participant preparation work - teach first · participant preparation work 2017 3 congratulations...

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world... as in being

able to remake ourselves.”Mahatma Gandhi

“Head in the direction of where you want to arrive every day.”

Jim LawlessTaming Tigers

Participant Preparation

Work

2017

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CONTENTS

Introduction: Participant Preparation Work (PPW) 3 Chapter 1: The Teach First Vision and Mission 11 Chapter 2: Teaching and Learning 20 Chapter 3: Leadership 32 Chapter 4: Movement 37

Appendix: Arranging the School Experience 42

Contents

PARTICIPANT PREPARATION WORK 2017

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Congratulations on receiving your offer from Teach First. Educational inequality is unfair and unacceptable and you can help us get to grips with it. The Participant Preparation Work (PPW) is your first step in helping us to realise our vision that no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background.

The PPW will support you to prepare for the Teach First Leadership Development Programme (LDP). As part of your preparation, you’ll undertake a five-day school experience, enabling you to experience first-hand the requirements of working in a school and consider the resources contained in the PPW in a practical setting.

The four PPW chapters reflect the three tenets of the Teach First programme (Teaching and Learning, Leadership and Movement) and will introduce you to key concepts and information, and encourage you to consider their implications for your own teaching practice. Through the time spent in school and engaging with the resources, you will begin to consider your expectations of the schools and pupils you will work with, as well as expectations of yourself and the opportunities you will have to make a difference.

Introduction:

Participant Preparation Work (PPW)

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“Teaching and learning is a complicated business. Like us, children and young people are unique and have different

experiences, assets and challenges which they bring to the learning situation. Herein lies both a challenge and an opportunity. You have the privilege of leading some of the most dynamic, thoughtful, challenging, funny, hard-working people you will ever meet.

Every day you will have the chance to make a difference to their lives (even though you may not think it). At Teach First, this is what unites us all. Your experience over the next two years will be a powerful one for you and for the young people you work with. Classrooms and schools are complex places and we want you to feel as prepared as possible. The Participant Preparation Work (PPW) will introduce you to some of the complexities of schools, teaching and learning so that you can make an impact more quickly and more deeply. It will also provide opportunities for you to see how your strengths will support you in school and also what areas you wish to address in the Summer Institute. The PPW is an opportunity to manage your own learning.

I love the fact that the reading within is blended with observation and personal reflection. These are vital in making sense of the curriculum for young people. At its heart, the PPW is about supporting you to accelerate the impact that you can have on children and young people. It will mean that you arrive at Summer Institute ready to make the most of it. In turn, this will ensure that you serve your pupils to the greatest effect throughout the two years.

I look forward to seeing you all in the summer and would really value hearing how you think the PPW helped you prepare.”

Case Study:

Reuben Moore Director of Leadership, Teach First

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What is PPW?

Participant Preparation Work – or ‘PPW’ – is the pre-work that accompanies your five-day school experience before you begin Summer Institute and the LDP. It is designed to allow you to start crafting your personal development and introduce you to key concepts and resources to ensure that you are ready to start Summer Institute. Summer Institute itself is densely packed and you will be able to build on and apply your knowledge gained from the PPW to enable further debate and reflection.

You will be expected to upload your completed the PPW onto your BlueSky account by the end of Summer Institute and you will be shown how to do this. BlueSky is the online tool you will engage with throughout the LDP where you record and share your reflective journal entries with your support. Roles where you will rate and evidence progress against Teach First frameworks and the Teachers’ Standards for England or Wales, as well as set professional objectives to enhance your progress. BlueSky will also be used to support you to compile your portfolio which counts towards gaining QTS at the end of year one. The activities that you complete as part of the PPW may contribute to evidence of progress towards set objectives.

You may choose to:– Make written or typed notes within the

dedicated text areas of the PDF – Create reflective mind maps– Engage in collective reflection and resource

sharing with the Teach First community via the PPW online

Here is an example of a mind map created by a participant and shared in the online area for peer discussion:

PPW Online

You can access PPW online on the Teach First community website where you will find a series of discussion areas and resources linked to each of the four chapters. Within each chapter you will also find links to additional resources, including an observation proforma to help structure your observations of practice and a mind map builder to help you reflect on your ideas and experiences. On the website you can share ideas and resources with the wider Teach First community, including fellow participants, support roles, tutors and Teach First staff.

Aims

– To begin to think about teaching and learning, leadership and movement in the Teach First context

– To consider the role that schools play in pupils’ education

– To begin to understand: - The Teach First vision - The curriculum - Wider aspects of the role of the teacher - What teachers do to cater for individual

pupils’ needs - Which methods and strategies are most

effective in ensuring that children learn– To prepare for the next stages of the LDP

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/content/ppw-online-document-download-area

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/user/login?destination=node/148481

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Case Study:

Joe HullTeach First Ambassador & English Teacher,

Copley Academy

“I joined Teach First in 2013 after a 12-year career as a police officer where I’d worked in some of the most

disadvantaged areas of the UK. I had seen the often devastating effects of socio-economic disadvantage first hand. I wanted a new challenge and to make as great a difference as possible. I’d spent over a decade catching criminals and picking up the pieces of the lives they left behind. I’d had enough. I realised I wanted to treat the causes of social problems and not just the symptoms. I wanted to be part of a movement for change.

The PPW was an eye-opening experience. It encouraged me to think about matters in a whole new way. It had to be completed around my existing commitments, which was at times a real struggle. Creative and innovative methods of time management are crucial tools in teaching!

The material and resources within the PPW were relevant, concise and, in some cases, inspirational. Each one of them has had a direct bearing on my work in school and with young people. I know that these resources have been rigorously reviewed and extensively examined to guarantee this remains the case.

Completing the PPW alongside your school experience is a powerful development opportunity. These two activities will provide you with fantastic opportunities to examine your new career, reassess your own perceptions and see the effects that you will be making on people’s lives very soon. I wish you all the luck possible and I’m sure that, like me, you’ll have no regrets about the choice you’ve made.”

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The Leadership Development Programme

Teaching and LearningThis component of the LDP is delivered through our programme and our partnership with universities and schools. There are a number of specific skills we want to develop in our teachers, which are set out in the Teachers’ Standards (England) and Qualified Teacher Status Standards Wales (QTS Standards, 2009) and built-on in Teach First frameworks. The LDP focuses on improving and developing the key attributes of teaching and learning that research shows are critical to participant and therefore pupil success.

LeadershipIn order to achieve our vision of a day when no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background, we need to develop a community of leaders able to impact positively on the vision. These leaders will have the knowledge, skills and abilities to drive change in all fields and turn the Teach First vision into a reality. Teach First defines leadership as: – Focused on securing a better future – Inspiring and enabling others – Situational

Resources

The PPW is not designed to provide an exhaustive list of resources to support your development.

Resources included in each section have been selected to stimulate your thinking, challenge misconceptions and act as a starting point for your personalised learning journey. Select the resources which best support your personal development (we recommend about 80% of those on offer) and use the PPW online to share alternative resources which work for you.

Movement The challenge of eradicating educational inequality is not easy, it needs multiple responses across society and thousands/millions of people. This requires a movement of people for change. This starts with an understanding of the scale and complexity of the problem Teach First is trying to address. The LDP enables this understanding as it allows participants to see the problem up close and acts as a springboard to understanding the pathways that will lead to the greatest positive change. It begins by creating an opportunity to see the problem up close; our participants teach for two years and acquire a deep understanding of the nature of educational inequality in that community.

