2014 - 2015 generic school experience handbook …d3mcbia3evjswv.cloudfront.net/files/generic...

University of Chichester

2014 - 2015

Generic School Experience HandbookPrimary

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Contents

AppendicesAppendix A – A Rationale for Paired School experiences / Collaborative TeachingAppendix B – Lesson Observation / FAR: Guidance for Tutors and MentorsAppendix C – Observing Teaching and LearningAppendix D – Notification of Concern Policy Appendix E – Travel, Transport and Accommodation: Information for StudentsAppendix F – Support for Student Teachers Appendix G – Three Key University of Chichester Policies: Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, and Race Equality

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School Experience Contact Numbers 2

Introduction Teacher Reference Number Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

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Role and Responsibilities The Student Teacher The Mentor The Class Teacher The Link Tutor Quality Assurance Tutor Academic Adviser External Examiners Internal Moderator Resolving Issues Student Teacher Entitlement Professionalism

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School Experience Files Organisation of the Planning and Teaching File Planning Evaluation of Teaching Assessing Learning Organisation of Pupil Progress File Development Profile Observation of Teaching and Learning

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Assessment of School Experience Grading Student Teachers Checking Previous Experience in Schools and Student Teacher Targets for School Experience Lesson Observation Sheets and Extension Sheets Weekly Mentor Meeting Logs Final Assessment of School Experience Review of Student Teacher Progress - Notification of Concern Student Teachers with Dyslexia or Weakness in Literacy Failure in School Experience

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School Partnership OfficeSchool Partnership OfficeSchool Partnership OfficeSchool Partnership Office

Senior School Experience Administrator

Glyn Saunders (am only)

01243 812172 [email protected]


Louise Mahoney (Monday ,

Wednesday, and Thursday

am)



Nancy Egleton (pm only)



Vicky Bowman 01243 812174 [email protected]

Address:School Partnership Office, University of Chichester, Bognor Regis Campus, Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1HR

School Partnership Office, University of Chichester, Bognor Regis Campus, Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1HR

School Partnership Office, University of Chichester, Bognor Regis Campus, Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1HR

FAX: 01243 81215301243 81215301243 812153

Generic email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

School Experience Contact Numbers

Academic StaffAcademic StaffAcademic StaffAcademic Staff

Head of School Partnership Jane Evans 01243

812025 [email protected]

Coordinator for School Partnership

Wayne Stallard 01243 812040 [email protected]

Director of Education Dr. Jon Spence 01243

812034 [email protected]

Programme Coordinator for BA PTS and BA PET

Dr. Carole Bignell


Programme Coordinator for PGCE

Dr. Chris Shelton


mailto:[email protected]










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Programme AdministratorsProgramme AdministratorsProgramme AdministratorsProgramme Administrators

BA PTS and BA PET

Administrative Assistant

Debbie Hall 01243 812065 [email protected]

PGCE Administrative

Assistant

Melanie Hopkins


Email addresses for completed school experience documentation:Email addresses for completed school experience documentation:

BA PTS and BA PET [email protected]

Key Stage 2/3 Maths [email protected]

PGCE [email protected]

Any advice or suggestions for improving this guide will be welcomed. All comments should be sent to: [email protected]

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Welcome to school experience.

This handbook provides the generic information for all Primary school experiences.

The aims and intended learning outcomes for each school experience are detailed in the relevant programme handbook.

The expectations for each school experience can be found in the relevant ‘School Experience Requirements and Expectations’ (SERE) booklet.

This handbook directs student teachers, mentors, class teachers and University tutors towards the main elements of school experience so that they all share a common purpose. The aim is to ensure that all student teachers, wherever they are, have every opportunity to achieve the highest possible standards of teaching commensurate with the stage they have reached in their training.

The Primary Partnership Model at the University of Chichester reflects the close association between schools and the University. It includes briefing meetings, lesson observations

by mentors and link tutors both individually and jointly, and review meetings.

The diagram below shows how school experience is structured within the programmes. The amount of time dedicated to school experience conforms to the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Criteria (National College for Teaching and Learning 2014).

Programme /Year School ExperienceBA PTS Year 1 Autumn Term (13 days)

Summer Term (21 days)BA PET Year 2 Summer Term (31 days)

Spring Term (Special Interest Placement) 10 days

BA PET Year 3 Spring Term (52 days)BA (Hons) KS2/3 Year 1

Autumn Term (13 days)Summer Term (21 days)

BA (Hons) KS2/3 Year 2

Summer Term (Secondary school experience) 40 days

BA (Hons) KS2/3 Year 3

Spring Term (52 days)

PGCE Autumn Term (44 days)Summer Term (49 days)Spring Term (Enhanced school experience) 27 days

Section 2

Introduction

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Increasingly in education (including Initial Teacher Education, hereafter ITE) collaborative teaching is being recognised as a valuable means of professional development at all stages (i.e. from student teacher to highly experienced/senior member of staff), with people working together and supporting each other in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Team teaching, mentoring, peer coaching, joint planning and mutual observation and feedback are increasingly becoming a normal part of school life. The University recognises the benefits of such collaborative approaches by building in opportunities for the majority of primary student teachers - i.e. Year 1 BA PTS, Year 1 KS2/3 and Primary PGCE School ‘A’ student teachers - to undertake a paired school experience. It is important to note that all student teachers who complete a paired/collaborative teaching experience will still spend the majority of their total school experience time during their training in individual school experience settings. For further details see Appendix A.

Teacher Reference Number (TRN)Student teachers should be aware that the University will share Teacher Registration Numbers with their school experience schools. Professional bodies (including Schools, the National College for Teaching and Learning, OfSTED, Teacher Training Institutions) can use this information to gain information about the individual’s eligibility to teach (whether they have QTS,

have completed their induction, been barred from the profession etc). This information is made available by the Department for Education through a secure website and is not available to the general public.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checkPlease read the following extract from The Partnership Agreement:

It is the responsibility of the student to inform the Deputy Vice-Chancellor if there is any change in their criminal record (for instance additional convictions / reprimands / warnings / pending convictions) during the programme of study.

Initial Teacher Education - In addition, Initial Teacher Education students must immediately inform the programme coordinator of any such changes.

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All Initial Teacher Education Programmes at University of Chichester are based on the principle of partnership between local schools and the University. Within this partnership colleagues have different but complementary roles and responsibilities.

The Student TeacherStudent teachers are expected to demonstrate commitment to their studies both in the University and in school. They are also expected to demonstrate a responsible and professional attitude to all staff in the University and school, to fellow student teachers and to pupils.

During their school experience, it is the student teachers’ responsibility to ensure that they:

• Familiarise themselves with the school experience materials placed on Moodle to ensure that they are aware of the requirements for the school experience;

• Work to support the aims/principles/ethos/philosophy of the school;

• Demonstrate a positive professional attitude;

• Work co-operatively with colleagues, parents and other adults in negotiating the curriculum and care of children in school;

• Make a full and active contribution to the life of the school in line with current school policies (workforce reform, etc) and course requirements;

• Communicate with other adults involved in children’s education;

• Demonstrate an ability to reflect on and develop their own practice;

• Respond professionally to advice from University and school-based colleagues;

• Display a willingness to learn vis-à-vis their development as a teacher;

Section 3

Roles and Responsibilities

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• Organise themselves in relation to the various meetings and paperwork related demands of their specific programme/course;

• Be punctual and dress appropriately in relation to their school experience;

• Communicate promptly, clearly and appropriately/professionally with all University and school-based colleagues involved in their training as is necessary, including following the University procedures for notifying colleagues of absence from school experience;

• Follow / abide, (as they all relate to their conduct during school experience), by …

• both the school’s and the University’s Health and Safety requirements / procedures (Appendix G) and

• University Equal Opportunities/Race Equality policies (Appendix G) alongside the standards as set out in the Teachers’ Standards (DfE 2012)

The MentorThe mentor is responsible for guiding and supervising student teachers in all aspects of their teaching during school experience. Mentors are expected to meet weekly with their

student teacher to discuss all aspects of school life, including reviewing the trainee’s progress toward achieving the Teachers’ Standards. They are also expected to observe the student teacher’s classroom practice, offer critical feedback and take part in the final assessment review. The mentor may or may not be the student teacher’s class teacher. If not, s/he will liaise with the class teacher and others in the school.

In specific terms, the mentor's responsibilities will include the following:-

• attending training sessions and meetings in preparation for the mentoring role including cluster briefings;

• familiarising themselves with course requirements and ensuring that the school element of the partnership calendar for each experience is followed, including ensuring that the student teacher has an appropriate teaching and administrative load as specified in course documentation and workforce reform requirements;

• liaising with the headteacher / teacher in charge of student teachers and the University link tutor in supporting and assessing the student, (including carrying out joint observations and assessing the student against the standards with the link tutor);

• negotiating with other members of staff as necessary;

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• liaising with the link tutor on details regarding their visits to the school;

• ensuring the student teacher is familiar with whole school issues (as appropriate), including briefing student teachers on school policies, procedures, resources, and support services;

• supporting student teachers in planning effectively for working with teaching assistants and other adults including liaison with outside agencies;

• observing and formally assessing student teachers' work during school experience and providing prompt feedback thereafter through debriefing and formal reports on teaching as required in the school experience schedule;

• supporting student teachers with the preparation of planning for teaching and interpretation of schemes of work;

• ensuring that University procedures are followed in regard to student teachers causing concern;

• supporting the student teacher in planning and completing school based tasks;

• assessing the student in collaboration with the link tutor;

• assisting the student teacher to complete the Standards Tracking Document;

• supporting the progress and professional development of the student teacher, through clear target setting via the ‘Weekly Mentor Meeting Log’;

• monitoring student teacher absences from school;

• reviewing the student’s files;

• working with the student teacher, class teacher and link tutor on the completion of all relevant course documentation. Completing and returning school experience evaluation forms to the University;

• (where appropriate) taking part in the selection and interviewing of candidates;

• being a good role model for student teachers;

• agreeing to support the University in its implementation of its Health and Safety requirements / procedures and all Equal Opportunities/Race Equality policies as they relate to the students’ experience in schools.

The Class TeacherThe class teacher is responsible for offering the student teacher regular support and guidance while they are in their class.

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The class teacher’s responsibilities will include the following:

• supporting the student teacher in the classroom;

• advising the student teacher on all aspects of their class;

• providing pupils’ names and key information on their development;

• facilitating planning and display work;

• involving student teachers as far as possible in planning;

• allowing a phased introduction to whole class teaching through group work;

• ensuring that student teachers have effective plans for their teaching;

• providing informal feedback on sessions/lessons taught by the student teacher ;

• advising student teachers on matters relating to classroom management;

• supporting student teachers in the effective deployment of classroom assistants;

• checking student teachers are aware of available teaching resources within the school;

• advising student teachers on any matters relating to safety of pupils;

• liaising closely with the mentor regarding student teacher progress.

