billionIdeas outlines the competition and discuss what's in store. 

Welcome Webinar: 

Session 1 

27 Feb 2024 at 08:15 am (UK Time) 

Join Zoom Webinar Here

Meeting ID: 770 4439 9533 

Passcode: 4GTHc6 

Session 2 

27 Feb, 2024 at 1 pm (UK Time) 

Join Zoom Webinar Here 

Meeting ID: 773 8477 1022 

Passcode: 8IhvbF

Register here for the World Changers Competition. Winners of the competition will gain access to a skill enhancing workshop with an 8billionideas Mentor. Don't miss out! 

Congratulations to Bedford Girls’ School for ranking as the 14th best all-girls’ independent day school for sport in 2023 in the School Sport Magazine.

Well done to St Edmund’s College and Prep for being shortlisted for the AMCIS 2024 IMPACT Awards for their magical Harry Potter themed taster days.

We are extending our congratulations to Tinados, Sophia and Stephie from Year 9 at Sacred Heart High School who have secured places on the UCL Scholars' Programme 2024-25.

We are delighted to celebrate students at Day Waterman College for achieving merit points for displaying excellent learning habits both in and out of the classroom!