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Arrange your School Experience

Introduction

Chapter

2Teaching and

Learning

Chapter

1Teach First

Chapter

3Leadership

Chapter

4Movement

The PPW Process

The following guidelines should help you to understand the PPW process and how long it will take to complete:

– Arrange your school experience using guidance in the appendix and the template application letter (which may need to be sent as an email)

– Complete each chapter, allowing up to an hour for Chapter 1 (The Teach First Vision and Mission), three hours for Chapter 2 (Teaching and Learning), three hours for Chapter 3 (Leadership) and up to two hours for Chapter 4 (Movement)

– Select a variety of core and recommended resources per chapter

– View your resources and complete the reflection at first privately and then, if you wish, collectively via the chapter’s associated online discussion area

– Complete the associated observation of practice, guided by the template proforma

– If you wish, return to the chapter’s online area and discuss the chapter with fellow participants

– You should complete your PPW by the time you start Summer Institute so you are able to use your reflections and research to engage effectively with sessions

– You may attend a Pre-Summer Institute event which are run in many locations in England and Wales and provide you with an opportunity to further your engagement with this content with others

Curriculum Knowledge Assessment

Professional Skills Test PPW Summer

Institute School

ChaptersAllow

two hours per chapter

Choose three resources from

the section

View the resources

Complete the reflection

Complete the observation

of practice

Access PPW online and discuss

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The Reflective Process

Reflective thinking considerably enriches the learning process. Reflection is essential to the PPW exercise and will play an important part in your development throughout your Teach First journey. See page 10 for two models of reflection you may wish to draw upon during your completion of the PPW reflection exercises. While some people prefer to reflect in writing, mind mapping offers an alternative method of reflecting on the learning process in a deep and meaningful way.

“Reflective thinking involves personal consideration of one’s own learning. It considers personal achievements and failures and asks what worked, what didn’t, and what needs improvement.”

B. K. GivenTeaching to the Brain’s Natural Learning Systems (Washington, 2002)

Case Study:

Rachel HaakTeach First Curriculum Design Team and 2010 ambassador

“Deep and accurate reflection is one of the most important skills you will develop as part of the Leadership

Development Programme. The ability to reflect is not only an essential part of teaching, but also of becoming a leader in a movement for social justice. Experience alone does not necessarily lead to learning, it must be coupled with reflective practice. Reflective practice is the way in which you stop and think about your actions, consciously analyse your decision making and bring together thought and theory in the context of your work.

In this preparation work, you will be introduced to two models of reflection – J Driscoll’s Reflective Practice for Practise, and Gibbs’ Model of Reflection. As a participant, I was introduced to similar models of reflection, and they had a profound impact on my work in three key ways:

It allowed me to lead my own development. Reflection helped me to identify and act in a way that was aligned with my values, reminding me what was important and what kind of leader I wanted to be. Regular reflection helped me identify ways I needed to develop and how to get the support I needed.

It supported my pupils to make better progress. Through a continual process of collecting and analysing data, I was able to see who was falling behind and what I needed to do to ensure all my pupils made great progress.

It supported me to build great relationships with others. Considering others’ responses and seeking to understand their perspectives supported me to build vital relationships and networks of colleagues that were crucial to my development.

Throughout your career, I encourage you to reflect as much as possible; draw on the support of school, university, Teach First colleagues and friends and family so as to engage in a continual process of learning. Reflection can be difficult, it can be personal, and after a challenging day in the classroom, exhausting! However, by paying attention to the successes, being objective, noticing your values and taking responsibility for your development, your pupils will gain access to the education they deserve.”

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/content/ppw-online-mindmapping


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WHAT…(Returning to the situation)

...is the purpose of returning to this situation?...exactly occurred in your words?

...did you see? Did you do? Was your reaction?...did other people do? e.g. colleague, pupil

...do you see as key aspects of this situation?

NOW WHAT...(Modifying future outcomes)

...are the implications for you, your colleagues, the pupil etc.?...needs to happen to alter the situation?

...are you going to do about the situation?...happens if you decide not to alter anything?

...might you do differently if faced with a similar situation again?...information do you need to face a similar situation again?...are the best ways of getting further information about the

situation should it arise again?

SO WHAT...(Understanding the context)

...were your feelings at the time?...are your feelings now? Are there any differences? Why?

...were the effects of what you did (or did not do)?...’good’ emerged from the situation, e.g. for self/others?

...troubles you, if anything?...were your experiences in comparison to your colleagues etc.?

...are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues, etc.?

J Driscoll, Reflective Practice for Practise (London, 1994)

Gibbs’ Model of Reflection (1988)

DescriptionWhat happened?

AnalysisWhat sense can you make of the

situation?

FeelingsWhat were youthinking and

feeling?

Action planIf it arose again,

what would you do?

EvaluationWhat was good

and bad about the experience?

ConclusionWhat else could you have done?

CHAPTER 1: THE TEACH FIRST VISION AND MISSION

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Chapter 1: The Teach First

Vision and Mission

Objective

– To understand the Teach First vision and the Fair Education Impact Goals

Outcome

– An understanding of the Teach First vision and the Fair Education Impact Goals

Welcome to Teach First! We have an ambitious vision that no child’s education be limited by their socio-economic background. By joining the Leadership Development Programme and committing to the Teach First vision, you will:

Raise the achievement of pupils from low-income communitiesBoost your pupils’ self-belief and hopes for the future

Become an inspirational leader to disadvantaged young people

From humble beginnings with 150 London based participants in 2003, we now work in 11 Local Areas across England and Wales, this year placing over 1,500 participants in schools. With our ambassador community growing each year, by 2019, there will

be over 10,000 Teach First ambassadors working in schools, public policy, business, charities and social enterprises, as well as volunteering in education contexts outside of their jobs; their influence and actions spread far and wide across the country.

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What difference will I make by joining the Leadership Development Programme?

By Ndidi OkezieExecutive Director of Delivery, Teach First

Back in 2003, when I started the LDP, I was pretty cocky about the experience I was about to have. I was convinced

I knew exactly what to expect and could handle every facet of this “challenge” that Teach First kept saying would be “the hardest experience I had ever encountered”.

It took me precisely 20 minutes of my first lesson to realise that school had changed drastically from my experience of it. No longer was being “the teacher” enough to warrant respect. The wave of reality that hit me is something I will never forget, as I tried desperately to remember every single thing I had been taught during my initial training about behaviour management and authority. The learning curve was a steep one, but once I realised that my students needed to know I cared before they cared about what I knew, I was able to approach both my development and theirs with the right mix of humility and patience.

Raising pupils’ achievementWhen I joined the second school I taught at, Burlington Danes Academy, in 2006, only around 32% of students were achieving A* to C grades at GCSE, and the school was circling around being placed in special measures. Over the course of the next four years, under new leadership, the staff worked hand-in-hand with students and parents to more than double the results. People often ask how the school changed and, for me, it was crucial that the senior leadership set the expectation that achievement mattered.

On the LDP, you’ll become a teacher and leader in a school where your skills are needed the most. Independent research shows that our teachers are already increasing the GCSE results in low-income communities, and in London – where we have placed 3,000 teachers since 2003 – schools have moved from being the lowest to the highest-performing in England.

Boosting their aspirationsThe impact participants on the LDP have in the classroom is not only about grades. You will also make a huge difference to your pupils’ aspirations – boosting their confidence, resilience and hopes for the future. Raising the aspirations of children from low-income communities is reflected in our most recent Ofsted report, which says, quite simply: “Nothing but the best will do.” It adds: “Everyone is wedded to the fundamental principle of improving the life chances of disadvantaged pupils.” By joining the LDP you will contribute to this powerful collective passion and commitment.

Being a leader in the classroomI had to learn pretty quickly that I was a leader from day one. I was the one who needed to craft the vision of where we were going as a class, and I had to build trust and confidence so they would follow my steer. There is no middle ground on this one - students need their teachers to lead and so, even while I was still developing in my craft as a teacher, I was aware

that I was making a significant difference and leading my students each and every day. That knowledge was always the most fulfilling part of my day. Nothing beats that feeling of knowing why you’re getting up in the morning.

