PGCE-Secondary-Placement-Handbook-20-21

hand up, for silence Improve presence in the classroom • Avoid standing or sitting behind the teacher’s desk • Stand tall – shoulders back • Decisive actions • Video lesson and discuss w

Post Graduate / Professional Graduate

Certificate in Education Placement Handbook

Challenging Prompts (for post lesson discussion and lesson evaluations) 17

Sample of weekly objectives/ targets and associated tasks/ outcomes 18

Forms for school-based mentors:

Informal/ formative observation report forms 24

Forms for trainees:

2

The programme aims to offer a challenging, supportive and rewarding experience to promote

informed, reflective and effective teaching and professional development, providing participants with the underpinning knowledge necessary for recommendation to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

The programme aims to:

• enable all trainees to excel at teaching and learning;

• develop trainees’ knowledge and understanding of the principles and practice of teaching, learning and assessment;

• ensure all trainees use research to underpin, challenge and develop their practice;

• encourage all trainees to value and respect pupils’ individuality, ensuring equality and celebrating their diversity;

• impact positively on the development of trainees’ professional attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding through the modelling of good practice;

• impact positively on the development of pupils’ attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding through the trainees’ modelling of good practice;

• challenge all trainees to have high expectations of themselves, so they can be proactive in their own professional development;

• allow trainees to explore the links between theory and practice and conduct their own research in to educational issues, including undertaking an action research project

Through successful completion of the programme trainees will be able to:

1 set high expectations of pupils which inspire, motivate and challenge them;

2 promote the best possible progress and outcomes for all pupils;

3 demonstrate strong, up to date knowledge of the subject/s they are qualifying to teach;

4 demonstrate strong, up to date knowledge of the curriculum in two consecutive age ranges;

5 promote high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of Standard English;

6 plan and teach well-structured lessons;

7 adapt their teaching and learning strategies to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils;

8 make accurate and appropriate use of assessment, including formative assessment;

9 promote positive behaviour for learning;

10 make a positive and professional contribution to their educational context;

11 form effective professional working relationships;

12 reflect on, analyse and evaluate their professional practice in order to make the best possible progress;

13 create a safe and stimulating environment for learning;

14 demonstrated a systematic understanding and critical awareness of current issues and/or new insights into tensions between theory and practice;

15 demonstrated a comprehensive understanding and application of research strategies and tools appropriate for classroom based research;

16 shown an independent and critical evaluation of intricate issues drawing on varied evidence to support professional judgements on practice, including an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge related to professional judgements on practice;

17 demonstrated a systematic understanding and critical awareness of reflective practice, informed by

Roles and responsibilities

School mentors (School-based mentors – SBMs)

Responsibilities include setting an appropriate timetable for the trainee (see p6-7), ensuring that there are weekly mentor meetings, monitoring progress including completing Teachers’ Standards reviews as appropriate (see p6-7 & p37-38), informal and formal observations (see p6-7),

supporting development of the trainee’s subject and pedagogical knowledge for teaching,

supporting the carrying out of school-based reflective tasks (see p67), and for School Direct, visiting and observing the trainee in their second school where possible.

The Mentor Standards should be reviewed and any training requirements or additional support needed should be initiated to enable to Mentor Standards to be fully met (see p22).

School Initial Teacher Training (ITT) (or Initial Teacher Education ITE) coordinators

Responsibilities include organising a series of inputs/ meetings with relevant staff on aspects covered in the training programme (see p57) Quality of mentoring should be assured by a focus

on the Mentor Standards (see page 22) and providing support and/or training for mentors as required BGU can provide mentor training – please contact any BGU tutor for more information.

BGU tutors (University-based mentors- UBMs)

Responsibilities include delivery of a subject-specific training programme for Core trainees or augmentation of subject-specific training for School Direct trainees, research-based inputs to trainees on subject and pedagogy, setting and marking academic work, support for academic writing, formal lesson observations as outlined on p6-7.

Trainees

Taking responsibility for own development, using the eRPD (electronic Record of Professional Development) to record progress towards and keeping evidence of attainment of the Teachers’ Standards, working to address targets that have been set with support from school-based mentor and University tutors, attending all training sessions at school and University, notifying relevant people if this is not possible and catching up with what has been missed and reflecting on your own and others’ practice (see school-based reflective tasks on p67).

