Early Years ITT

Early Years Teacher Status Programme Handbook

Undergraduate Entry

3 Year / 2 Year Route, Full Time

2015-2016

Disability Support ServicesStatement

SpLD (Specific Learning Difficulties) Support Team

Inclusion Team (Physical and Mental Health)

Ourapproachisfriendlyyetprofessionalandyoucandiscussyourindividual learningrequirementsincompleteconfidence.Itisimportant tocontact usas earlyas possible.

SpLD Support Team: Basedinthe UniversityLibrary, 1st floor

You can contact us in relation to:

  • SpLD assessments(Dyslexia, Dyspraxia)
  • Specialist SpLD support
  • Using assistive technology
  • Applying forDisabled Students’Allowances(DSA)
  • Visual stress / Meares-Irlen

The Inclusion Team:Based intheStudentInformation Centre(SIC), groundfloor

Ifyou havespecificrequirementsdue toa physicalorsensoryimpairment,mentalhealth/anxietyissues,healthcondition,anautistic spectrumcondition, orneedsemergewhen you are studying here,wecanadviseyou on:

  • Applying forDisabled Students’Allowances(DSA)
  • Specialistand/orpersonalsupport
  • ‘Reasonableadjustments’tolearning,teachingandassessment
  • Accessible facilitiesandequipment

SpLD Support Team

Inperson: UniversityLibrary, Ormskirk, 1stfloor

Tel:01695 584372

E-mail:

The Inclusion Team

Inperson: SIC,Ormskirk, ground floor

Tel:01695 584190

E-mail:

Equality and Diversity – Policy Summary

Edge Hill University’s vision is to ‘provide an environment where everyone feels able to participate, contribute, enjoy and influence their experience; and where inclusive practices underpin everything we do. Respect for, and celebration of, individual diversity will shape institutional strategy, direction and behaviour.’

The University seeks to identify and eradicate any practice which discriminates on the basis of race, disability, sex, gender re-assignment, age , sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion, belief or none, or socio-economic background.

The University recognises that equality and diversity embraces all aspects of employment and service delivery including curriculum; teaching; learning and assessment; research issues; and extra-curricular activities.

The University makes it a condition of service and admission that staff and students adhere to the Equality and Diversity Policy. Any breaches of this are dealt with under the Staff or Student Disciplinary Procedures, as appropriate.

The University makes every effort to ensure that traders, contractors, institutions, organisations or individuals who interact with Edge Hill University are aware of the policy. Discovery by the University of any inequitable policy or practice by them may result in Edge Hill University breaking links and ceasing to do business with them.

Edge Hill University widely distributes this policy summary and accompanying Equality and Diversity Policy throughout the University.

Making Contact

Students are encouraged to make any concerns known. The first point of contactfor this is the Student Services Information Desk in the Student Information Centre on the Ormskirk campus (01695 584554, or student ). The Student Information Officer will refer you on to an individual member of staff as appropriate.

A full copy of the Equality and Diversity Policy can be obtained from the Student Services Information Desk or from Edge Hill University’s web site

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Contents / Page no.
Disability Support Services Statement / 2
Equality and Diversity / 3
Welcome / 5
Introduction / 7
Trainee Identity / 8
Roles and Responsibilities / 10
Overview of Programme / 11
Student Voice / 13
Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement / 16
Teaching, Learning and Assessment / 17
EHU ITT Professional Practices / 18
Lines of Communication / 19
Useful Contact Information for Trainees / 20
The Role of the Personal Tutor / 21
Employability, including References / 23
Former Trainee Development and Enhancement Programme / 24
Timetable / 25
Assessment Information / 27
Code of Conduct / 29
Attendance Expectations / 34
Academic and Professional Review Meetings (APRM) / 36
Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances (EMC) / 38
On Programme Self Declaration Procedure / 38
Safeguarding – Management of a Cause for Concern / 40
Teaching Standards / 42
APPENDICES / 44

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Welcome

Dr. Tim Lucas

EYTS Undergraduate Programme Leader

Welcome to the Programme

The Early Years Team welcomes you to the programme.

The programme is designed to support you in the achievement of the Early Years Teacher Status, a status that will recognise your expertise as a practitioner and a professional leader.

