Townsend Consultancy Ltd specialises in Transforming Learning by providing high quality education consultancy services to a range of organisations, including schools, government agencies and other educational institutions. 

Townsend Consultancy Ltd has expertise in the following areas of education:

Building Schools for the Future (BSF)

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a long-term programme of investment and change in England that will help transform education for secondary age students by providing 21^st century learning environments that engage and inspire young people, their teachers and the wider community.  It is not just a building programme – it creates an important opportunity to transform the way secondary schools function.

Townsend Consultancy Ltd can assist schools and Local Authorities to ensure the whole BSF process runs as smoothly as possible to achieve the best possible positive outcomes for all.  Here are some examples of how Townsend Consultancy Ltd can support your school/Local Authority through the BSF process.

·         Lead workshops for school staff/Local Authorities and all their major stakeholders focussing on various aspects of educational transformation – what needs to change in terms of:

ü   The curriculum:

ü  The curriculum

ü  Personalised learning

ü  ICT

ü  Extended Services

ü  Inclusion

ü  Teaching and learning

ü  Models of Delivery

ü  Workforce Reform

ü  Removing barriers to learning

ü  The reversal of underachievement

·        Support your school in the development, review and validation of your school’s Strategy for Change (SfC) and Education Design Brief (EDB) and other documents.  Build positive relationships with all stakeholders involved in the BSF process.

Supporting school leadership through the development of Extended Services

According to a government commissioned independent study into school leadership by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the majority of head teachers who were involved in their research think the provision of a core offer of extended services has a positive impact of pupils’ wellbeing, but “many are struggling to respond, and most recognise the need for training and support.  Indeed, the development and management of extended services was the single most important future training requirement highlighted by head teachers in our survey research.”   (An Independent Study into School leadership, PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 2007, ISBN 9781 84478 8668).

Townsend Consultancy Ltd can offer appropriate training packages to assist school leaders to fulfil all Extended Services requirements.

Adult learning and Community Engagement

93% of all secondary schools in England are now designed Specialist Schools. All Specialist Schools are required to work much more closely with their communities and to be outwards facing.

Townsend Consultancy Ltd can help schools to engage successfully with local communities in order to provide high quality learning opportunities for the community.  Discover how the development of successful partnership working can provide on-going benefits for schools.

 Adult learning can be a great way for specialist schools to engage with the community in the drive to engage with parents and help to drive up achievement.  Townsend Consultancy Ltd can set up successful adult learning programmes for your school.

Building positive relationships with hard to reach parents

We are able to identify innovative ways for schools to work with hard to reach parents.  Also we can support schools as they put into place systems and procedures to help them to strengthen the various aspects of parental involvement in their schools as well as any help they made need to prepare for inspection.

Involving Parents in their children’s learning

Schools are failing to help parents get involved in their child's education, according to a General Teaching Council (GTC) report.  The report, Engaging Parents in their Children’s Learning, found many parents felt distant from their child’s school life, particularly at secondary school level. Many schools fail to pass on basic information about the curriculum or offer support to improve parents’ academic skills, the research found. Disadvantaged parents on low income felt particularly detached from their child’s school experience and education.

Townsend Consultancy Ltd is able to help schools to build successful relationships with parents so that they can more effectively support their children’s learning.

Educational Publications

We have experience of researching and authoring education publications and also writing articles for  educational magazines.

Building Links with Parents

An article written by Jenny Townsend which featured in Secondary Headship magazine published March 2006.

Adult Learning in Specialist Schools  

Planning for Effective Practice

In 2006 Jenny Townsend researched and wrote the publication, Adult learning in Specialist Schools – Planning for Effective Practice (ISBN 1-905 150 -63-6).  This was a joint venture between the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE).

This publication describes how specialist schools can benefit from strong community links through their adult learning programmes

• This publication also includes examples of good practice as well as providing guidance for schools on how they can plan for success

• Provide a high quality service

• Evaluate and revisit the specialist school plan