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Time in school

To achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) trainees are required to develop a wide range of

attributes, knowledge and skills They are expected to take responsibility for their own

professional development, and reflective practice is essential Trainees will start their training by observing good practice, tracking pupils, team-teaching with their school-based mentor and building up their teaching commitment, competence and confidence gradually.

The tasks set out on the following pages are designed to provide trainees with a broad range of evidence towards meeting the Standards for QTS

Trainees are advised to work through the observations, teaching activities, coordinator/school mentor-set tasks, school-based reflective tasks (see p67) and independent study, strategically amending and supplementing as necessary In discussion with their mentor, trainees can undertake these at appropriate times to help develop their skills, knowledge and understanding and meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Trainees need to ensure that they record their discussions and reflections on the electronic Record

of Professional Development (eRPD) through weekly mentor meetings to evidence the Teachers’ Standards If these discussions and reflections are best evidenced by a document or similar e.g an annotated lesson plan or photograph of a pupil’s work, then these should be added as an

attachment to the appropriate weekly meeting template on the eRPD It is expected that there will

be at least one quality piece of evidence for each of the Teacher’s Standards for each placement.

Training days

Trainees are required to gain 60 days of training throughout their PGCE, as well as additional opportunities to successfully gain QTS and develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning Suggested routes to gain this training include:

30 hours (5 hours = 1 day) of mentor meetings 6 days

Additional experiences/ visits 5 days

It is expected that if trainees engage with all elements of the PGCE course that they will exceed the

There needs to be a gradual build up in teaching responsibility at a pace appropriate for the trainee and school for which trainee is responsible for planning, teaching and assessing (with overview of class teacher or mentor) across both relevant age ranges and with a range of topics, abilities and ages

Other time in school should be spent observing others, completing school-based tasks and teaching, as well as being attached to a form Trainees should not be given classes that are

co-challenging for a fully qualified teacher It is a good idea for them to have at least one of their mentor’s classes.

If your school has a two-week timetable then these recommended teaching totals can be an average over the two weeks If lessons are longer than one hour then please consider the

percentage of teaching time accordingly.

The following tables should be used as guidance with regard to the recommended teaching time If

a trainee is struggling then the teaching time can be reduced as appropriate If a trainee is willing and able then the teaching hours can be increased more quickly and can meet but not exceed a 90% timetable (22 hours in a 5 day/25 hour teaching week).

Autumn term 2020

Week beginning Recommended teaching

responsibility Recommended teaching time – up to Mentor observations

5th October Observations and begin to

co-plan and co-teach

Co-plan and co-teach

12th October Continue observations,

some co-teaching and somesolo teaching

10% (2 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week)

Co-plan and co-teach

2nd November Continue observations,

some co-teaching and a gradual increase in solo teaching

20% (4 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week)

Observe all lessons informally

One formal joint University observation before 20 th November

* This may take the form

of an ‘unseen observation’

23rd November Continue observations and

a gradual increase in teaching

30% (6 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week)

Observe all lessons informally

One formal school observation before 11 th December

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Spring term 2021

Week beginning Recommended teaching

responsibility Recommended teaching time – up to Mentor observations

4th January Continue observations and

a gradual increase in teaching

30% (6 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week) Observe all lessons informally

18th January Continue observations and

a gradual increase in teaching

50% (10 hours in a 4 day/20hour teaching week) Observe 5 lessons each week informally

One formal joint University observation before 5 th February

22nd February Observations and begin to

co-plan and co-teach 10% (2 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week) Co-plan, co-teach and observe all lessons

informally

1st March Continue observations,

some co-teaching and some solo teaching

30% (6 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week) Observe all lessons informally

15th March Continue observations and

a gradual increase in teaching

40% (8 hours in a 4 day/20 hour teaching week) Observe 5 lessons informally

One formal joint University observation before 31 st March in addition

Summer term 2021

Week beginning Recommended teaching

responsibility

Recommended teaching time – up to

19th April Continue observations and

a gradual increase in teaching

70% (14 hours in a 4 day/20hour teaching week) Observe 5 lessons each week informally

26th April Continue observations 70% (18 hours in a 5 day/25

hour teaching week) Observe 5 lessons each week informally

One formal school observation before 7 th May and one joint University observation before 11 th June

Trainee lesson observations

The main aim of observing lessons is to acquire a better understanding of the many complex elements that go into making a successful teaching and learning environment, and how the skills can be achieved During the training year the focus of observations will change in line with developing training needs Initially observations will focus on:

• rules, routines and rituals of classroom life

• beginnings and endings of lessons

• transitions between activities

• strategies for gaining the attention of the whole class

• use of resources

As teaching commitment increases the focus of observations will include:

• strategies and techniques to accommodate different abilities

• classroom management techniques

• organising group work

• instructing, explaining, questioning

• strategies for identifying misconceptions in the development of subject knowledge

Towards the end of training, observations will be specific to an area the trainee is trying to develop.

