LEAs

Quotes from Customers

Primary Schools

Robert’s INSET on Personalised Learning was just the ‘shot in the arm’ that my staff, ranging from Nursery to Year 6, needed at the start of a busy term:

“An inspirational day covering a wide range of suggestions for classroom and group management, target setting, strategies for pupil participation, assessment for learning and electronic feedback. A most enjoyable INSET!”  (CL of English )

“Brilliant day! I feel very inspired and have started using some of the ideas already!” (Year 2 Class Teacher )

“INSET as it should be: witty, well presented and informative” (Director of Music)

“I found the INSET incredibly useful. He was extremely interesting and was able to make his sessions informative yet light-hearted. As Year Group (Year 1) we were very motivated by his practical ideas on class targets and classroom management. We have been able to easily adapt the ideas so that we can use them in our classrooms”. (SENCo)

“I found Robert Powell’s INSET most rewarding as did colleagues. He demonstrated a wealth of teaching experience but remains up-beat, highly motivational with innovative ideas delivered with great humour. Marvellous!” (CL of Science)

“We all very much enjoyed the INSET by Robert Powell – thank you. I was particularly impressed to hear that already my colleagues are putting into practice some of Robert’s ideas, and his suggestion for giving the children numbers and allowing them to talk when their number is called was a great success in the Nursery. This was good for the children’s number recognition, reinforcement of numbers and very good for learning to take turns and develop their patience – fantastic and fun! We have put this in our planning for this week and next!” (Head of Nursery)

“Have already used the numbering of the children so the quiet ones, too, get a chance to answer. I will be working in pairs and groups as well in the near future, and no doubt about making those dominoes for our little ones in English and Maths. Thanks to Robert. Never had so much fun on an INSET!” (Head of Reception)

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Antony J.W. Hudson
Headmaster
St George’s College Junior School
 

Schools

Thank you so much for the training yesterday, your approach was perfect. Staff feedback has been really positive - especially from the sceptics!! Your practical approach and humour - grounded in your own experience and excellent knowledge - is what teachers value.

Mike Foley
Headteacher
Gt Cornard Upper School and Technology College
Suffolk

 

The training day and follow-up workshops on "Assessment for Learning" were, without doubt, the best we have experienced. Robert Powell is not only a stimulating and thought-provoking trainer, he also made our learning fun.

Furthermore he inspired every department to produce a range of materials which have improved our classroom practice significantly. I wish every trainer I booked for Inset days could provide the same high quality!

Pamela Clark
Deputy Head
Wootton Upper School and Performing Arts College
Bedfordshire

Rob has delivered a number of very successful Inset sessions for our staff. Last year, following one of these sessions, we asked him to develop with us a new Teaching Learning and Assessment Policy.

The Policy provides a framework in which staff can develop their practice and it is already beginning to produce positive results

John Davies,
Headteacher
Carr Hill 11-18 High School, Lancashire, a Specialist Engineering College

Robert did a brilliant inset for our staff and for some teachers from our feeder schools. That introduction, together with a couple of consultancy days working alongside individual teachers, helped to lay a firm foundation for the development of our policies and practice for learning, teaching and assessment.

Robert practises what he preaches. It's obvious that he has been and done it. He puts it over in an engaging way with buckets full of humour. A shining performance that will stimulate and help staff to put an extra gloss on what they do.

Mike Venet
Deputy Headteacher
Kaskenmoor
Oldham

An entertaining day with many practical ideas to stimulate learning in the classroom- Rob was a pleasure to work with.

Keith Hanson
Deputy Head
Northcliffe School
Doncaster

Robert comes up with ideas that can be easily adapted to the classroom for any subject. He is an inspirational speaker and his ideas were refreshingly clear.

Sally Evans
Assistant Headteacher
Park Community School
Havant

After Rob's first Training day at Sir Graham Balfour we were all looking forward to putting his ideas into practice in our classrooms. We discovered that they worked brilliantly.

Subsequently Rob has completed several follow up sessions. Colleagues have even competed with each other to become part of the Working Party working with him to further extend best practice!

Rob combines professional insight, practical advice and humour in a compelling way. He is an inspirational communicator.

