SPS - Schools Personnel Sevice

13th January - Howfield Manor, Canterbury
18th January - Chilston Park, Lenham

Inevitably many schools will need to review staffing structures and this will impact on roles, responsibilities and staffing numbers. This may be as a response to budget pressures, new leadership with new ways of thinking or simply to lead a further drive in improving standards. This full day course will help you to identify the changes you need to make and to implement them in an effective and timely way to achieve school objectives, ensure you remain within your legal duties but also maintain staff morale through sensitive, supportive management.

28th March - Brands Hatch Place, Fawkham Nr Dartford

This new full-day course deals with the key basic skills required in first line management. The session starts with looking at getting the right management style then moves on to practical strategies to developing your team, managing meetings, dealing with some tricky individual issues and specific techniques to manage your time more effectively. Please note that this session finishes at the slightly later time of 16.00.

3rd February - Chilston Park, Lenham

This full-day course will provide PM reviewers (teachers) with the essential information and skills to complete their reviews successfully. The course gives a full overview of the PM process with a particular focus on robust SMART objective setting and firm but fair end of year review statements. You will also have time to look at your role as a reviewer and the skills you need to build an effective relationship with your reviewees. Because of the need to look at the specific links with PM reviews and pay progression this course is aimed primarily at teacher Reviewers. The session also looks at the link with pay and preparing Reviewers for making recommendations on progression.

20th January - Brands Hatch Place, Fawkham Nr Dartford

This revised full-day course is essential for any school leader or manager looking to develop effective techniques and strategies to get the best from their staff. The course builds on the previous half-day session with more time for setting SMART targets, clear, specific action plans, and effective manager-staff communication as well as team and individual development issues. The key focus for this course is on standards and outcomes that will have real impact on school improvement. Delegates are encouraged to bring real school issues for discussion although obviously confidentiality will be fully maintained at all times.

22nd February - Chilston Park, Lenham

29th February - Eastwell Manor, Ashford

2nd March - Brands Hatch Place, Fawkham Nr Dartford

This course will look at the new set of Teachers Standards which will replace the existing QTS. core and post-threshold standards with effect from 1 September 2012. The new standards introduce some significant changes in terms of structure, content and application and this course will aim to support schools in understanding those changes and to implement the new standards effectively.

27th January - Eastwell Manor, Ashford

1st February - Brands Hatch Place, Fawkham Nr Dartford

This full-day session is aimed at all managers with PM responsibility for support staff. The programme covers the full performance management process with a focus on effective objective setting and fair performance reviewed. The session will provide Reviewers with an understanding of the levels of assessment and appropriate sources of evidence. In particular the session will cover the new arrangements for Kent Range and the links with pay (TCP) for support staff as well as other strategies for motivating and rewarding staff.

16th March - Brands Hatch Place, Fawkham Nr Dartford

This full-day course is aimed at not only leadership team but also all first line managers. This session will provide you with the management framework to reduce the costs of absenteeism across the school as well the strategies and procedures to manage individual cases effectively, speedily and safely. The course includes use of absence data, return to work interviews, fit notes and how to get the best from occupational health - the session also uses the new ACAS/HSE resources and KCC policy to deal with managing stress in the workplace as well as considering important issues around workload and work life balance.

9th February - Howfield Manor, Canterbury

This full-day course will focus on the causes of staff conflict in schools, ways to identify early stages of conflict and appropriate techniques and strategies to try to resolve conflict. This will involve case study analysis of typical situations such as deteriorating staff relationships, misuse of power and authority at levels in the school, staff becoming obstructive and/or difficult to manage. You will be introduced to a mediation approach for managers to enhance your inter-personal skills in dealing with conflict in the workplace. Delegates may bring real school issues for discussion although obviously confidentiality will be fully maintained at all times.

15th March - Chilston Park, Lenham

This full-day course is run jointly with the Children's Safeguards Team, this course is nationally accredited by the CWDC and aimed at all school staff and governors involved in staff selection. The course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to make Safer Recruitment decisions and to implement and review recruitment and management practices to protect children. Undertaking this course also fulfils the DCSF requirement for all selection panels to include someone trained in Safer Recruitment. Please note that this course finishes at the slightly later time of 16.30.

24th February - Howfield Manor, Canterbury

This new, full-day course us aimed at all school managers involved in recruitment. The course builds on and compliments Safer Recruitment but also provides a 'best practice' update for more experienced managers. All key steps in the recruitment process are covered, including drafting 'stand out' job adverts, appropriate use of selection tests and interview questions that are designed to assess the skills and attributes your school needs. The session also examines how to ensure your selection process and practice complies with discrimination legislations and other recent changes in employment law.