The following observation structure (p9-10) will support the trainee in compiling an individual training plan Amend and extend the observations to suit the school and the trainee’s developing needs.

See p58-66 for a range of observation tools which can be utilised.

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From observation to teaching

Tracking a class/pupil The trainee follows a class from lesson to lesson for a period, at least

half a day Teachers must be informed in advance that this will be happening The trainee gains general insights into the experience of being a pupil and sees a variety of teaching and class management strategies.

Spot the structure The trainee uses a pro-forma to record what the teacher does See

p61-69 for a range of observation tools which can be utilised.

Plan the plot The trainee and the teacher meet briefly before the lesson The teacher

shares their aims/objectives The trainee considers how these might be achieved, and observes the teacher teaching the lesson Afterwards they discuss how and to what extent the lesson achieved its

aims/objectives Signpost the strategy The trainee and teacher meet briefly before the lesson The teacher

highlights a particular strategy in his/her plan – e.g explaining a difficult concept, differentiating a task, or dealing with challenging behaviour

Afterwards, they discuss what difference this strategy made to pupils’

learning.

Co-plan and co-teach The teacher hands over one part of his/her lesson to the trainee in

advance They work together to plan how this element can be taught

(In time, this can become more than one part of a lesson.) This is a particularly important and useful tool for establishing the trainee’s authority and for challenging the trainee to find their own styles and strategies in a safe environment Afterwards, they meet to evaluate the trainee’s performance

Construct and consult The trainee plans most or all of a lesson in advance, showing it to the

teacher and getting constructive, critical feedback The trainee teaches most of the lesson, with the teacher present and occasionally helping or teaching Afterwards, they meet to evaluate the trainee’s performance and an informal grade may be given for guidance

Plan, teach and evaluate The trainee plans, teaches, assesses and evaluates his/her own lesson,

with minimal guidance or interventions from the more experienced teacher The teacher observes the lesson, listens to the trainee’s own evaluation, and only then comments on it An informal grade may be given for guidance

Observation

Observation Track a class/pupil Y7 class

Observation Spot the structure 4 lessons in your subject

(KS3 or 4) (or KS5*) Observation Spot the structure 4 lessons in different subjects

(KS3 or 4) (or KS5*)

Observation Signpost the strategy 4 lessons in your subject

Observation Spot the structure 1 lesson involving ICT

Observation Track a class/pupil SEN pupil

Observation Signpost the strategy 1 lesson focussing on diversity

and equal opportunities Observation Plot the plan 1 lesson involving a Teaching

Assistant Observation Plot the plan 1 lesson of another trainee

teacher if possible Teaching Co-plan and co-teach 2-3 starters and/or plenaries

Teaching Co-plan and co-teach 2-3 short teaching episodes

Teaching Co-plan and co-teach 2 lessons team-teaching with

trainee taking the lead Teaching Co-plan and co-teach 1 PHSE lesson or tutor period

Teaching Construct and consult 1 lesson at each key stage

Teaching Construct and consult A series of lessons focussing on

a chosen area for development Teaching Construct and consult 1 lesson with a particular focus

on questioning skills Teaching Construct and consult 1 lesson involving a Teaching

Assistant (TA) or use your mentor as a TA

Teaching Construct and consult 1 lesson involving ICT

Teaching Construct and consult Some KS5 (or HE*) lessons if

possible Teaching Plan, teach and

evaluate A range of lessons in KS3 & KS4 (or KS4 & 5*)

Teaching Plan, teach and

evaluate A series of PHSE lessons if possible

* For those training 14-19

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Lesson planning

We believe that effective lesson planning is an individual process Trainees are given access to a number

of different planning formats and are advised to trial and evaluate each We encourage trainees to discuss effective planning with their school-based mentors and we acknowledge that some schools have their own lesson planning forms and processes We encourage trainees to create a method of lesson planning that works well for them.