David Hill
Headteacher
Sir Graham Balfour High School
Stafford

Thank you for an inspiring day! Our evaluations show that the day was valued by ALL my teaching and non-teaching colleagues. Why was the day so valued? Your incisive understanding of the dynamics of the modern classroom meant that my colleagues were eager to take and adapt into practise the ideas you so clearly demonstrated on the day.

I think that it is important to have a speaker who is able place suggested activities within a philosophical framework and to be able to cogently demonstrate that with creativity and purpose the individual teacher can significantly improve the quality of the learning task set and thereby their own professional satisfaction without committing hours to lesson preparation.

David Jordan
Assistant Headteacher
Springfield School
Portsmouth

Rob makes a difference! His training is lively and innovative, providing real examples that engage, enthuse, and challenge students. Rob's passion for teaching and learning is infectious, leaving staff wanting more!

Mark Stanyer
Headteacher
Victoria Community Technology School
Crewe

I thoroughly recommend Robert Powell's training. The first day was so successful we booked another day. The inset was extremely useful and all staff benefited from it.

Paul Chapman
Gifted, Talented and Aim Higher Coordinator
Winchmore School
Enfield

Staff training on Assessment for Learning on 11th February 2005 was most successful, the trainer Robert Powell providing numerous useful ideas and strategies to try out in the classroom. Staff feedback was very positive.

Robert understands what faces teachers day to day in the classroom. He can empathise, he knows what they need and provides so many practical answers. Staff cannot fail to feel inspired.

Julie Lawton
Headteacher
Wolverhampton Girls' High School

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Independent Schools

Robert Powell's INSET day was a wonderful example of best practice in action. He judged his audience expertly - very able but tired professionals who had just reached the end of an exhausting term. What followed was a presentation bursting with practical strategies, regularly punctuated with entertaining anecdotes, which were illuminating in their own right, and the whole thing delivered at a pace. It was an exciting, stimulating and varied day which gave staff the impetus to try out new ideas. 'The best INSET I have attended' and 'inspirational' were the common responses to the day. Many departments are now experimenting with Robert's suggestions - proof that his approach re-energises teachers and, therefore, their students.

Anna Wells
Assistant Head Teacher
Manchester High School for Girls

Simply, Robert elicited from the Stowe staff the most positive response we've ever had to a communal day's INSET.

Stephen Hirst
Director of Studies
Stowe School

Robert provided a wealth of ideas, materials and strategies for promoting better teaching and better learning. A stimulating and entertaining day's INSET which was much appreciated by the Oundle School Staff.

Alison Page
Senior Mistress
Oundle School

Robert's inset was an inspirational day. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Lots of good classroom development followed.

Clive Norton,
Deputy Head
Framlingham School

Robert. Thank you for your inspiring INSET which so many staff clearly enjoyed and found uplifting despite their tiredness after a very intensive few weeks. Lots of departments clearly came away with lots of useful strategies to implement.

Wycombe Abbey School

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Sixth Form Colleges

I would like to thank you on behalf of all the staff at Cardinal Newman College for a stimulating, informative and enjoyable two days. The clear focus on practical strategies and ideas to enhance Teaching and Learning during the sessions on Differentiation in the Classroom, Assessment for Learning and Classroom Management was excellent. All colleagues - classroom teachers (experienced and newly qualified); Heads of Department; Heads of Faculty and Senior Managers - have commented on your enthusiasm, humour and the quality of your delivery in their evaluations of the training. Many colleagues have already successfully introduced some of the techniques highlighted, such as snowballing. The two days were very much enhanced by your knowledge and understanding of our particular college and the sessions were tailored to reflect this. It was an absolute delight and privilege to work with you!

Neil Partington
Assistant Principal
Cardinal Newman College

It was a most inspiring day. The staff were buzzing with ideas and were keen to try them out. The praise for the Robert Powell training day couldn't have been higher.

Janet Nevin
Principal
Ashton-under-Lyne Sixth Form College

It was an excellent day, probably the best we have had in this
college.

Mike O'Hare
Principal
Holy Cross Sixth Form College
Bury

An excellent, highly entertaining and well organised training day. Many staff regarded it as the best training they had experienced. Staff left the day with a host of practical ideas to try out.

