WWO Taster Session Event in Liverpool - January 2013

Open to schools in Liverpool, we are planning a FREE WWO Taster Session to be held at University Academy, Liverpool in January 2013.

Please register your interest by e-mailing cathy@cathyota.com and we will keep you up to date with the timings of the event. Please pass on the details to colleagues in other schools.

Alison Dearden, Academy Principal has this to say about Working With Others:

I want to let you know about Working with Others, which is run by Dr Cathy Ota. 

Through Working With Others, teachers develop skills which empower them to facilitate effective groupwork whilst at the same time enhancing the social and emotional skills of young people.

Academic research carried out on Working With Others has demonstrated that incorporating this approach in the classroom has a significant impact on student progress whilst at the same time creating confident independent learners. My own experiences and at my previous school in Sussex and at Shorefields Technical College has demonstrated to me the value of this.

To date Working With Others has focused more in the South of England and internationally.  There is now an opportunity for the North West to benefit from the work of Working With Others and consequently I am delighted to host Cathy Ota at the school and open this up to colleagues.

Why Schools are Turning to Working With Others to Improve Pupil Behaviour,
Student Engagement, Create Independent Learners and Re-Energise Staff Teams

In October 2011 Working With Others was introduced to Years 7 & 8 at Shorefields Technical College (now University Academy, Liverpool) to help:

• Highlight and enhance positive behaviour and attitudes to learning
• Raise attainment and improve pupil confidence and skills for learning independently and in groups
• Reduce resistance and help pupils gain confidence in mixing and working effectively together in random groups
• Improve their listening and communication skills
• Develop greater independence in learning and positive relationships between students
• Help staff to plan for transition and progression across year groups

The Results

A quote from Larry Wilson, Associate Headteacher, Shorefields Technology College (now University Academy, Liverpool)

"WWO has provided a focus for the school that we could never have developed alone. As a result of the initiatives and projects developed at Shorefields, I am convinced we have impacted on the essence of developing the whole child; resilience and self-esteem. We all talk of developing the whole child; well this is a practical and effective way to do it."

WWO at Shorefields
Starting with an INSET for all teaching and support staff, WWO has since been used and extended:

• Internally to work with and support Year 7 and 8 staff
• Externally for events such as the ‘Shorefields Business Enterprise Day’, for Gifted and Talented Year 4 and 5 children in the local area
• To provide general consultancy for teaching and learning across the whole school
• To support the planning and delivery of the week long summer school in July 2012

Working With Others - Other Successes

WWO is used in Early Years, Primary & Junior, Secondary, and Special Schools and out of school agencies working with children and young people.

Grounded in research from the University of Brighton and evidence to demonstrate impact of the approach on learning, attainment, pupil motivation and behaviour, WWO has over 12 years’ experience of ongoing collaboration with schools, children and staff teams.

WWO has now been delivered to over 500 schools in the UK and internationally and is moving into a new and exciting phase establishing WWO Schools Partnerships in various parts of the country and Cyprus.

For more information please contact Dr Cathy Ota on 0781 7363193 or cathy@cathyota.com