ASTs (Advanced Skills Teachers) are making an incredible difference in education by helping to raise standards and by sharing their expertise with other teachers. VT Group are the National Assessment Agency for ASTs (on behalf of the Department for Education), and asked us to work with them to produce a multimedia DVD-ROM on exploring the needs of ASTs, and how they can be supported in their stunning work by their schools and Local Authorities.

Travelling the country with the VT AST team, we filmed ASTs in action in Special, Primary and Secondary Schools. We interviewed the ASTs, school leadership and Local Authority members, and captured ASTs in Professional Reviews with their Headteachers, and meetings with their Local Authority advisors. The videos provide the centerpiece of a multimedia DVD-ROM, which also includes supporting information and resources. The DVD-ROM has been provided to all Local Authorities and schools with ASTs in their staff, and can be obtained direct from VT.

I highly recommend Pencil Case for their total professionalism and ability to work with us filming in several and diverse school situations. They have created first rate and bespoke products.
Martin Flatman – AST Project Director, VT Education and Skills

The following video is the introductory footage of the project – please take a look.

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PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education is an important area of the curriculum that helps children and young people grow and develop as individuals and as members of families and communities. VT Group manage the national PSHE CPD (continuing professional development) programme, on behalf of the Department for Education, and asked us to produce a multimedia DVD-ROM to explore the impact of PSHE in schools.

We travelled with the VT PSHE team to film at Special, Primary and Secondary schools around the country. This included filming many PSHE lessons, as well as interviews with school leadership, teachers, local authority advisors, parents and, of course, pupils. The videos form the focal point of a slick multimedia DVD-ROM, which also includes further information and resources for anyone interested in discovering more about PSHE education. The DVD-ROM was sent to every school in the country, is available direct from VT, and as is used at conferences and events around the country.

It has been a real pleasure working with Pencil Case. From our first meeting to plan the DVD-ROM ‘Developing Effective PSHE education’ to the final moments of editing and publishing, I was impressed with their commitment to the project and their sensitivity towards the professionals in the classroom and in each school. I had a stong impression that this wasn’t just another job for them. It was an opportunity to share in a collective vision for the final product and to excell in developing a superb resource for teachers throughout the country.
Paul Gateshill – Principal PSHE Adviser

The following video is the introductory footage of the project – please take a look.

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Crabble Mill is a delightful living museum in Dover, which became the inspiration and source of research material for this innovative broadband communications project. Planned and managed by Advisory Service Kent staff, Leading ICT Teachers and South-East Grid for Learning Project Officers the project involved pupils using a wide range of web based technologies to support story writing.

The South East Grid for Learning asked us to produce a video case study to highlight the fantastic work carried out, the amazing results seen on children’s writing levels, and show others just what is possible with this kind of the project. We filmed interviews on location at the mill, and used footage shot by the project leaders themselves to produce an exciting and inspiring video case study.

The video will be streamed on the SEGfL website and shown at education conferences and events around the country.

We have used Pencil Case on a number of projects now and they continually help us produce great products. With their calm and professional attitude they are a pleasure to work with. Thanks guys!

Chris Davison, South East Grid for Learning

The completed video case study can be viewed below – please take a look.

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The Nuffield Foundation have produced a range of classroom-ready resources to support teachers in their teaching and assessment of the key processes of mathematics at key stages 3 and 4. These resources are carefully designed to match the National Curriculum specifications for England. The Nuffield Foundation asked us to produce a series of promotional videos to show these resources being used for real lessons in real classrooms.

We filmed six lessons at two schools in West Sussex, showcasing the use of three of the Nuffield Foundation “Applying Mathematical Processes” resource packs. The lessons were produced with the project leader fully involved in the editing process, and the end result was four videos; one for each resource pack, and an overall review video using highlights from each. We provided the videos to the Nuffield Foundation in a range of differenct formats for a variety of uses, such as streaming on their website and high-definition versions to show at conferences and events.

The following video is a snippet of the final product – please take a look.