The Link TutorThe link tutor is the bridge between the University and the school. Normally, the link tutor will have responsibility for a number of schools and will visit schools at specific points during school experience. Specifically the link tutors should:

• be fully conversant with and follow all relevant course documentation and programme requirements;

• liaise with the University Year Group Leader (BA PET/PTS student teachers)/ Deputy Coordinator (PGCE student teachers) and or Programme Coordinator / Coordinator for School Partnership to ensure that the student teacher makes good or better progress;

• through meeting with staff develop an understanding of the ethos/philosophy of the school;

• be flexible and responsive to school and student teacher needs;

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• ensure that mentors fully understand their responsibilities and understand the requirements of each school experience and the Primary Partnership Agreement generally;

• observe and assess teaching with appropriate formal verbal and written feedback as required in the relevant school experience documentation (see appendix B);

• contribute to the assessment of teaching standards with the school mentor and student teacher;

• liaise with the mentor(s) and member of staff with overall responsibility for ITE in the school to support and monitor the operation of school experience to ensure the student teacher makes good or better progress;

• plan school visits in advance and in agreement with mentors;

• review action plans and assessment for each student teacher;

• provide professional support for the school mentor, class teacher and member of staff with overall responsibility for ITE in the school;

• deal with issues arising out of school experience in school;

• monitor quality and standards in partner schools in so far as they impact upon the training of teachers and the successful delivery of the Primary Partnership Agreement;

• report any problems or issues relating to school experience (including issues relating to Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities/Race Equality as well as student progress and entitlement) to the head teacher and/or the relevant member of staff with overall responsibility for ITE in the school, as well as to the Programme Coordinator and/or Coordinator for School Partnership.

Quality Assurance TutorA Quality Assurance (QA) Team of experienced tutors will be involved in the moderation and assessment of student teachers. They liaise closely with the Programme Coordinator and Coordinator for School Partnership. The purpose is to monitor standards within the Partnership, often with a particular focus on an aspect of school experience, e.g. addressing the standards relating to pupils for whom English is an additional language; to support link tutors and mentors, and to moderate grades in borderline cases.

Academic AdviserStudent teachers are reminded to attend tutorials and keep their academic adviser informed of their strengths, areas for development and targets for each school experience, as well as

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any problems encountered during the year. They should give their adviser a copy of:

• each formal lesson observation;

• their weekly mentor meeting logs;

• the Final Assessment Review sheet at the end of the school experience in order to keep them informed of their progress.

External ExaminersExternal examiners are responsible to the Board of Examiners for reporting on standards within components of a programme. They play an important role in moderating and checking overall standards of programme provision and student teacher performance through visiting schools to see a sample of student teachers. The external examiners for school experience are specifically concerned with standards of professional attributes, professional knowledge and understanding and professional skills such as classroom teaching and the professional development of student teachers in school. It is appropriate, therefore, for the school experience examiners to focus on those aspects of the programme that relate to student teachers’ practical teaching. The main areas for the attention of external examiners in relation to school experience would normally include:

• Moderating a sample of assessment grades against the Standards;

• Collecting evidence from a range of sources, particularly: observation of teaching; checking teaching files; discussion with student teacher, class teacher and mentor;

• Assessing student teacher level of preparation: through the teaching and pupil progress file and interview;

• Observing teaching to judge standards of classroom practice;

• Monitoring the effectiveness of supervision and support by mentors and tutors: through lesson reports and discussion;

• Confirming all fail grades at the final assessment point in Year 2 and 3 or PGCE B through discussion and scrutiny of paperwork;

• Providing verbal feedback to student teachers, teachers and tutors/mentors;

• Submitting an annual report on overall standards at the end of each year.

• On some occasions an external examiner may meet with a student teacher who has failed school experience.

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In the case of any difficulty over a student teacher’s school experience in a particular class or school, examiners are asked to report the matter to the Coordinator for School Partnership who will be able to consider an appropriate course of action. Examiners are asked not to refer any such issues directly to the school concerned.

Internal ModeratorAn internal moderator plays an important role in checking that the Programme’s processes and procedures have been followed. In the event that a student teacher fails school experience, the Coordinator for School Partnership will usually arrange for an internal moderation to take place. Once an internal moderator has been allocated, they will make contact with the student teacher, the mentor, and the link tutor. The internal moderator will usually ask the student teacher to attend a meeting at the university. This meeting is just between the student teacher and the internal moderator, as this gives them the opportunity to professionally discuss the student’s school experience. During this meeting the internal moderator will usually look at the school experience files and in order to facilitate this, it is essential that the student teacher brings them to this meeting. As part of the process the internal moderator will also discuss the school experience, usually via a telephone conversation, with the mentor and link tutor. The internal moderator does not have the power to change the final grade

although they will report their findings to the Coordinator for School Partnership and the Board of Examiners.

Resolving IssuesWhat to do if:

the student teacher has issues with the school/mentor or class teacher

• student teachers are advised to speak to their link tutor in the first instance to solve issues identified by the student teacher;

• link tutors are asked to speak to the Year / Deputy Coordinator or the Programme Coordinator and/or Coordinator for School Partnership if there are difficult issues to resolve;

• student teachers may discuss issues with their Academic Adviser but in order to resolve issues they must do so via the link tutor. Academic Advisers should direct student teachers to their link tutor, unless of course the issues concern the link tutor, in which case they are advised to speak to the Year / Deputy Coordinator or the Coordinator for School Partnership and/or Programme Coordinator.

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the school, class teacher or mentor have concerns about the student teacher

• Discuss concerns or issues immediately with the link tutor who will then speak to the student teacher and take appropriate advice from the Year / Deputy Coordinator or Programme Coordinator / Coordinator for School Partnership and action accordingly.

the school has concerns about the link tutor

• The mentor is advised to discuss their concerns with the Coordinator for School Partnership.

Student Teacher EntitlementA student teacher in school has an entitlement to specific teaching loads and levels of support from the mentor and link tutor. It is necessary to clarify entitlement in this way to ensure that as far as possible students are exposed to comparable opportunities to develop teaching skills. There are five key aspects to entitlement.

Students should:

• be placed in an appropriate age-phase class;

• receive agreed teaching loads and periods of non-contact time in school;

• expect full mentor and link tutor support according to that specified in course documents (including the Primary Partnership Agreement);

• be assessed in accordance with agreed indicative criteria as set out in course documents;

• not be used to cover the absence of a teacher.

What a student may normally expect on school experience is set out in detail in the course documents (e.g. School Experience Requirements and Expectations booklet). Student entitlement may be defined in the following terms:

Lesson observations by the mentor: agreed frequency and duration

Link tutor visits:agreed number of lesson observations and a review meeting

Written feedback: using pro-formas for all formally observed lessons

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Frequently Asked Questions:Help! The school have an Ofsted inspection. They say that they want me to be like a TA when the inspectors come to observe my class teacher. What about my contact time?

• This is perfectly acceptable. The student teacher and their mentor can adjust the contact time in subsequent weeks after the inspection.

ProfessionalismWhen on school experience student teachers are taking the role of a teacher and as such they are expected to behave professionally at all times.

This includes:

• abiding by the school’s dress code;

• making sure that they know the times they should be in school, in lessons, in tutor time, and being punctual;

• following the school’s absence procedure if for any reason they are unable to attend, and informing the University of their absence;

• demonstrating a professional attitude to all staff and pupils in the school at all times;

• being receptive to feedback offered on their teaching;

• complying with the school’s Health and Safety guidelines and making sure they are informed of all items on the Health and Safety checklist at the beginning of their school experience.

When the student teacher refers to their school experience in written assignments they must not name individuals, or the

Review meetings:

formative or summative assessment point with clear areas for development being identified

Teacher support: given according to the stage in training

Class contact time: an agreed % teaching load

Non-contact time: an agreed % of time for non-teaching activities

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school, they should use assumed names or anonymous references such as ’school X’. When the student teacher carries out research in school, even on a small scale, they must complete an Ethics Form and they must secure the permission of their professional tutor. He/she will want to check, for example, any questionnaire that they intend to use with pupils.

Student teachers are expected to be fully informed about programme requirements and procedures as well as University regulations. Programme information is supplied in their programme handbook, module handbooks, announcements via e-mail, and via the School Experience Moodle page.

Student teachers are reminded that if they fail school experience against Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards this will be deemed to have irrevocably failed and a resit of school experience would not normally be offered.

Student teachers are reminded that if they leave their school experience without discussion with, or permission from, their mentor and/or professional tutor they will be deemed to have failed school experience.

Professional Communication Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards state that:

A Teacher is expected to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct and that they uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school.

Appropriate professional communication is a significant aspect of your professional behaviour. As such, student teachers would be expected to uphold high standards of professionalism when communicating about any aspect of their training. We would draw particular attention to the appropriate use of forms of e-communication such as social networking sites like Facebook.

Professional Suitability and Fitness to PractiseInstances of unprofessional behaviour whilst on school experience would normally result in failure of Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards and therefore failure of the school experience. In such instances the University’s Professional Suitability and Fitness to Practise Policy and Procedure will be evoked.

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The files are an important working document. They should be available for consultation at all times in school. The files must contain full details of planning, class organisation and assessment and evaluations.

It should be noted that the student teacher has ownership of the files and may organise them in a way that best supports their professional development over the school experience.

The file acts both as a record of development and as a resource for teaching. It should be detailed and professionally acceptable in style and content. Student teachers may wish to keep a separate resources file for teaching resources used.

The planning – teaching – assessment – evaluation cycle

Student teachers should use the diagram (on page 16) as a guide to help them identify aspects of their teaching which need improvement and development. In order to show their professional development as a teacher, evidence needs to be available as tangible proof of their ability to teach and meet the Teachers’ Standards. Much of this evidence will reside in the planning and teaching file and the pupil progress file. These are very important documents. They are public documents that may need to be seen by the headteacher, class teacher, mentor, link tutor, quality assurance tutor and external examiners. Student teachers must ensure that in all aspects professional language is utilised.

Planning, teaching, assessment, evaluation and monitoringClear and detailed planning is one of the keys to achieving learning in the classroom and promoting progress in children’s learning. The diagram on pg.16 should be used as a guide to

Section 4

School Experience Files

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help the student teacher identify aspects of their teaching which need improvement and development.

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Organisation of the Planning and Teaching FileSchool experience files should be organised in clearly identified sections. Details of what to include for each school experience can be found in the School Experience Requirement and Expectations (SERE) booklet for that experience. However, typically a Teaching File might include:

• the checklist (see School Experience Requirement and Expectations booklet);

• details about the context of teaching: i.e. school size, catchment, location and organisation;

• classroom details i.e.: pupil numbers, names, seating plan, notes on class groupings;

• a timetable showing main teaching sessions and fixed points in pupils’ day;

• medium-term plans and/or schemes of work;• weekly plans;• lesson plans;• assessment and evaluations of teaching and learning.