Our key principles for lesson planning are:

• Lesson planning is a cognitive process – in other words, planning a lesson is not the same as writing a lesson plan

• Lesson plans should be underpinned by concepts and skills, being content- and not task-driven

• Lesson plans are working documents that should be adapted, evaluated and reworked before, during and after the teaching of the lesson

When planning a lesson trainees must demonstrate that they have considered the following:

• Prior learning

• Position in the curriculum and what learning follows

• Possible misconceptions

• Support and/or requirements for specific groups of pupils i.e SEND, disadvantaged, more-able

• Promotion of literacy and numeracy where possible

• Links to other subjects

• Any social, moral, spiritual and cultural implications

• What questions are going to be asked and who might these be directed to?

The following questions need answering for each learning ‘episode’ within the planned lesson:

• What will the pupils be doing? What will they be learning from this?

• What will you (the teacher) be doing?

• How will the learning be assessed? How will you know that the pupils have made progress?

• How will support be provided for those struggling with the work?

• How will you stretch and challenge those who are finding the work easy?

All lessons should be evaluated; again trainees have been provided with a variety of options for this process.

Helpful prompts for pre-lesson/ planning discussion

G = Goal

Ask the trainee what they hope to

achieve in the lesson Allow them to

think aloud Try to clarify exactly what

they hope to achieve and how

• What are the learning objectives? How will we know if pupils have met these?

• What should the pupil outcomes be for this lesson?

• Have you chosen the aspects of AfL you want to focus on?

• What made you choose this one? What do you hope the pupils will gain from this?

R = Reality

Here try to listen as much as possible

Avoid any input and hold back your

AfL expertise Allow the trainee to talk

you through the lesson plan Use

questions to help them reflect on the

lesson plan and the choices they have

made for themselves

• How does the lesson fit in with the scheme of work?

• At which point do you usually share learning objectives with the group?

• Have you used this technique before?

• Are the class used to using this technique?

• What difficulties might there be in using this strategy with this group?

• Will pupils be familiar with this information/these key words etc.?

• Tell me more about the issues you found last time

O = Options - What could you do?

• Having talked through the

overall plan for the lesson

help the trainee to look at

options at each stage

• Cover a range of options

• Invite suggestions from the

trainee

• Ensure choices are made

• Wait until the trainee has

exhausted their suggestions

before you jump in

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of asking pupils to generate the learning outcomes?

• Will there be an opportunity for you to give feedback to pupils? How will you structure this – pairs, groups or whole class?

• How will individual pupils know whether they have met the outcomes?

• Recap – talk through the ideas you have discussed

W = What will you do?

Encourage the trainee to commit to

the strategies they identify Make a

note of what they choose to do and

why, to inform planning for the post

lesson discussion

• Which of these ideas do you like the most?

• Have you thought about exactly how you will do this?

• Are there any areas you feel uncertain about?

• Of the ideas we’ve discussed, are there any that you definitely want/don’t want to include?

• What should I be looking for in the lesson?

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Supporting and guiding weaker trainees

Clearly trainees vary in their ability and some are stronger than others ‘Weaker’ does not mean ‘will never make it’, though it might initially appear unlikely ‘Weaker’ does mean a trainee who is trying their best in circumstances they find difficult or unfamiliar - and is therefore deserving of our support.

Weaker trainees may well be deserving of our help, but this must not be at the expense of harm to pupils’ overall progress, excessive demands on their mentor, unreasonable stress upon the trainee, or damage to the Partnership In particular, if we are not careful, weaker trainees can take a

disproportionately large amount of mentor's time To prevent this, there is a need to use the existing procedures fully The summary below draws together these procedures.

The first stage is to adjust teaching load appropriately:

Keep the trainee’s teaching load down, or reduce it slightly, until they demonstrate confident, competent work, then gradually build up Adjust the teaching load sensitively as the trainee gains the confidence of the mentor This will have the additional benefit of limiting demands upon mentor's time Never leave a trainee to ‘sink or swim’.

Please remember: we do not fail trainees part-way through the year, except in the very rare case of unprofessional conduct.

The second stage is to identify any weaknesses as soon as possible:

It can be difficult to identify problems precisely at the beginning of the year The use of team or

collaborative teaching is an excellent way of finding out the level of a new trainee's competence It is also a great way of ‘showing how’ to teach, to the great benefit of weaker trainees.

To help identify issues, use the Teachers’ Standards and the Assessment Criteria and begin to

systematically collect evidence of targets set and support given A ‘Personal Support Plan’ could be used

at this stage (see p35).

