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"You have given me a lot of ideas to bring back to the classroom……thank you for inspiring me."

Ian Wesson, AST and Head of Chemistry, Invicta School, Kent

Advanced Skills teachers are at the core of the DfES agenda for the transformation of education in the 21st century. There are currently 4500 ASTs in post across England and Scotland having the potential to influence the practise of, and further inspire, educators throughout the state sector through leadership in teaching and learning.

The AST placement programme will introduce new and highly motivating approaches to teaching and learning issues as well as providing an excellent opportunity for reflective contrast of different approaches used in the UK and US.

The training is directed towards ASTs in all aspects of primary and secondary education with particular interest to teachers of the following areas:

Science

Mathematics

Geography

ICT

Special Needs

Technology

Key Skills

Creativity

Vocational Education

Teachers from the following subjects have also found the programme effective and useful:

English

Art

Physical Education

History

Economics

RE

MFL

  • To enable ASTs to further inspire teachers in increasing student motivation, student attainment and the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

  • The work in the USA will enable reflection within an education system that will provide an opportunity to take an outside view of the existing practises within the UK.

  • The ‘magnet' programmes aimed at raising attainment of the most able and gifted students have been established for over twenty years in Texas and provide an excellent opportunity for contrast with the current UK drives in this area.
  • Rice University along with Houston Independent School District (HISD) and the National Science Foundation have pioneered an exciting and innovative collaborative scheme to develop and share the skills of lead practitioners throughout the learning community. ASTs will have the opportunity to use this framework to enhance their existing outreach impact.
  • HISD have also developed an extensive online learning community scheme that provides scope for reflection on existing practise within the UK

This programme includes:
  • A visit to Houston. During this visit, teachers will have the opportunity to visit local American elementary, middle or high schools, receive input from educational leadership specialists from Rice University and engage with the educational and motivational expertise of NASA's Johnson Space Centre

  • An introductory Saturday workshop in the UK

  • Participation in an on-line virtual community

  • The Provision of CD-ROM and support materials


Houston is the largest city in southern Texas, home to NASA's Johnson Space Centre
ISSET has been involved in teacher and student education programmes in Houston since 2000.

Houston is a fascinating city within which to carry out the work. It is the fourth largest city in the USA, with a population that is approximately:
40% Hispanic Americans
30% black Americans
20% white Americans
10% drawn from a variety of races.
It has both inner city schools and suburban schools, including dual language schools.

Houston has many of the problems and concerns of a very large multi-cultural inner city, whilst also having great optimism that these concerns can and are being overcome by inclusive policies and programmes. Houston and Rice University have achieved national acclaim for their work in narrowing the achievement gap between majority and minority ethnic groups.

Houston also offers the opportunity to take advantage of the inspirational and highly motivating space programme that is based at NASA’s ‘Johnson Space Centre’, the home of Mission Control and astronaut training.

Houston Study Visit


Observe and partner in teaching at Houston schools

School Observation & School District Input :-

  • Behaviour management
  • Attendance & punctuality
  • School ethos
  • Use of assessment information
  • Tracking student progress
  • Use of ICT
  • Wider educational development
  • Equal opportunities
  • Progression through planning
  • Personal responsibility
  • Working with ethnic minorities
  • Setting high standards

Visit Rice University, one of the finest US educational institutions

Rice University :-

  • The achievement gap between majority & minority ethnic groups
  • Focusing on achievement of ethnic minorities
  • ‘No Child Left Behind’ programme
  • Importance of teams and team building exercise at ‘Houston Museum of Natural Science’

Johnson Space Centre and Aerospace Industry :-

  • How to inspire students
  • The importance of personal goals
  • High achievement for all
  • Preparing for a world of global partnership and advanced technological communication

Explore space in the classroom at NASA's Johnson Space Centre

Mentoring for :-

  • Individual difficulties
  • Develop team ethos
  • Setting goals
  • Comparison of US and UK approaches
  • Career Entry Profiles<
  • Personal objectives & action plans

Online virtual community and support

  • Half term 25 Oct-1 Nov 2008

For further information, please contact:

Julie Woodcock , ISSET
Tel: 02920 710295
E-mail: jwoodcock@isset.org