Image of Woodlands Primary Academy

Case Study:
Woodlands Primary Academy

Primary - Improvement & Inspections School Improvement Leading CPD Primary - Staff & Recruitment

Woodlands Primary Academy encourages children to aspire to the highest possible standards of which they are capable. Catherine Sharpe, Headteacher, joined us to discuss how a School Membership with The National College has benefitted the staff and pupils.

Choosing The National College

When determining their CPD priorities, Woodlands Primary Academy identified the need to offer all staff the opportunity to access training anywhere, anytime and on any device.

Reflecting on the school’s decision to join The National College, Catherine said: “Probably 12 months ago now, we were looking at the CPD offer for our staff.”

“We wanted the CPD to be far more meaningful for our staff, with research-based evidence behind it.” she continued.

She revealed: “We had a look at the webinars and courses available with The National College.”

“They looked very useful and beneficial, so we decided to sign up.” she nodded.

Our programme of webinars and courses is regularly updated in line with the latest policy, practice and research and is delivered in collaboration with education experts.

This has proven invaluable for Woodlands Primary Academy: “Whatever role you have in the school, there is a webinar or course available for you on the platform.”

“The subject leaders find it extremely useful.  It gives them the guidance on what they should do and how they can develop their own practice.” Catherine added.

At The National College, we pride ourselves on the flexibility of our CPD, which allows staff to undertake training on the go, anytime, anywhere and on any device.

Catherine revealed: “It’s great that they can watch the CPD at their own leisure.”

“It’s so easy to use too.” she commented.

The functionality of our platform appealed to Woodlands Primary Academy, with reporting and monitoring available at the click of a button.

Catherine explained: “You can assign CPD to individuals or groups; the user group feature is really helpful.”

“At the same time, if staff would like to explore the CPD, they can do that in their own time.” she continued.

She enthused: “Everything is kept up-to-date and it’s all relevant.”

“The National College is very useful when we find areas for improvement.” she said.

She added: “We use it for staff induction too.”