According to our recent Ofsted report, “Participants are exceptionally well-prepared to continue to improve as teachers in the early stages of their careers. They are trained to be more than good classroom teachers.”

Perhaps that’s why 40 per cent of our former participants are in leadership positions three years after gaining their Qualified Teacher Status on the LDP. And why 21 individuals who’ve completed the LDP are now headteachers.



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ResourcesClick on resource to activate

Teach First Vision and Mission An introduction to Teach First’s vision, mission and values on the Teach First website.www.teachfirst.org.uk/about/our-vision-mission-and-values

Building a movement for change www.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/building-movement-change

The Fair Education Impact GoalsAn introduction to the Fair Education Impact goals, what they are and how we want to achieve them.www.teachfirst.org.uk/why-we-exist/what-were-calling

Lawrence FoleyVision blog piece on how Lawrence developed his vision in conjunction with the ‘I Know My Class’ survey www.teachfirst.org.uk/blog/more-just-exam-grade-%e2%80%93-creating-and-implementing-vision

Access - helping young people to thrive beyond school

As a teacher, you will play a vital role in preparing young people for their lives beyond school. Whether you are an Early Years, primary or secondary teacher you can influence the post-school choices of the pupils you teach and prepare them to succeed in their lives beyond school. We know that the road to securing a post-school pathway can be a difficult one for any young person to navigate and, for those from poorer backgrounds, there are more barriers standing in their way.

Young people from poor families are twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) than their more affluent peers, and NEET figures in the UK are higher than the average for all OECD countries.

Schools in low-income communities have lower levels of students participating in apprenticeships than schools serving high-income communities, and competition for apprenticeships is intense.

There is a significant gap in access to university between disadvantaged pupils and their more advantaged peers, even after controlling for the gap attributable to levels of attainment. 23% of students from low-income families enter higher education, compared to 40% of their better off peers, despite having the same academic profiles.

Employers have said that 42% of 16-year-old school leavers are poorly or very poorly prepared for work.

There is a real need to tackle these issues, and this needs to be a joined-up effort from policy makers to school management to classroom teachers.

Many young people have big ambitions, but may lack the knowledge of how to achieve them or the confidence to make an application. Additionally, poorer young people are at risk of lacking the guidance needed to make informed choices about which route to take and the support they need to cope with independent living after school. They also may not have as

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/about/our-vision-mission-and-values

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/why-we-exist/what-were-calling

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/building-movement-change

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/blog/more-just-exam-grade-%e2%80%93-creating-and-implementing-vision

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many chances to develop the employability skills needed to succeed in their future career.

The diagram below sets out what we think are they key elements that make for a young person who is prepared to progress successfully beyond school. The list is not exhaustive, and you may see variations on these elements within the school you teach in.

What you can do

We want you to feel confident to support your pupils to secure the elements in the diagram above/below. We will equip you to do this with Access sessions as part of our annual Impact Conference and throughout your Leadership Development Programme. In these sessions you will learn about: – The issues around all progression routes –

both nationally and regionally – What the different post-school progression

routes are– The mindsets and skills we believe pupils need

to succeed in their chosen progression route

– What you can do every day in your classroom to inform pupils of the available routes and to build their skills and mindsets, such as confidence and resilience

– What others are doing to help teachers and schools support their pupils to successfully progress after school, and how you can draw on this expertise

– How to set up and run a programme to support the post school progression of pupils in your school

You can also use our Access Toolkit – a practical, one stop shop, guide for teachers on how to take action, every day, to support pupils on their journey to university, employment, an apprenticeship or other destination. It provides information about the different routes available to pupils, guidance on how to build the key mindsets and skills to enable them to succeed beyond school, and information on how to leverage external support to improve progression.

The impact you can have

We believe that the most impactful way teachers can ensure pupils are prepared to progress beyond school is to take action every day in the classroom and we hope our Access sessions and resources will enable you to do this. Action can be as simple as explaining how a skill you are teaching would be useful in the workplace or highlighting a link between the curriculum and a university course, right through to organising a week of enrichment activities so students can experience a range of post-school options.

One-to-one advice and guidance

Academic results which

reflect ability

Support from friends and family

Exposure to progression routes and

careers

Confidence and

self-belief

Aspiration

Core skills

Application and interview

support

Financial literacy

Self- motivation

Positive role models

Stable school

progression programme

Work experience

Self- awareness

Link of learning to the world of work

https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/impact-conference

https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/impact-conference

https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/helping-young-people-decide-their-future/how-we-support-teachers-and-schools/access

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We want young people to have flourishing futures which matches their potential. Young people from low-income communities should be able to make informed and ambitious decisions about their future, secure a place on their route of choice and have the skills that will help them to succeed, and crucially sustain, their place on their pathway. The support you will provide to the pupils you teach is much more than making them aware of their options and supporting them with applications during their secondary education. It is also about nurturing ambition and building the skills and mindsets they need from the Early Years phase. You can have a very real, positive impact on the life outcomes for the young people you work with and their access to post-school opportunities.

Access: Reflection exercise

– Reflect on the elements that made up your post-school progression experience. Imagine that, for reasons beyond your control, lots of elements were missing. What impact might this have had on your pathway? If your own experience was missing these elements, reflect on how this impacted the ease with which you navigated your post-school pathway.

– What is your vision for the futures of the young people you will teach?

– How will you share this vision with colleagues, pupils and parents?

Type here

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About ambassadors“Being in Teach First makes me feel part of something bigger … it’s like a family that pushes me to be better while supporting me to do so.”

Laura McInerney2006 ambassador

Once you successfully complete the LDP you will join our growing community of Teach First ambassadors. There are now over 5,600 ambassadors, working together to end educational inequality. This unique community of leaders is connected through a common vision of a day when no child’s educational success is limited by their background.

We invest in supporting ambassadors working in schools, charities and business to become great teachers, social entrepreneurs, volunteers, student mentors, and leaders; whatever it takes to help the least advantaged succeed at school and beyond.

What support is available to ambassadors?

NetworksThe Teach First network is incredibly powerful, with ambassadors coming together to support each other professionally and personally in many contexts. From our community website to our annual Impact Conference. We provide ongoing space and time for the community to connect and work together.

Career PathwaysCareer Pathways are programmes of training and support designed to help ambassadors have even more impact in schools, vision-aligned charities, social enterprises and within education policy and research.

Each Career Pathway offers bespoke training and support that includes CPD, work shadowing, coaching, networking events and much more. They are designed to help ambassadors explore new options, or progress and develop in existing fields which will have a direct impact on the lives of the children who need it most.

Career Pathways have been developed in collaboration with Future Leaders, Teaching Leaders, think tanks, charities, leaders in innovation and ambassadors in key roles.

– School Career Pathway To help ambassadors take their teaching to

the next level, or progress into a leadership role in school. This support on the pathway includes tailored CPD, career coaching, networking events, peer support, classroom visits and our school leaders retreat.

– Policy & Research Pathway For those who want explore a new career, or

find out how to move into or up in the world of educational policy and research. Careers events, work shadowing and webinars are all part of this tailored programme of support, designed to help ambassadors who want to have real impact in the world of education policy or research.

– Charity & Social Enterprise Pathway This pathway helps those who want to

move into or progress within a career in the charity sector, as well as those who have an idea that could become a new venture to

help end educational inequality. We offer work shadowing and exposure to industry professionals as well as career events and webinars to those who want to explore a career in a vision aligned charity. For would be social entrepreneurs, we offer mentoring, finance, expert advice and access to our network of innovation partners.

