06 NEWS FROM US


THE EXCHANGE


Developing confidence and resilience in teenagers by Ryan Fisher, Journalist


We all want the best for our young people, and one of the greatest gifts we can give them is self-belief – the confidence that they can set their sights high and reach their goals. With this core of confidence, they are more willing to stretch themselves, adopt a growth mindset and engage more in their own learning. They also become more resilient and resourceful, making them better equipped to navigate changes in friendships and home lives and to deal with life’s setbacks. Unfortunately, with all the challenges our young


people face today, such as social media, friendship difficulties, body image issues and sometimes diffi- cult home lives, it can be a real struggle for them to build a core of confidence. Several research reports have highlighted the growing unhappiness of many young people, and a recent survey conducted by the Department for Education showed that 37% of girls reported feeling “unhappy, worthless or unable to concentrate”. To help combat this, Herts for Learning


continues to partner with confidence special- ists Confident Teens®


to offer an innovative


programme for Years 7, 8 and 9 to help them develop self-awareness, self-esteem and high aspirations, so they are in the best position to progress, both personally and academically. The Confident Teens Building Resilience


programme is delivered through a combination of whole-year group talks, small-group work- shops, and an evening talk for parents. Schools such as Hitchin


Girls’ School,


Watford Grammar School, for Girls and Round- wood Park School, have used similar Confident Teens programmes as part of their preventative mental health strategies to support students to develop their confidence, resourcefulness and resilience; and to help address the inherent pres- sures of being a young person today.


“This pupil is much more engaged and willing to try difficult questions” Teacher


The programme has received positive


feedback from pupils, teachers and parents. One teacher said that, as a result of the programme, a pupil was much more engaged and willing to try difficult questions. A Year 8 student who partici- pated in the course said: “I’ve learnt how to value myself and everything about me".


New Managing Director joins HfL


Herts for Learning has appointed Andrew de Csilléry as managing director, with effect from April 2017.


Andrew, who is a Founding Trustee of the Chartered College of Teaching, will be replacing Jan Paine, who has successfully led the business since its launch in September 2013 and will be retiring at Easter.


As well as his role with the Chartered College of Teaching, Andrew sits on the MBA Admissions Committee of INSEAD, the international business school based in France and Singapore, and brings with him over 25 years of experience in inter- national business. His career spans the globe, from the UK and continental Europe, to Asia, Australasia, the US and South Africa, where he has held a number of senior strategy and management roles with Bass, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Disney and Tesco. For the past two years Andrew has worked as an independent consult- ant, providing strategy, leadership and change management consulting in the consumer sector.


Commenting on the appointment, Chairman of the Herts for Learning Board Nigel Ludlow said: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew to the business at this exciting period of growth and development. Herts for Learning is committed to providing a great education for all children, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances. Since launching in 2013, the business has concentrated on supporting schools and children in Hertfordshire, whilst also increasing our presence nationally. Andrew’s extensive commercial experi- ence and passion for education will help drive our business plans to further grow the company, maximise our positive impact, and continue to expand our reach beyond Hertfordshire."


Ludlow continues: “Since its inception, Herts for Learning has built a solid founda- tion for its future, with its support for schools meaning that 31,500 more children in Hertfordshire are now educated in good and outstanding settings. Its success has been steered by Jan Paine, and for this, and for her exceptional contribution to the business, we extend our gratitude and thanks.”


Andrew joined Herts for Learning in January 2017, for a three-month handover, before taking the helm in April 2017.


The pathway has been produced to help secondary schools plan the progression of their students in mathematics from Year 7 through to Year 11. The curriculum is broken down into easy-to-understand descriptors, graded from 1 to 9. Each descriptor links to a more detailed page, in which it is broken down into simpler steps, with exemplar questions/problems of the type students might be expected to solve.


– Teacher-tracking and target-setting tool – Assessment objectives tracked for progression, using the new GCSE 1–9 scale


– Can be applied to any school assessment system to specify progress in maths across Key Stages 3 and 4


– Supports schools in planning and assessing progression – Created using the KS3 and KS4 National Curriculum – Uses DfE guidelines – Aligned to Bloom's taxonomy; for example, ‘understanding’ or 'applying’


– Useful for KS3 and/or KS4 or as a set of detailed progression stages


The gold package contains the overview grids for GCSE Higher and GCSE Foundation, plus an interactive PDF, in which each bullet point has been further developed to suggest the steps to success to achieve this statement. A great tool for planning, with guidance and examples included.


This can be purchased from the Herts for Learning shop: https://shop.hertsforlearning.co.uk/


How the Building Resilience programme is delivered


The first element of this programme is two one-hour talks to a whole-year group (boys and girls), delivered by Confident Teens trainers. The talks support pupils to develop pride in their individuality; to learn techniques for developing healthy relationships; and to understand clear, assertive communication in relationships.


Additional support for a group of girls


A limited number of girls who are facing particular challenges for their self-confi- dence will have the opportunity to be further supported in a series of four one-hour work- shops. These sessions will help them to further develop their body confidence, their skills for speaking confidently, their ability to set and achieve goals, and their understanding of how to have healthy relationships. Schools may choose to use Pupil Premium


funds to contribute to the overall programme, as the impact of this small-group support is carefully measured and a report summarising the impact is provided to the school at the end of the programme. Pupils also complete short feedback forms for the whole-year group talks.


“I’ve learnt how to value myself and everything about me” Year 8 pupil


Helping parents to support their sons and daughters


Confident Teens is also offering a one-hour talk for parents, on how they can best support their teenagers. The talk will share insights into the material covered in the Building Resilience programme and offer an opportunity for ques- tions. To reduce the administration for schools, parents will book and pay (£15 each) for this talk, via an external online link.


This Building Resilience programme is only


available to two schools per term. To find out more, please contact Julie Garstang at julie.garstang@hertsforlearning.co.uk.


Visit www.ConfidentTeens.co.uk


HfL product of the month


Five year Maths Progression Pathway Gold Package


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