Planning (a) Lesson plans: (N.B. Lesson Plan guidance and planning pro-forma is shown in the Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment booklet for Student Teachers - provided within the electronic documents and on the School Experience Moodle page.) Planning is generally completed in conjunction with established school procedures. However, student teachers are expected to complete, in good time

(negotiated with the mentor and or class teacher), a lesson plan, using the advised University format for every lesson taught. It is important that student teachers adopt a systematic approach to planning. The sample lesson plans shown in Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment for Student Teachers booklet offers a format that should be used as a model for the development of lesson plans in the context of specific teaching situations.

Mentors and class teachers are strongly advised to check !the student teacher’s lesson plans, in good time, before they commence teaching from it. Mentors and class teachers are asked to please initial and date the lesson plans and make comments or amendments. This constitutes evidence of checking the plans.

(b) Health and Safety considerations: Before teaching any lesson with a potentially hazardous content, such as science, design technology or PE, student teachers have a responsibility to make sure they understand the safety implications. Careful planning and risk assessment will ensure that neither children nor adults will be harmed from taking part in lessons. Student teachers should add a full risk assessment to medium term and lesson plans for these lessons. The Health and Safety implications of all lessons should be considered prior to teaching. The class teacher should be present at all times during a lesson with potentially hazardous content.

(c) Working with teaching assistants: All planning should clearly indicate how student teachers will deploy LSAs/TAs/other adults in the classroom. Teaching assistants are an integral part of learning and teaching teams in schools and bring valuable

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experience and expertise to lessons. Student teachers are expected to work with teaching assistants (TAs, including LSAs and HLTAs) under the direction of the class teacher and then later to include them in the planning, brief them prior to the lesson and receive feedback from the classroom assistant at the end of the lesson.

All student teachers need to work effectively with TAs during school experience. They should find out the background and qualifications of any adults working in the classroom and ask the class teacher and/or link tutor about this. Such adults may have specific training as learning support workers, as nursery nurses, etc. Planning may appropriately make considerable demands of them, but student teachers need to know what to expect beforehand.

It is important for student teachers to build a relationship with the TAs as soon as possible. Student teachers should share with them their aspirations as a student teacher and make it clear that they value the TA’s presence and expertise. Student teachers should establish a routine of bringing them into their planning. TAs need to know in advance what student teachers intend for the lesson, what is expected of them, and how and when information will be collected from them after the lesson about how their group responded to the tasks set.

The phrase 'what is expected of them' may seem a difficult one to swallow if the people concerned are much older than the student teacher and have a great deal of experience. Nevertheless student teachers are working towards QTS and during school experiences will often have considerable overall responsibility for planning the educational provision for a

particular class. At the same time they will need to negotiate plans with the people with whom they are working.

Lesson plans should make explicit references to the role of any other adults working in the classroom with student teachers. If student teachers can rely on their presence and effectiveness it may mean that they can plan for two or three teacher intensive group activities in literacy or numeracy lessons rather than one. It is appreciated that matters may be more complicated if the adult is there specifically to support a particular child with SEND SEND.

Student teachers should always have back up plans which enable the lesson to be offered effectively in the absence of the TA.

Permission should be sought from the TA and class teacher if student teachers want to involve the assistants in assessing the pupils within their group. If they are happy to do this, discuss the assessment criteria and provide a pro forma which is quick and easy to complete.

Frequently Asked Questions:Supporting Bilingual Learners

In this situation the student teacher should: refer to the guidance document on their memory stick. This includes references to ‘A Language in Common’.• Access ‘Marking progress – Training Materials for Assessing

English as an additional language’.

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In section 5 there are case studies. Select a pupil appropriate to the age range and when the student teacher plans lessons include how they would provide personalised provision for this pupil.

The document can also be accessed via the School Partnership Website: (http://www.chi.ac.uk/department-education/school-partnership-office/primary-school-experience) and School Experience Moodle page.

I have to assess children’s learning but how do I know what the children have learnt?Student teachers will know this from the evidence for learning produced by the children during the lesson/session. For example: • What did they say in response to your questions?• What did they say in the pair/share discussions?• What are the questions they asked you to clarify ideas,

misconceptions?• What did they draw, junk-model, paint etc?• What did their written work show?

How often do I assess children?In short, every single lesson. However, this does not mean that every single child needs a detailed assessment in every lesson. For each lesson, student teachers should identify which children they are going to assess in detail and which will be assessed via marking. Where it has been agreed, the student

teacher should discuss with the TA which pupils they wish the TA to assess and how this will be achieved.

So it is just a paper exercise?On the contrary, it shows how well you understand how children learn, what the children learn in terms of the learning objectives and other incidental learning. Assessment is the key to unlocking planning and teaching and meeting the learning needs of the children that the student teacher has the privilege to teach.

Evaluation of Teaching Student teachers are required to write detailed, analytical evaluations of lessons or teaching sequences, according to the requirements of the school experience set out in the SERE.

This is in order that:• the student teacher is able to reflect on their own teaching

and to learn from that purposeful process of reflection and so inform the setting and review of individual professional development targets;

• other professionals can retrospectively catch up with lessons which they did not see for themselves, and draw information about the student teacher’s professional practice for discussion with them.

Student teachers are expected to evaluate their own contribution to the lesson as a teacher and the effect on the pupil as a learner.

http://www.chi.ac.uk/department-education/school-partnership-office/primary-school-experience




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In order to gain any useful idea about the effects of their teaching on pupil learning, student teachers need to be practised observers. This means collecting and recording systematically as much useful and relevant information as possible. They need to make notes, talk with pupils and gather evidence whenever they see something which may help them to illustrate or explain what is happening in terms of pupil response, attitude or learning. Analysis and example are much more useful to student teachers, their mentor, class teacher and link tutor, than simple description.

It helps to name individual pupils in each evaluation and say what they did, or said or produced that was interesting, or that illustrated a point. This information provides vital evidence, which should inform subsequent lesson planning, differentiation, groupings, classroom organisation and assessment strategies. Evaluation is best handled systematically by addressing specific questions (See Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment for Student Teachers).

Assessing LearningDuring the first school experience, student teachers will begin to appreciate the value of assessment for and of learning, i.e. how assessment informs teaching and subsequent learning. Their knowledge and understanding of monitoring and assessment will be developed through proactive questioning of

class teachers, mentors, link tutors and the School Assessment Co-ordinator. Student teachers are also expected to pursue their own professional development in this area by noting pupils’ learning in evaluations, noting misconceptions which some children will show, by recording pupils’ achievement against the lesson learning outcomes (with guidance from their class teacher).

Assessments of learning should be kept with planning so that student teachers can clearly demonstrate how assessment impacts on subsequent teaching. It should reflect the increasing professional development and involvement in the monitoring assessment, recording and discussions of pupils’ work with class teacher, mentor and with the pupils themselves.

The school experience file should also contain any whole class baseline assessment information e.g. school tracking data (baseline assessments, SATs information, predicted levels), relevant social, emotional and SEND information. This will ensure that the student teacher has the relevant information to set high expectation for all children, as well as be able to demonstrate the positive impact their teaching has had on the children’s attainment.

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Organisation of Pupil Progress FileIn order to show that the student teacher knows some children as learners in more depth they will need to keep pupil profiles for children (the number required is given in the SERE booklet). The student teacher should observe this required number of children in their class and make notes (a profile) about their physical, emotional, social and academic development at the start of the school experience and track these children’s progress throughout the school experience.

In addition the pupil progress file should contain detailed information about the intervention the student teacher is delivering, including the impact that this is having on the child or children receiving the intervention time.

For further information about the pupil progress file please see the School Experience Requirements and Expectations booklet.

AdviceHow do I track my profile children’s progress?

As the student teacher completes each group or class assessment these children will be included in the evidence for learning that they gather. The student teacher should note each child’s achievements on their assessment pro-forma, collect a copy of the work and annotate it indicating where the evidence for the achievement of the learning outcomes is present.

For example, if Jagjeet in Reception has just drawn a face the student teacher would note if he held the pencil correctly, his pencil control and whether the face had a recognisable pattern of two eyes, a nose and a mouth etc. The student teacher may then note that the target for him would be to add hair to his drawing, or to colour in the eyes.

For example, Hetty, Year 5 can identify the variables in a science investigation so how will she be extended in her learning in Sc1? The student teacher’s profile of the children will note their development in all areas of the curriculum.

The student teacher can use the headings of the Early Years Foundation Stage to form profile headings for children in the Foundation Stage; or use the headings of the National Curriculum core subjects to note the progress of children in Key Stage 1 and 2. Please note for English or Literacy the student teacher should note the children’s development in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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Development Profile The Development Profile will form an on-going record of a student teacher’s development. When a student teacher is in school it should be made available and open to scrutiny by link tutors, class teachers, mentors and other relevant personnel such as External Examiners, when required. Therefore it is an expected requirement that the student has it available for every meeting with mentor or link tutor.

Full details of the purpose of and requirements for the Development Profile can be found in the document itself.

Observation of Teaching and Learning Besides learning through teaching, student teachers will spend some of their time in school learning through observing experienced practitioners. To support these observations, they should complete an Observing Teaching and Learning form (Appendix C) for each session formally observed. These sessions will frequently be participant observations which the teacher has planned or the student teacher has planned with support from the teacher and the student teacher may be working with some children during some parts of the session. At other times they may be a non-participant observer. In this case they should define their training focus, related to the standards. NB: Permission should be obtained from those being observed through the mentor and student teachers must be prepared to share their notes in a professional dialogue. Please also note that student teachers are NOT assessing or judging the

teaching that they observe, since this would be impolite and unprofessional.

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Grading Student TeachersIn order to pass each school experience module student teachers must meet the Intended Learning Outcomes as detailed in the relevant module outline (see Programme Handbook). Student teachers’ progress will be monitored in the following ways:

• observation of teaching (part or whole lessons) by mentor and/or link tutor;

• weekly meetings with mentor;

• meetings with Link Tutor;

• review of Development Profile by mentor and link tutor;

• inspection of the students’ targets and Standards Tracking Document by mentor and link tutor;

• inspection of files by the mentor and link tutor;

• completion of School based training tasks;

• completion of School based learning tasks.

Checking Previous Experience in Schools and Student Teacher’s Targets for the School ExperienceIt is necessary for mentors to discuss previous experiences in school with the student teacher; e.g., whilst on work experience or prior to starting their training. In this way the school will be able to provide focused support and encourage student teachers to build on their experiences. This will be noted in the student teacher’s targets for the school experience.

Student Teachers must update their Standards Tracking Document with evidence on meeting the Teachers’ Standards at least every week. It should not be left until the last week.

