Reflective practice to spark new thinking and strengthen teaching impact
Great teaching is a craft, it grows through reflection, purposeful practice, and collaboration.
SparkED: Reflective Practice, a joint venture between Synergy Multi Academy Trust and VNET, offers teachers the time and space to focus on what really matters: refining practice, sharing expertise, and strengthening classroom impact.
Across four supportive and inspiring sessions, participants engage with evidence-informed input, video modelling, deliberate practice, and structured reflection. The programme is designed to build on existing strengths, spark professional curiosity, and sustain long-term growth in teaching and learning.
Programme Overview
Each session focuses on a cornerstone of high-quality teaching — practical, research-informed, and ready to use in the classroom:
- Making Every Question Count – sharpen your questioning and establish purposeful routines that spark curiosity and deepen thinking.
- Adaptive Teaching in Action – respond flexibly and confidently to meet every learner’s needs.
- Assessment in the Flow of Teaching – use live feedback and responsive assessment to move learning forward in real time.
- Celebrating Impact and Planning Forward – reflect, share, and plan how to embed positive change that lasts.
Between sessions, teachers trial new strategies, capture progress in a reflective journal, and collaborate with peers and leaders to share what works, ensuring learning translates into everyday practice.
Learning Objectives
- To reflect on and refine existing teaching approaches
- To strengthen classroom impact through evidence-informed strategies
- To apply deliberate practice and reflection for lasting professional growth
- To enhance adaptive teaching and responsive instruction
- To use formative assessment to inform next steps and improve outcomes
- To sustain professional growth through collaboration and accountability.
Programme Commitment
To gain the most from the experience, participants are expected to attend all four sessions. Each teacher’s journey is supported by their headteacher or a senior leader, helping to create the conditions for reflection, experimentation, and sustained improvement within school.
How Do I Take Part?
- Member price: £500 + VAT per school or federation
- Non-member price: £650 + VAT
- Synergy Schools: free
- Includes all four in-person sessions, access to programme materials, reflective journals, and online video resources.
- Venue: Astley Primary School, Melton Constable, NR24 2HH
- Refreshments: Tea and coffee provided, delegates will need to bring their own lunch please!
Dates
- Session 1: Thursday 7 January 2027, 9:30am – 2:15pm
- Session 2: Thursday 21 January 2027, 9:30am – 2:15pm
- Session 3: Thursday 4 February 2027, 9:30am – 2:15pm
- Session 4: Thursday 25 February 2027, 9:30am – 2:15pm
Meet the Facilitators
Kate Atkins
Kate is an experienced school leader with a deep commitment to enriching teaching and learning. She has led on curriculum development, professional learning, and instructional coaching within the Synergy Trust, supporting teachers to refine their practice through reflection, collaboration, and research-informed approaches. Kate believes that empowering teachers to make small, deliberate changes can have a transformational impact on classroom culture and pupil outcomes.
Sonia Innes
Sonia is a Director at VNET and has over twenty years’ experience in education, including fourteen years as a successful headteacher across three schools. She has been a long-standing advocate for school improvement in Norfolk, working as a system leader, Change Leader for VNET, and mentor for the Diocese of Norwich. Sonia is passionate about supporting teachers and leaders to develop their expertise, creating sustainable, high-quality learning for every pupil.