From September 2002 to May 2003 Chelmer Valley and Shenfield High School took part in the GTC's Action Research Project on the experience of early career teachers in their second to sixth year of teaching. 

The project highlighted the importance of CPD for early career teachers, in particular a need to plan and share ideas about teaching, to visit other schools and to link up with teachers at similar stages in their careers to share best practice. 

From 2003-2005 Shenfield and Chelmer Valley linked up with Furtherwick Park School to build up an early career teacher network.  Twilight seminars were held on gifted and talented, career progression, behaviour management, learning styles, using a professional development portfolio, fast-track 'Do I want to be a headteacher?'. 

Each year culminates in an annual seminar held in July with a key focus.  Please click here to read the latest report on the Summer Conference held at the Holiday Inn, Brentwood in 2005.  The Summer Conference for 2006 is already booked - the theme next year will be 'Raising the Thinking Stakes in your Classroom' - watch this space for further news on the outcome of the conference.