Lesley Siddall
Assistant Principal
Havant Sixth Form College

The whole staff CPD session led by Robert Powell was outstanding and led to a marked improvement in the quality of our students' learning experience.

Ian Yems
Staff Development Manager
Greenhead College

Robert's was the best training session that we have had at our college.

Sharon Sharp
Curriculum Manager
John Leggott College

Robert's session with the whole staff was thoroughly entertaining, and intellectually challenging. Departments have been galvanised right across the college and have made significant improvements to schemes of work and individuals are experimenting with new teaching and learning approaches, as a direct result of the training day.

Anthony Beard
High Achievers' Co-ordinator
John Leggott College

Rob Powell's training on 'The Interactive Classroom' was a rare opportunity to see clear practical teaching strategies mixed with real wit and enthusiasm.

The day's session created a real sense of excitement about training and development in a way that we had never achieved before.

Marc Hulbert
Staff Development Manager
Luton Sixth Form College

Robert led a very engaging and inspirational training day. The programme itself was an exemplary demonstration of how theory and practice can be successfully combined.

Nigel Fox
Staff Development Officer
Peter Symonds College

It was my first time arranging a whole staff inset and it was brilliant. Everyone has been incredibly positive and the buzz around the place is excellent. Many members of staff have said that it was the best CPD they had ever had. I now want to keep the momentum going.

Frances Rippin
Gateway Sixth Form College
Leicester

The following is a selection of representative comments from staff evaluation sheets after our recent INSET day "Learning, Teaching and Assessment: an Interactive Approach" delivered by Robert Powell:

"Excellent range of ideas and resources presented."

"Entertaining, yet realistic speaker"

"Excellent speaker and ideas."

"Thanks. This one was right for me."

"I particularly appreciated the chance to discuss how to implement ideas in departments."

"Relevant, practical activities - an applied approach."

"An inspiring and extremely enjoyable day."

At the end of term tutors were invited in a full staff meeting to talk about ideas they had implemented from the staff development day. A rich array of practical strategies was demonstrated. A really positive outcome from an inspirational day. Thank you Rob.

Ruth Brinton
Vice Principal
Hereford Sixth Form College

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Further Education Colleges

"Inspirational training - important that my staff be there!"

"As a result of this training, the teaching & learning team have received a
huge response from staff to work with them in preparing more innovative
resources."

"Fantastic, have learnt more in 1 day than during all of teacher training!"

"Excellent, session left me feeling motivated and inspired to make a
difference for the learner."

These quotes are typical of the responses from the 200 managers and teaching staff involved over two days with Robert Powell's training.

Tracey Mace
Teaching and Learning Manager
Grimsby Institute of FE and HE

We needed a step change to inspire our teachers to improve the overall standard of learning and teaching incorporating the use of IT. We asked Rob to provide sessions to all of our teaching staff in three sessions. These are some of their responses:

"An excellent session providing in depth techniques to engage and motivate learners."

"I thought Rob Powell was inspirational, his ideas were very good. He left you thinking you were able to do what he was talking about."

"A very fast-moving, exciting and interesting day with many ideas."

"At last learning and teaching activities using IT that are interactive and easy to use."

"A very useful day. Pitched at the right level - Mr Powell is a very good speaker. One of the best staff-development events I've been on."

From a senior manager's perspective, the measure of success of the events was realised through a significant improvement in our teaching and learning grades and positive feedback from learners.

Deputy Principal
Oaklands College

It was an excellent training session full of great, practical ideas that are easy to implement in theory sessions to ensure all learners participate fully. Staff who teach vocational theory would find it invaluable and I would highly recommend it for experienced as well as new teachers.

Valerie Dresden
Head of Hair and Beauty
Barnet College

Rob Powell was our speaker and facilitator at our recent staff conference. As it was an inaugural event, we were really keen to secure someone who would be inspirational, experienced and able to relate to the teaching and learning issues of the day. Rob did this admirably and staff were enthused by his sessions and found his anecdotes relevant and highly amusing.

Thanks to this successful start, our conference will be an annual event, starting each academic year in an inspirational and motivational way - our learners deserve no less.

Sue Moore
Principal of Weymouth College

Robert Powell provided a rich menu of ideas for improving teaching, learning and assessment, combining genuine passion for the issues with a sparkling sense of humour. Many lecturers commented that this was the most useful staff development session they had ever attended.

