1. Our Partnership: Who’s Who!
Trainee
Principal School/Subject Tutor – PST
Mentor – in secondary, from a different subject area; primary, from a different class
Initial Teacher Education Coordinator – ITEC
University Visiting Tutor – UVT
These are the roles involved in the Exeter partnership model. The trainee is purposely at the top of the list. The model is planned around the trainee and the other roles are there to support their development.
School personnel:
-PST stands for Principal School Tutor in Primary Schools, and Principal Subject Tutor in Secondary. The PST is the person who trains the trainee in classroom practice and subject pedagogy.
-The mentor is the person who develops the trainee’s ability to critically reflect on their teaching and who analyses/interrogates the trainee’s evidence. They discuss the trainee’s progress towards becoming a teacher with them, but they do not observe the trainee.
-The ITEC is the main point of contact in the school for the university and oversees the quality assurance of the school’s provision.
University personnel:
-The UVT could be a course tutor, or a person employed by the university specifically to assess trainees on placement.

2. Principal School/Subject Tutor
Inducts trainee(s) into class routines
Provides aspects of training through discussion, explanation and demonstration
Observes and gives feedback on teaching – written and verbal
Holds weekly one-hour meeting to review progress and set targets
Contributes to assessment: formative and summative
The PST is the person in the school who is with the trainee for most of the time on their placement. In Primary it is the class teacher whose class the trainee is in. In Secondary, it is the subject teacher who has the majority of classes with the trainee. It is the PST who will devote most time to the trainee, and will help them identify how to improve, as well as helping them with day to day planning.

3. Mentor
Facilitates trainees’ reflection through questioning in the supervisory conference
Does not observe the trainee
Completes assessment
Professional discussion about pupil learning and impact on progress
The Mentor supports the trainee by helping them to critically reflect on their teaching. The Mentor does not observe the trainee and comes from a different subject area or phase. This is so that discussions can be focussed on the trainee’s reflection and development as a teacher rather than be ‘bogged down’ with issues with specific topics/ planning questions. Mentors meet with trainees 3 times in a placement. These meetings last one hour and are called Supervisory Conferences. It is the mentor who will make the decision as to whether the trainee has met the standards for the phase. The Mentor makes this decision based on the evidence the trainee presents, and through discussions with the PST.

4. ITE Coordinator Oversees and manages ITE in school
Is the main link for communication between the university and school
Oversees quality assurance and provision of good quality training, using the National Standards for Mentoring to ensure quality
Professional Studies programme in school- plans who will deliver sessions for the trainees and ensures trainees write the dates on their QAR. The topics are on the QAR and in the handbook (section 5).
The ITE Coordinator is the link between the University and the School. They select school colleagues with the skills required for the PST and mentor roles, arrange the induction for the trainees in school, plan the professional studies programme and oversee the quality assurance of the school’s provision.
The topics for the professional studies can be found in the handbook in section 5.

5. University Visiting Tutor
Makes 1 visit in Spring term and 1 in Summer term (SD Distance trainees are also visited in the Autumn term)
Maintains contact with ITE Coordinator and other staff where appropriate to provide support and guidance throughout the placement
Quality assures the placements, jointly observes the trainee with the PST and gives joint feedback
Collects the ‘PST Checklist’ from the PST
The UVT visit has three purposes, to observe and check the progress of the trainee, to support the school, and to moderate trainee progress and school support across the programme. The UVT details will be sent to schools before the trainees start their placement. Schools should not hesitate to contact the UVT if they have any concerns at any point.