The third stage is to liaise:

Mentor and other school staff always need to work together, but particularly when dealing with a

weaker trainee, so involve appropriate senior staff in your school, particularly the ITT Coordinator.

Involve the University Subject Tutor (UBM) at an early stage and, in liaison with them, complete a

‘Personal Support Plan’ (see p35) Along with the plan, record the programme of support, observation schedule and any specific help given to address the trainee's targets.

Remedial action should involve school staff in modeling good practice, either in one class or several Direct the trainee to undertake lesson observations with a specific focus, so as to help them improve areas for development.

Failure to meet the targets of the ‘Personal Support Plan’ will result in moving to this stage in the

process Be positive and honest with the trainee about their progress in relation to the Teachers’

Standards.

In liaison with the University subject tutor (UBM) a ‘Cause for Concern’ should be completed (see p36).

The fifth stage is to monitor progress:

The ‘Cause for Concern’ report should be regularly revisited, issuing an updated report if and when appropriate and reviewing the targets set on the action plan at set and frequent intervals.

Trainees with little self-awareness are the most difficult to cope with, but there are Teachers’ Standards explicitly about self-evaluation, on which trainees can be failed if appropriate.

Only increase the teaching load as and when it is appropriate to do so.

If, despite the best efforts of all involved, the trainee is likely to fail some or any of the QTS Standards, a second opinion visit must be requested from a University subject tutor (UBM) The trainee must be made aware of the nature of this visit before it occurs

The final stage might be failure to meet the QTS Standards and failure to successfully gain QTS:

By the time we get to this stage (at the end of the placement) there must be evidence of the failure to meet the Teachers’ Standards despite the best efforts of University and school staff This will take the form of documentary evidence of clear targets being set, and records of the support that was provided

to help the trainee.

A second opinion visit should have taken place.

In most cases, trainees will be given extra time to meet the QTS Standards and can then be presented for consideration for QTS at a slightly later date but this is at the discretion of the tutor team.

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Supporting and challenging competent trainees

Some trainees will start the training year with expertise in a number of activities and experience of working with young people They may already be confident in front of a class, and be capable of

organising and managing a safe and effective learning environment.

It is a very enjoyable experience to work with an able trainee However, there are problems with working with very able trainees that are not immediately apparent One of these is related to the assessment of the trainee If a trainee’s teaching grades are high early in the training year:

• The trainee may stop trying to make progress and reach a plateau in their development The plateau

of development is well-recognised in the literature on mentoring, and is something we should guard against.

• The trainee may not anticipate potential problems in their second placement school, yet difficulties are possible due to the change in culture The subsequent placement school can eventually find problems, and question the judgement of the previous placement mentor.

• Expecting brilliance, the subsequent placement school may not provide sufficient support The trainee is then facing unexpected problems.

• Sometimes mentors and other teachers at the placement school do not give enough specific

formative feedback that will help the trainee to make further progress in their skills, knowledge and understanding They may feel that as the trainee is doing fine, there is less need for their support, guidance and coaching even when the trainee would really appreciate this.

It is vital for the profession that such trainees are appropriately challenged, moved forward and not allowed to reach a plateau in their development Alongside appropriate challenge will need to run a complementary level of support, which becomes closer in nature to peer-mentoring as time goes on Where a trainee is doing so well, it is easy to forget to ask if they could be doing even better

It is not possible to predict how this will work out in every case, but some examples of the kind of

challenges and support might be helpful, and are drawn together in the following table In addition, where Ofsted criteria for trainee teachers have been met, consider using the criteria for teachers.

Challenge Support Example Targets

1 Broaden the teaching

repertoire Provide further, more challenging example teaching activities for the

trainee to observe, critique and develop in their own practice

Team teach with the trainee

Video teaching sessions

Try more group work / discussion / practical work / investigative work / etc., as appropriate

Use the challenging prompts sheet to hone lesson evaluations and

observations and to challenge for rapiddevelopment of excellent practice

2 Use a full range of

assessment methods Provide example assessment activities for the trainee to observe

and emulate, across the range of formal, informal, written, oral, mental and practical

Assess pupils’ work through oral / practical activities, or as they work in groups assess the individual’s

contribution, as appropriateTrainee to think more closely about how to provide evidence of pupils' learning

3 Develop

peer-mentoring projects

Ask the trainee which aspect of their teaching they would like to work on, and design a project where you also work on the same aspect of your teaching, and share notes on progress

“Why do we teach this topic?”

