When looking at the school Hall after school on Tuesday 4th December you may have thought that Miss Whitworth and Miss McElroy were preparing for a Christmas party, with the beautifully decorated tables, decorations and lovely food.

It was, however, a staff training event “Teach Meet” which saw teachers and teaching assistants gathering from near and far to hear trainer, keynote speaker and author Gary Toward’s wise words.

Gary’s focus was on teachers being the ‘decisive element’ in their classrooms, encouraging staff to be reflective on their classroom practices and the way they form relationships with their students.

Gary’s book ‘The Decisive Element’ really is a great read.

Alongside Gary, there were a number of great presenters from Studley High School and Alcester Academy who shared their ideas as well as Shipston staff Ms. Lawrence, Mr Denham, Mrs Hunt and Miss McElroy looking at a variety of topics such as whole class feedback and careers in the classroom.

Attendees left the session with a lot of new ideas to think about.  Thanks go to Miss Whitworth and Miss McElroy for all their hard work in arranging the event.