InnovationIn 2012 we set up our Innovation Unit to find and nurture other great ideas to help end educational inequality. The Innovation Unit aims to: – Inspire our community to develop new

ideas for addressing the problem – Accelerate the growth and impact of

high-potential social enterprises which are working to overcome educational inequality, the majority of which are founded by Teach First ambassadors

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Volunteering Volunteering is a challenging yet rewarding way to use your experience to drive change in a variety of crucial areas. Teach First can help ambassadors discover a wide range of volunteering opportunities, and support you in applying for – and securing – the right role. Some of the ways ambassadors work towards our vision as volunteers:

Working with young people and schools– Supporting pupils to progress to

competitive universities at Easter schools at Oxford and Cambridge or as a mentor over a key year in their life

– Volunteering as a Champion Teacher for National Citizen Service

– Becoming a school governor

Ambassadors with strong business skills– Teach First supports you to become a

coaching or a charity trustee

Ambassador Case Study:

Connie Walker 2012 ambassador and Literacy Coordinator / Lead Teacher of Year 8,

The Boulevard Academy, Hull

“Before I began the Leadership Development Programme my first area choice was London, but I was allocated Hull instead. Even though I grew up not far from the city, I didn’t know the area well at all and had completely underestimated the level of deprivation. We had a very tightknit Teach First network in Hull, because nobody knew anyone else.

Hull is completely isolated from the rest of the country and getting anywhere is really difficult. This means that a lot of the students and families you encounter haven’t ever left the city. And that’s not an exaggeration: there are students who think it’s a big deal just to cross the river, which means that many of them don’t have any experience beyond what their families have done and grown up around.

Similarly, people don’t come here to teach from outside the area. So Teach First is a fresh injection of people from outside and, whilst that has its challenges, it’s hugely beneficial for the students to have their eyes opened to different experiences and backgrounds.

I’m currently working at The Boulevard Academy in Hull where I’m simultaneously the Literacy Coordinator and the Lead Teacher of Year 8. I’m proud of the area that I work in. Initially people said I was unlucky to get Hull. But what is the purpose of Teach First? It’s to challenge educational disadvantage. So, actually, I’m in a great area to do that. Geographical location is superficial: you are on the programme to make a difference, and you can make a difference. And these are the places that need you.”


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Observation of Practice Reflection Record

When you make your observations on this chapter, you may find the following action points useful. You might also find it helpful to structure your observations around our observations of practice template document. If you wish, you can share and discuss your observations with fellow participants in the dedicated discussion area for chapter 1.

Use the scales below to record your progress against the objectives and outcomes for this chapter.A rating of one indicates you feel confident about this area of practice, and a five means you don’t feel confident at all.

Point of Contact

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

A classroom teacher

Teacher

Pupils

School Development Plan

Objective

Outcomes

Action / Discussion

What is the school’s mission statement? How was it decided and how is it communicated to the school community?

What is the teacher’s vision for the class? How do they communicate this to pupils? What evidence can you find of this?

Discuss with them principles that underpin their planning, teaching and assessment. How do they approach these and to what effect?

Speak to pupils about their teacher’s vision for them, and their own vision for themselves. How do they know the teacher has a vision for their success?

What are the school’s priorities? How are these shared with staff?

Aims – To understand the Teach First vision and

the Fair Education Impact Goals

– An understanding of the Teach First vision and the Fair Education Impact Goals

Rate how confidently you feel you have met the objectives and outcomes

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Not veryVery

Not veryVery

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/content/ppw-online-observation-practice

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/content/ppw-online-observation-practice

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/think-tank/ppw-online-module-1-teach-first-vision-and-mission

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Use the box to record your reflection and set targets for further development. This information can form the basis of conversations with your tutors, Participant Development Lead (PDL) or peers at Summer Institute.

CHAPTER 2: TEACHING AND LEARNING

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Chapter 2: Teaching and Learning

This component of the LDP is delivered through our programme and ourpartnership with universities and schools. There are a number of specific

skills we want to develop in our teachers, which are set out in the Teachers’Standards (England) and Qualified Teacher Status Standards Wales (QTS

Standards, 2009) and built-on in Teach First frameworks. The LDP focuses onimproving and developing the key attributes of teaching and learning that

research shows are critical to participant and therefore pupil success.

Objectives

The purpose of this chapter is:– To begin to take a research-

informed approach to your practice

– To begin to understand pupils’ educational experience

– To begin to understand the diverse needs of pupils and their barriers to learning

Outcomes

In this chapter you will develop:– An understanding of the

components of effective teaching– An insight into the educational

experience of current pupils


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“Learning is not a spectator sport”

Rosie Clark Associate Director, Curriculum Design Team, Teach First

Planning

Alice Dunn Secondary Curriculum Design Manager, Teach First

“The causes of educational inequality are complex, as are the ways in which it will manifest itself in your

classroom. However, the best way to address the vision over the next two years will be to become a great classroom practitioner. This will be a fantastic journey of self-discovery and will be unique to you, as you combine the theory of what great teaching looks like in your phase and subject with the understanding of yourself as a professional and the context in which you are working. The start of this journey will be mastering the ‘gatekeeper skills’. These are the basics of teaching pedagogy and will form the foundation on which your practice will be based. Over the next two years, and throughout your career in education, you will continue to refine and develop these

skills as your thinking and practice develops. This journey will not be linear and at times will be frustrating but your support roles will be there to support and challenge you to become the teacher that you want to be in order for your pupils to reach their potential.

The role of Teach First’s Curriculum Design Team is to design the Leadership Development Programme that you will follow in partnership with our university providers. The programme is based on world-leading thought around great teaching and leadership and will guide you on your journey. We wish you best: be active and not a spectator and you will surprise yourself with what you discover and achieve for yourself and your students.”

“It is crucial that, during Summer Institute, you gain competence in planning and developing a scheme of work or

curriculum. This is a skill that even the most experienced teacher continues to develop, but there are some crucial ‘gatekeeper’ elements that will make your early days of teaching more effective.

Planning as a skill involves, amongst other things, building from existing knowledge and adding new knowledge in carefully and sequenced sections. You will learn how to provide models and worked examples, abstract and concrete examples and images with descriptions. You will plan with long- and short-term goals and implications in mind and learn how to pose deep, thought-provoking problems.

Planning is of course not a skill that works in isolation, but interacts and develops alongside good practice in assessment, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge and classroom management. At first, planning may be time-consuming and complicated. However, as your practice in all areas develops, it will become a more integrated, habitual process that you continually improve through trial and error, feedback and reflection.”

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Assessment

Catherine Butt Early Years Curriculum Design Manager, Teach First

Classroom management: Practice and art

Kyle Bailey Primary Curriculum Design Manager, Teach First

“Regular and accurate assessment of pupils’ development, knowledge and skills is a fundamental

element of the teacher role. It isn’t just about summative testing at the end of the year or a unit of work (although there is a place for using tests for recall purposes) but, more significantly, assessment is used formatively on a regular basis to understand what individual pupils don’t know yet need to know and allow teachers to plan for this accordingly.

Assessment allows educators to identify aspects of learning that have been grasped by their pupils so they can build on this and strengthen. It also enables teachers to identify and respond to misconceptions throughout lessons and address these errors or gaps in learning when planning for the following lesson.

It would be an error of judgement to consider assessment as separate from the planning process. Effective and accurate assessment of pupils informs future planning so that real and measurable progress can be made. A deep and accurate understanding of assessment will equip every teacher with the ability to thoroughly understand their pupils and how to support them to succeed.”

“It is likely to be of no surprise that, in order to be a great classroom practitioner, every teacher needs to be

able to create a safe, productive learning environment. Classroom management is a complex art; one whose varied aspects (designing and implementing effective routines, monitoring student behaviour, using verbal and non-verbal corrections to help pupils remain focused, creating a warm environment that promotes a love of learning and more) underpin everything that we do in the classroom.