Lesson Observation Sheets and Extension SheetsLesson Observation Sheets are completed by mentors, class teachers and link tutors (jointly on some occasions) after each

Section 5

Assessment of School Experience

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formal observation of teaching – this includes assessing documentary evidence in the student teacher’s file against the standards, or any other aspect of a student teacher’s work in school. It should be noted that this pro-forma is not just to note the results of observations but an opportunity to record a wider range of evidence from the student teacher’s experience in school. The extension sheet is available should the need arise for more extended comments.

Student teachers will also receive verbal reports and comments from teachers and mentors during their time in school. Such information is vital to student teachers who need to discuss their practice frequently, but it must not be taken as a substitute for formal written comments. It is helpful if teachers summarise important discussions on an extension sheet.

The design of the lesson observation sheets takes into account the need for more directed feedback to student teachers. Mentors and link tutors should note that a single grade must be noted after every formal observation visit and must match the comments (see the sample in the Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment – Mentors and Link Tutors).

All grades should be a single number: no ‘+’ or ‘–’ grades and no amalgam grades (‘3/4’ or similar) should be used.

To aid lesson observation, mentors are provided with a laminated copy of the Teachers’ Standards and Lesson Observation Criteria

Gradings for BA PTS Year 1 and KS 2/3 Maths

The focus of lesson observations should be in the core curriculum subjects as well as PE in the Summer. See the Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment – Mentors and Link Tutors for examples of a completed lesson observation sheets.

In Year 1 lessons are graded Pass or Fail (P or F) on the school experience Lesson Observation sheets.

Description CategoryRequires

ImprovementPass

Inadequate/Fail Fail

In Year 1 only grades ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ should be awarded thus reflecting that the final summative assessment for this module is carried out on a ‘PASS’ or ‘FAIL’ basis and does not involve numerical grades. Where the student teacher is performing above ‘Requires Improvement’ (grade 3) level this should be

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reflected in the written comments on the Lesson Observation Sheet and Final Assessment Review (FAR).

Gradings for BA PET Year 2 and 3, PGCE School A and B, and KS 2/3 Maths

All gradings must be on the scale 1-4:

Description CategoryOutstanding 1

Good 2Requires

Improvement3

Inadequate (fail)

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Performance criteria are provided for each grade (see Assessment of Trainee Teachers – Grading Descriptors Booklet and the Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment). These should be consulted in order to harmonise grades with level descriptors.

The schedule of mentor, link tutor and moderation visits is provided in the individual School Experience Requirements and Expectations (SERE) booklets for each year. This has been

planned to make sure student teachers receive regular support and written feedback.

The school experience Lesson Observation sheets and Final Assessment Review forms are an important source of information for references.

It is important to note that the written evidence on the Lesson Observation sheets will be used to form judgements about the student teacher’s progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards, and ultimately will contribute towards the final assessment at the end of their school experience.

→ It is very important that student teachers are informed accurately and honestly about the standard of teaching observed at the time and their progress.

→ It is also important to record any concerns, especially any persistent barely satisfactory cases. If a student teacher causes concern in this or any other respect then mentors should follow the Notification of Concern procedure outlined on pages 27-29.

Weekly Mentor Meeting LogThe purpose of the log is to maintain a record of student teacher progress. It also records time spent with student teachers whether in the classroom or in any other formal

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context. Student teachers are reminded that they need to be proactive in reviewing and setting targets during these meetings and during other time of self-assessment. Copies should be retained by the mentor and the student teacher. A copy should also be sent to the Academic Advisor and Link Tutor so that they can monitor progress. All written records should be signed and dated by the staff concerned.

The Development Profile evidence must be completed at regular intervals, every week by the student teacher, providing written evidence and cross references to all documentation. The mentor will check and sign to indicate the accuracy and validity of the evidence.

Final Assessment of School Experience(a) The Development Profile: All student teachers have a Development Profile which is reviewed before assessment points in all years. This document tracks the progress of student teacher’s professional development throughout the school experience. It includes the individual training plan, achievement of standards, action plans, self-appraisals and comments by mentors and link tutors.

(b) Final Assessment Review Point: A final assessment meeting reports on the assessment of the Teachers’ Standards. This should normally last an hour and involves a triangulation meeting between the student teacher, mentor and link tutor. Guidelines for the conduct of the meeting are provided in Appendix B. It is at this point that the partnership agree the final grade against the Teachers’ Standards.

Assessment is made according to the University of Chichester Assessment of Trainee Teachers – Grading Descriptors. All components in the school experience must be passed, including satisfactory completion of the School based learning tasks. Normally, the assessment made at the Final Assessment Review meeting will reflect the levels of achievement recorded on the lesson observations. The final assessment should reflect the achievement at the end of the school experience.

Should, unusually, the link tutor and mentor not reach agreement on the grade for the final assessment of the school experience, then the Programme Coordinator and Coordinator for School Partnership should be informed and an independent review will be carried out by an appropriate university colleague in order to confirm the final grade.

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Final Assessment Grades for BA PTS Year 1 and KS 2/3 Maths:

For BA PTS Year 1 and KS 2/3 Maths at the final profile point student teachers should, again, be graded on a PASS/FAIL basis only. Where the student teacher is performing above minimum level this should be reflected in the written comments on the pro-forma.

Description AssessmentAchieved at

least minimum level

Pass

Inadequate/fail Fail

Final Assessment Grades for BA PET Year 2, Year 3, PGCE School A, PGCE School B, and KS 2/3 Maths:!

Description AssessmentMeeting standards

at High levelPass

Meeting standards at Good level

Pass

Meets minimum requirements

Pass

Inadequate/fail Fail

Review of Student Teacher Progress – Notification of Concerna)! Some concern

If during school experience there are any concerns (expressed by the link tutor, mentor or headteacher) regarding a student teacher’s progress on school experience then a ‘Notification of Concern’ form should be completed, discussed with, and issued to the student. The completion of a ‘Notification of Concern’ form should involve the mentor and/or the link tutor meeting with the student (please note that any refusal on the part of a student to acknowledge the nature of the concern, sign the form and/or agree and respond to the identified actions will, normally, be regarded as a failure of Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards).

It is important to note that the completion and issuing of a ‘Notification of Concern’ form does not automatically trigger a Primary School Experience Action Plan/Warning letter and can be used to identify and notify concerns that are not yet of a ‘grade 4’ (fail) level of seriousness and can be used at any point in the school experience.

It is vital that concerns are notified sooner rather than later.

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The procedure for Notification of Concern is shown in the flowchart below:

b)! Serious concern / unsatisfactory practice

If during school experience a student teacher is formally judged to be operating at a grade ‘4’ (i.e. ‘fail/inadequate’) level of performance then an action plan process will be implemented which could lead (ultimately) to the termination of the school experience if there is no improvement.

For example, any student teacher who formally receives a ‘fail’ grade for an observation lesson, fails to address Notification of Concern or is formally judged as displaying inappropriate (i.e. ‘fail/inadequate’) professional conduct, would normally be subject to such a process. This process provides support to the student teacher and includes moderation procedures. NB:

mentors and/or link tutors must record details of meetings, support and advice given usually on the Weekly Mentor Meeting Log (Good Practice in School Experience: Support and Assessment).

The process is designed to give the student teacher every opportunity to redeem the situation, while at the same time working to safeguard children from poor teaching/professionalism. In the event of serious concern/unsatisfactory practice the following process (pg.29) should be followed:

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Copies of all Notification of Concern forms, Formal Warning Letters and Action Plans issued by the link tutor and/or mentor should be sent to the Programme Administrator. A copy should be e-mailed to either the Year Coordinator (BA PTS/PET) or the Deputy Coordinator of Primary PGCE for QA purposes. Please ensure that the Programme Coordinator and Coordinator for School Partnership are also copied into this email.

Please see Appendix D for further details of the Notification of Concern Policy.

Student Teachers with Dyslexia or Weakness in Literacy The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Criteria (National College for Teaching and Learning 2014) states that providers must ensure: That all entrants as part of the provider’s selection procedures, have taken part in a rigorous selection process designed to assess their suitability to teach.

All entrants to ITT programmes must have English, Maths and Science GCSE or equivalent at grade C or above. In addition all applicants have to pass the Literacy and Numeracy QTS skills test before enrolling on the programme.

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Applicants diagnosed as dyslexic may be offered a place if it is felt that with reasonable adjustment and support, they will be able to achieve the Teachers’ Standards. However, although we aim to support all student teachers with special needs, there is no requirement for us to lower our academic standards to accommodate student teachers with literacy weakness.

During the University-based modules, we monitor student teachers thoroughly. However, it is only when we see how student teachers’ use of English impacts on their teaching that we can fully evaluate their ability to meet the standards. Student teachers may fall into two categories:

• those who have been recognised as having dyslexia or other specific language weakness and who are on support programmes. Schools will normally be notified of any special need identified and any particular adjustments that have been or need to be made to support the student teachers;

• student teachers who demonstrate weakness in literacy during their practice in school.

All student teachers therefore, should be monitored in school for their effective use of English. Any student teachers finding difficulty in using English must have this recorded in their Weekly Mentor Meeting log and on the school experience Lesson Observation Sheet as appropriate, and this must be taken into account in the assessment. Student teachers making

errors in their written English or failing to identify errors in children’s work should be set targets and both the mentor and link tutor involved in assessment. Should the student teacher’s English provide cause for concern the full procedure should be initiated and an action plan set for support. Future success depends on the student teachers taking responsibility for their own learning and working in partnership with the class teacher, mentor, link tutor and University Dyslexia and Disability Service to address their needs.

Failure of School ExperienceIn the case of a failure of School Experience, the student teacher’s circumstances will be considered by the Board of Examiners.

If a school experience module within an Initial Teacher Education course is failed, students will not normally be offered the opportunity to repeat the experience. If the two criteria below are met the Board of Examiners may consider a re-assessment:

• There is evidence that the student is demonstrating a willingness to adopt a constructive approach to the advice received from the mentor, professional tutor and university

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tutor(s) in relation to their targets and progress towards the Teachers’ Standards;

• There is evidence that the student has not deviated from the professional behaviour that is commensurate with The Teachers’ Standards Part Two and The Role of the Student (stated in the Partnership Agreement and Handbook).

Having considered the evidence, the Board of Examiners may decide that:

(a) failure is irredeemable, and therefore no re-assessment should be offered, or

(b) that there is a case for a further school experience and therefore a re-assessment may be offered.

If a re-assessment is granted, student teachers are normally permitted to be re-examined on one occasion only (subject to the criteria above being met).

The length of a re-assessment of school experience is determined by the Board of Examiners. Normally student teachers will be required to repeat the length of the failed block of school experience. The dates for the school experience are arranged by the Coordinator for School Partnership and

Programme Coordinator in conjunction with a partnership school. All re-assessments of school experience are subject to the availability of suitable schools and classes.

