About SSAT Lead Practitioner Accreditation
Welcome to the Harris Academy Bermondsey SSAT Lead Practitioner Learning Centre. Harris Academy Bermondsey is the only centre in inner London to offer Lead Practitioner accreditation in partnership with SSAT – the schools, students and teachers’ network.
We have ten places available on our Lead Practitioner accreditation programme starting in September 2019. Full details of our programme, including how to apply, can be found in this section of the wesbite.
What is a Lead Practitioner?
A lead practitioner is not a post; it is an opportunity to develop professionally and lead outstanding practice with a measurable impact on learners beyond your institution.
A lead practitioner will not only demonstrate expertise in their field but also lead others to improve their practice, resulting in a positive impact on student learning. They will be able to provide evidence of meeting criteria across ten standards that identify their knowledge and skills used in leading practice across three categories:
- Personal skills and attributes
- Professional knowledge
- Process and Impact on others
What does accreditation involve?
The accreditation starts with an initial self-assessment against the ten SSAT Leading Practitioner standards below. This enables you to identify areas for development over the accreditation period. The ten standards are:
During the accreditation period you will gather examples of evidence that support your accreditation. These could be emails, presentations, case studies, surveys, evaluations or planning materials. The evidence must be relevant and of high quality to clearly demonstrate the positive impact your work has had on learners.
Towards the end of the programme, you will complete the SSAT online assessment tool, uploading your evidence and supporting statements. To maintain the rigorous standards of Lead Practitioner accreditation, the SSAT moderate all applications before certification.
What are the benefits?
Lead Practitioner accreditation is an opportunity to develop your skills and become a future leader of learning. As a Lead Practitioner you will be internationally-recognised as a leader of learning. Accreditation demonstrates your positive impact on learners using networking and coaching to embed your outstanding practice and improve teaching and learning across a network of institutions. It empowers staff – developing best practitioners to inspire them to make a difference where it really counts: in the classroom.
In addition, it also gives you 30 credits towards an MA in Educational Leadership and Management at Nottingham University.
Once accredited you can be added to the SSAT Lead Practitioner database – an internationally-recognised network of outstanding practitioners. You may also be offered opportunities to engage in activities such as the SSAT conference or developing a regional network.
How will I be supported?
The Harris Academy Bermondsey Leading Practitioner Learning Centre trainers and coaching sessions will support you throughout your journey towards Lead Practitioner status. The support programme includes:
- Summer launch
- Two essential twilight training sessions
- Networking sessions
- Optional development sessions
Our Lead Practitioner trainers will also provide bespoke support for each of the aspiring lead practitioners depending on their needs. This could include coaching, building networks, reviewing supporting statements and identifying quality evidence.