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NatureWatch 2010 is a SEGfL (South East Grid for Learning) project that enables pupils to use ICT to investigate and learn about wildlife in their school grounds and the local area. The pupils used the power of broadband to review, publish and share their learning with others across the region. As the first year drew to a highly successful close, SEGfL commissioned us to produce video case studies to document the project for all to enjoy.

We were invited into numerous schools across the South East to film the project in action, and capture interviews with teachers, pupils and experts. Part of the project involved a Science day at the RSPB reserve in Dungeness, Kent, where we filmed nearly 100 pupils as they took part in bird-watching, pond dipping and owl pellet examining activities. The video case studies will serve as a lasting reminder of just what is possible when schools come together, and will be available to view on the SEGfL website.

Preview coming soon! For now, here are a few images from the project.

APP (Assessing Pupils’ Progress) was introduced as a straightforward approach to making secure judgements about the standard of pupils’ work and what they need to do next. West Sussex County Council embraced the new strategy for Maths and Science, and now offer a comprehensive support package to any school looking to take APP on board. They asked us to produce a multimedia DVD-ROM for them, which would both promote the use of APP, and provide information and guidance on it’s implementation.

Throughout the 2009/10 school term, we filmed at various West Sussex County Council project cohort meetings, where all schools involved shared their experiences and progress with APP. This gave us the opportunity to film group moderation sessions, and interviews with the teachers involved. The other focus of the filming was in the schools, where we captured APP in action in the classroom, further interviews with the teachers and of course the pupils themselves. The DVD-ROM brings together these videos, as well as a comprehensive selection of supporting resources and information, provided jointly by WSCC and the teachers involved in the first year of the project. The DVD-ROM will be used to show other schools what can be achieved with APP, and the best methods of implementation.

The Assessing Pupils’ Progress DVD-ROM is to be released in the Summer Term 2011. In the meantime, take a look at these previews images.

The PLTS (personal, learning and thinking skills) framework supports young people in their learning across the curriculum, and describes the qualities and skills needed for success in learning and life. West Sussex County Council asked us to produce a series of videos showcasing the successful implementation of PLTS in local schools, to help spread best practice throughout schools across the county.

We filmed at six schools across the region, capturing lessons that highlighted the use of PLTS, and interviews with teachers and pupils. The series of videos are used by West Sussex County Council at events and conferences, and provided to schools who are interested in joining the council’s ongoing PLTS project.

ASTs (Advanced Skills Teachers) are making an incredible difference in education by helping to raise standards and by sharing their expertise with other teachers. VT Group are the National Assessment Agency for ASTs (on behalf of the Department for Education), and asked us to work with them to produce a multimedia DVD-ROM to provide an overview of the status, what the role involves and information on the assessment process.

We filmed ASTs in action in various Primary, Secondary and Special Schools around the country. We captured them delivering stunning lessons, and delivering outreach sessions for other teachers. We also interviewed the ASTs, school leadership, Local Authority members and AST assessors. The videos provide the centerpiece of a multimedia DVD-ROM, which also includes supporting information and resources. The DVD-ROM has been provided to all Local Authorities, schools and teachers interested in becomming an AST, and can be obtained direct from VT. It’s also used at events and conferences to promote the AST status.

When implemented properly, coaching can be an extremely powerful strategy to support effective learning, enhance performance, and develop effective working relationships. Expert coach Will Thomas, Director of Vision for Learning, has been working closely with West Sussex County Council for a number of years, helping them develop an inner-school coaching structure that is now used by many schools across the region. He asked us to work with them to produce a video DVD-ROM, in conjunction with West Sussex County Council, to show successful coaching in action in schools.

We visited a number of local schools who have implemented a coaching strategy, and filmed real coaching conversations as they happened. We interviewed both the coaches and the coachees to give an overview of the conversations, and discuss what strategies the coach used. Will Thomas provided additional commentary on the different conversations, as well as an all-encompassing interview in which he explores coaching in education. Bringing the videos together in a stylish multimedia DVD-ROM, accompanied by supporting resources and information, the result is a fantastic guidance package for anyone looking to implement a coaching structure into a school scenario.