Re-assessment school experiences are subject to satisfactory progress and performance, against an action plan, in the first three weeks of the resit period (2 weeks in the case of a four week BA PTS Year 1 summer school experience). If progress against the action plan targets is not at least ‘satisfactory’ and performance in observed lessons is not at least ‘requires improvements’ (i.e. Grade 3) by the end of the first three weeks, the school experience will be terminated, resulting in an irrevocable fail.

In line with University policy on re-examination, student teachers must finance any re-assessment themselves. In the case of school experience, this will include the cost of the partnership fee and administrative charges made by the University based on the cost of a single module. The student is also responsible for any travel expenses incurred.

Mitigating circumstances:

In situations where there is evidence of circumstances which mitigated against success, the University’s Mitigating Circumstances rules and procedures apply.

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Situations resulting in failureThe situations under which students will normally be deemed to have failed school experience are:

• Failure at review point to have satisfactorily addressed an Action Plan drawn up within the ‘Notification of Concern’ procedure by the mentor, and/or link tutor, and/or headteacher.

• A serious breach of professional conduct, or unacceptable negative impact on pupils’ learning leading to a termination of the school experience by the headteacher or the Coordinator for School Partnership. Such a termination of school experience results in an automatic ‘Fail’ grade for the school experience module.

• Failure to meet all the Teachers’ Standards (part 1 and or part 2), as required for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), at the final summative assessment point.

• If the student teacher leaves the school during the school day without notifying and obtaining permission from the mentor, headteacher or link tutor (who will liaise with the school).

• If the student teacher withdraws herself/himself from a school experience.

Withdrawal from School ExperienceWhere a student teacher decides not to complete their school experience and withdraw before a final assessment point, and in the absence of medical or other evidence, they will normally be deemed to have failed that specific block of school experience. To withdraw from school experience also constitutes withdrawal from the Programme. A student teacher who has withdrawn from school experience will not normally be offered a re-sit of a school experience.

However, it should be noted that, in some instances, student teachers withdraw from school experience for reasons other than unfitness for teaching (e.g.: personal/domestic circumstances). If there is evidence that circumstances beyond the student teacher’s control (e.g. personal trauma, medical circumstances) mitigated against their success then another school experience may be offered if mitigating circumstances are submitted and if these are accepted by the Board of Examiners. In the case of medical/health issues, the Programme will require that proof of fitness to return to school experience be provided as a condition to offering a re-sit. If mitigating circumstances are accepted by the Board of Examiners the offer of sitting school experience as for the first time may be made.

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Student teachers should refer to the mitigating circumstances claim form and notes for guidance (available on Portia). All claims must be submitted prior to the assessment point.

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A Rationale for Paired School Experiences/Collaborative TeachingA paired/collaborative teaching experience can provide a number of advantages/benefits over an individual school experience:

• Emotional and psychological support. Student teachers can share their anxieties and offer practical support to each other. Most colleagues will recognise the importance of having someone to talk to regarding professional matters and simply having a peer immediately on hand to fulfil such a role can be hugely beneficial. Whilst working with a student teacher does require the mentor and class teacher to give of their time, having two does not necessarily mean twice the work; the two students can give each other an enormous amount of support.

• Enhanced reflection on University-based sessions. Student teachers involved in a paired/collaborative teaching experience during their school experience will have the opportunity of supporting each other in applying and reflecting further on what they have learnt from their

University sessions (and vice versa when they return to the University having completed their school experience). In working collaboratively student teachers can share and deepen the knowledge and understanding they have gained from University based sessions and - as part of this process - ‘try things out’ in a classroom setting with appropriate support and development from their mentor(s), class teacher and link tutor. As the relationship between the student teachers develops, the level of discussion about, and reflection on, their own professional learning can become richer with a resultant deepening of knowledge, understanding and overall achievement.

• Subject knowledge support. Most student teachers will encounter gaps in their subject knowledge during their school experience; paired students can share their subject knowledge and help each other respond to/fill these gaps.

• Positive outcomes for pupil learning. Having two student teachers collaborating in the classroom can have positive outcomes on pupil learning; this can be a major advantage of a paired/collaborative teaching experience. Student teachers can plan for learning in more flexible ways, taking advantage of having additional adults in the classroom, e.g. one student working with an identified group of pupils (such as a ‘gifted and talented’ group) within the class.

Section 6

Appendix A

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Some colleagues may argue that a paired/collaborative teaching school experience is ‘easier’ for student teachers than an individual school experience, or even that it is ‘unrealistic’ given that teaching is a ‘solo’ activity. Based on discussions within the Partnership (including school-based colleagues) and with colleagues at the, then, Training and Development Agency (TDA) and other ITE providers who operate successful paired/collaborative teaching school experiences the programme team would disagree with such views. The team would argue that professional learning is enhanced - and is in no sense, less challenging or easier - and retention of student teachers (a key concern) is at its greatest where a strong commitment to collaborative practice exists. It is hoped that these paired/collaborative teaching opportunities will help to increase the professional confidence, knowledge, understanding and achievements of our student teachers from an early stage of their training and, that, as a result, they will be better prepared, more reflective and generally more pro-active in subsequent stages of their programme.

Having considered the benefits of paired experiences, it was felt by the Partnership that collaborative practice, as described in this section, could and should be developed and that it be kept under annual review. Accordingly this section of the handbook provides guidance on how to ensure that paired/collaborative teaching school experiences are as successful as possible. Alongside the advantages of this collaborative/paired

approach the University also recognises some of the potential pitfalls of such an opportunity. The guidance given below highlights some of the most common potential pitfalls and makes suggestions about how to avoid these.

The University of Chichester Paired School Experience/Collaborative Model is flexible and allows for an individual school experience setting to be arranged in extraordinary circumstances and if deemed appropriate by the Programme Coordinator and/or Coordinator for School Partnership.

Different Perspectives on Paired School Experiences/Collaborative Teaching:Possible Student Teacher Perspectives

Advantages

• Sharing ideas and plans;

• Confidence is built up through team teaching, less nervousness etc;

• Collecting and sharing resources;

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• Getting feedback - constructive criticism - from peers on lessons taught;

• Emotional and practical support from peers when faced with difficulties;

• Lessening of feeling ‘vulnerable’ because other student is in the same position;

• Learning from each other;

• Works well when you ‘get on’ with the other student teacher.

Disadvantages

• Possible competitiveness between peers and inevitable comparisons made by mentor/class teacher;

• Pupil preference for one or other student teacher with the potential for playing one student teacher off against another;

• Learning when to ‘step back’ and not ‘step on each other’s toes’;

• Having to rely on a partner, when the partner isn’t always reliable;

• Differences in ability; some student teachers are more confident and ‘able’ than their partners sometimes resulting in them ‘taking over’;

• Personality clashes with the other student teacher leading to ‘difficulties’.

Possible Mentor/Class Teacher Perspectives

Advantages

• Student teachers can talk over ideas, give constructive feedback and support each other;

• The potential to reduce the onus on the mentor/class teacher in some respects; when two students ‘get on’ with each other, they can discuss issues and come to conclusions without the mentor/class teacher necessarily having to be involved all the time;

• Student teachers are able to observe each other as well as the mentor/class teacher and learn more from this peer level observation process;

• Student teachers are able to plan together, developing and sharing appropriate resources;

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• It has the potential to be less isolating for each student teacher.

Disadvantages

• The possibility of one student teacher being over reliant on his/her partner and therefore not ‘pulling their weight’;

• A potential mis-match of paired student teachers; one more confident and competitive than the other leading to the other’s confidence being undermined;

• Difficulties in giving feedback where student teachers are mis-matched; this may need to be done separately and could double the mentor/class teacher’s work-load;

• Time Issues. There is a potential problem where the two student teachers travel to/from school together and both arrive late/leave promptly at the end of the school day.

Guidance Towards Ensuring a Successful Paired/Collaborative Teaching ExperienceSchool Culture and Relationship Building. Where student teachers are able to see a ‘culture of collaboration’ being modelled in the work of the school and classroom, they are more likely to be comfortable with working in a collaborative way themselves. Where possible, schools are encouraged to share examples of their own ongoing or recent collaborative practice with student teachers to illustrate for them the benefits of such an approach. The quality of the experience of student teachers, whether on a single or paired school experience, is based in large part on the strength of their professional relationships with their mentor, class teacher and fellow student teacher. In order to be successful in working collaboratively, student teachers will need to develop various interpersonal skills.

Timetable. The pair of students should be given an appropriate timetable that supports them in working collaboratively. This timetable should include lessons where one student assumes the role and responsibilities of the ‘lead’ teacher and the other the role and responsibilities of the ‘support’ teacher (see the point immediately below for details of these roles and responsibilities). There should also be opportunities for both

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students to plan and teach lessons on their own so that they can demonstrate their individual, developing planning and classroom practice/skills. If possible the timetable should also include lessons which will be co-planned, co- taught and co-evaluated by the students. The University of Chichester model for paired/collaborative teaching school experiences in Year 1 of the BA PTS and PGCE is based on gradually increasing the opportunities for teaching as outlined in the appropriate SERE. The exact number of lessons may vary. Therefore, in summary, each student teacher will be the ‘lead’ teacher in some lessons and the ‘support’ teacher in other lessons. They will also co-plan and co-teach lessons, as well as being solely responsible for some further lessons. To varying degrees it is anticipated that co-planning and co-evaluation will take place across all lessons, except those lessons for which each student teacher has sole responsibility.

Roles and Responsibilities. The ‘Tandem’ teaching model being advocated here relates to the ‘lead’ and ‘support’ teacher roles and responsibilities mentioned above. The ‘Tandem’ collaborative teaching model is intended to facilitate peer support in the classroom, aiming specifically to help each student teacher to gain in confidence and experiment with various learning approaches/activities. ‘Tandem’ teaching involves a degree of collaborative lesson planning and co-delivery. ‘Tandem’ teaching provides opportunities at different times for both student teachers to work as the ‘lead’ and

‘support’ (student) teacher. The pair of student teachers are allocated a teaching timetable. Through consultation initiated and led by their mentor and class teacher, the timetable is divided into two equal parts, one for each student teacher to ‘lead’. It should be clear at the end of this consultation – resulting in an agreed timetable for both student teachers – which student teacher is in a ‘lead’ and ‘support’ teacher role for each lesson to be taught. Once this has been established the student teachers will work collaboratively in terms of observation, planning, delivery, evaluation and Standards tracking for these lessons, as per the specific responsibilities outlined below:

The ‘lead’ (student) teacher role/responsibilities involves all of the usual aspects of teaching including:

• the final selection of pupil activities after discussion and research;

• detailed lesson planning;

• organising the role of the teaching team;

• the production of resources;

• responsibility for delivering the lesson;

• responsibility for management of the class;

• responsibility for marking;

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• self-evaluation of own teaching;

• self-evaluation of own management of the ‘support’ (student) teacher.