I always say that no teacher enters into the profession to classroom manage; that said, despite the struggles that undoubtedly will come with teaching, having a well-managed classroom enables you to unlock the joy of seeing your pupils succeed.

Every teacher struggles with classroom management, particularly early in their career (pictured is a student drawing of my first year of teaching: it didn’t always look that ordered). Yet as with any art, a sustained effort to hone your technique through practice, a positive mindset and at times a bit of creativity will be required to get you closer to your desired learning environment.”


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ResourcesClick on resource to activate

Doug Lemov - The EducatorsDoug Lemov’s work is based on identifying the most successful teachers in the world, filming them and studying their methods. His work has been used by thousands of trainee teachers as they learn to use their classroom time effectively. He believes that teaching is a craft which can be learnt and practised, and that the children who benefit most from a well-run classroom are those from the most disadvantaged families.www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ry369 30 minute podcast

Five things that every new teacher should know about behaviour managementLearning to manage the behaviour of your classes is a crucial skill to maximise teaching and learning time. Here are five key principles every teacher needs to knowwww.learningspy.co.uk/behaviour/five-things-every-new-teacher-needs-know-behaviour-management/

You can always look it up, or can you? E.D Hirschwww.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/LookItUpSpring2000.pdf

Measures and targets: how can we use assessment to enhance rather than distort the curriculum?www.workingoutwhatworks.com/en-GB/Resource-library/Videos/2014/rED-v-daisy-christodoulou-2014

Why do teachers plan and how do they do it? www.learningspy.co.uk/featured/planning-lessons-lessons-ive-learned-about-how-to-plan/

Grit: the power of passion and perseveranceAngela Lee Duckworth explains that it is not intellect which predicts academic success, but grit.www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance

The power of believing that you can improveCarol Dweck introduces growth mindset and how the power of ‘yet’ can increase outcomes for every child:www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve

The role of purposeful practice Alex Quigley shares why purposeful practice will be essential for your development as a teacher and howto make it most effective https://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/becoming-a-better-teacher-by-deliberate-practice/

The Science of Learning The Science of Learning summarises the existing research from cognitive science related to how children learn and connects this research to its practical implications for teaching and learningwww.deansforimpact.org/pdfs/ The_Science_of_Learning.pdf

Teachers’ StandardsGovernment documents setting out minimum standards for teachers’practice and conduct in England:www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301107/Teachers__Standards.pdf

and Wales:http://learning.gov.wales/resources/collections/professional-standards?lang=en

How Children Succeed - The Hidden Power of CharacterPaul Tough talks about the research he conducted for his book How Children Succeedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLktep03ms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ry369 30 minute podcast

http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/LookItUpSpring2000.pdf

http://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve

http://www.deansforimpact.org/pdfs/The_Science_of_Learning.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLktep03ms

http://learning.gov.wales/resources/collections/professional-standards?lang=en

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301107/Teachers__Standards.pdf

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance

http://www.learningspy.co.uk/behaviour/five-things-every-new-teacher-needs-know-behaviour-management/

http://www.workingoutwhatworks.com/en-GB/Resource-library/Videos/2014/rED-v-daisy-christodoulou-2014

http://www.learningspy.co.uk/featured/planning-lessons-lessons-ive-learned-about-how-to-plan/

https://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/becoming-a-better-teacher-by-deliberate-practice/

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Why Don’t Students Like School? Cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham, share some of the problems with thinking and learning. This article provides an excellent foundation for further research into cognitive load and the role of memory in learning.www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/WILLINGHAM%282%29.pdf Thinking about thinkingCan we teach children how to think and if so how should we do it?www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/videos/expertspeakers/metacognitiondylanwiliam.asp

Learning about Learning: What every new teacher needs to knowwww.nctq.org/dmsView/Learning_About_Learning_Report

Putting students on the path to learningThis article puts forward the evidence for direct instruction in teaching and learningwww.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Clark.pdf

Curriculum Knowledge resourcesThere are a number of subject and phase and subject-specific references to support your preparation. These will be further built on following your Curriculum Knowledge audit, which may include similar references but will be tailored to your requirements.

If you decide to read one of the suggested books, please select the chapters that you feel will be best suited for your development if specific chapters are not already recommended.

English

Find a recent GCSE paper (You may want to look on the websites of these exam boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC (Wales)). Take it under timed conditions and then use the marking scheme to mark it. Reflect on the subject knowledge involved and how that subject knowledge might be broken down and communicated with pupils.

Make a list of questions to bring to Summer Institute e.g. about how to break down subject knowledge or sequence it.

In Davisonk, J. & Dowson, J. (eds.) (2009) Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School,London, Routledge.

Fisher, R., Jones, S., Larkin, S. & Myhill, D. (2010)Using Talk to Support Writing. London, Sage Publications.

Primary

Find a recent SATs paper (English and Maths), take it under timed conditions and then mark it according to the mark scheme. Reflect on the subject knowledge involved and how that subject knowledge might be broken down and communicated with pupils.


The Rose Review http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5551/2/report.pdfThis key resource examines the research and evidence in the teaching of early reading including synthetic phonics.

Cremin, R. and Arthur, J. (eds) (2014) Learning to Teach in the Primary School. London, Routledge.

http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/WILLINGHAM%282%29.pdf

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/videos/expertspeakers/metacognitiondylanwiliam.asp

http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Learning_About_Learning_Report

http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Clark.pdf

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Early Years

Development Matterswww.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdfThis core document supports practitioners to implement the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Select one of the videos from the list: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0zV-7WCukB6vqUGYq2d79sA7VXWgGX4F Make notes of your observations guided by the characteristics of effective learning set out in Development Matters

Whitebread,D. and Coltman,P. (eds) (2015) Teaching and Learning in the Early Years. 4th Ed. London, Routledge.

Science



www.ase.org.ukThe Association for Science Education is the professional association for science teachers, offering advice and guidance to members, as well as journals and specialist publications. The annual conference in January is well worth attending.

Hollins, M. (2011) ASE Guide to Secondary Science Education. New Edition. Hatfield, ASE

Maths



Watson, A., Jones, K. and Pratt, D. (2013) Key Ideas in Teaching Mathematics: Research-based guidance for ages 9-19. Oxford University Press available through the nuffield foundation website www.nuffieldfoundation.org/news/key-ideas-teaching-mathematics .

Nuffield Foundation (2010) Key Understandings in Mathematics Learning. The Nuffield Report Available at: www.nuffieldfoundation.org/key-understandings-mathematics-learning

History



Davies, I. (ed.) (2011) Debates in History Teaching. RoutledgeCovers the main issues current in History teaching in schools

Chapter 2 in How Students Learn History in the Classroom which is available as a free resource at www.nap.edu/catalog/11100/how-students-learn-history-in-the-classroom?version=b&utm_expid=4418042-5krRTDpXJOISoXLpdo-1Ynw.1&utm_referrer=

www.history.org.uk/. ‘The Historical Association’ supports the teaching, learning and enjoyment of history at all levels and brings together people who share an interest in and love for the past

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf



http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11100/how-students-learn-history-in-the-classroom?version=b&utm_expid=4418042-5krRTDpXJOISoXLpdo-1Ynw.1&utm_referrer=




26


Geography



www.geography.org.uk. The Geographical Association is the professional association for geography teachers and has lots of ideas for lessons, resources and research for teaching geography.

Biddolph,M. Lambert, D, and Balderstone, D (eds) (2015) Learning to Teach Geography in the Secondary School: A companion to school experience. Rutledge, Oxon.

Modern Foreign Languages



Pachler, N., Evans, M. and Fisher, L. (eds) (2014) Learning to Teach Foreign Languages in the Secondary School (4th Edition), Routledge, Oxon.

www.all-languages.org.uk/ is the website of The Association for Langauge Learning

Religious Education



www.reonline.org.uk is a great website for teachers and leaders of RE in schools

Wright, A. & Brandom, A. (eds.) (2000) Learning to Teach Religious Education in the Secondary School. London, RoutledgeFalmer.

