Teachers from Cansfield High School were among the hundreds of graduates celebrating their degrees at three graduation celebrations taking place this summer.
Six teachers from the school completed a Masters in Education, funded by Executive Head of the school Professor Geoff Baker.
Professor Baker, who is also a Visiting Professor in Education at Hope, explained how he encourages his staff to work with the University’s Professional Learning & Development team to further their skills.
He said: “I selected Hope due to its long-standing established expertise in teacher development. As a Visiting Professor at Liverpool Hope, I have completed a number of research projects in association with the University and I am well aware of the calibre of the staff there as both researchers and teachers.
“I was delighted by the speed at which Hope was able to work with us to create a bespoke experience for our staff, which took into account their development needs and the needs of the school.
“We currently have more than 40 staff at Cansfield High School who are at some stage on the Masters pathway, and I think this is one of the most important factors in our approach to school improvement.
“Staff who have taken part have been rejuvenated and their practice has developed significantly, as they are able to apply broader perspectives, different approaches and an understanding of research to their day to day work as educators.”
Among the teachers who crossed the stage at Graduation and received their awards, was Helen Cashman, Head of Inclusion at Cansfield High School.
Helen described undertaking the Masters as ‘career-defining’ and key to driving change.
She said: “The modules that were offered by the University have enabled me to lead the necessary change within the school towards a fully inclusive practice, and to develop and implement a resourced provision that will offer a mainstream education to students with highly complex needs.
“Liverpool Hope offered a bespoke course that met the individual needs of both myself and the practitioners who work alongside me.”