The ‘support’ (student) teacher role involves co-operating with the ‘lead’ (student) teacher in delivering the lesson. In particular:

• assisting with selection of pupil activities, lesson planning, production of resources etc;

• assisting individual pupils with their work;

• assisting individual pupils to remain on-task and attentive;

• assisting with in-class marking of work;

• sometimes taking small groups for specific purposes;

• helping to manage resources;

• helping to ensure that the room is left tidy;

• observing and noting teaching points of interest for themselves.

Student Teachers Working Together. Ways in which paired student teachers can collaborate on teaching include, but are not limited to, the following:

• experimenting with a range of assessment strategies;

• more "adventurous" use of small group work (because two teachers make it easier to manage);

• modelling a range of teaching and learning strategies within the same lesson;

• experimenting with the use of role play;

• experimenting with effective use of ICT.

Mentor/Class Teacher Feedback. Throughout the school experience the mentor(s) could meet both student teachers for joint weekly mentor meetings. On these occasions it may be appropriate and useful for the class teacher (if this is a different person from the mentor) to attend and contribute to these joint meetings, although it is not essential. These joint weekly review meetings do not necessarily have to take place each week but should, when they do take place, be a substitute for weekly mentor meetings with each individual student teacher. The frequency of these joint meetings should be discussed and agreed between the mentor(s) and student teachers as appropriate for the context. At these joint meetings Weekly Mentor Meeting Logs can be completed and signed as per normal procedures. It can be very productive to have joint meetings rather than always seeing the student teachers separately. Of course, there will be occasions when a ‘one-to-

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one’ weekly mentor meeting between mentor and individual student teacher is desirable or necessary. Joint weekly mentor meetings might be the most effective model for some aspects of the training, but it is also recognised that student teachers develop at different rates (or specific individual/personal issues arise) meaning that some ‘one-to-one’ weekly mentor meetings will almost certainly be required.

Guidance on Avoiding Some Potential Pitfalls of Paired/Collaborative Teaching School Experiences

• It is important that the guidance in this handbook is read by the student teachers and all who are supporting student teachers (including the class teacher) so they are aware of the requirements and expectations;

• Class teachers and mentors should ensure that each student teacher has, as far as is possible, a broad and balanced teaching timetable as outlined above;

• Each student teacher should be made aware of who is the best/most appropriate person to speak to when there are

issues to discuss (e.g. the class teacher or mentor, dependent on the issue);

• At the start of the school experience an initial meeting should be set up by the mentor(s) for the student teachers, class teacher (and mentor) to discuss and agree the specific operational details of the paired experience and to pre-empt potential/hypothetical problems as outlined above. This meeting could also include the link tutor if available and able/willing to attend. This meeting, early on in the school experience is crucial in establishing a professional, non competitive and collaborative ethos between the student teachers. Regular weekly mentor meetings will help in monitoring and ensuring that this professionalism continues throughout the school experience;

• Clear guidelines should be agreed in order to establish the student teachers’ roles and responsibilities within the classroom as outlined above (e.g. negotiating and exchanging ideas, establishing when each student teacher will take the role of ‘lead’ and ‘support’ teacher);

• If the student teachers are placed in a class where SATs are due to take place, arrangements will need to be put into place in order to plan for and utilise their presence to the advantage of the school and pupils (but without compromising student teacher entitlement), e.g. by giving each student teacher a specific responsibility such as carrying out a Level 1 task or

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being a “reader” for a child engaged in subject-specific activities or helping to administer the Reading Task. It is also a good opportunity for the student teachers to learn how to assess and target set the children as a result of the SATs;

• When conducting peer observations, student teachers should be helped to focus on a particular aspect and encouraged to report back to each other as well as the class teacher/mentor to ensure that any feedback is constructive and that each student feels valued by the other;

• When carrying out peer observations, student teachers will need to decide beforehand what they intend to focus on. Each might take a different focus, for example:

a) one student looks for how their peer praises the children and/or the children’s responses to this praise;

b) one student looks at what their peer does before the children come into the classroom in the morning and/or how the children react to this when they come in. These observations should then be discussed by the students later on, with the class teacher present if appropriate.

• Other strategies to overcome/pre-empt difficulties:

a) Talking with the student teacher(s) early on in the school experience about any concerns, e.g. lateness, and agreeing a way forward;

b) Giving student teacher(s) individual time with the class teacher/mentor so that they get individual feedback;

c) student teacher(s) talking with the mentor/class teacher/link tutor as soon as possible about any concerns they have.

Guidance on Avoiding Some Potential Pitfalls of Paired/Collaborative Teaching School Experiences: Some Possible ScenariosConsideration/reflection on the following scenarios may be useful to student teachers, school-based colleagues and university tutors in helping to ensure that each paired/collaborative school experience is as successful as possible. All colleagues might like to use these scenarios themselves to decide how they would deal with the issues stated, and compare their responses with those given.

Scenario 1

It’s May. The urban primary school has three Y2 classes, each with two inexperienced student teachers in them. The class

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teachers are anxious about having student teachers in at the same time as both KS1 and KS2 SATs are being done. What advice would you give the class teachers and the student teachers so that it is a “win/win” situation?

Response:

• Each class teacher needs to plan activities that can utilise their two student teachers, e.g. being a SATs reader; helping with reading SATs papers;

• Utilise one student teacher to plan individual reading tasks outside the classroom, whilst the other reads to the class;

• Student teachers can utilise the opportunity to visit other classrooms to observe levels of assessment and marking;

• Student teachers can administer specific SATs if they are very structured and prescriptive;

• Opportunities for student teachers to plan and teach Foundation subjects;

• Student teachers to visit Key Stage 2 classes in relation to transition issues.

Scenario 2

A pair of student teachers are on their first school experience in a Y1 class in an infants’ school. The student teachers are unsure exactly what their roles/responsibilities are in the classroom. What advice would you give them and their mentor/class teacher?

Response:

• Direction from the mentor/class teacher from the beginning – their roles and responsibilities should be identified from the outset;

• All student teachers should have experience of planning and teaching ALL areas of the curriculum, not just the ones they have most experience and confidence in;

• Student teachers can work together rather than separately as two individuals.

Scenario 3

A reception class teacher has two student teachers in her classroom. It is obvious there is a bit of a ‘personality clash’ between the student teachers – one is more mature and seems more able and confident than the other. The class teacher and mentor are both very stretched time-wise, but both know they

44

need to deal with the situation. What management advice would you give them about how to deal with this situation?

Response:

• Class teacher/mentor to get the pair to plan and lead a lesson by recognising and highlighting their strengths, so that each student teacher recognises the other’s strengths. At the end of the lesson, everyone to sit down and evaluate the lesson;

• Give the student teachers some time apart, e.g. shadowing a subject leader;

• Mentor (joined by class teacher as appropriate) to raise the issue(s) directly and professionally with both student teachers - either separately or together as appropriate given the context. The emphasis in the discussion should be on the need for professionalism to transcend differences in personality. If necessary, agree specific actions to restore the situation and review progress on a regular basis.

Scenario 4

The class teacher of a Y2 class, with two student teachers in it, can see the children in her class are playing one student teacher off against the other. The class teacher’s sympathies lie with the out-going, gregarious student teacher, to the detriment

of the other. How would you deal with this situation as the mentor?

Response:

• Mentor to get involved in the situation, working alongside the class teacher, to ensure one student teacher is not unfairly disadvantaged. Mentor to intervene early or there will be a negative spiral downwards;

• Mentor to try and facilitate opportunities for the less confident student teacher to ‘shine’/succeed and receive praise;

• Mentor to discuss with the student teachers (together or separately as appropriate given the context) how they feel about the situation and why it is happening. If necessary, agree specific actions to restore the situation and review progress on a regular basis.

Generic Guidance to Student Teachers on Paired/Collaborative Teaching School Experiences• Meet with your partner (i.e. the other student teacher) before

the start of the school experience, so that you can discuss any targets you may have for your professional practice;

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• Work pro-actively to establish an effective, working relationship with your partner;

• Ensure you are clear about what roles you will be taking when in the classroom, e.g. who is the ‘lead’ and ‘support’ teacher in different lessons;

• Ensure that if you are the ‘lead’ teacher your ‘support’ teacher has details of your lesson plan, so that they can use it to plan for their group. If you are taking the role of ‘support’ teacher, ensure that you plan in detail for the group you have responsibility for;

• If you are acting as an ‘observer’, or using your partner as an ‘observer’, be quite clear about what you want observed. If your partner is to be ‘observer’ in your lesson, ask them to focus on specific aspects of your teaching or on children’s responses as they are learning;

• If you are taking joint responsibility for a lesson that is to be co- planned/taught, negotiate your roles/responsibilities in advance together and be quite clear what they are at all points in the lesson;

• Ensure that if you are teaching your specialist subject that you take the opportunity to help your partner if this is not their specialism;

• Ensure that you teach a broad and balanced curriculum – not just the literacy or numeracy;

• Ensure that you meet as a pair with your class teacher regularly and with your school mentor regularly during your school experience. They will offer useful advice and give you a lot of help;

• Make sure you both arrive in school well before school day starts and leave after you have ascertained whether you can do anything to assist the class teacher. Expect to spend time with your partner in school, jointly planning your lessons;

• Be prepared to be honest, yet sensitive to others’ needs. Be prepared to confide in others (class teacher, mentor, link tutor) if you have concerns about your working relationship with your partner. Sharing your concerns early is important;

• Continue to work professionally with your partner at all times, whether you have a good, friendly working relationship with them or not. You do not have to be close friends to have a positive, professional working relationship.

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Guidance to Student Teachers on Observing and Feeding Back to Each OtherObserving teaching

• Agree a focus for the observation before the teaching begins. For example:

a) Clarity of lesson introduction;

b) Effectiveness of plenary;

c) Teacher knowledge;

d) Clarity of explanations and instructions;

e) Questioning skills;

f) Strategies to promote inclusion;

g) Class management.

• When deciding on the focus for the observation, take account of:

a) Feedback from previous observations;

b) Aspects of practice which your partner wishes to develop;

c) The range of skills needed for good teaching;

d) The Teachers’ Standards.

• Be prepared to:

a) Share the lesson plan prior to the observation;

b) Discuss the intended or possible learning outcomes;

c) Discuss the intended structure, timings and progression of the lesson.

• Make notes as you observe, describing what you see in relation to your intended focus.

