Bed Year 1 School Experience

BEd (Primary) Programme

Year 1 School Experience

Summer Term

2017

Notes of Guidance for Student Teachers, School Based Tutors,

University Visiting Tutors & Mentors

Partnership Office

Plymouth University

Plymouth Institute of Education

Drake Circus

Plymouth

PL4 8AA

Tel: 01752 585324

E-Mail:

BEd (Primary)

Year 1 School Experience

1. Introduction

Year One paired school experience in the summer term provides a supportive situation in which two student teachers, the School Based Tutor, and/orteaching assistant (TA)work together as a team. Within the team, discussion and negotiation of daily classroom experience allow the student teachers’ professional development to proceed within a secure structure. Working in pairs is designed to encourage student teachers to discuss the teaching situation encountered, to reflect on the learning opportunities provided and to learn to evaluate their professional development effectively. It is essential that both members of the pair take individual responsibility for agreed aspects of planning, preparation and delivery of work with children.

The student teachers learn much from the School Based Tutor, orTA. The importance of this first sustained classroom experience cannot be over-estimated in terms of the formative value that it offers. The School Mentor/University Visiting Tutor/Mentor has the role of monitoring the student teachers’ progress against the expectations for this school experience and adding further support and guidance to that offered throughout by the class teacher (School Based Tutor), orTA.

This school experience builds on previous work, both at university and in schools. Opportunities for observation of experienced teachers, analysis and professional discussion are essential elements in a student teacher’s education and training, enabling them to extend their growing understanding of teaching and learning.

Student teachers placed in KS1 classes may well be required to work with Reception age children. Where this is the case it is essential that student teachers read the Notes of Guidance - Early Years (Section 10 of the Primary Partnership Portfolio) and take steps to ensure they are sufficiently prepared for working within the EYFS prior to starting the placement.

The student teachers will come to the placement with their files prepared (see proforma section of the Primary Partnership Portfolio) ready to begin using them so that by the end of the first week there is clear evidence that they have:-

• undertaking observation of the School Based Tutor maintaining routines, classroom organisation, rules, responses and expectations throughout the academic year;

• opportunities to observe and discuss good practice inproviding an enabling environment for children’s learning in coreand specialist subjects;
• support in planning for groups and whole class sessions (if appropriate) which have clear learning objectives;

• opportunities for teaching individuals, groups and whole classes (if appropriate), including appropriate use of ICT;

• opportunities to discuss monitoring and assessment of children’s learning and how to begin to use this to further inform planning;

• opportunities to address targets identified during earlier experiences on placement in schools and in university based modules as detailed in the student teacher’s profile;

• opportunities to teach phonics/spelling/grammar as appropriate to groups and whole class, and receive focussed observations and recorded feedback;

• opportunities to teach mathematics as appropriate to groups and whole class, and receive focussed observations and recorded feedback.;

• opportunities to see how the school implements SMSC and promotes fundamental British Values.

Data Protection

The confidentiality of our student teachers is respected and measures are taken in order to prevent any unauthorised disclosure during the course of their studies at the Institute of Education, Plymouth University. All personal information will be treated strictly in terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Our school Partners must be aware of this requirement and refer to the school experience team should they be contacted by a relative, friend or external body. The standard response, should such any enquiry be made, would be that the school is unable to make any comment about the student teacher and to provide the contact details of the school experience team.

Students are told that:

‘We will not normally release data about you to your parents, partner or other relative or an external enquirer under any circumstances without having received your specific written consent.’

Further details are available on the Plymouth University website. The specific written consent referred to here, must be sent in the first instance to a member of the academic team and copied to the Programme Leader in order that the student teacher’s permission is clearly communicated.

1. Information relevant to all placements

All student teachers will have attended a briefing meeting prior to placement commencing. All School Mentors and/or School Based Tutors will be briefed about the placement in their own school during the first week to ensure clarity of expectations from all partners.

a)Leave of Absence during School Experience Placement

The health and well-being of student teachers is paramount, and they should take care to remain well and appropriately rested during school experience placements. Inevitably, a small percentage of students will succumb to minor ailments when on placement which may require 24/48 hours rest and absence from school. Other leave requires greater consideration, and is not necessarily granted.