Edge Hill University is a provider of Early Years Initial Teacher Training leading to the award of Early Years Teacher Status in the UK and delivers training and assessment on behalf of The National College of Teaching and Leadership in the North West.

We aim to ensure that you will find the programme challenging, innovative, and rigorous and, we hope, enjoyable, relevant and rewarding.

The programme requires a great deal of commitment from you as trainees. It is designed to provide personal enrichment and assist your professional development.

We hope that you enjoy your studies and will do all that we can to support you in your studies and while on placement.

Tim Lucas

EYTS Programme Leader (Undergraduate Routes)

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Welcome from one of our Early Years Partners

I feel it is a privilege and an asset for all concerned, to be a partner setting with Edge Hill University. Over the past five years I have watched as students, trainees and colleagues, including myself, develop and move forward on our early year’s journey together. We all have strengths and skills to share and build upon and working closely with the university enables us to do this. The University prepare and encourage trainees to be confident to ask questions and contribute to discussions and debates around current issues.

Offering guidance and support and acknowledging the student’s contributions is key to ensuring they feel valued. Celebrating achievements and setting clear targets is an essential part of our role in the setting.

Working together to raise standards and improve outcomes for children is something we all want to achieve. Gaining a place on this course of study already shows your passion to be involved and if you show commitment and drive you will have the opportunity to make a difference.

It is exciting to be a part of this programme and I look forward to travelling on this journey with you.

Thank you

Jan Davies

Owner and Manager of Penguins Nurseries

Introduction to the Programme

The Programme Handbook 2015/16 is designed to provide you with a range of information that will continue to guide your understanding of the Early Years Teacher Status programme.

The Programme Handbook contains important information. Please ensure you spend some time reading it carefully and that you continue to refer to it during the year.

You are now an Early Years Teacher Status trainee at Edge Hill University. The programme is challenging, innovative, rigorous and enjoyable! It requires a great deal of commitment from you and it is designed to develop a range of important professional and vocational knowledge, understanding and skills. It aims to train high quality Early Years Teachers who:

Achieve the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013:

  • Meet the needs of schools and settings and children;
  • Develop throughout their professional careers.

Early Years Education at Edge Hill aims to develop high quality teachers and educators who have developed:

  • commitment, creativity and energy within environments that encourage them to be reflective and analytical
  • a range of academic, professional and vocational knowledge, understanding, skills and values
  • intellectual skills and abilities within a high quality academic community
  • an appropriate range of key transferable skills
  • knowledge and skills across the Early Years Foundation Stage

And who will:

  • work within the profession with an informed, thoughtful and innovative attitude and approach to Early Years Education
  • continue their professional development throughout their professional careers

The Edge Hill University Trainee Identity

Early Years Teacher Status

Outstanding Training for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching…

An Edge Hill University Early Years ITT Partnership programme supports each trainee in developing as a professional practitioner who displays resilience, honesty and integrity; is respectful of others; is adaptable and flexible; communicates effectively with a range of audiences; acts independently and demonstrates self-organisation. Each individual is trained by expert practitioners from across the EHU Partnership to enable them to become inspirational, reflective teachers who engage with babies and young children in innovative and creative ways. Their potential to become outstanding leaders will be clear, they will be a highly valued and effective team player who seeks opportunities to contribute to every aspect of a setting’s life with an enthusiastic ‘can do’ approach. They will be a significant asset to their setting as an Early Years Teacher.

Each trainee will be enabled to develop their own individual teaching ‘personality’ and personal principles with the following elements as the essential building blocks for an outstanding practitioner:

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Roles and Responsibilities

Leadership of your Programme

Dr Tim Lucas / Programme Leader / / 01695 584727

Tutors

Patricia Burgess /

Programme Leader EYTS Graduate Routes

/ / 01257 517112
Julie Goodman / Senior Lecturer / / 01695 584463
Louise Masterson / Senior Lecturer / / 01695 654317

Administrative Staff

Professional Support Team / / 01695 584730
01695 584556

EYTS Group Tutor

Your EYTS Group Tutor will lead your teaching sessions and support you through the programme. They will be your first point of contact for individual or small group pastoral and professional support.