Giving feedback

• Make sure that the feedback takes place in an appropriate place (for example, where it cannot be overheard by pupils);

• Be respectful and sensitive to the feelings of your partner;

• Keep to the agreed focus of the observation, describing what you observed;

• Give positive feedback first and repeat it at the end of the discussion;

• Aim for an appropriate balance between praise and ‘targets for development’. Depending on the relationship (and the

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confidence level of your partner) this may be an equal number of points for each or a 3:1 (positive: targets for development) ratio;

• Depersonalise the feedback so that your partner is aware that constructive criticisms are of the observed events and are not personal;

• Be aware that the aim of the feedback is to help your partner to make progress on his/her learning journey. Perfect practice during your training (or, indeed, at any point in your career) is highly unlikely.

Receiving feedback

• Make it clear to your observer what kind of feedback you want;

• As you receive feedback, be aware of your own reactions, both intellectual and emotional;

• Listen closely to what is being said;

• Resist the impulse to take constructive criticism personally or defensively;

• Towards the end of the feedback make sure that you understand what your partner is saying and ask for clarification if necessary;

• Be positive about what you can learn from the experience.

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Lesson Observation: Guidance for link tutors and mentors

Activity Further comment

Assess teaching against criteria - grade teaching and record on lesson observation sheet (after discussion between mentor and link tutor if joint observation). Use grade descriptors from lesson observation criteria sheet.

Poor lessons must be graded 4.

Where there is discussion regarding whether the lesson observed should be graded 3 or 4, a Notification of Concern will be issued in the event of the lesson being graded 3.

NB There is no 3/4 grade

Provide verbal and written feedback to student teacher. It should be balanced and honest. Always identify areas of concern.

Use appropriate language in written comments. E.g. "Excellent" should only apply to a "1" standard lesson. If a grade 4 is recorded the procedure for serious concern MUST be followed (See section 4.6) with a warning letter and action plan issued.If a 3 is awarded but there is some concern a Notification of Concern MUST be issued (See section 4.6) If a student does not seem to be making progress beyond a ‘3’ due to not acting on advice, a notification of concern should be issued.

Discuss progress with mentor and/or class teacher. Note agreement for actions and how they will be monitored.

Link tutors should clarify university requirements eg. files, school based tasks, IP work, cross phase teaching etc. Liaise with the mentor over the next visit.

Section 7

Appendix B

Activity Further commentDiscuss plan and check file - make notes for comments on Extension Sheet. Discuss and agree which Standards will be the focus of the observation.

The focus would normally be discussed on the previous visit.

Observe teaching and learning (minimum 30 mins) - make notes. Check areas of concern from previous observations. Make sure observation of teaching focuses on Standards and previously identified areas of concern.

It is important to check weekly schedule for any requirements of the observation (ie; subject, joint)

Refer to Lesson Observation criteria to help gauge quality of teaching.

Observe and question pupils about their work to ascertain their understanding of what is required of them.

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NOTES

• The purpose of these notes for guidance is to help link tutors and mentors focus on the full range of their responsibilities when working with student teachers in partner schools.

• In order that we can demonstrate a uniformity and standard of purpose within the partnership all university primary link tutors and mentors should use this working model.

• The model should not be regarded as a blueprint for all school experience visits. Staff should be flexible and adapt the model for specific occasions and circumstances in order to ensure student teachers make good progress. Where progress is problematic the link tutor should contact the Programme Coordinator and or Coordinator for School Partnership to discuss the student teacher.

• This model emphasises the wider role of the link tutor as a quality assurance manager with a responsibility to maintain equitable standards across the partnership.

Final Assessment Review: Guidance for link tutors and mentors

Activity Further comment

Purpose of meeting – student teacher-teacher, mentor and link tutor

To review all current evidence of progress towards meeting standards and to determine targets for development

Review progress towards targets

Review progress towards school based elements of the Training Plan.Identify progress towards targets set through Weekly Mentor Meeting and Lesson Observations. Track progress.

Review Standards Tracking Document

Ensure that student has recorded where evidence can be found. Sample these records to verify suitability of evidence. Identify priorities for development.

Check school based tasks

Check that ALL School based tasks have been completed satisfactorily. Mentor/link tutor to sign and acknowledge that these tasks have been read.

Decide upon grades

Agree final grade. NB Refer to guidance in The Good Practice Guide and the Assessment of Trainee Teachers – Grading Descriptors to ensure a close match between written comments and grade.

Setting targets Discuss and set appropriate targets for next phase in training or NQT year.

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NOTES

• The purpose of these notes for guidance is to help link tutors and mentors focus on the full range of their responsibilities when working with student teachers in partner schools.

• In order that we can demonstrate a uniformity and standard of purpose within the partnership all university primary link tutors and mentors should use this working model when completing the Final Assessment Review.

• A key requirement is that the review takes place at a triangulation meeting, and that the assessment is understood and agreed with the student teacher.

• The model should not be regarded as a blueprint for all review meetings. Staff should be flexible and adapt the model for specific occasions and circumstances. However, the length of time set aside for the review should be regarded as part of student teacher entitlement.

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Observation of Teaching and Learning

Section 8

Appendix C

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Notification of Concern PolicyNotification of Concern regarding a student’s progress against the Teachers’ Standards is indicative of a standard of teaching (including professional knowledge, understanding and skills) and/or professional attributes below that expected for the relevant stage of school experience. The University of Chichester has in place procedures for moderation and subsequent action to deal with this situation. They are designed to give the student teacher every opportunity to redeem the situation, whilst at the same time working to protect children from poor teaching. It is important to note that the completion and issuing of a ‘Notification of Concern’ form does not automatically trigger a Primary School Experience Action Plan and can be used, instead, to identify and notify concerns that are not yet of a ‘grade 4’ (fail) level of seriousness.

The first indications of the need for a Notification of Concern regarding student weakness should normally be evident in the written records on the Weekly Mentor Meeting Logs based on evidence from lesson observations, file review and/or professional conduct. Concern might initially be expressed by the mentor or other staff in school and/or the link tutor. These concerns should normally be expressed in writing before they

become severe in order, where possible, to support progress and prevent failure. Once the concern is identified, whether by the mentor in school and/or by the link tutor during a visit, this should be communicated to all three parties: mentor, link tutor and student teacher.

Where the concern is expressed at the time of a link tutor visit, the link tutor will assess the relevant aspects of the student’s performance and, if the concern is confirmed, the Notification of Concern form will be completed. Where the mentor in school raises the concern and issues the Notification of Concern form, the link tutor will need to be informed as soon as possible.

Where the concern involves a ‘grade 4’ (fail) this form should be accompanied by a Formal Warning Letter. The Standards that are not being met should be identified and recorded on an Action Plan providing evidence of the student’s particular areas of weakness and issued to the student. In this instance the link tutor will make a visit to support writing the action plan. (Should the link tutor not be available for a support visit at short notice, the School Partnership Office and Programme Coordinator should be informed and an alternative link tutor will be asked to visit). Clear targets should be set with realistic timescales for achieving them and advice and appropriate support provided on how these might be achieved. Copies of the Notification of Concern form, Formal Warning Letter and Action Plan should be given to the student, mentor, link tutor, and Programme

Section 9

Appendix D

53

Administrator. It is vital that the Year / Deputy Coordinator and Programme Coordinator / Coordinator for School Partnership are kept fully informed of the student’s progress. Should, unusually, the link tutor and mentor not reach agreement on whether there is concern about a student’s progress, then the Programme Coordinator and Coordinator for School Partnership should be informed and an independent visit may be made by an appropriate university colleague in order to moderate.

When the targets are reviewed, on the date specified in the action plan, if the student has made progress and is no longer at risk of failing (i.e. all areas identified on the action plan have been met), then normal procedures for supporting the student should be resumed, but the link tutor should maintain regular contact with the mentor to monitor progress. This may include the Coordinator for School Partnership’s authorisation of additional visits by the link tutor or other relevant link tutors as above. Should any of the targets not be met, then the student will be deemed to have failed. The link tutor should review with the mentor whether the student will continue to work in school to gain experience or whether the school experience should be terminated immediately. The Programme Coordinator and/or Coordinator for School Partnership should be involved in this decision and should be informed of the outcomes of the review.

Following a failure in School Experience a meeting / discussion with all parties [student, mentor, link tutor] will be arranged with either an internal moderator or external examiner. This is to review processes and procedures. The moderator / examiner does not have the power to alter the judgement of the mentor / link tutor. It is not the role of the external examiner or internal moderator to make decisions about whether a student passes or fails: this is the responsibility of the relevant University and school staff, and, ultimately, the Board of Examiners.

The fail grade will be reported to the Board of Examiners (see page 30)

For a step by step guide to the Notification of Concern process please see page 28 of this handbook.

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If you have any concerns about a student teacher please complete and send a copy of this form to the Programme Administrator.

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Travel, Transport and Accommodation – Information for studentsAll claims must be received by the School Partnership Office before the end of the academic year in which the journey has been made; otherwise, claims cannot be processed.

General ArrangementsThe schools in which student teachers are placed cover a large part of the South of England (including the Isle of Wight) and, in some cases, beyond. Occasionally student teachers are provided with lodgings (paid for by the University) near their school in order to avoid long daily journeys.

Travel timeIf a student’s school experience involves a one-way journey in excess of 60 minutes (as calculated by Green Flag), convenient accommodation may be offered and arranged by the University for Sunday night through to Thursday night.

Use of Own Car/VehicleStudent teachers using their own vehicles for transporting themselves and their fellow student teachers to/from their school experience do so entirely of their own choice and at their own risk. The University accepts no liability of any kind for any accident, injury and/or damage caused in any situation relating to school experience where the student teacher is using their own vehicle. Students using their own vehicles on school experience must ensure that the vehicle is maintained in full road-worthy and legal condition. Student teachers MUST be appropriately insured and make sure that their vehicle is taxed and has a valid MOT certificate.

Agreed Principles for Calculating and Paying Travel Expenses PGCE students please note - PGCE students in receipt of a training bursary are not eligible to claim a contribution towards travel expenses.

The following applies to students who are not in receipt of a training bursary.

Mileage:

The University will make a contribution (not full reimbursement) towards travel costs incurred whilst student teachers are on

Section 10

Appendix E

57

school experience. This contribution will only be made when the one-way journey from term-time address to school is in excess of 10 miles after the regular journey from term-time address to the relevant University campus has been deducted from the distance travelled. Where this is the case, student teachers will be paid a contribution towards the cost of the excess distance travelled only. (eg. If 16 additional miles have been travelled, then a contribution based on 6 miles will be paid).

A contribution may be made, by the University, to those student teachers transporting other student teachers to a school at the request of the School Partnership Office and/or relevant Programme Co-ordinator.

Please note: Green Flag is used for calculating distances.

Public Transport:

Student teachers should always be aware of personal safety when using public transport. When waiting for buses or trains, wait in open, well-lit and populated areas. Avoid isolated closed-in shelters and know the bus or train timetable to avoid waiting alone.

