Whole Staff Training

When there is an identified need for whole staff training, consider content and delivery. Decide whether an off the shelf training package is suitable or if something bespoke is needed. Also consider whether to enlist the help of external training providers or if members of the team have the experience required to deliver the content themselves.

Example: Training Delivery

Below are examples of how some of our Partnership settings decided to deliver training to their whole staff team.

For example one setting we worked with used an external training provider to deliver content from Project Core while another was able to facilitate Makaton training as they had a certified tutor in house.

In some instances, the need for whole school training led to content being developed internally based on the need for skill development in topics such as modelling, AAC within routines, and alternative access to paper-based AAC. In order to make the content feel relevant and to boost confidence, examples and videos of the setting's learners and staff were used as illustrations of good practice.

The content developed allowed staff involved with early AAC implementation to see videos of learners who had moved on to other classrooms. They were able to see how those learners had developed, which instilled pride in their learner’s achievements and the impact their support made.

Discussion point!

AAC does not stop when learners step outside the classroom. Take the time to consider the entire community at your educational setting who communicate with your learners. Make sure to include members from the office, kitchen, grounds and health teams.