Creative and practical approaches for schools
Jane delivers outstanding consultancy, advice and training for primary and secondary schools. Drawing on 30 years' experience as teacher, leader, consultant and school governor, she prides herself on a warm and practical approach which supports colleagues in creative and manageable ways. A specialist in reading, writing and oracy, Jane is also an experienced Philosophy for Children trainer, and has written numerous student and teacher text books.
Meet Jane
Jane brings over thirty years' experience to her work as an education consultant and trainer. She's been an Advanced Skills Teacher, a head of department, a governor and a local authority education adviser.
Jane provides support and training directly to schools and in her other roles with ITT providers, governor services and as an associate trainer for the National Association for Able Children in Education. Teachers value working with Jane because their practice moves on and makes a real impact on pupils' engagement, enjoyment and success.
An experienced Philosophy for Children tutor, Jane also writes regularly for Oxford University Press. She is a chair of governors at a primary and a secondary school, and a trustee at a local MAT. She is an avid reader and in spare moments, loves to write stories.
Training and advice
Jane Branson Learning specialises in tailored and flexible training and advice. Following discussions with school leaders, we'll agree a programme and timeline for the improvements you want, whether it's a half-day's planning support, a twilight training session, or a comprehensive package of teacher or curriculum development over several terms. Below is a list of work recently carried out with schools - but if what you want isn't here, just ask!
"What an amazing morning we had with Jane. We managed to plan a whole term’s worth of English - very collaborative and everybody contributing. She has such a great way at thinking ‘globally’ about a text and giving the children lots of writing opportunities. I feel that it was really beneficial for us all to have the chance to work with her. Now we have all had her input we should be able to sustain this type of planning for coming terms. I know it will have a lasting effect for the children."
Year 4 Teacher, East Sussex
Shakespeare workshops
Subject knowledge refresher courses
Governor training
Exam and test support
Grammar workshops
Improving independent learning
Reviewing governance and governor training
Engaging boys
Coaching and mentoring
Assessment for learning that works
Lesson and unit planning
Developing active learning
Teaching poetry KS1-KS5
Preparing for unseen texts
Improving writing
Consultancy, training and development
Jane specialises in tailored and flexible training and advice. Following discussions with school leaders, she'll agree a programme and timeline for the improvements you want, whether it's a half-day's planning support, a twilight training session, or a comprehensive package of teacher or curriculum development over several terms. Below is a list of work recently carried out with schools - but if what you want isn't here, just ask!
"What an amazing morning we had with Jane. We managed to plan a whole term’s worth of English - very collaborative and everybody contributing. She has such a great way at thinking ‘globally’ about a text and giving the children lots of writing opportunities. I feel that it was really beneficial for us all to have the chance to work with her. Now we have all had her input we should be able to sustain this type of planning for coming terms. I know it will have a lasting effect for the children."
Year 4 Teacher, East Sussex
Courses and consultancy - English
And also...
Resources
The East Sussex Way - improving literacy in primary and secondary schools
Written by East Sussex teachers and edited by Jane Branson
Philosophy for Children
PfC can improve oracy, literacy, social confidence and thinking skills. With a clear methodology that allows all learners to become confident philosophical enquirers, this can be a highly effective and enjoyable route to higher standards across the curriculum - teachers report positive impacts on soical, thinking and communication skills especially for children with lower self-confidence.
Jane is a experienced PfC trainer with a proven track record of leading whole-school PfC training and implementation in all phases.
Governor Training
Governor training and support for whole governing bodies,
on your school site and at governors' convenience
Whether you need a full review of governance or a one-off individual training session, Jane will bring a range of expertise to your governing board development. Jane is currently co-chair of a primary board, chair of a secondary board and a trustee for a multi-academy trust. She has experience of leading governance training and reviews in both primary and secondary schools. Make contact to discuss your governors' needs.
Shakespeare Workshops
Jane's Shakespeare workshops can be tailored to any play and are suitable for classes in key stages 2 - 5. Full of interaction and fun, each 1 - 2 hour session will be planned to complement your classroom input, offering:
Building on a class study of Romeo and Juliet, Jane led a fantastic drama-based session with our Year 5s which had them all enthusiastically participating. She used a variety of different techniques to engage all the children with re-telling the story and showing their understanding of plot and character. She taught us some stage combat techniques and every child was eager to participate and work collaboratively to show their understanding. What more could you ask than children wanting to read another Shakespeare play and looking forward to learning more about him at secondary school? An excellent workshop.
Year 5 Class Teacher
Celebrate National Writing Day 2019
and honour the life and work of writer and illustrator
Judith Kerr (1923 – 2019)
This competition is now closed.
Altogether I received 65 entries from KS1 children and 73 from KS2 children, from eight schools across Brighton and East Sussex. It was a delight to read all the entries - I laughed, gasped and felt moved by the children's writing. Please find below some information about the winning entries.
Runner up - £10 National Book Token
Downs Junior KS2 pupil - a review of when Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
As the only non-fiction entry and the only entry focusing on When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, this writing stood out. The pupil explained her views and opinions clearly, and demonstrated her understanding of the book as well as its context. I loved the way that she personalised her comments and included references to other reading.
Runner up - £10 National Book Token
St Pauls CE Academy KS2 pupil - an original Mog story
This story's references to the Mog character showed the pupil's reading of the original stories, and a new and interesting character was introduced in the form of the 'feisty boy' Mylo! The story was well developed and contained some really effective language choices ('thick hazelnut fur' and 'ocean blue eyes' - wow!), great vocabulary and striking details, such as the international setting and the food!
Runner up - £10 National Book Token
Peasmarsh KS2 pupil - an original story based on The Tiger Who Came To Tea and The Pied Piper
This story was a wonderful mix of Judith Kerr influences and Pied Piper references, and it made me laugh out loud when the rats listed their very particular cheesy choices and called out their gorgonzola chant! There were also some really effective language choices in the story - Peter's 'curly hair and crutches', for example.
Overall Winner - £20 National Book Token and £100 for the school to spend at The Book Nook in Hove
Bodiam KS1 pupil - a poem based on The Tiger Who Came To Tea
This well-composed poem took great care with language choices ('black pepper stripes' - wow!) and combined reminders of the original story (the cup of tea and tiger treats) with wonderful original touches, such as tree-climbing and premium chicken! I also loved the generosity of the poem, especially the kindness and thoughtfulness of the last line.
Testimonials
The session was so informative and supportive. I really appreciate being part of such a collaborative team and look forward to continuing to share resources together.
The most useful task for my role was going through how to write Literacy Actions Plans. This will be my responsibility soon and now seems like a more manageable task.
Thanks, again, Jane for a very useful session! It's a pleasure working with you and always completely relevant and practical.
Secondary Literacy Leaders, Bexhill and Hastings, East Sussex
English lead, St Andrew's C of E PriMary
HEADTEACHER, WILLINGDON PRIMARY SCHOOL
DEPUTY Head, heron park primary academy
Trainee teachers, East Sussex School centred itt programme
School Leader, Uckfield college
NQT, St Nicolas and St Mary CE Primary
Subject Leader, Beacon Academy
Year 6 Teacher, Chyngton Primary School
Headteacher, St Marks C of E Primary, Hadlow Down
Year 5 Teacher, Shinewater Primary, Eastbourne
Deputy headteacher, Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary
Contact form
Use this form to tell me about your school and how I can help.
Alternatively, let me know your number and I'll give you a call.
Follow Jane on social media for book reviews and more
© Jane Branson Learning Ltd, Incorporated in England, No.9588704
Registered office: The Island Hse, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, BA3 2DZ