...professional training services

Education

Education for teachers

spark Training specialises in programmes for schools. We understand the challenges faced by teachers in schools today and can tailor make courses to meet your staff's development needs.

FISH! For Schools for Teachers

Charlotte and Jacqueline are licensed to deliver the FISH! philosophy into schools.

FISH! works equally well with students, support staff, teachers and lecturers in schools and colleges. FISH! is used as a motivational tool to develop positive, empowering environments for learning and work through four simple practises:

Be There
Play
Make Their Day
Choose Your Attitude

The FISH! philosophy stems from the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, where staff work long hours in the cold and still have a fantastic, now world famous, approach to work.

FISH! For Schools helps create richer, more effective learning cultures, re-energising, inspiring and motivating individuals to be more positive in both their personal and professional lives. FISH! combines research-based, staff-development materials, innovative classroom exercises and live learning experiences tailored to the needs of leaders, teachers, support staff and students.

Based on the original FISH! philosophy, FISH! For Schools helps build:

positive energy
personal responsibility and internal motivation for staff and students
rewarding relationships
positive classroom management
a safe and playful learning community
conflict-resolution skills

For more information see www.fishphilosophy.com.

Leadership and Management Skills

To identify and consolidate the skills required for effective management practice. Aimed at team leaders, department heads, year heads and senior management. 1 Day Course.

Stress and Time Management

How to recognise and effectively deal with the effects of stress and time constraints in a demanding environment. Aimed at Form Teachers, deliverers of PSHE, and staff with a management responsibility. 1 Day Course.

Drama in Education

To practically explore drama conventions through two schemes of work. Focusing on key stages relevant to the delegates needs. Aimed at KS1 and KS2 teachers and English and Drama teachers at Secondary. 1 Day Course.

Presentation Skills

This course focuses on effective, dynamic delivery whilst recognising and appealing to the four learning styles. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

Assertiveness Training

Dealing with difficult situations in a positive, assertive manner and an insight into behaviour types. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

The Four Generations

A thought provoking workshop that can impact on how you motivate staff in school and pupils in the classroom. A highly participative and interesting workshop underpinned by innovative research on the Four Generations. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

Change Management

This programme motivates individuals, enables a positive attitude towards change and reviews the practice of the management of change. Take home the innovative "Who moved my cheese" text. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

Effective Meetings

This course explores the components of effective meetings including preparation, chairing the meeting and providing a formal record. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

Coaching and Mentoring

A participative course designed to build excellent communication skills for coaching and mentoring. Aimed at form teachers, mentors, year heads and senior management. 1 Day Course.

Negotiation Skills

This course will enable delegates to develop techniques in practical negotiation and influencing skills, increasing their ability to control and direct events towards a successful agreement. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

Project Management

The course is suitable for those who wish to develop their understanding of project management and for those requiring practical skills for project management within their work. Aimed at all staff. 1 Day Course.

Evaluation comments from teachers who have attended previous courses:

"This course was very useful for preparing myself for my role as Head of Department. The strategies discussed have given me focus and lots of ideas with which to feed back to both my department and school."

"An excellent course which has provided me with a great number of tools to use back at school. Presentation was excellent. A lot to take away and reflect upon. Very motivating."

"This has been a very active course in which discussions have been a useful focus for the teaching input."

"Very relevant practical tips and advice."

LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS AND PUPILS

As experienced teachers we are in the best possible position to deliver dynamic, inspirational workshops into schools, whatever your pupils needs may be.

FISH! For Schools for students and pupils

Charlotte and Jacqueline are licensed to deliver the FISH! philosophy into schools.

FISH! Philosophy is used as a motivational tool, to develop a positive, empowering environment for learning and work through four simple practises:

Be There
Play
Make Their Day
Choose Your Attitude

This philosophy stems from the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, where staff work long hours in the cold and still have a fantastic, now world famous, approach to work.

FISH! For Schools helps create richer, more effective learning cultures, producing more employability and enterprise skills in students. It is particularly well-suited to students in KS4 and Sixth Formers. FISH! combines research-based, staff-development materials, innovative classroom exercises and live learning experiences tailored to the needs of leaders, teachers, support staff and students.

Based on the original FISH! Philosophy, FISH! For Schools helps build:

development of the "whole student" as an engaged learner
rewarding relationships
positive classroom management
personal responsibility and internal motivation for staff and students
a safe and playful learning community
respect for diversity
conflict-resolution skills

For more information see www.fishphilosophy.com.

EMPLOYABILITY AND ENTERPRISE WORKSHOPS

These workshops focus on the skills needed in the workplace, carefully honing enterprising skills in a way that will benefit pupils in all Key Stages. Through participation in dramatised tales, pupils work together in teams using problem solving skills, developing negotiation techniques and working positively with others in order to move the whole group towards a common goal.

The skills encouraged during participation in the workshops include: Self knowledge, competitiveness, problem solving, idea generation, communication, working with others, managing situations, presentation skills, planning, decision making and time management.

Suitable for KS1, KS2 and KS3.

TEAM BUILD SESSIONS

Looking at some aspects of the ACRO Model of Entrepreneurship such as COMPETITIVENESS, PROBLEM SOLVING, COMMUNICATION, WORKING WITH OTHERS, NEGOTIATION and DECISION MAKING.

By the end of the session the pupils will:

Have worked as part of a team competing with other teams
Understand that competitive behaviour is a good thing and important in the world in which they live
Have some insight into what their individual strengths within a team might be
Have had an opportunity to build team dynamic
Understand what makes a successful team
Gain some understanding of how successful teams impact in the world of work

Suitable for KS3, KS4 and post 16.

EXAM STRESS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS

This course is aimed specifically at students experiencing the stress of examinations. Teaching students to recognise and deal with the effects of anxiety and stress more effectively. The workshops challenge negative thinking patterns, equipping students with coping strategies to reduce panic and manage anxiety during revision and examinations and develop a positive attitude to exams.

Suitable for KS4 and post 16.

'twinkle twinkle, little spark'
Drama workshops for schools

Let children experience a 'hands on' approach to learning, with lively and creative workshops.

We can build workshops to fit your specific curriculum needs. A selection of workshops, which we have written for other schools, is outlined below.

THE FOREST CHILD

A drama based on the book by Richard Edwards

This enchanting workshop brings to life the magical story of a wild child raised in the forest by animals. Who will rescue her when she is captured by the cruel hunter? Through exploration of this hauntingly beautiful tale of friendship, children learn to work as a team, to negotiate and to resolve conflict.

Suitable for KS2

A TASTE OF AFRICA

A drama and dance workshop based on the book "Handa's Surprise" by Eileen Browne.

What does a guava smell, taste and feel like? What songs do Kenyan's sing? What dances do they perform? What do they call a giraffe? Through a lively and sensory exploration of a different culture, the children will learn traditional Kenyan chants and dances, as well as learning about the animals and fruits of the country.

Suitable for KS1.

ANTI-BULLYING

These popular workshops look at positive ways of addressing bullying. How can I stand up to bullies and change their behaviour?

Suitable for KS2, KS3 and KS4.

THE RAINS

Using a traditional African story from Ghana, children explore issues of fairness, justice and compassion.

Suitable for KS2.

AN INDIAN TALE

This workshop teaches the children Indian hand gestures used in traditional dance and uses drama and music to explore a traditional Indian folk tale, based on the book "The Tiger Child" by Joanna Troughton.