Experience in training large numbers of teachers is being put to use in preparations for Higher Still, one of the longest serving members of the Inspectorate has explained.
Walter Beveridge, who became an HMI in 1972 and is soon to retire as depute senior chief inspector, told the annual research forum in Dundee last week that the lessons of large-scale training for school boards and teacher appraisal would be applied to Higher Still.
When school boards were introduced, a two-day course was offered to 3,000 headteachers. Teacher appraisal involved training between 15,000 and 20,000 appraisers and 50,000 appraisees. “Over a four-year period, tutors trained all 50,000 school staff in a phased way across the system. All courses for heads, appraisees and appraisers were evaluated,” Mr Beveridge said.
Although Higher Still would not “go live until 1998, the lessons of previous initiatives are being applied”, he reported. Between last September and December more than 200 seminars had been given by the development team to 8,500 staff who were preparing to respond to the consultation papers.
Plans are under way to train all principal teachers and other classroom teachers by 1998.