Music



Philpott, C. & Spruce, G. (eds) (2007) Learning to Teach Music in the Secondary School. London, Routledge (Chapter 1).

National Curriculum for Music (from September 2015).https://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/m/music%2004-02-13.pdf

https://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/m/music%2004-02-13.pdf

https://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/m/music%2004-02-13.pdf

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Design Technology



Owen-Jackson, G. (2015) Learning to Teach Design and Technology in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience (3rd edition). London, Routledge.

Business Studies



Davies, P. & Brant, J. (2006) Teaching School Subjects 11-19: Business, Economics and Enterprise

Ofsted (2011) Economics, Business and Enterprise Education, Ref: 100086www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/economics-business-and-enterprise-education

Wales (in Welsh)



LLCC (2008) Cymraeg yng Nghwricwlwm Cenedlaethol Cymru

www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/

Computing



DfE (2013) The National Curriculum Programme of study for Computing.www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study

Cambridge GCSE Computing online MOOC.www.cambridgegcsecomputing.org/

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Further Reading and Resources

Success Against the OddsBook by Teach First’s Founder and CEO, Brett Wigdortz

The Access ToolkitFind out how to instill high aspirations and encourage your pupils to reach their potentialwww.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/helping-young-people-decide-their-future/access-toolkit

Spotlight VideosThese videos of Teach First teachers in their classrooms provide a valuable opportunity to share practice and observe peers to see what works.https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/spotlightresources

The Teacher ToolkitThere are a multitude of resources to support your first days, weeks and terms in the classroom including filmed content from three summer Impact Conferences which will inspire, inform and illuminate your thinking.https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/content/teacher-toolkit-home

The Educators, BBC Radio 4Hear from a range of eminent figures in the education sector about how their research drives theory and practice in schools around the country.www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04dwbkt/episodes/downloads

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/spotlightresources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04dwbkt/episodes/downloads

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/content/teacher-toolkit-home

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/helping-young-people-decide-their-future/access-toolkit


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Observation of Practice


Point of Contact

Ofsted/Estyn guidelines

Teaching and Learning policy / guidelines

Teacher

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Additional adults / SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)

Action / Discussion

Read the Ofsted (England) or Estyn (Wales) framework and consider the grading criteria for teaching. What evidence for each of the gradings can you identify in your experience of the classroom?

Ask for a copy of the school’s guidance on teaching and learning. Speak to a staff member with line management responsibilities to explore how this is embedded into daily practice.

Discuss with them principles that underpin their planning, teaching and assessment. How do they approach these and to what effect?

Speak to the teacher or teaching assistant about individual targets detailed on the pupil’s IEP. How are those needs catered for both inside and outside the classroom? How is the TA deployed to support the children to ensure they all have access to an additional adult at all times?

Talk to the Teaching Assistant (TA) or SENCo about the school’s provision for children with additional needs.

Point of Contact

Planning / SoW

Curriculum Policy

Cross phase experience

Action / Discussion

Collect a copy of the plan for one of the lessons you observed. Talk to the teacher about the context for the lesson, and how it links to medium- and long-term planning for the pupils.

Collect an example of a curriculum or learning policy. How does it link to the lesson you have observed?

In order to support your understanding of a child’s educational journey we recommend that, where possible, you spend 1-2 days in a corresponding phase of education (if you are in EY this is primary, if you are in primary this could be EY or secondary and if you are in secondary this is primary). This could be a link you make through your placement school’s feeder link schools i.e the setting the children in your school generally come from or go to. These two days could take the place of two of your 5 days, or in addition to them.

What strikes you about what and how children learn in that particular phase? What can you take from this to apply to your own teaching, and how will this influence your practice?



https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/think-tank/ppw-online-module-2-teaching-and-learning

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Reflection Record


Objective

Outcomes

Aims The purpose of this chapter is:– To begin to take a research-informed

approach to your practice– To begin to understand pupils’

educational experience– To begin to understand the diverse needs

of pupils and their barriers to learning

In this chapter you will develop:– An understanding of the components of

effective teaching– An insight into the educational experience

of current pupils


1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Not veryVery

Not veryVery

31


Use this box to record your reflection and set targets for further development. Areas for consideration:– What is learning?– What does learning look like?– What sequence does the learning happen in? For example, what needs to come

first and what comes later?– In what conditions does learning happen most effectively?– What makes you passionate about the phase / subject you teach?– What makes an effective teacher in your subject / phase?– Consider your Curriculum Knowledge Assessment: what were your key areas for

development and how have you begun to or plan to address these?

CHAPTER 3: LEADERSHIP

32

Chapter 3: Leadership

In order to achieve our vision and work towards a day when no child’s academic success is limited by their socio-economic background, we need to develop a community of leaders able to impact positively on the vision. These leaders will have the knowledge, skills and abilities

to drive change in all fields and turn the Teach First vision into a reality. Teach First defines leadership as:

Focused on securing a better future Inspiring and enabling others Situational

Objectives

– To understand the role of leadership in your professional practice

– To begin to understand how to develop practical approaches to leadership in your context

Outcomes

– An understanding of the importance of leadership in your professional practice

– An understanding of some of the requisite skills and mindsets required for impactful leadership


33

Case Study:

Marcus Shepherd2011 ambassador and Headteacher

of Merrill Academy, Derby

“Leadership is not about being the best so that others can look on in awe at your achievements. Leadership

is about inspiring others to think, act and innovate in ways which will make you step back and look on in awe at their achievements. As a leader my role is not to be the best performer or the oracle for all school improvement, my role is to motivate my staff and pupils, ensuring that they can operate at levels higher than what they may think they can perform at and feel part of something bigger than just improving a struggling school.

In my opinion the key to any example of great leadership is two simple parts: vision and values.

My academy’s vision gives us our identity; it is what we stand for and what we endeavour and strive to achieve. A great vision inspires and motivates in equal measures. But, importantly, a leader should ensure that their vision is not developed focusing on short-term improvements, but on what they want the academy to look like in the future. Do not be intimidated about how far away you may be from that vision at present, because without this foresight and constant reflection on your intended destination, the focus will not be on sustained improvements to meet the highest of standards.

If the vision is the ‘why’ then the values are the ‘how’. I would argue these are as important if not more so. I often hear staff and students alike say that they want to achieve ambitious targets, but do not have a clear plan as to how they are going to get there. I don’t mean the big roll-out event where they say to their class that they are going to achieve the best results. Or the final push near exam time for some last minute revision. I mean the plan as to how, every single day, they are going to do what they say. The question you must always ask is: am I prepared to live by my values every day, especially when things get tough? If the answer is yes, then the impact of your leadership could be exponential. Most of the things I do as a leader happen in a corridor when no-one is looking, or in a meeting which only externals are attending. Your vision provides others with a means to hold you to account, but values provide you with a means to hold yourself to account.

Since taking on various leadership positions on my Teach First journey these sentiments have always remained the same. The only difference I have found from being a trainee to a head teacher is the number of people who you now must inspire to think and act in this way. Because good leaders are not measured by the impact they have, they are measured by the impact the people who follow them have. When things get tough, this is when the followers look to their leader to model the behaviours they need to display. Make sure you are there for them!”

