New for 2017-18

RG001     Developing your Presenting Skills 

“Surprisingly, presenting to a group of people fills many teachers with a sense of dread”

Presenting to a room full of people is more than just talking, it’s a performance. Public speaking and presenting is an essential requirement for all aspects of teaching life and life in general, yet many teachers find it incredibly stressful.

Whether we’re talking in a team meeting or presenting in front of an audience, we all have to speak in public from time to time.  We can do this well or we can do this badly, and the outcome strongly affects the way that people think about us. This is why public speaking causes so much anxiety and concern but it’s a myth to believe that there are born speakers.

A great presentation can help you teach your own skills to others, clinch a new job, captivate an audience, or inspire people to get on board with new ideas.

RG001 Developing your Public Speaking Skills will demonstrate the techniques needed to impress and influence an audience of any size.

• gives quick and easy tips for how to prepare and present
• shows how to use visual aids and propsconfidently
• incorporating body language into your presentations
• provides pointers for how to overcome common anxieties
• shows you how to develop the skills you already have
• allows opportunity to analyse your performance

RG002     Job Application Support and Guidance

“I’m not denying them the opportunity of a job. They’re ruling themselves out.”

Despite what you might think, it’s not a level playing field when you’re applying for a teaching post.  Whatever the position you are applying to, whatever type of school advertises the vacancy, there are unwritten expectations on the applicant and most will fall foul of them – never making it past the Headteacher’s first sift.

“You’ve got to get down to a shortlist somehow.” said the Headteacher. “If some people can’t be bothered to present their applications professionally, I certainly don’t want them in my school teaching English or, for that matter, anything else!”

The strength of your written application is vital in securing the opportunity to show your capabilities at interview. Some exceptionally strong candidates never get the chance because their profile on paper does not mark them out as someone who could do the job.

Creating a high quality application will provide you with the confidence to fulfil your ambitions and progress in the jobs market – this session does really work!

RG002 Job Application Support and Guidance will enable you to apply for any position with confidence: taking the stress out of application forms, job descriptions, person specifications, CVs and all the associated paperwork that comes with making an application for a new teaching post.

• affords you expert insight into the application process
• contributes to a higher success rate from initial applications
• helps identify the key points of the job and person specification
• provides assistance in evidencing your suitability for the post
• prepares applicants to complete; forms, letters and CVs as required
• gives a bespoke ‘checking service’ prior to submitting your application

RG003     Stepping up to SLT

“Truly great school leaders acknowledge that with each new challenge comes a whole lot more for them to learn.”

Moving from middle leadership to senior leadership requires a mind-set shift to whole school thinking, the skills to manage complex teams and competing priorities whilst maintaining focus on ensuring you are keeping your students at the centre of what you do.

Whether you aspire to step into senior leadership soon or are already making applications, this unit will help you take and be successful in the next step in your teaching career.  Raven Consulting will help you to focus on what’s important, developing your personal and professional readiness, drilling down into the competencies for senior leadership, and developing your vision as a senior leader.

“The hardest thing about any SLT role is taking your team with you and not because they have been told to, but because they share the same drive as you to make the difference.”

It will be important for you to learn how to “walk the talk”- to model the behaviours you expect to see from your colleagues. Learn to communicate clearly and concisely, making “the main thing the main thing” and assuming nothing – as that can spell disaster!

RG003 aims to outline the personal and professional skills needed to succeed at SLT level, to assist with interview preparation and prepare you for the job itself.

• increases your insight into the SLT interview process
• provides constructive feedback to support your applications
• reviews and explores a series of typical SLT interview scenarios
• deals with the demands of interview in-tray exercises and data tasks
• explores how you meet the job and person specifications
• provides a ‘mock’ panel interview for candidates