Illness during school experience

Student teachers who become ill during school experience must personally inform the school by telephone before the start of the school day, on the day that they become ill. They also need to inform the university by contacting the Partnership Office, Tel: 01752 585324 or . They should also inform their University Mentor/Visiting Tutor if they are due to visit on that day. If the illness persists a doctor’s note may be required.

Absence as a result of accidental injury or hospitalisation

Student teachers who cannot attend the school experience placement due to unexpected accidental injury or hospitalisation must personally inform the school on the day of their absence before the start of the day, and they should also inform both the Partnership Office and their University Mentor/Visiting Tutor as above. A letter from the doctor or hospital may be required.

Requesting leave of absence during school experience placements

Any request for leave of absence during a school experience placement must be gained from the Headteacher in the first instance, who will judge whether or not it is appropriate in line with school policy that is applied to all other members of the school staff. If the request is granted the student teacher will then seek further verification from the Programme Leader by completing a Leave of Absence form. This will be considered and may or may not be granted.

It is appropriate to seek Leave of Absence for:

• planned hospital visits/appointments;
• school visits and interviews for first teaching posts;
• the funeral of a close family member.

It is not appropriate to seek Leave of Absence for:

• an interview unrelated to securing a first teaching post i.e. a holiday job;
• an interview relating to a post within the university i.e. hall of residence manager;
• the funeral of a person who is not a close relative (each school will have specific guidance on this);
• attending a wedding;
• traveling to a wedding abroad or at a distance;
• childcare issues.

As part of the Primary Partnership Agreement schools have the right to ask a student to leave for a range of reasons which includes if they have concerns that the progress of the pupils in the school is being hampered by poor attendance or disruption caused by unnecessary or unauthorised absence.

b) Practical Teaching Files

A detailed set of guidelines for all school experience placements can be found in the Primary Partnership Portfolio and student teachers will have prepared their files in advance and had them checked by their Professional Tutors.

The maintenance and upkeep of these files, which are clearly tabulated to indicate where evidence of their progress can be found, is their professional responsibility. However, it is incumbent on the School Based Tutor, School Mentor, University Visiting Tutor and University Mentor to support them in this.

c)English

There is an expectation that all students will observe, teach and be given feedback on the teaching of all aspects of English as appropriate to the age phase or key stage in which they are working. They need to continuously develop there awareness of the impact of teaching phonics, spelling and grammar, as well as their practice. They should also find out the approaches that are used in the other age phases/key stages in the school and have evidence of 2 focussed observations that they have made of this.

They should regularly comment on these approaches in their Reflective Weekly Overview, recording how they have influenced their teaching in all areas of the curriculum and impacted on pupil progress.

In addition student teachers in year 1 School Based Work placement in the autumn term must complete the required English task that they have been set as part of their modular campus based work.

d)Mathematics

There is an expectation that all students will observe, teach and be given feedback on the teaching of mathematics as appropriate to the age phase or key stage in which they are working. All students should be mindful of, and reflect on, misconceptions in mathematics.

They should also find out the approaches that are used in the other age phases/key stages in the school and have evidence of 2 focussed observations that they have made of this.

They should regularly comment on these approaches in their Reflective Weekly Overview, recording how they have influenced their teaching in all areas of the curriculum and impacted on pupil progress.

In addition:

1. Student teachers on BEd Year 1 school experience or PGCE Placement 1 a) should focus on the teaching of geometry whilst
2. Student teachers on BEd Year 2 school experience or PGCE Placement 1 b) should focus on number.

e)The 3 R’s of the Behaviour Curriculum – Routines, Responses and Relationships

Student teachers are expected to develop their knowledge and understanding of the impact of well-designed and consistently implemented behaviour policies and strategies. They will have input through campus based training and throughout each school experience placement they will build their knowledge of effective behaviour management on a range of strategies that they observe, see modelled and practice. They will receive feedback on their own engagement with each schools behaviour policy and strategies to support their Reflective Weekly Overviews and make clear links between effective behaviour strategies and their impact on children’s learning.

f)The Online Profile

All of these elements can be exemplified in the levels and stages within the Teachers’ Standards as set out in the online profile (SCROLL), and the online profile gives a clear indication of the progress being made by the student teacher whilst on placement.