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Findings from the Outliers reportWhat underpins an outlier’s success?Research on teachers who thrive in challenging circumstances demonstrates the importance of a strong and embedded vision.www.teachfirst.org.uk/blog/what-underpins-outlier%e2%80%99s-success

What does leadership look like day to day?Find out more about what leadership is and how you can be a leader in your day-to-day workleadership.workreadygraduates.com/defining-leadership/#1453838997111-4921b227-4ae0

The Value of Leadership Chapter from Teach First CEO Brett Wigdortz’s book, Success Against the Odds.https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/sites/community.teachfirst.org.uk/files/Chapter%205%20-%20Value%20of%20Leadership.pdf

Time management Time management is an essential skill for all teachers. Complete this self-audit and find out which strategies can support you.www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_88.htm

How To Turn your Life Around (podcast)Hear how the hidden power of resilience supports success in the most challenging of circumstances.www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b074xbs4

ResourcesWe have provided a number of resources for you to engage with in order to answer the reflection questions:

How Great Leaders Inspire Action (Simon Sinek) Simon Sinek shares his theory of how great leaders inspire action.www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

What are your values and what does this mean for leadership? Assess your values and reflect on how this might influence your leadership.www.valuescentre.com/our-products/products-individuals/personal-values-assessment-pva

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/sites/community.teachfirst.org.uk/files/Chapter%205%20-%20Value%20of%20Leadership.pdf




http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

http://www.valuescentre.com/our-products/products-individuals/personal-values-assessment-pva

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/blog/what-underpins-outlier%e2%80%99s-success

http://leadership.workreadygraduates.com/defining-leadership/#1453838997111-4921b227-4ae0


http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_88.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b074xbs4


35

Reflection Record

Objectives

Outcome

Aims – To understand the role of leadership in

your professional practice– To begin to understand how to develop

practical approaches to leadership in your context

– An understanding of the importance of leadership in your professional practice

– An understanding of some of the requisite skills and mindsets required for impactful leadership


1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Not veryVery

Not veryVery




Point of Contact

Senior Leadership Team(SLT)/Headteacher

Pupil / teacher

Non-teaching staff

Action / Discussion

Discuss with them their understanding of the term and how they demonstrate it. What are their expectations for other groups in school: SLT, middle leaders, teachers, pupils and the community?

Speak to a variety of school members. If possible, try to find out what pupil structure exists to support pupil leadership development – prefects / school council for example. How do they demonstrate leadership?

Talk to a member of non-teaching staff about leadership. This could include staff in the office, caretaking or catering staff. Discuss with them the impact of the leadership on the school and the pupils.



https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/think-tank/ppw-online-module-3-leadership

36


Use the box to record your reflection and set targets for further development. What behaviours do you need to demonstrate to be an effective classroomand / or school leader?– Think back to your own school experience. How did leadership in the classroom

affect your learning?– How have the teachers and leaders you have interacted with worked as part of a wider

movement on behalf of the pupils they work with? What effect has this had?

CHAPTER 4: MOVEMENT

37

Chapter 4: Movement

Through developing exceptional teachers and leaders via the LDP, Teach First develops and mobilises the individuals required to drive forward the social movement to end educational

inequality. This starts with an understanding of the scale and complexity of the problem Teach First is trying to address. The LDP then enables participants to increase their impact from the

classroom to the community and acts as a springboard to identify pathways that will lead to the greatest positive change. It begins by creating an opportunity to see the problem up close;

our participants teach for two years and acquire a deep understanding of the nature of educational inequality in that community.

Objective

– To understand the importance of working as part of a wider movement to accelerate impact towards the vision

Outcome

– Understand the importance of working as part of a wider movement to accelerate impact towards the vision

CHAPTER 4: MOVEMENT

38

Messages from the Teach First President and Vice President

At Summer Institute 2016, the 10,000th participant joined Teach First. That means there are now over 10,000 individuals

working in schools, charities, businesses, government, research, social enterprises and more who have been through the same experience you are just embarking upon. They have all worked in schools where young people face extraordinary challenges and, as a result, they have a deep understanding of what educational inequality looks like, why it is wrong and how we can best end it for good. But their greatest power is not in their work as individuals. Participants and ambassadors know they can have the most impact when they work together, and they do this in so many ways. From talking and sharing resources with others in their school

department or in their area, or forming networks of those with similar interests, to setting up social enterprises together or linking their business with a friend’s school; ambassadors working together have achieved amazing things. For me, this is exactly what we mean when we talk about the movement. Our movement is all about people who understand the problem we’re working to address joining forces to find solutions and taking action. By joining Teach First you are becoming part of our community and part of that movement. Welcome: what part are you going to play?

Georgie Porter 2013 ambassador and Teach First President

Action NetworksAction Networks are led by the Teach First community, for the Teach First community.

They connect and mobilise participants and ambassadors in collaborative action and are a core part of our movement for change. Participants usually join an Action Network at Summer Institute through a nomination process, but may also join later on or as ambassadors. Action Networks organise a multitude of diverse projects: events for teachers to come together and share best practice, fundraising for Teach First through runs, walks or bake sales, and social activities to keep our community connected. Action Networks are also important for Teach First’s local areas and university partners to access feedback and consultation to ensure the

community’s needs are met. Action Networks are growing and are now well-established in every local area, engaging a range of participants and ambassadors who work in a variety of roles – not just teaching! If you’re interested in getting involved in an Action Network look out for more information in the run-up to Summer Institute or search for ‘Action Network’ on the community website.

Jessica Mason 2014 ambassador and Teach First Vice-President

https://community.teachfirst.org.uk/ldp-and-ambassadors/networks

CHAPTER 4: MOVEMENT

39

ResourcesWe have provided a number of resources for you to engage with in order to answer the reflection questions.

How to start a movementDerek SiversThis brief video by Derek Sivers shows some of the key components to starting a movement and the importance of followers.www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement

Teach First: Impact Report (2014) An overview of Teach First’s impact at classroom, school and societal level over the last ten years. www.teachfirst.org.uk/sites/default/files/press/pdf/impact%20doc%20WEB.pdf

The role of the Innovation Partners in addressing the movementwww.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/encouraging-innovation-education-0/innovation-partnerships

Meet Ndidi Okezie, Executive Director of Delivery at Teach FirstFind out about her Teach First journey and what motivates her to drive forward the Teach First vision.https://vimeo.com/174559627

Community Engagement case study ‘Monkton Primary School’ One school shares their approach to Community Engagement and the impact it can have on the whole communitywww.youtube.com/watch?v=KUpk2Vfkyus&cldee=ZWNvb2tAdGVhY2hmaXJzdC5vcmcu dWs%3d&urlid=7

Community engagement toolkitThis Toolkit provides a host of resources for engaging families and communities in their children’s learninghttp://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/family-and-community-engagement-toolkit/?lang=en

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/sites/default/files/press/pdf/impact%20doc%20WEB.pdf

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/encouraging-innovation-education-0/innovation-partnerships

http://https://vimeo.com/174559627

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUpk2Vfkyus& cldee=ZWNvb2tAdGVhY2hmaXJzdC5vcmcu dWs%3d&urlid=7

http://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/family-and-community-engagement-toolkit/?lang=en

CHAPTER 4: MOVEMENT

40

Objective

Outcomes

Aims – To understand the importance of working

as part of a wider movement to accelerate impact towards the vision

– Understand the importance of working as part of a wider movement to accelerate impact towards the vision


1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Not veryVery

Not veryVery



Point of Contact

Member of staff or the Senior Leadership Team

Teacher or Teaching Assistant

Young person

Action / Discussion

Discuss with them the most significant barriers to aspiration and achievement in their school. How do they work to overcome them and to what impact?

Talk to a teacher or teaching assistant about the impact of pupils’ home lives on their work. How does it affect them and what does the school do about it?

Talk to a young person about what it is like to live in their community. What do they like to do in their spare time? Are they part of any groups or clubs?

Reflection Record

Use the scales below to record your progress against the objectives and outcomes for this module.A rating of one indicates you feel confident about this area of practice, and a five means you don’t feel confident at all.



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CHAPTER 4: MOVEMENT

Use the box to record your reflections on this chapter and set targets for further development. Reflect on some of the challenges of the school you have visited and consider how members of the school community (whether staff, parents or pupils) address these challenges?

