1. Mentor Briefing for part-time PGCE Consolidation Placement
February 2017

2. Contacts
Consolidation Placement Director: Ann Jones T: E: Placement team office T: (Rachael Brook) E:

3. Aims
To be aware of expectations of student teachers engaged in their final school experience.
To be aware of the mentor support required.
To become familiar with documentation for the Consolidation Placement.

4. Weekly s will be sent to mentor / link tutor and student teacher throughout the placement with reminders of key requirements. Please check that you are receiving these as they may be sent to the school office.

5. Dates Preparation days: Tuesdays and Wednesdays:
28th February and 1st March
7th and 8th March
21st and 22nd March
28th and 29th March
Block experience
Monday 24th April – Friday June 23rd
(8 weeks)
Moderation Meeting for mentors
Tuesday 16th May
Interim report:
Monday 22nd May
Intervention Day:
Friday 26th May
(Support day in university for students at grade 3 at this point)
External Examiner visits
Week commencing 19th June

6. Key features of the Consolidation Placement Preparation Days
Preparation Days are an opportunity to gather data, start School Based Tasks and get to know the children, the classroom and school routines.
Expectations are clearly set out in the SE handbook.
Planning must be in place and signed off by the mentor no later than 24th April 2017.

7. Key features of the Consolidation Placement main Block
In the main block, student teachers move from 60% to 80% timetable, aiming to be, as far as possible, the class teacher.
Six appraisals (minimum) with mentor spread evenly over the 8 weeks.
There may be an additional early reading appraisal (either phonics or guided reading).

8. The assessment process for the Consolidation Placement
Midpoint Moderation Appraisal (one of the six) with mentor and link tutor (week 4).
Interim report (submitted via STASS) – by Monday 22nd May.
Exit Interview with link tutor (week 7or 8).
Triangulation meeting and report (student teacher, class teacher and mentor reviewing the placement and producing summative reports, overall grading and targets for NQT induction).
A visit from an external examiner to a small sample of schools (w/c 19th June).

9. Gathering evidence
Student teachers should be encouraged to identify (with the support of mentors) practice which demonstrates their achievement of the Teachers’ Standards.
This should be noted in the Student Teacher Profile throughout the placement and not left until the end.

10. Link tutor visits Visit 1: Visit 2: Stage 1 of exit process (week 4)
In preparation days or early in main block  
Visit 2:
Stage 1 of exit process (week 4)
Shared appraisal at mid-point to support target setting
Visit 3:
Stage 2 of exit process (week 7 or 8)
Exit interview in final two weeks of block (+ moderation of judgements)

11. Documentation: mentors and student teachers
Consolidation Experience Handbook
detailed expectations for the placement
Appraisal handbook
All the necessary forms for mentors for appraisals
Planning and Assessment Guidance
Planning and assessment information and documents for student teachers
Dealing with Placement problems
Guidance if things go wrong

12. Documentation: student teachers only
Student Teacher Profile
Contains:
Weekly Reflective Learning Journal (RLJ)
Teacher Standards evidence pages
Summative overviews
NASBTT grading criteria

13. The Emerging Professional
We expect student teachers in their final placement to be:
Reflective
Increasingly autonomous
Demonstrating sustained competence in the classroom
Demonstrating potential to become an NQT

14. Weekly reflective learning journal and the record of weekly meetings
Please try to arrange a regular weekly meeting with the student teacher
Consider Friday or Monday so that the RLJ can be read, discussed and acted on in the following week
Mentors need to decide whether they are happy with an electronic copy and if so, when? Lay your ground rules about communication outside school
Weekly meetings can be difficult to set up and maintain. STs have been told that teachers and mentors are busy, but if you can arrange a timetabled slot, that would be really helpful.
[See Student Teacher’s profile document]
There is clear guidance as to the process for doing this, but the aim is to ensure the student teachers become more reflective and self evaluative.
There are key discussion points as a framework for discussion at the weekly mentor meeting.

15. Weekly reflective learning journal and the record of weekly meetings
The first 5 sections of the RLJ (section 2.1 in Student Teacher Profile) should be completed by the student teacher and discussed with the mentor during their weekly meeting. The RLJ should then be completed through discussion between student teacher and mentor. It should be informed by lesson evaluations, and by an overview of the whole week.
Student teachers should be demonstrating sustained competence throughout the week.
During the weekly meeting the reflective learning journal should be used to help identify targets for the forthcoming week.

