Why join UBATO
What is the purpose of UBATO?
The concept of UBATO originated from a meeting with Art mentors at The University of Brighton, who wanted more opportunity to network with other Art and Design educators, as well as expand on their practical subject expertise. This was combined with a realisation that our most recent trainee teacher graduates had less practical face-to-face workshops due to lockdown, and less opportunity to broaden their own art skills.
The University of Brighton has built a strong reputation for initial teacher training and graduates want to stay connected to the University and to each other when they enter the teaching profession. UBATO aims to provide this next step in offering subject specific CPD and support in the early part of a teacher’s career as well as being able to provide experienced teachers with opportunities to expand their own skills and approaches to the subject.
The tutors at the University can offer a wealth of practical experience within the subject alongside a theoretical perspective on the pedagogy of our subject. UBATO will run over four workshops days, where there be the opportunity to choose from several different workshops that will aim to address gaps in subject specific learning, including the opportunity of having a workshop with an established artist. Membership can be for an individual teacher or held across a department. UBATO will also give ample chance to network with other art teachers in the region and share good practice.
I am an Early Careers Teacher, why should I join UBATO?
As an ECT you are expected to continue addressing the teaching standards and develop your subject knowledge. Your school should be supporting you in meeting these.
The National providers that schools are using for CPD are generic and not subject specific. UBATO is offering you subject specific development opportunities.
You’ll be encouraged to learn new art skills, share best practice within our subject and develop further pedagogical understanding. In this way, you will gain new ideas for your classroom practice and valuable opportunities of networking with other colleagues in the region.
The artist workshop day will give you the opportunity to work with an established artist and provide you with a huge expanse of fresh ideas and resources you can introduce directly to your students.
I am the art coordinator in my primary school, why should I join UBATO?
UBATO will provide you with the opportunity of working with both primary art educators as well as secondary art teachers. Some teachers will have art degrees and will be established artists themselves with lots of specialised expertise within art and design that they can share amongst its members. However, other members will be new to role of art coordinator and might be feeling overwhelmed by the prospect. Others will be looking for guidance on the curriculum, subject expertise, differing approaches for success and top tips in teaching the subject to primary children.
You can be reassured, that whatever your reasons for joining UBATO, you will be warmly welcomed and supported within the organisation, surrounded by educators that will want to impart their knowledge and share their experiences with you, in order to develop you as an artist as well as a teacher.
I am a mentor in school why should I join UBATO?
UBATO will be offering four workshops a year. Some aspects will be delivered by University of Brighton tutors and designed specifically to support mentors who are working with Early Career Teachers and / or trainee teachers in reference to the Core Content Framework.
Workshops will provide an opportunity for you to revisit and expand your own art skill set and learn new approaches, which will strengthen your existing practice. It will reinforce key insights, ideas, knowledge and strategies from a theoretical perspective which can help to rebalance and evaluate our individual perspectives, when demands from working with policy can affect our own teaching and mentoring.
Being part of UBATO will enable you to have time to reflect and personalise areas of professional development you offer as a mentor.
I am an experienced Head of Art, why should I apply for a department membership to UBATO?
We are offering a department membership for the same price as an individual membership. The department membership will allow one member of staff to attend each Saturday workshop – this allows the opportunity for a few members of staff within a department to benefit from being part of the organisation.
In successful departments it is easy to train colleagues in-house and share skills and expertise, but over time a department needs fresh input to keep everyone engaged in the curriculum. This organisation gives you the opportunity to share best practice and network with a wider group of like-minded educators.
Sharing the membership within a department allows more people to be connected with the organisation, refreshes ideas beyond just one member of staff and shares best practice further afield.
I am a Headteacher why should I fund membership to UBATO?
Whether you have an Art and Design ECT in your school or a successful department wanting membership to UBATO, it will be well worth funding.
Your school will benefit from having the opportunity to network with other art and design educators in the region and members will share their expertise as an artist, as well as an educator. There will be ample time to reflect and share best practice in all areas of art and design education.
UBATO will provide for teachers to reflect on their own practice, as well as discuss policy driven initiatives relevant to art and design, and revisit some theory around the subject. Art and Design teachers need fresh inspiration in order to keep abreast of new developments and remain relevant in their design and teaching of the curriculum.
The workshops will provide fantastic opportunities for members to learn new skills and work alongside other artists and educators. £150 for the membership offers exceptional value: it works out to be less than £40 per workshop per day including materials, and because these workshops are held on Saturdays, additional cover and releasing teachers for CPD may not be required.
Your school will also receive an art materials box worth over £100, supplied by our partner Specialist Crafts, and regular newsletters to provide classroom inspiration.