6 Effective Teachers in Primary Schools
About the author
Tony Swainston taught for 20 years in three comprehensive schools. During this time as
well as being a physics teacher he had a number of roles including pastoral head of year
and assistant headteacher. He completed the NPQH (National Professional Qualifi cation
for Headteachers) before working for the DfES and then the TDA for three years as a
Regional CPD Adviser. In 2006 he set up his own consultancy, E.C.M. Connections Ltd.
The central focus of E.C.M. Connections is that Every Citizen Matters and the core belief is
in the tremendous potential of each individual. E.C.M. Connections Ltd works to develop
the effi cacy of individuals, the collective effectiveness of groups and the culture of whole
organizations and communities. (Visit www.ecmconnections.co.uk)
Through E.C.M. Connections Ltd Tony is a Regional CPD Adviser for Teachers TV. He
is also a Project Director for The Pacifi c Institute, which focuses on the management of
change, effective leadership, setting goals to achieve results and thinking in ways that
create success.
Tony’s work in education now includes running leadership training programmes for
headteachers and other leaders, effective teacher and behaviour courses for teachers and
coaching throughout a wide spectrum of school staff. He also trains facilitators who then
work with parents through a programme called STEPS.
Tony is a highly sought after facilitator and speaker. He has spoken internationally to
educational leaders in six countries about ‘The Teacher as the Lead Learner’.
Tony’s wife teaches French and they have three children.
You can contact Tony at
[email protected]
Acknowledgements
I am eternally grateful to the six teachers in Effective Teachers in Primary Schools who
agreed for me to fi lm them in their classrooms. From initial discussions with Gervase
Phinn 11 years ago, when he was a Senior Adviser in North Yorkshire, the seed of an
idea that developed into the VITAL (Visually Instructive Teaching And Learning) project
was planted. I am thankful to Gervase for the encouragement he gave me at that time.
Instrumental in the development of the VITAL project have also been John Freeman (a
Senior Adviser in Leeds), Chris Edwards (the Chief Executive of Education Leeds), Anne
Clarke (headteacher of Benton Park School in Leeds) and Elspeth Jones (Dean at Leeds Met
University). All of these have given me tremendous encouragement and support.
Four people who became good friends carried out the fi lming and editing of all of the
material for the VITAL project. They are Mike Hooper, Andy Riley, Bob Bajorek and
Paul Wilmott from Leeds Met University. Thanks also to John Lynch from Leeds Met for
organizing all of the fi lming.
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