Nick Letchet
Acting Principal
Swindon College
(Following a day with the whole of the teaching staff)

Hairdressing Beauty and Holistic Therapy at the City of Bristol College has worked with Robert Powell on several occasions for differentiation in learning and the interactive classroom. Travel, Tourism and Hospitality have also had a recent training day with him. The staff have found the days inspiring and motivational, his innate understanding of how to get the best from the learner coupled with his understanding of the FE systems is second to none. The learning resources and ideas to ensure learning is taking place are invaluable to the staff and fun for the students. Always a grade 1 day!

Christine Vokins
Head of the Faculties of Hairdressing, Beauty and Holistic Therapies and of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
City of Bristol College

A very stimulating, informative, valuable and thought-provoking day led by an interesting, lively and knowledgeable practitioner.

Helen Morgan,
Staff Development Manager
Bridgend College

An inspirational two days! I was proud and delighted to see the teaching team working so enthusiastically - even at the end of a hard academic year. Thank you.

Chris Simpson
Head of Faculty - Engineering
City of Bristol College

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Wales

Robert Powell has delivered four training days for The National Welsh INSET Programme national conferences on interactive teaching and learning. These sessions were a resounding success with delegates describing them using adjectives such as: inspirational, motivating and entertaining.

Robert Powell's training sessions do indeed inspire and motivate teachers, leading to change in everyday practice in the classroom, which in turn can raise standards of teaching and learning.

Richard Roberts
National Training Adviser
Welsh Joint Education Committee

We used Robert on two occasions, which is most unusual in INSET provision. It indicates how highly we valued his delivery and expertise.

Robert worked alongside departments in devising strategies to implement personalised learning, especially with regard to Assessment for Learning. His two days at the school acted as a catalyst to inspire staff to implement change.

Pauline Thomas
Headteacher
Abertillery Comprehensive School

A very stimulating, informative, valuable and thought provoking day led By an interesting, lively and knowledgeable practitioner.

Helen Morgan,
Staff Development Manager
Bridgend College

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Northern Ireland

The unanimous and overwhelmingly positive feedback from the staff of the 5 schools for which Robert Powell provided training on interactive teaching in Armagh in February 2005 left school leaders with such a solid platform from which to move forward.

Paul Crute
Headmaster
The Royal School Armagh

Excellent, thought-provoking, stimulating presentation and workshop, demonstrating real practical strategies for effective teaching, learning and assessment in all areas of the curriculum.

Mary Connolly
Principal
St Fanchea's College
Enniskillen
(following whole-staff INSET August 2006)

The unanimous reaction of the joint staffs of the North Lurgan schools was overwhelmingly positive. The INSET avoided all of those practices so disliked by teachers, but delivered, with great perception and much humour, a range of very useful and practical strategies which should be of benefit to both teachers and learners.

Staff in our own school are looking forward to implementing some of the ideas which will enhance the learning experience of our students and improve the quality of their performance.

Gerard Adams
Principal
St Michael's Grammar School
Lurgan
Craigavon
Co. Armagh

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LEAs

Robert Powell has delivered four training days for The National Welsh INSET Programme national conferences on interactive teaching and learning. These sessions were a resounding success with delegates describing them using adjectives such as: inspirational, motivating and entertaining.

Robert Powell's training sessions do indeed inspire and motivate teachers, leading to change in everyday practice in the classroom which in turn can raise standards of teaching and learning.

Richard Roberts
National Training Adviser
Welsh Joint Education Committee

The day's professional development from Robert Powell designed to improve teaching and learning was excellent and was well received by staff in this day special school for pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

The school is in special measures and the impact on the levels of pupil engagement and the quality of pupil learning from the strategies and resources presented by Mr Powell on the day was noted by HMI:

'The training from the external consultant was a valuable contribution to the development of teaching aimed at capturing the pupils' interest. Staff were keen and receptive and this training holds much promise.'

Mr Powell demonstrated a clear and sensitive understanding of the needs of this school's EBSD population and a capacity to engage staff positively with the challenge of motivating and engaging these complex and difficult pupils.

Nell Banfield
Principal
Manchester Federation of EBSD Schools

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