#APConnect – Year 4 The Skylark Pathway Final Chorus and the Open Sky by Mary Conway

Date05 Apr 2022

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In my end is my beginning.

T.S.Eliot

They say when one door closes, another door opens. And this was very much the feeling at the fourth and final DfE funded, Education and Training commissioned conference of the #APConnect programme on 25 March 2022 – A Story of Advanced Practice: Rethinking the Role of the Advanced Practitioner – the past, present and future.

Yes, we were all very sad that the programme we have loved and nurtured over four brilliant years has ended in its current format. But the overwhelming atmosphere at the conference was nevertheless one of optimism, hope and serious celebration. And there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the powerful community of APs were all set to march into the future with unquenchable confidence. We learned of:

the seeds of Advanced Practice (driven by values, collective curiosity and boundless imagination) are well and truly sown.
the resulting rhizomes that are spreading like wildfire, bringing a culture of shared professional learning to an eager and hungry workforce.
passionate communities of APs – and the rich, dynamic constellations they have developed over the past four years – are lighting up the Education and Training sector with their energy and creativity, critical thinking and aspiration.
the importance to APs of personal inclusion, breaking of boundaries and reaching out to ever new ideas and communities.
the need to leave role, rank and ego at the door when professionals are thinking together.
the enormous impact of community building and thinking spaces on teachers’ motivation and effectiveness, on their confidence and sense of personal value and on their relationship with learners and the learning process.

And this is just the beginning!

The Skylark journey

The Skylark pathway, as we know, was the natural progression from what’s been achieved in years 1 to 3 of #APConnect. It enabled APs to take the values of Advanced Practice back into their organisations where they could build communities, promote and amplify the process of professional learning and become architects of inclusive practice and creative thinking. Like skylarks (the feathered variety), the AP Skylarks were preparing to sing out the values and practice of the AP programme and to gather a growing choir around them – all in tune together and all flying ever and ever higher as they reached for the stars.

It is sad that so many Skylarks were fully poised for take-off just as the programme ended. We were so ready to build on these beginnings.

The good news, though, is that the Skylark song is unstoppable now, even though their programme activities and events ran only from September 2021 until March 2022 when the funding ceased. And the music is so clear and insistent, that it will continue to reach more and more ears and spread the AP culture far and wide – no mean achievement after only six months.

Skylark achievements so far

Skylarks have become:

agents and catalysts
facilitators and mentors
leaders and influencers
promoters and community builders
thinkers and creatives
risk-takers and amplifiers

Skylarks have embraced:

values-driven practice
the digital universe
boundary spanning
forward thinking
critical curiosity
openness to new ideas
inclusion
innovation

Skylarks have built communities through:

thinking spaces
ideas rooms
digital platforms
multi-media

Maths and English

Skylarks have transformed curriculum planning and implementation, especially in the maths and English domain, where Ideas Rooms and thinking spaces, community-building and cross-organisational networking have enabled staff to work inspirationally together. This way vocational staff, English and maths specialists, teaching and support staff have been able to break out of silos and develop holistic, fully integrated learning programmes with basic skills at the heart.

#APConnect has had a massive impact on my practice as an English teacher; I have evolved as a practitioner in more ways than from any other CPD. My learners have benefitted from my changing approach… Impact is immeasurable.

Skylark AP, March 2022

Amazing collaborative work forged between English teachers and vocational teachers – showing absolutely how English skills can be developed creatively, with relevance, through meaningful professional connections.

Skylark AP, March 2022

Incisive questions

Skylarks have practised developing incisive questions as a means of thinking together.

See some of the questions that were shared at the conference:

What would a day of no meetings look like in a world of ‘busy’?
What would it look or feel like if all staff and students were empowered to be heard?
What does it look like if we respect each other as equal thinkers?
What would professional learning look like if people taking part were fearless?
How would organisations work if hierarchical structures were reduced?
What if love, hope and joy were the drivers of change?

Browse more:

Skylarks are determined to build on the communities they have nurtured and spread the practice of deep professional learning.

What next for the Skylarks?

The message from the conference to Skylarks and indeed to all our APs was clear.

Continue to be outward-looking and pan-organisational.
Navigate obstacles, work together and find a way forward.
Challenge existing cultures.
Be architects for professional learning using digital and live platforms, thinking spaces and communities.
Invest in your AP teams and wider communities.
Embed your values in practice – empower your teams and individuals showing a practice of care.
Use incisive questions to open up thinking.
Enable all to feel they belong and are valued.
Carry on singing and look to the future.

What do APs say?

See what they say on Twitter
See what they say on our conference padlet – find it on the conference landing page. Listen on the padlet to the song from Calderdale College: our defining anthem!
See what they say in response to the following questions:

A Story of the Past – by Dr Colin Forrest

Question: What did this thinknote cause you to learn, re-learn & unlearn about the past?

Browse the responses.

‘What an amazing journey!’

‘#APConnect is the only programme that has supported real culture change.’

‘Collaboration is the key to change.’

A Story of the Present – by Joss Kang

Browse the questions and responses.

‘Continue to work with other organisations, keep those links and share practice – it really is invaluable and creates so many more fantastic ideas to move forward.’

‘Through using the networks born through AP connect and developing to let them grow to build more and collaboration that will impacts not only APs but teachers in organisations throughout the country and even further’

‘Really want to continue meeting with APs to reflect on our own practice and coaching skills. It is about our development as well as planning spaces for other people.’