“Why did this activity go well or badly?”

“Why should we approach it like this?”

5 To develop

meta-cognition of their own

learning, and support

Masters level work

Get trainees to regularly report on their own learning from the classroom experiences

Involve the trainee in small-scale research projects, and engage in the teacher-as-researcher vision

Ask the trainee to develop their own theories about why particular approaches work, and to test those theories in practice

To contribute to staff meetings by making inputs on their areas of expertise

7 Get trainees to

identify the reasons

for their success

Help them to see the situational features of the school that provide a supportive environment for

professional development, and develop a wider perspective of school management and ethos

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Challenging prompts (for post-lesson discussion and lesson evaluations)

1 What did the pupils actually learn in this lesson?

2 Who do you think met your learning objective/s in this lesson? How do you know?

3 Do you think pupils were engaged and motivated by the activities of this lesson? Which pupils? Which activities? Do any patterns emerge?

4 Which pupils already know a lot about this topic? What are you doing to take them further?

5 At which points in the lesson were any members of the class restless/ off task/trying to distract you?

6 Did all members of the class have to talk, at least to each other, in this lesson?

7 When did pupils have to think in this lesson? When did pupils have to think creatively in this lesson?

8 How could you have involved all pupils in discussion and learning in this lesson?

9 What would be your single most effective next step? What do you need to know/ understand/ do

to get there? How can your mentor or tutor best support you in getting there?

10 How could you have used your teaching assistant (TA) and/or the class teacher to further enhance the pupil learning experience in this lesson?

11 Do you believe all pupils should do as you say in your lessons? How can you ensure they know this?

12 How can you win your girls/boys/bright pupils/etc over? (whoever you are not currently getting on side)

13 What has been the most helpful piece of advice/strategy you have used in this lesson?

14 If you had been a pupil in this class, what activity would you have enjoyed the most?

15 Which pupils did you notice least in this lesson? What are you going to do about this the next time?

16 If your child was a pupil in this class, would you be pleased, proud, concerned?

17 What did you allow pupils to discover for themselves in this lesson?

18 Plot the positions in the room you used/took up in this lesson What were the impacts of each?

19 How did the seating arrangements influence aspects of this lesson?

20 What different tones of voice did you use in this lesson? To whom? Are you conscious of speaking differently to different groups/ individuals/ classes that you teach?

21 Did you ask as many questions to girls as to boys, to least able and middle ability as to top ability,

to EAL learners?

22 How did you group the pupils during the lesson? Why did you group them like this? How effective were your decisions on grouping?

23 When did you give opportunities for pupils to engage in independent learning in this lesson?

24 When did the pupils gain an opportunity to learn from each other, rather than you in the lesson?

25 Which types of pupil–teacher interactions were the most effective?

26 What were the best bits? Why? What can you do to incorporate them more often?

27 What were the worst bits? Why? What can you do to improve these aspects?

28 What was the most effective method you used for finding out what all pupils had learnt or for checking their understanding?

29 How will you build on the successes of this lesson going forward?

30 When did you engage pupils in having to think about where else they could apply the skills,

knowledge and/ or understanding acquired in this lesson?

Sample of weekly objectives/ targets and associated tasks/ outcomes

Targets should have clear focus and relate to the trainee’s current developmental needs Actions to

support each target should be identified The following table provides examples of possible targets/

objectives and associated actions/ tasks/ outcomes.

Objective/ Target Tasks/ Outcomes

Learn names of

pupils • Devise seating plan – enforce seating arrangements and refer to plan

• Ask if tutor group photographs are available to assist in learning names

• Use name games

• Ask pupils to say their name when they answer a question

• Ask pupils to make name cards and display them on their desk

• Dismiss pupils by using their name

Effective use of

voice • Vary the tone of voice; tape record lesson and evaluate

• Video lesson and evaluate

• Vary the pace of speech

• Vary the volume of voice – avoid shouting

• Practise breathing techniques – breathe from the diaphragm

• Request support from the Drama department – join with other trainees in the school

• Don’t always rely on your voice; use non-verbal techniques e.g hand up, for silence

Improve presence

in the classroom • Avoid standing (or sitting) behind the teacher’s desk

• Stand tall – shoulders back

• Decisive actions

• Video lesson and discuss with mentor

• Use an enthusiastic tone of voice – use tape recorder to identify extent of problem and to practise

• Use, ‘pens down, eyes on me’