Normally the same principles outlined for mileage claims apply to student teachers incurring costs via the use of public transport. A contribution will only be made when the one-way

journey from term-time address to school is in excess of 10 miles after the regular journey from term-time address to the relevant University campus has been deducted from the distance travelled. Where this is the case, a proportion only of the fare will be reimbursed.

Student teachers are expected to provide a specimen receipt for each type of transport used. A student teacher using public transport will need to include with their claim form the following: (a) an example of the train/bus (or receipt) ticket to/from their term-time address to the school and (b) an example of the train/bus ticket (or receipt) to/from their term-time address to the relevant University campus where their course is based stating the cost/charge for the journey.

It is the student teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the cheapest available ticket is purchased. This may involve weekly or season tickets as appropriate.

Please note: student teachers will not be reimbursed for taxi fares unless prior permission has been given by the School Partnership Office for them to use a taxi.

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Agreed Principles for Student Teacher Accommodation and Related Travel Payments In some instances, students living in temporary term-time accommodation are placed near to their home address to complete school experience and would therefore live at home (this only applies within the partnership’s geographical area). In this instance no payment for accommodation whilst on school experience is made by the University.

Sometimes student teachers are placed in lodgings closer to their school experience school. The need for this only arises where the school is a long way from University, making a daily journey impractical.

When accommodation has been arranged for a student teacher, the student teacher will be given a copy of an accommodation questionnaire and an information sheet entitled Information for Accommodation Providers and student teachers. If a student teacher has not received a copy of the information sheet, then he/she must contact the School Partnership Office to obtain a copy. The completed questionnaire MUST be returned to the School Partnership Office as soon as possible after the start of the accommodation period. This is very important from the point of view of ensuring the safety of

student teachers and that the accommodation used is suitable for them.

Although every reasonable attempt is taken to ensure that accommodation is suitable, the University takes no responsibility for the acts or omissions of any landlord. The University accepts no liability for any damage to any student or landlord and their property. Student teachers are responsible for their own property and should make sure that they have adequate insurance.

If a student teacher experiences any problems while in accommodation, they should ring the School Partnership Office on 01243 812172 / 812174 as soon as possible. Any issues should also be discussed with his/her link tutor when a visit takes place.

The University makes payment for the accommodation direct to the accommodation provider. (This payment is for accommodation and breakfast only and does not include any other costs or meals).

Duration: Normally accommodation payments are made for 5 nights (Sun-Thurs) during full-time school experience; this is subject to variation during serial school experience.

Distance: Normally the same principles outlined above for mileage and public transport claims apply to student teachers

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who travel from accommodation to school. A contribution will only be made when the one-way journey from accommodation to school is in excess of 10 miles after the regular journey from term-time address to the relevant University campus has been deducted from the distance travelled. Where this is the case, a proportion only of the fare will be reimbursed.

In addition, student teachers in accommodation arranged by the School Partnership Office (but not those returning to live at home to complete school experience) are able to claim a contribution towards the return mileage incurred from their weekend accommodation to their school experience accommodation.

Hire Cars Hire cars may be authorised by the Head of School Partnership in specific circumstances. In these cases the University will pay for the hire of the car. Cars are hired through the University. Normally the same principles outlined for mileage claims apply to student teachers incurring costs via the use of a hire car. A contribution will only be made when the one-way journey from term-time address to school is in excess of 10 miles after the regular journey from term-time address to the relevant University campus has been deducted from the distance travelled.

Student teachers must ensure they have read all documentation relating to the requirements of the University AND the hire company in relation to the use of hire cars.

Please note:

Claims are regularly monitored by the School Partnership Office and student teachers will be held accountable for the accuracy and validity of all claims made.

It is in the interests of all student teachers who make claims to do so accurately and honestly. If there is any doubt about a claim, then a student teacher should consult the School Partnership Office before completing the form.

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Support for Student TeachersLines of communication

Your school experience will usually run smoothly. However, it is important for you to understand how problems may be dealt with, and what lines of communication are open to you. The key to resolving most problems normally lies in close communication between the school and University. The flow diagram below shows the usual line of communication in such cases although it will depend on the nature and source of the problem.

Section 11

Appendix F

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An unsatisfactory situation or one that is adversely affecting you while in school should be raised in the first instance with your link tutor, and/or mentor. If the situation cannot be resolved, the issue should be brought to the attention of the Head of Programme/Programme Co-ordinator who will arrange further discussions with senior staff.

In exceptional cases, and at the discretion of the Head of School Partnership, you may have to be moved to another school if a school experience becomes untenable. A change of school would have to be sanctioned by the Head of School Partnership, and would only be authorised when all other attempts to resolve the matter have been explored.

Support for Student Teachers

• All student teachers are entitled to specific levels of support during periods of school experience. The amount of support is set out in school experience handbooks, and relates to specified numbers of observation visits from the mentor and link tutor.

• The first port of call for help in matters relating to school experience is the mentor and/or link tutor.

• Other staff are available to consult with if necessary, including the Programme Co-ordinator.

Reasonable Adjustments for Work Experience

Normally student teachers will have disclosed any information, that may require discussion with regard to reasonable adjustments, in advance of a school experience. At the point of disclosure the student teacher must secure specialist support from the Disability and Dyslexia Services or Mental Health Co-ordinator at the University. This information recorded on a RAWE form is passed on to schools who are asked to support the student teacher in an appropriate way.

Academic Adviser. All student teachers are allocated an academic adviser who is available, usually by appointment, to discuss issues concerning student teacher progress.

In addition to the support available through the University, there is also the following:

Teacher Support Line is a free information, support and counselling service which is open 24 hours for teachers and student teachers and is totally confidential.

08000 562 561 www.teachersupport.info

http://www.teachersupport.info

http://www.teachersupport.info

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Three Key University of Chichester Policies : Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities and Race Equality

Health and SafetyIt is the policy of the University of Chichester (The University) to ensure that it is meeting its legal and moral responsibilities in respect of the health, safety and welfare of student teachers while on school experiences arranged by the University. The University will provide advice and written guidance, which will be made available to student teachers at briefing meetings. This advice will seek to ensure that student teachers are able to minimise the risks to themselves when travelling and in accommodation during school experiences. Attendance at briefing meetings is compulsory.

Headteachers in the partnership are asked, on an annual basis, to complete and return to the School Partnership Office a health and safety checklist in relation to the environment that student teachers will be working in whilst on school experience. The

health and safety checklist forms part of the School Partnership Agreement.

Once student teachers are on school experience, they are employees (or perceived as employees under health and safety law) of the school experience school/organisation. This means that the school/organisation has the same duty of care towards them as any other employee.

The organisation/school:

• must assess risks, provide adequate information, instruction, supervision and training on the use of equipment;

• is primarily responsible for the health and safety of the student teacher whilst on school experience;

• must meet all its obligations in relation to the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant legislation.

It is the responsibility of the Head teacher to have in place an organisational structure that will ensure that:

• staff, including student teachers, receive suitable training;

Section 12

Appendix G

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• staff, including student teachers, can demonstrate competency to carry out their role in the organisation’s procedures;

• sufficient resources are allocated and they can implement appropriate procedures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of staff and student teachers involved in the school experience process.

Equally, student teachers have the same responsibilities as any other employee, including compliance with local health and safety rules:

• they must take reasonable care of their own health and safety;

• if there are any medical or other factors which may cause the student teacher to experience significant risk in the performance of their work in school, then this matter must be brought to the attention of the Head of the School Partnership prior to the start of the school experience;

• they must take reasonable care of the health and safety of other people who may be affected by their actions;

• they must also co-operate with the employer;

• they must complete their student teacher induction checklist;

• they must report any unsatisfactory situations that arise in the workplace to their school-based mentor and, if necessary, to their link or subject tutor;

The University tutors must be competent to carry out their tasks, take reasonable care of themselves and others and have a duty to:

• observe health and safety practices in the student teacher’s workplace

• feedback information and comment to the University via the School Partnership Office

• take any necessary immediate action as appropriate.

Insurance: any queries regarding insurance matters should be directed to the Finance department, telephone 01243 816103.

University policies: The University has appropriate policies for -

•! employers’ liability

•! public liability and

•! professional indemnity

When student teachers are away from the University on school experiences, the organisations accepting placed student

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teachers are required to cover them under their employers’ liability policy with regard to any personal injury which the student may suffer for which the organisation in question is legally liable.

Equal OpportunitiesThe University has an Equality and Diversity Policy which states that as fundamental to its principles and values it:

‘is committed to building and maintaining an inclusive community which recognises and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters mutual respect, sensitivity and understanding among its members; and encourages every individual to reach his or her own potential. In pursuit of its goal of academic excellence, the University seeks to develop and nurture its diversity.’

The University’s policy is to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for all members of its community. In pursuit of this goal the University is committed to eliminating both direct and indirect discrimination to ensure that no-one is unfairly disadvantaged, either through individual action or through its policies or procedures, on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin, colour, age, marital status, disability, social class, political or religious belief and activities,

unless these activities are contrary to the policies of the University.

Schools wishing to join the primary partnership will agree to employ all means possible to ensure that the University student teachers are not harassed, offended or insulted by anyone on the basis of the categories outlined above. The University student teachers also have a responsibility not to harass, offend or insult anyone else within the schools they are placed, on the same basis.

Examples of unacceptable conduct are as follows:

• Verbal abuse or insulting behaviour.

• Jokes about anyone on the basis of the above.

• Unwanted physical conduct, ranging from touching to serious assault.

• Display or circulation of offensive material.

• Bullying, coercive or menacing behaviour.

• Ridicule or exclusion of persons for any of the above reasons.

Note that offence is seen from the viewpoint of the offended person. It will not be a defence for the offender to claim that the

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offending comments were ‘only meant as a joke’ and that the offended person is being ‘too sensitive’.

Should anyone feel that they have been unfairly treated with respect to the above they should consult the University published procedures concerning the Equality and Diversity Policy, The Race Equality Policy, The Disability Policy and procedure to follow in case of harassment. All are available on Portia (the University’s web-based communication system).

Race Equality PolicyThe University is strongly committed to:

• Eliminating unlawful racial discrimination in its employment, education, research and learning environment;

• Promoting equality of opportunity to enable staff and student teachers to reach their full potential;

• Promoting good race relations between persons of different racial groups;

• Acknowledging and celebrating the breadth of experience and intellectual resources that people from diverse backgrounds bring to the life of the University and the primary partnership.

The University will not tolerate any form of racial discrimination or racial abuse by staff, student teachers or anyone else

connected with the University and its activities. This includes collaborating institutions such as schools within the partnership, which are required to have policies and practices that are consonant with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

All colleagues involved in ITE partnership with the University will make every effort to guard against institutional discrimination (including any discrimination within the partnership relating to the University student teachers), which is defined in the Macpherson Report as: ‘the collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin’ which can ‘be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people’.

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