As part of our ongoing commitment to sharing our practice and collaborating with colleagues from other schools and organisations, our staff have engaged in a series of outward facing events which have enabled us to showcase our excellent practice at a local and national level. Information about some of these events is included below.
Bright Futures Teaching School Hubs: Early Careers Teachers
We were recently asked by Bright Futures Teaching School Hubs to share with their Year 2 Early Careers Teachers (ECTs) information about Manchester Hospital School. Bright Futures recognise how important it is to ensure ECTs are exposed to the wider work of education so it was a privilege to meet such enthusiastic teachers at the start of their careers and introduce them to what it is like to teach pupils with medical and mental health conditions which impact on them attending school.
Language World Conference 2024
Meeting the Needs of Language Learners with SEND and medical conditions in the classroom and on the wards
Tom Kelly, Global Lead Practitioner, delivered a presentation to Members of the MFL subject association from across the UK about our unique approach to delivering an MFL curriculum in a hospital school and how this approach could be used to support pupils in their own classrooms. Delegates were provided with an opportunity to consider how they might use the Manchester Hospital School SEND toolkit to adapt their practice and meet the needs of pupils with SEND in their own classrooms.
The Power of PE on the Wards November 2023
Our Assistant Head for Leo Kelly, Lisa Biggar, and our specialist PE teacher, Denis Moran, talked to an audience of hospital school teachers about the power of PE on the wards. They highlighted the importance of using an adaptive approach to meet the needs of all learners in a hospital setting. They also discussed the challenges teachers may face when delivering a PE curriculum in a clinical environment and how these might be overcome.
Units United Conference 2024
At the annual Units United Conference (a networking event for teachers providing education in CAMHS Units), Pip Kehoe, our Site Leader for Galaxy House School, presented effective strategies for supporting pupils to reintegrate into school following an inpatient admission. Pip emphasised the importance of using a multi-agency approach and initiating the process of reintegration early, in order to increase the likelihood of success. Pip demonstrated how Comic Strip Conversations can be used as a tool to address pupils’ anxieties about returning to school.
AQA Maths Trial November 2024
Angela Gee, our Lead Practitioner for Maths, was pleased to welcome AQA into Leo Kelly School for some of our Year 11 students to participate in a trial. The students agreed to test a new app and take part in a focus group to support AQA in producing a new maths qualification, as featured in The Times 19/10/24 (Click for article). Our students were articulate and insightful and enjoyed the opportunity to potentially benefit young people gain another useful maths qualification in the future.
Manchester Attendance Conference October 2022
Sarah Day, Assistant Head Teacher, and Jo Yates our SENCO delivered a presentation about the outreach support that Manchester Hospital School provides to schools in Manchester. Audience members were provided with a demonstration of our AV1 robots and how they can be used to support pupils who are isolated due to their medical or mental health needs.
NAHE Working on the Wards conference: Assessment in Hospital Schools
Ruth Sheard-Pearson, one of our Deputy Heads, presented to an audience of hospital school teachers and leaders at the NAHE Working on the Wards conference in November 2023. This was an opportunity for professionals from hospital schools around the country to share knowledge and best practice. Ruth delivered a presentation on the implementation of assessment systems and data procedures in hospital education. Ruth talked about the data measures that our school use, the standardisation process and how we carry out pupil progress meetings.
MANCEP CPD event February 2024
Gwen Rees-Moffitt, Deputy Head, and Emma Cunha, Lead Practitioner for Thrive presented to an audience of Catholic secondary schools and sixth form colleges from across Manchester at the annual MANCEP conference in February 2024. Gwen and Emma spoke about gender identities, the importance of using gender affirming language. They provided advice on practical ways to support gender questioning pupils and tips on how to celebrate the LGBTQ community within their schools.
