Education Durham is school support and improvement team established for more than 25 years as part of Durham local authority. It offers evidence-based, consistent, high-quality support for leaders and staff at every level in schools, academies, and other educational institutions regionally, nationally, and internationally.
What we offer
We offer a full range of support which can be accessed through our Partner SLA. In acknowledgement that one-size does not fit all we also will build bespoke SLAs on request. During times when demands on limited funding are increasing, it is hoped that this approach will enable our partners to purchase services varying from light-touch to intensive, with confident assurance of value for money.
The team you will be working with has a proven track record and can respond to specific and detailed requests across a wide range of training and development needs. All remain fully skilled and up to date with education and inspection developments, and the team includes Senior Secondary Leaders with direct leadership experience, including head teacher experience, and national and international experience and accreditation of delivering CPD to the highest professional standards.
Each SLA is offered annually to schools, academies and other institutions, and generally runs over a financial year 1 April to 31 March.
Restrictions
Partners cannot invite staff from non-partner schools to attend training arranged through the SLA.
Options available
Full Partner
- Full leadership and curriculum support programme – access to a full year-round programme of face-to-face and virtual professional learning, published in advance and constantly updated as local and national priorities emerge. A service level agreement guarantees one place on every event, bookable in advance at no additional cost. Content from evidence-based regional and national perspectives is delivered by acknowledged educational specialists mainly in linked series of professional learning events. Termly subject networks, covering the entire curriculum, are sequential and thematically linked. Conferences and events included within the SLA highlight priorities such as attendance and inclusion. SLA holders have early-bird access for all other Education Durham projects, conferences, and events.
- In-school support - 12 hours of tailored in-school support. Hours can be used for all forms of in-school support from a range of Education Durham specialists including external consultants. For those requiring more than 12 hours in-school support, additional hours can be purchased at reduced rates (detailed below) for SLA holders.
- Leadership briefings - at least termly briefings for head teachers and deputies. Termly networks for senior leaders.
- Ofsted readiness - support and advice is on hand prior to Ofsted visits and during inspection. This includes on-site support if appropriate, at no additional cost.
- Appointments - support with head teacher appointments from an experienced adviser, either using available hours of in-school support (above) or additional purchase of hours as required (service not available to organisations without this SLA).
- Attendance and inclusion – in addition to a termly event highlighting local and national priorities, SLA holders can access additional support with managing and improving attendance, including advice/guidance relating to statutory duties.
- Some support components are available to SLA holders but at an additional cost: examples - reviews; educational visits co-ordinator training; safer recruitment.
Please note: organisations that do not hold an SLA with Education Durham wishing to access support will be charged at a significantly higher rate. In some cases, services and events will be unavailable to organisations without a full Education Durham SLA.
Affiliate SLA
A reduced service level agreement for schools not requiring the full offer:
- Full leadership and curriculum support programme – as per full partner, but with limited “no-cost” access to some conferences, events and projects otherwise included in the full SLA.
- In-school support – 3 hours of in-school support. Hours can be used for all forms of in-school support from a range of Education Durham specialists including external consultants. An affiliate SLA allows the organisation to book further in-school support hours as required, for an additional but reduced cost (see below).
- Ofsted readiness - support and advice relating to expected Ofsted visits and during inspection.
- Appointments - should you require support with head teacher appointments, having an affiliate SLA enables you to secure time from an experienced Leadership Adviser (dependent on availability) at an additional cost per day or half-day. This support is not available to organisations without an Education Durham SLA.
- Leadership briefings – at least termly briefings for head teachers and deputies.
- Attendance and Inclusion – termly events for all schools, highlighting local/national priorities.
- Some support components are available to Affiliate SLA holders but at an additional cost: Examples - reviews; educational visits co-ordinator training; safer recruitment.
In-school contracts can be raised to address identified needs, as required.
Please note: organisations that do not hold an SLA with Education Durham wishing to access support will be charged at a significantly higher rate. In some cases, services and events will be unavailable to organisations without a full Education Durham SLA.