16. Increasingly autonomous
Planning, teaching and assessment of whole class
Own professional development, including the use of CPD time
That they are prepared for the daily rigour of the job
An ability to cope with change/be flexible

17. Sustained competence
Consistency in all aspects of preparation, teaching and assessment
Reliable standards when not being appraised
Good role model in all situations

18. Potential to become an NQT
Meet all Teachers’ Standards
Fulfil all aspects of the role of the class teacher
Highly respected by learners and colleagues
Positive attitude
Willingness to learn and be available to help

19. The mentor role Support Appraise Classroom management
Professional development and wider involvement in the school
For completion of school based tasks
Planning, teaching and assessment Lessons
Professional performance and characteristics
Files

20. Preparation Days
Familiarising with school polices and routines, including the school behaviour policy
Getting to know children and staff
Finding out about prior learning
Preparing planning for the main block
Observing and teaching alongside the class teacher
Taking increasing solo responsibilities for the class
School Based Tasks

21. Planning
Teaching should only be undertaken by student teachers based on clear and prior planning.
Student teachers must prepare medium term plans in advance and session plans for every taught session.
YSJU pro-forma does not need to be used.
If planning has not been approved, the student teacher must NOT start their placement and the link tutor and SE Director must be informed.

22. Medium term planning
Student teachers may use school medium term planning pro forma structures as long as these include all the elements identified on the University medium term pro forma:
- Number of weeks / sessions.
- Length of sessions.
- Learning objectives.
- Success criteria (steps to learning).
- Curriculum 2014 reference.
- Teaching and learning activities.
- Resource implications.
- Assessment opportunities.
Medium term planning may take a variety of forms such as thematic, skills based or ‘creative curriculum’ planning.

23. Short Term Planning Key features of effective planning:
Key learning objectives referenced to NC/ELGs etc.
Success criteria
Assessment plans
Use of other adults [if appropriate]
Activity/differentiation/special considerations
Resources
Vocabulary
Brief outline of session including key questions as appropriate
Evaluation of learning and teaching/next steps
Expected timings

24. Students may devise their own format for planning but must ensure they pay particular attention to the impact of their teaching on pupil progress.
Student teachers should evaluate each lesson taught making particular reference to the impact of their teaching on pupil progress. This information should inform their weekly reflections and subsequent target setting.

25. Main block 60% teaching to start, working up to 80% by week 4.
10% PPA and 10% CPD time.
Please make sure that PPA & CPD time is timetabled into the student’s week.

26. Monitoring and Assessment
Significant expectations around monitoring and assessment.
We expect the student teachers to:
Start with basics provided by YSJU
Increasingly take on more of the school’s approaches and/or their own approaches developed alongside the school
Have robust cycles of planning, teaching, assessment
Maintain clear and useful records

27. Four School Experience files
Well kept files are required for passing this placement.
1. Teaching file
Everything needed for one week in the classroom
2. Planning and archive file
Long and medium term plans, schemes of work etc.
Overviews where appropriate
Archive of lesson planning
3. Standards file
Student profile document
Reflective learning journals
Grading Guidance
School based tasks
4. Monitoring and Assessment File
Samples gathered under 10 headings to
support the exit interview process

28. Formative feedback All appraisals should result in:
Constructive, formative feedback;
Subject specific feedback
Target setting related to the TS
Supporting the student teachers in understanding how to improve
e.g. from RI (Requires improvement to become good) to Good or Good to Outstanding

29. Placement Grading
Final grades are identified at the end of the placement in discussion between mentor and link tutor.
Grades of 1 = Outstanding, 2 = Good, 3 = Requires improvement to become good and 4 = below standard.
All grades are appropriate to the stage of the student teachers' training.
Final grades are embedded in the student teacher’s reference.

30. Dealing with problems
Clear procedures in the ‘Dealing with Placement Problems’ booklet
Most problems are small and can be solved quickly at school level
Anything bigger or longer term MUST involve YSJU at an early stage. Don’t wait till time is short!
Contact link tutor first or Consolidation Experience Director if it’s urgent/major
Students at grade 3(RI) or below will need additional targets in place using the YSJU Requiring Improvement Action Plan pro-forma

31. Finally – SUMMING UP Refer to the Handbook regularly and weekly emails
Discuss the student teacher’s targets from the Developmental Placement and how to address them
Check MTPs before the main block and all planning during. Is the student teacher focussing on children’s learning or activities and tasks?
Plan a timetable for the whole block if possible
Arrange weekly meetings and discuss student teacher’s reflections and grades

32. For nurturing our student teachers
Thank you
For nurturing our student teachers
All documentation can be found on our website: