We really enjoyed our CPD provided by Chris and I would rate the quality of my booking as excellent. Chris’ delivery supported our school's intentions/planned actions very well. It really helped to inspire everyone to improve teaching and learning while providing support and direction on how to improve.
Feedback from the other heads has been excellent and staff have been really inspired by the messages. Everything ran very smoothly and your team have been very helpful and professional from the very point of booking. It was a fun and interactive session which gave staff lots to think about and they thoroughly enjoyed. It was good to find out more about the pedagogy behind learning and to understand how children process learning over time. It was beneficial to be able to consider when children learn best and to explore the concept of ‘botheredness’. There have been lots of conversations about identifying clear concept thresholds and ensuring that the curriculum doesn’t cover lots of different ideas in minimal detail. The session was delivered fantastically and collectively schools came away feeling inspired and motivated.
I particularly like the way Chris uses, introduces and refers to research carried out by others that can be explored later if we want too. I would rate the quality of my booking as brilliant, booking was very easy, communication beforehand was straight forward and the day itself was thought provoking.
Chris set the scene beautifully for all staff in his keynote at the start of the year (including our CEO and Senior colleagues) in terms of the latest research on learning and what that means for designing our curriculum as we move forwards. He also asked just the right amount of challenging questions, disrupting our curricular and pedagogical ideas, whilst simultaneously being supportive of our aims and values as a school. Generously sharing his resources and experience, he also inspired our middle leaders in smaller groups, instigating discussions in cross-school teams and motivating them to review the way children learn in our school and how our current curriculum helps or hinders this.
Clear, enlightening, thorough journey through the latest research on learning. Outstanding level of content - so relevant to the situation our schools find themselves in on their own journeys of curriculum review. The ’76 take aways’ - exceptionally useful way of holding on to the training - also enabling delegates to share with others who did not attend. Outstanding from start to finish! Many, many thanks!
Absolutely excellent – insightful, relevant and exactly what we needed! Chris' delivery was engaging and the balance between information sharing and discussion was just right. My Lancot colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was a pleasure to host. Thank you.
It was an excellent day that will help to shape the curriculum at our network schools.
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Chris for the conference for the Colne Valley cluster. We have used your curriculum as our starting point for 8 years in our school and we love it! It was so inspiring to have time to reflect today and to absorb your passion and expertise. What a rare treat. Look forward to next time.
It was a great session and Chris was very well received! The step by step approach to considering the development of the curriculum, as well as the built in talk time that Chris gave us to consider ideas in our settings was very useful. Chris’ research was well received and he provided a reading list which was helpful in considering new and different approaches to curriculum design, for example, spacing. Many delegates discussed inviting Chris back to look further at the application of designing the curriculum.
Booking Chris to deliver his Infusing Rich Vocabulary Course has been so easy and everyone has been extremely helpful. Thank you so much it made our first ‘River Wye Teaching Alliance’ course extremely easy to manage.
We found the session Chris delivered very helpful in enabling us to think about the quality of the curriculum that we deliver to our children. We are aware that we spend so much time worrying about coverage that we neglect the importance of ensuring that the fundamentals are fully embedded in the children’s long-term memory before moving on. The session has allowed us to start some useful discussions amongst staff about how we can better organise our curriculum and we are looking to work together on this so that a new curriculum plan is in place for the next academic year. We would definitely recommend Chris Quigley Education to others.
Staff received the training Chris delivered very well and were very positive about the elements of the day. Excellent – once again a really useful and inspiring day – Many thanks.
To put the training into context, this took place on the last day of the Autumn Term when all anyone could think about was breaking up for Christmas. Alex managed to enthuse and motivate all the staff, his knowledge of the curriculum and his passion for sharing great practice was brilliant. To be honest, trying to pick out the most useful parts is difficult as it was all very useful. Thank you so much for such a great and inspiring day. The day was outstanding from start to finish.
Considering this inset was the last day of a busy term, it was fantastic and inspiring to all. Alex was great and adapted for our needs. We found the depth of knowledge and resources to use particularly helpful.
The whole day was inspirational and was extremely well planned to ensure that staff developed their understanding of the intent of the curriculum before moving on to considering the implementation. The opportunities to process and discuss ideas during the session meant that all staff were able to explore ideas, make links and develop concepts throughout the day. As always, Chris challenges staff in a non-threatening way and the humour is well placed to make people reflect on their own stance and the possible limitations of this. Having completed three courses with Chris over the last 2 years, it is impressive to see how his thinking evolves and keeps pace with current research linking closely to the national educational agenda. This was just what we needed to reboot our curriculum!
I should like to express my appreciation for the day Chris led at Staverton Primary School in Trowbridge recently. My staff attended as part of a four school initiative and the messages conveyed were timely and well received. I usually enjoy courses when points are made with which I agree! In this case, there were several points where my current and past thinking was challenged and ideas re-framed. I was so pleased that all my teachers heard the same message. I always enjoy listening to people who know their onions and Chris is obviously one such.
Dear Chris, I wanted to thank you for a truly inspirational day. I absolutely loved every moment and can’t wait to infuse the curriculum I’m offering to the children in my class, with a rich and challenging bank of vocabulary. Using your booklet, I even managed to deliver the key elements from the day to my family around the tea table!
Chris just ignites that spark again of why we work with children, and helps push through the swathes of unnecessary paperwork. Chris visited my previous school where we used the Creative Themes for Learning, Depth of Learning Tracker and the Essentials Curriculum. My new role is within a large Trust and so I needed Chris to sprinkle his magic to all of the other schools and start that conversation Trust wide. Chris and his products helped my previous school move mountains and I would love to see that having a wider effect to all pupils within the Trust.
The clear explanation of the need to revisit learning and deepen it over time really struck a chord with my staff, it was music to their ears! The idea that progression through objectives should be identified with “not a tick, but a tally” really was a ‘golden nugget’. I have to say that I went home delighted on Friday. I could see a perceptible change in my staff as they realised that Chris’ message was one they have been waiting for, for years: learning is not achieved in one lesson or event. Feedback from staff has been very positive, with one teacher professing to have “found God” in a real nirvana moment of what we ought to be doing for our children, and another described the morning as, “The best CPD I’ve had for years!” There was a real buzz around school. I am confident that Chris’ excellent training has put us in a good place to move our schools forward, so thank you!
Having all classroom-based staff attend the INSET day provided a whole school opportunity to evaluate our current practice. The day proved to be very useful and informative so that all staff were able to take something away that they were able to implement in the classroom and collectively make a difference. A very inspiring and thought provoking day.