Setting Mentors

All Early Years Teacher Status trainees will be asked to identify someone within their setting who will act as the mentor for the trainee. This could be a practitioner who has previously achieved the status of EYP/EYT and who has agreed to give support and advice to the trainee during their time on the programme.

Edge Hill University (EHU) Visiting Tutor

All trainees will also be assigned an EHU Visiting Tutor who will make regular visits to placement settings in order to provide guidance and advice as required. Your EHU Visiting Tutor will make arrangements with you in order to choose a suitable time to visit the setting.

Overview of the Programme:

Undergraduate Entry Route Information

The Early Years ITT Undergraduate Entry route towards Early Years Teacher Status runs alongside your degree. You are required to:

  • Work towards fully meeting the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013
  • Attend and participate in conference days (the number of which will be determined in accordance withyour current year of degree study).These are designed to support your understanding of the programme and of the requirements needed to achieve Early Years Teacher Status. Additional sessions may be arranged in response to trainee feedback.
  • Undertake a minimum of two work-based training placements in different settings before assessment for Early Years Teacher Status accreditation is complete. There is a requirement of 120 days spent directly working with children aged 0-5 as set by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) and you must show a range of experience with babies, toddlers and young children to gain the status. The NCTL also stipulates that you must have spent at least 10 days in KS1, observing practice and noting where work in the Early Years Foundation Stage feeds into the National Curriculum.
  • Undertake personal independent reading
  • Organise exemplar visits where possible, to further extend your understanding of the range of early years provision

Module delivery will combine face-to-face conference sessions, independent study sessions and online materials and support. You will need access to the internet in order to fully undertake the programme.

Placements

All trainees are required to demonstrate personal practice and leadership across the birth to five age range, within specific age phases of birth-20 months, 16–36 months and 30-50 months over the total course duration.

Trainees will undertake a minimum of 2 compulsory age related placements through the programme in either a private, voluntary, independent childcare settings, a children’s centre or within a maintained setting (nursery or reception class). Trainees will be provided with a Professional Practice Handbook in preparation for their placements. Trainees will be allocated a professional practice placement by the Placement Coordinator. Trainees should recognise that they may be required to travel to their placement and that they are placed in settings appropriate to the programme requirements.

Trainees should not undertake the programme if they are not able to commit to the full undertaking of their placement. Placements are a compulsory element of the programme.

Trainees will be required to undertake a full working day at the placement of approximately 7 hours excluding lunch and refreshment breaks. During placements trainees will continue to attend module sessions held at Ormskirk.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the programme, trainees will be able to demonstrate personal practice and/or leadership in elements as required by the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013 which are the National Standards for Early Years Teacher Status across the 0 – 5 years age range.

Programme Outline

You will be provided with a timetable of dates, times and rooms where the conference days take place. Additional sessions or tutorials may be added later in the programme in response to specific requests or suggestions from Visiting Tutors. These will be announced on Learning Edge or by a group email from your tutor.

Induction Day – during the Induction day candidates will complete any required documentation in addition to registration requirements for Academic Registry. Trainees will be introduced to the Edge Hill library services, student support services and Learning Edge services. Trainees will attend introductory sessions which focus on an introduction to the Early Years Foundation Stage, the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) and child learning and development.

Conference Days are themed to focus on information to support understanding and knowledge of the specific standards.

Conference days are designed to be flexible to the needs of the group and will include support for written reflections, development review information and assessment guidance. All session materials and extra resources will be uploaded onto Learning Edge the day before the session and will remain there for trainees to access when convenient to them.

Trainees should note that attendance at each of the Conference Days is compulsory.

Student Voice

“All students should have the opportunity to be involved in quality enhancement and assurance processes…….. In considering approaches it is important that higher education providers create a culture and environment where students are encouraged to take up the opportunities on offer.”

Chapter B5, QAA Quality Code

Our aim within the Faculty of Education is to go beyond mere consultation, or representation of students in decision-making, and to try and create a genuine partnership with each and every student. We believe that where a genuine partnership exists, students not only identify enhancement opportunities but also offer ways to take forward those enhancements. Our principle means of developing this partnership is to create an environment in which all parties feel valued; and to create a wide range of opportunities for any student to engage in dialogue which leads to educational enhancement and assurance of quality.

