SASS Certification from TTF and Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK.

The Teacher Foundation deeply believes that schools should be actively nurturing and enabling environments for its children. Currently working with 15 schools on the 'Safe and Sensitive Schools Project', TTF is helping heads, teachers and students opt for a gentler, more positive approach to interacting with each other. The Whole School Ecosystemic Model of Quality Circle Time developed by Jenny Mosley forms the backbone of the project.

The SASS project has reflected several instances that reaffirms our belief in the need for the schools to look beyond academic achievement and actively nurture the human side of student growth and development. In a way, the following comment by a teacher expresses the same, “QCT has helped to bring about a bonding between the students and teachers. It has improved thinking and listening skills in the students. It has proved to be a platform for various issues to be discussed that do not find place in our normal curriculum”.

Our efforts to help schools prioritise and uphold what is vital for their well being remains a dynamic and enthusiastic process. It gives us great pleasure to persevere in this endeavour and institutionalise the SASS Certification awarded jointly by The Teacher Foundation, and Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK. The certificate is valid for a period of 2 years after which the school could need to request for re-accreditation – which will be a simple low-cost process.

This certification will ensure that schools in the SASS Project as well as schools who have been trained in QCT are able to :

• consolidate the benefits of the training and support they have received from TTF
• provide clear, visual evidence of enhanced practices that contribute to a safe and sensitive culture across the school.
• visualise in a tangible way the concept of a caring school

The certification will be offered at 3 levels – Gold, Silver and Bronze. While the Gold Status is of course the highest level of the Award, schools that initially satisfy the silver or bronze levels will be encouraged to aspire and work for the Gold Award. Schools that receive the Gold Status will be prominently mentioned on our websites (TTF as well as Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK), and all other professional forums including our Official Blog, Facebook Page and T-Net E-groups. They will also be provided the opportunity to share their experiences and learnings at national-level conferences organised by TTF.

As a prerequisite to the certification the school needs to have gone through the following:

1. A basic 2 day training in the Whole School Ecosystemic Approach to Quality Circle Time for every adult member in the school.
2. School-based support for an academic session that includes for every class (Grades 1-10) a QCT demonstration by TTF facilitators, co-conducting of QCT sessions by TTF facilitator and the class teacher and observation of QCT conducted by the class teacher
3. Institutionalising and living the Golden Rules across the whole school – staff and students.
4. Active Practice of the QCT ethos in regular classes, lunch & break times, school corridors and all other school spaces, including school buses.

The Teacher Foundation will be ready for 'certification audits' of interested schools from June 2011. In order to certify as a safe and sensitive school, the school needs to satisfy the conditions and practices detailed out for Gold Standard SASS, Silver Standard SASS or Bronze Standard SASS.

TTF will offer its support and endeavour to help your school achieve the award. This award is poised to be a prestigious one very soon and we are pleased that the word has already spread to quite a few interested schools in various parts of the country.

TTF is deeply appreciative of the initiative and courage schools have demonstrated to embark on the journey to making their institutions safer and more sensitive.