When the student teacher begins a school experience placement they will have already discussed what their targets for progress might be with their Professional Tutor, based on their previous placement. They will share these with their mentor at the earliest opportunity, usually during the first profiling conference.

Profiling conferences are held as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation process during the placement and provide the opportunity for the mentor and student teacher to discuss evidence for progress and update the online profile. The student teacher will regularly (weekly) update their online profile to indicate when they have achieved targets and gathered evidence in support of this. Some mentors find it easier to manage this process of checking more frequently than at the point of profiling conferences, and in any case should, at the very least, ensure that the student teacher is actively engaged with their online profile on a weekly basis.

g)Progress during School Experience

Discussions about a student teacher’s progress and targets for improvement during each placement are based on:

• the Monitoring and Evaluation Report Form which includes an observation, learning conversation, the school’s viewpoint and the engagement of the student teacher in a professional capacity within the school;
• Focussed observations;
• Reflective Weekly Overview and Progress Record;
• Lesson Planning and Evaluation, and all teaching, learning and pupil progress through the presentation, organisation and content of required files;

h)The Monitoring and Evaluation Record Form

This is a document which the partnership have developed in response to comments from evaluations and national initiatives. The purpose of this weekly evaluation is to determine a more holistic and detailed view of the student teachers’ progress. It forms the core of their personal targets and progress.

It includes:

• a short, focussed observation linked to specific targets for improvement that the student teacher has previously identified;
• a learning conversation with key questions about the impact of teaching on learning;
• further discussion on areas for further development and agreed targets to take forward;
• comment on files, preparation and professionalism as exemplified in Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards;
• an agreed overall weekly grade which the student teacher uploads, and gives the campus based staff, including their professional tutors an indication of their progress;

Student teachers should keep a completed copy of this weekly document within their Practical Teaching File in each tabulated weekly section.

i)Reflective Weekly Overview and Progress Record, Part 1, 2 and 3

(For Yr 1 Summer term; year 2 and 3 and PGCE Placement 1 a and 1 b)

Part 1 – requires the student teacher to reflect on all the Teachers’ Standards that they have addressed during the course of the week, including those that they had identified as specific targets for improvement.

Part 2 – requires the student teacher to reflect on the progress of 3 different groups of pupils (individuals, small groups, whole class) during the week. They should consider how their teaching has impacted on the progress of these 3 groups and include commentary on marking and assessment, and future planning.

Part 3 – requires the student teacher to consider their progress, and that of the pupils to date and as a result, identify their personal targets for the coming week. They will be directly linked to the Teachers’ Standards and be reported on in Part 1 of the following week’s progress record.

It is a requirement thatReflective Weekly Overview and Progress Record, Part 1, 2 and 3 is emailed to the mentor, who will provide a signed copy for the student to include in their Practical Teaching File, in each tabulated weekly section.

j)Daily Reflections

For BEd Year 1 (and PGCE student on Placement 1 a), student teachers should reflect on a daily basis what they have done towards meeting target Standards; and on the impact of their own and the pupils’ progress. This will provide a supportive framework and establish the foundations for reflective practice.

Those student teachers who are issued with Insufficient Progress will also be required to complete daily reflections in order to support them through this intervention.

Daily Reflections should be kept in the Practical Teaching File under each weekly tabulated section.

k)Lesson Planning and Evaluation

The Lesson Planning and Evaluation Form should be used in all school experience placements when the student teacher is required to plan and prepare an episode of teaching and learning. They are working documents and should be completed including annotations to clearly indicate this.

In some longer placements the mentor supporting the student teacher will make a decision about whether the student teachers planning, the evaluation of their teaching and the understanding of the impact of this on pupil progress is sufficiently developed to allow them to use the school’s preferred mode of planning. The calendar at the start of each set of Notes of Guidance for longer placements, indicate when this is likely to be.

Lesson Planning and Evaluation Forms should be kept in the Practical Teaching File under each weekly tabulated section.

l)Focussed Observations

The purpose of these are twofold.

1.They should be used by the student teacher to gather evidence of and provide opportunities for personal professional development and progress during the 25% School Based Training Programme. In this instance the focus needs to be discussed and agreed with the mentor, and negotiated with the recipient of the observation. Professional boundaries need to be observed with the student: