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"This is an outstanding school. "

Ofsted

Teaching & Learning

Statement of Intent

  • Our aim as a training school is to provide high quality initial teacher education by working in partnership with Bath Spa University and Bath University.
  • Involvement in Initial Teacher Training should be a stimulating and rewarding experience for all those involved.
  • Our aim is to provide a supportive, professional learning environment in which trainee teachers can flourish, through PGCE and GTP programmes.

Objectives of policy

We strive to ensure that trainees become successful practitioners who:

  • enhance the learning experience of our students
  • have high professional expectations and standards
  • develop good subject knowledge and understanding
  • become fully involved in the day to day life of the school
  • grasp opportunities to develop as professionals
  • are reflective and evaluative and strive to improve their own practice
  • make good progress towards the professional standards for gaining QTS
  • are prepared for the transition to the NQT year

Enhanced provision

Trainees will enhance the provision at Lavington School by:

  • contributing to the improvement of teaching and learning through professional dialogue with our staff
  • encouraging staff to reflect upon their own practice
  • collaborating on the development of schemes of learning
  • increasing teacher capacity in the classroom
  • providing CPD opportunities for all staff
  • supporting tutors
  • contributing to extracurricular activities, student mentoring and intervention

ITT programmes include:

  • PGCE block placements – home school and complementary (SSE1 and SSE2)
  • PGCE induction days
  • Professional studies programmes
  • EPS programmes
  • GTP home school
  • GTP second placement
  • Open Schools Programme
  • Return to teaching taster days
  • Work experience

Implementation of policy

The ITE policy supports:

  • Training school policy
  • Teaching and learning policy
  • CPD policy

Evaluation and development of policy

Evaluation and development will be the responsibility of the training manager and professional tutor with input from a subject mentor and two trainees (one PGCE and one GTP if possible), governor

Review cycle of policy

Through staffing committee every 3 years or earlier if needed.

Procedures and practice

Staff Responsibilities

Training manager:

  • Line management of the professional tutor
  • Overall responsibility for the number and distribution of placements across the school
  • Quality assurance of PS and EPS programmes
  • Recruitment strategy for GTP trainees
  • Training of mentors as required as part of ongoing CPD needs
  • Ultimate quality of placements
  • Developing, evaluating and, where necessary, amending the school's policy and practice for ITT

Professional Tutor:

  • The management and co-ordination of training within the school to ensure that all trainee teachers have access to opportunities and support as specified in their course programme.
  • Co-ordinating the offers of trainee placements across all subject areas and all providers with a view to maximising the benefits to both trainees and pupils.
  • Organising and managing the school-based professional studies sessions for trainees in line with their course requirements. This includes the marking of assignments and educational studies.
  • Organising a tutor group attachment for trainee teachers in consultation with Deputy Head (students) during block placements
  • Ensuring the selection, training and support of subject mentors
  • Keeping up to date with course requirements and with the standards for achieving QTS issued by the TDA
  • Overseeing the assessment of trainee teachers: this includes the observation of classroom practice in a moderating role.
  • Ensuring consistency of training and assessment across different subject areas and different ITT providers.
  • Ensuring that all the necessary documentation is completed and returned to the relevant ITT provider on schedule.
  • Liaising with subject tutors and course leaders on all matters relating to ITT
  • Attending liaison meetings organised by ITT providers

Subject Mentors

Subject mentors should be good role models who can demonstrate the QTS and Core standards consistently in their teaching.They must be willing to reflect on their own classroom practice as well as be prepared to spend time and effort helping trainees to develop. In most instances a subject mentor will not be the subject leader.

Main responsibilities include:

  • Co-ordinating the trainee teacher's subject commitments: this includes providing opportunities for trainee teachers to undertake subject related school-based tasks, arranging a timetable that meets the needs of the trainee teacher at the different stages of their development and involving the trainee in the everyday work of a subject team.
  • Overseeing trainee teachers' lesson planning and evaluation.
  • Ensuring that trainee teachers experience regular, focussed lesson observations and feedback. These should be once per week per class taught and should be followed by written feedback and a brief discussion.
  • Co-ordinating and monitoring the contribution of other subject staff where appropriate.
  • Meeting weekly with the trainee teacher to review progress and plan future action. Both the trainee and the mentor should keep a record of these meetings with reference to progress made towards standards and action points. A copy of this should be sent to the PT by the trainee.
  • Co-ordinating assessment of the trainee teacher against the standards for QTS and completing the required report forms.
  • Liaising with the Professional Tutor and course tutors as appropriate in relation to the training, support and assessment of trainee teachers.
  • Attending meetings and professional development activities related to their mentoring role.

Training School Team

Contribute to PS and EPS sessions.

Training School Co-ordiantor

Provide administrative support for the PT and TM to allow smooth running of the ITE provision.

Number of trainees

Provisional offer for 2010/11

Science: Home school and paired complementary (Bath University)

English: Complementary (Bath University)

PE: Paired complementary (Bath University)

ICT: Complementary (Bath University)

Maths: Paired SP1 and SP2 (Bath Spa University)

Art: SP1 and SP2 (Bath Spa University)

DT: SP1 and SP2 (Bath Spa University)

Music: SP1 (Bath Spa University)

Professional Studies programme Bath Spa: 10 trainees

GTP: 2 places per year offered. For 2010/2011 these are History and PE.

Complementary placements considered as requests are made

Trainees

All trainee teachers should have:

  • A comprehensive induction into all aspects of school life
  • Suitably structured opportunities to undertake school-based tasks
  • The opportunity to observe a range of effective teaching and learning strategies
  • A teaching timetable that provides appropriate opportunities to develop and extend their repertoire of teaching and classroom management skills
  • Regular and focussed observation of their teaching followed by detailed written feedback.
  • The opportunity to develop their ability to monitor and assess pupils' progress and to report this to parents
  • The opportunity to develop their use of ICT in teaching and learning and other areas of their work.
  • Experience of the Pastoral role of a teacher through attachment to a tutor group
  • Weekly timetabled sessions with a subject mentor during which progress is reviewed and targets for further development agreed
  • The opportunity to play as full a part as possible in the wider life of the school.

 

The school expects all trainee teachers to:

  • Be professional in their conduct and dress
  • Be punctual and regular in their attendance
  • Show a commitment to teaching
  • Work alongside experienced teachers to prepare, deliver and evaluate effective lessons
  • Be prepared to reflect on their own practice and to identify development needs
  • To take an active part in the assessment of their progress against the standards for QT

Quality assurance

  • Paired lesson observation by mentor and PT (or TM) once during each block placement
  • Notes of weekly mentor meetings copied to PT
  • Overview of reports and progress checks by PT

Failing trainee procedures

  • In the first instance the mentor notifies the PT and the trainee of the concern.
  • PT carries out a joint lesson observation with the mentor and provides feedback to the trainee.
  • PT informs TM of the outcome of the lesson observation.
  • University subject tutor is contacted by the mentor or PT to notify them of the concern.
  • If the concern persists request a university tutor visit.
  • PT ensures that the report accurately reflects the concerns.

pdf_iconITT mentor handbook