Neath Port Talbot LEA: Case Study

Neath Port Talbot LEA Extends its Professional Development and Training Services to Schools and Teachers with SDMS V e-Training On-Line Course Booking System for the Web

Background and Expertise:

Neath Port Talbot LEA’s School Improvement Services have been using SDMS software for managing its INSET programme since it was formed as part of local government reorganisation (LGR) in Wales in 1996. Prior to this SDMS software had been used by West Glamorgan LEA from which Neath Port Talbot was formed as a result of LGR since 1990. It is now using the latest version of SDMS V Staff Development for Windows with e-Training for Web Access. The LEA has had for many years a highly professional and well organised Staff Development and Professional Development Administration Team of which SDMS software has been a small but important part. The software has assisted in the authority’s response and reporting on the various Staff Development grant regimes as they have evolved in Wales throughout the 90s and as part of providing high quality training to its Schools and Teachers. The software has been used to record Courses, Enrolments and Costs of Training Provided over a 10 year period. This information has now become more accessible with the implementation of SDMS V e-Training. Schools have expressed appreciation at the quality and scope of the LEAs Professional Development Records. School Improvement Services staff involved with the use of SDMS software have high level knowledge and extensive skills in its use which has proven invaluable in extending its use to the web. As in most organisational change projects it is the people that count.

The LEA:

The LEA is located in South Wales with three main urban areas of Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe. It services some 88 Schools of which 11 are Secondary, 73 Primary, 2 Special Schools and 2 Referral Units. Using a combination of Advisers, External Providers and Seconded Teachers the Authority has an extensive INSET Programme consisting of a wide range of high quality Courses and Support to Schools. A key factor in the decision to go forward with SDMS V e-Training was the well established collaborative relationships with Schools and their enthusiasm for the use of the web. Both Schools and the LEA are both actively seeking ways to reduce teacher administrative workloads as part of their quality improvement strategy – the use of the web supports this.

The Decision to Use SDMS V e-Training:

Given the use of SDMS software over the years, key personnel in the School Improvement Services and Advisory Team were aware of the development of web-based products by SDMS through its User Groups and other Client Meetings. The introduction of SDMS V e-Training was a logical extension of how it had used the Windows software in the previous 10 years. But importantly, it was also prompted by a combination of factors including the need to reduce workloads, e.Gov and Best Value Initiatives. But perhaps the most important factor was the LEA’s own drive for continual service improvement and the active interest in CPD from Schools themselves.

Working with Schools and the e-Training Pilot:

After a process of consultation with Schools by the LEA and the strong expression of interest in the SDMS V e-Training initiative by leading Schools CPD Co-ordinators across all phases, it was decided that the software could be best introduced through an initial pilot with some 12 Schools. Steve Davies, Budget Officer, responsible for this area of work said:

“We have been a user of SDMS software for managing Schools Training since the early 1990s and have progressed through all its versions to the very latest. We have now completed a Schools Pilot of SDMS V e-Training and in the coming months are rolling it out to all Schools. The Pilot has enabled us to iron out issues and to build a basis for extending it to all Schools under our own steam”

During the Pilot, Schools have recommended changes to the software, such as additional reports or functions and these have been implemented. The expertise created through the piloting process is now allowing LEA Staff with Schools’ CPD Co-ordinators to disseminate and guide other Schools in its use as it is rolled out to all Schools.

Features of the Software: e-Training for Web Access

SDMS V e-Training is an extensive Training Administration System for the Web and Intranet. Here are some of the features of the software available to the LEA and Schools in Neath and Port Talbot:

• Courses entered on SDMS V Staff Development for Windows are immediately available to Schools and Teachers on the Web
• CPD Co-ordinators can enrol Schools’ Staff on Central Courses directly and receive notification of acceptance by e-mail or through the browser
• CPD Co-ordinators can view Training Histories for all School Staff On-Line
• On accessing the browser CPD Co-ordinators can see a summary of who is to be trained next and training budget position of the Schools
• Teachers can browse Courses and apply On-Line subject to Managers approval On-Line
• CPD Co-ordinators can set up CPD activities with Costs for the School only and enrol Teachers – this can be made “public if required

Future Plans and Hopes:

To date, the use of SDMS V e-Training for Professional Development has been purposely limited to use by the Schools CPD Co-ordinators for processing applications from Teachers onto Courses. It is now being rolled out to all Schools and will be available to them from April 2005 as one of the options for applying on Courses. Having consolidated this during the next financial year, the LEA will be working with selected Schools to explore the value of Teacher Self-Serve Access and identification of Training Needs. Andrew Herdman, Senior Adviser leading the initiative has said “We are more than happy to recommend SDMS and talk to other LEAs about the lessons learned in our implementation”. The future development of such web services is positive in the LEA and likely to both reduce the cost of service delivery and help in improving quality.