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APPENDIX

Appendix:

Arranging the School Experience

It is your responsibility to arrange the five-day School Experience at a time convenient to you and a school. We recommend that you arrange to visit a school or schools near your university or home. The five days do not have to be continuous and you may carry out the tasks in visits to two schools if you can arrange this.

We strongly recommend that you approach schools which face challenges similar to those of Teach First eligibleschools, such as having a high percentage of pupils eligible for Free School Meals. This experience will give you a more concrete context to build on during the Summer Institute (SI). A suggested template letter to use when arranging your school experience is available here (English and Welsh language). You may want to consider sending an email instead of a letter.

Special measures

It is advised that you do not undertake your School Experience in schools which have been placed in special measures or notice to improve. The School Experience is designed to enable you to gain valuable experience that you can take to SI while not putting undue pressure on the infrastructure within the school. Many schools in special measures or notice to improve may not have the capacity to support you during the School Experience week.

School Experience abroad

It is advised that you undertake your School Experience in a school in England or Wales. Although there may be circumstances where it may be beneficial for you to experience time in a school abroad (if you’re studying modern foreign languages for example), the purpose of the School Experience is to observe practice

and gain experience that you can take to SI and into your training year. Therefore, we would want you to have experience of the English or Welsh national curriculum, examination and assessment and methodologies that you will be able to draw upon over the programme.

We ask you not to undertake the School Experience in your placement school as it is important that you have the opportunity to observe and learn from practice in school settings other than your placement school. You will have the opportunity to spend some time in your placement school during the opening weeks of SI.

The classrooms we work in will present a diverse mix of pupils; all bringing a different set of experiences, needs and demands. Our schools are diverse places and as such have responded to issues such as pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL), pupils with special

education needs (SEN), and those pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour. You have the chance to be part of this on a day to day basis but it would be wrong to assume that each school will present the same challenges. Each school will be different and it is important to arrive without preconceptions. When you arrive as an observer you have the opportunity to get a feel for the real-life context of a school, its successes and strengths as well as its challenges. Suggestions to help you to arrange your School Experience

– Identify a range of dates when you would be interested in doing your School Experience. Please be aware of potential peak times in the school calendar such as mock exams in December/January, GCSE exams/KS2 SATs in May/June as well as school holidays that


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APPENDIX

will vary by local authority and school– Contact the school - send a letter or email to the headteacher

requesting to undertake the placement in their school. Please attach the template letter from Teach First about the purpose of the School Experience

- After a few days contact the school, usually the headteacher’s personal assistant, to try and make arrangements for the School Experience

– Once you have arranged the School Experience, please do not change the arrangements unless this is necessary for a very serious reason (i.e. the kind of reason that would prevent you from going to work, such as a family bereavement). In the case of an essential change, please notify the school at the earliest opportunity

– Advise the school as soon as possible of any changes that will affect the arrangements (e.g. change of contact details; inability to attend because of illness on the day of a planned visit)

– Following the School Experience: - You will need to spend some time

completing your school reflections and completing the action points for each chapter

- It is recommended that you write to the headteacher and formally thank them for the opportunity to observe in their school

Common challenges in arranging the School Experience

Although most participants arrange their School Experience without any difficulties, there have been some challenges in organising the School Experience in the past. Please find below some of the challenges and how to approach these.

School Experience school questions your Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) status

Some schools and local authorities have strict rules relating to visitors to the school. All school employees need to gain an enhanced DBS certificate and some schools may not want you to visit without DBS confirmation. All participants on Teach First will be DBS checked before the SI. However, it is not possible to move this process forward due to the DBS check regulations. In this situation it is recommended that you:

– Re-emphasise to the school that you are happy to follow their guidance and that you would at no time be alone with pupils as you will be observing other teachers and be in their company at all times

– Re-emphasise to the school that you will not have any unsupervised access to confidential or sensitive pupil data and that you will not remove any data from the premises

– If the school requests confirmation from Teach First of your references and DBS status please ask them to contact your allocated regional contact, and notify your local area contact of this

Difficulty in finding a school

Some participants find it difficult to find a school for their School Experience. In particular, this is more likely in Durham, Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Sheffield and Cardiff. This situation may arise because there are fewer schools available, high numbers of participants requesting the places and there is also no funding available to schools for supporting the School Experience. If you find yourself in this situation it is advised that:– If you are living or working in one of these

areas please make arrangements for your School Experience as early as possible, even

if you are planning on doing it later in the academic year

– If possible, widen your search area and consider other areas of England and Wales where you may have friends or family who may be able to accommodate you during your School Experience

Personal and professional conduct in school

Headteachers will expect the highest standards of professional conduct from Teach First participants visiting schools. These expectations include:– Giving the school an early warning if you

cannot attend on the agreed dates, which must only be for very serious reasons

– Presence on the school site for the whole period of your arranged visit (do not leave early: use every opportunity to learn something)

– High standards of punctuality, manner and dress

– Sensitivity to the heavy workload of teachers, tact in questioning and note making, and openness in response to members of staff

– That you will ask for permission before you talk to pupils in the classroom or elsewhere

– Understanding and taking responsibility for the fact that unless you have been DBS

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APPENDIX

checked, you are not allowed to be alone with pupils

– Strict adherence to any school rules for visitors (e.g. signing in at reception on arrival, and signing out when you leave; turning off mobile phones; wearing name badges)

– Willingness to help the school in any way considered appropriate by the headteacher or class teachers during your visit

Please remember to be considerate and professional if teachers ask for your feedback following your observations.

Structure for a Primary/Early Years Foundation Stage

We recommend that you arrange:– To spend one day shadowing an

Early Years pupil– To spend one day shadowing a

Year 1/2 pupil– To spend one day shadowing a

Year 5/6 pupil– To attend assemblies and any PSHE

(Personal Social Health and Education) lessons throughout the week

– Ask specific questions around how an understanding of child development

informs planning and how to build close working relationships with parents/carers

– To spend two days observing lessons and, where possible, contributing to small group teaching, and investigating resources, policy documents and materials, in an Early Key Stage 1 / Key Stage 2 classroom

– To observe at least two English / Welsh (first language), maths and phonics lessons

– To observe one science and ICT lesson

Structure for a Secondary School Experience

We recommend that you arrange:– To spend one day shadowing a Year 7 pupil,

observing lessons across the curriculum– To spend one day shadowing a Year 10

or 11 pupil, observing lessons across the curriculum

– To attend form tutor periods, assemblies and any PSHEE (Personal Social Health and Economic Education) or equivalent lessons throughout the week with a Year 9 form

– To spend two days observing lessons, where possible, contributing to small group teaching, and investigating resources, policy documents and materials, in the subject department which teaches your subject specialism

This will help you to conduct the investigations effectively, and to see a good cross-section of pupils’ school experiences. Please remember that while schools are usually pleased to welcome people who have an interest in joining the profession, they are very busy places, and for a range of reasons may not be able to offer you all the opportunities we would like you to have, or precisely the kind of timetable and access to classes in different year groups and age ranges recommended above.

It is important for you to ask if and when the class teachers will have time to talk to you, and what documentation the school is happy for you to read to support your investigations. If the school is happy for you to become actively involved in the classroom, (e.g. supporting the work of individuals or small groups) this is valuable experience and you should take the opportunity. Do volunteer, but don’t be offended if a teacher tells you that something you propose is inappropriate.

Annual leave

The PPW is a core requirement in the run-up to beginning the LDP and, with many of our incoming participants working right up until starting, you should factor this in when thinking about annual leave. If this is not

possible you could consider leaving your current role sooner to allow you to do your the PPW before Summer Institute. We would only recommend this in circumstances where there is no alternative.

Participant Preparation Work (PPW)

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