The following list sets out some of the main ways in which every student can have a voice within their programme:

  • Evaluation; including The National Student Survey and The NQT Survey
  • Staff-Student Consultative Forums(SSCFs)
  • Focus Groups
  • Boards and Committees
  • Course Representation
  • Curriculum Development
  • Personal Tutor discussions

The purpose of gathering students’ feedback is twofold. Firstly, it allows best practice to be recognised, celebrated and built upon; and secondly, it allows areas for improvement to be identified and acted upon.

In the past year students have fed back many positive things relating to the taught sessions and the support they received; and, in addition, have raised the following points that they would appreciate more phonics sessions.

Based on all of the helpful feedback received the programme team has undertaken the following enhancements: Joint observations carried out with the setting mentors. In 2015-16 the following enhancements are also planned:

  • Enhanced support from Visiting Tutors
  • Further support from mentors within the settings

An important point to note:

You will be asked to complete a final Exit Survey or End of Year Evaluation in June/July, which is an essential element to your training.

The table overleaf sets out the ways in which the student voice will be captured during the coming academic year.

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Student Voice Overview

September / October / November / December / January / February / March / April / May / June / July / Aug.
Potential Trainees / Feedback questionnaire after each open event/recruitment event
Feedback questionnaire after each interview, including questions about the rigour of the selection process
Trainees / First Week/
Induction Day Survey / Partnership Programmes Board
SSCF
Student Consultative
Meeting 1
HoA Focus Group / ITT Board
Faculty Board / SERIM
Mid-year
‘Big Evaluation’
NSS Survey / SSCF
Student Consultative
Meeting 2
Partnership Programmes Board / ISS Survey
ITT Board
Faculty Board / End of year
‘Big Evaluation’
Partnership Programmes Board
ITT Board
Faculty Board / Focus
Group
SERIM
NQTs/
Former Trainees / Partnership Programmes Board / ITT Board
Faculty Board / NQT Survey
Partnership Programmes Board / NQT/CPD Conference
Feedback
ITT Board
Faculty Board / Employability Survey
ITT Board
Faculty Board / Focus
Group

Feedback to Trainees after:

SSCF Meetings, Focus Groups, Mid-year ‘Big Evaluation’ and End of year ‘Big Evaluation’

Information (meeting records and feedback) shared on the VLE, in module handbooks and in teaching sessions with all trainees.

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Staff-Student Consultation

The process of Staff-Student Consultation is set out below:

Group
Aim – To gather feedback at individual course and/or year level within the programme in order to celebrate achievements and successes, and to identify any issues; and provide prompt, on-going feedback. / Programme
Aim – To gather feedback on the programme as a whole in order to celebrate achievements and successes, and to identify any issues; and provide feedback via the production of the Staff-Student Consultative Forum (SSCF) Meeting Summary, within an agreed timescale. / Area
Aim – To gather feedback across the Area in order to celebrate achievements and successes, and to identify any issues; and provide prompt feedback to students via the production of the Staff-Student Consultative Forum Meeting Summary, within an agreed timescale.
-1 / 2 consultative representatives per group to be elected and trained in role
-Programme Leader and SU to train all consultative representatives, and to confirm processes/expectations at the start of the year
-On-going feedback mechanisms to be established via e-mail/Blackboard, as appropriate, and Year Leader/Course Leader to receive on-going feedback
-Course Leader to produce an overview of actions on a termly basis for management team review
-Programme Leader to provide summary report to Programmes Partnership Board, within Programme Leader report
/ -A minimum of two SSCFs per year to be planned
-Chaired by Programme Leader
-Year Leaders to attend and appropriate partners
-Programme Leader to provide summary report to Programmes Partnership Board, within Programme Leader report
/ -Number of focus groups per year to be planned by the Head of Area or Assistant Head of Area
-Timing to be planned by the Head of Area or Assistant Head of Area
-Chaired by Head of Area or Assistant Head of Area
-Minutes of meetings discussed, and actions confirmed, with Area Management Team
-Focus to be confirmed but linked to Area priorities and issues raised at previous stages of the process across all programmes

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