• Meet and greet pupils at the door

Clarity of

instruction • Issue instructions more than once in different ways

• Asks pupils to repeat back to you the instruction you have issued

• Check pupils’ understanding by asking questions

• Reinforce oral instructions with written instructions – on board or as handout on desk

• Do not issue too many instructions at once

• Break tasks down into short instructions

• Use appropriate vocabulary – be aware that some words have more than one meaning

• Use examples to demonstrate what you mean

Use of assertive

discipline

procedures

• Observe class being taught by mentor – discuss strategies used

• Use language of choice – write examples on lesson plan as aide memoir until more secure

• Use school’s praise and school’s reward system consistently – issue first warning and put name on board

Appropriate pace • Time your activities – use a timer to support you

• Give regular time checks to pupils

• Make learning outcomes clear to pupils to make them aware of the purpose of the lesson Refer back to regularly

• Be properly prepared – have all resources 18organized and to hand

18

• Keep a sharp focus on pupil learning – check planning to ensure lesson is not dominated by you

• Provide a variety of activities for pupils to engage with

• Regularly monitor that pupils are on task

• Know pupils’ names – direct questions to them

• Observe members of staff identified for best practice; make notes specific to pace of lesson

• Start and end the lesson on time

Low level

disruption • Do not talk over pupils

• Use names to refocus individual pupils

• Issue a warning to pupils who continue to talk

• Use a seating plan

• Wait for silence and make it clear to pupils what you are waiting forQuestioning • Prepare questions in advance

- probing questions which encourage pupils to elaborate

- open ended questions which encourage discussion

- closed questions with a limited number of acceptable answers

• Rephrase questions if pupils do not understand

• Direct questions to individuals

• Involve all pupils in questioning

• Use peer questioning

• Keep a record of who you ask questions to during a lesson

• Do not allow pupils to shout out an answer

• Provide pupils with thinking time before responding to an answer

• Don’t judge an answer – collect 4 or 5 and ask the class to judge

• Use a random name selector to promote no hands-up rule

• Plan three questions which require an open explanation/answer

Purpose of lesson • Share the learning outcomes with the pupils early in the lesson

• Refer back to the learning outcomes at regular intervals during the lessonRefer back to the learning outcomes during the final plenary

Developing subject

knowledge • Identify an area for development on your subject audit; arrange to teach this topic to an

appropriate group

• Observe mentor teaching a parallel lesson before you teach the topic

• Prepare a presentation on….to deliver at next week’s department meeting

• Mark a set of past papers to discuss at next mentor meeting

• Provide an exemplar for a specific group on…

Marking pupil’s

work effectively • Plan a regular cycle of marking

• Access school’s policy on marking to ensure consistency for pupils

• Set pupils formative targets for development

• Include praise in your written commentary on pupils’ work

• Ensure pupils know what to do next

• Get pupils to comment on your comments

Forms for school-based

mentors

Mentor Standards audit

Review the following Mentor Standards If support and/or training is required to fully meet any of these Standards then please discuss them with your school ITT coordinator in the first instance.

Standard 1 - Personal qualities

Establish trusting relationships, modelling high standards of practice, and understand how to

support a trainee through initial teacher training

The mentor should:

Met/able to meet Require support and/or training

• Be approachable, make time for the trainee, and prioritise

meetings and discussions with them;

• Use a range of effective interpersonal skills to respond to the

needs of the trainee;

• Offer support with integrity, honesty and respect;

• Use appropriate challenge to encourage the trainee to

reflect on their practice;

• Support the improvement of a trainee’s teaching by

modelling exemplary practice in planning, teaching and

assessment.

Standard 2 – Teaching

Support trainees to develop their teaching practice in order to set high expectations of all pupils

and to meet their needs

The mentor should:

Met/able to meet Require support and/or training

• Support the trainee in forming good relationships with

pupils, and in developing effective behaviour and classroom

management strategies;

• Support the trainee in developing effective approaches to

planning, teaching and assessment;

• Support the trainee with marking and assessment of pupil

work through moderation or double marking;

• Give constructive, clear and timely feedback on lesson

observations;

• Broker opportunities to observe best practice;

• Support the trainee in accessing expert subject and

pedagogical knowledge;

• Resolve in-school issues on the trainee’s behalf where they

lack the confidence or experience to do so themselves;

• Enable and encourage the trainee to evaluate and improve

their teaching;

• Enable the trainee to access, utilise and interpret robust

educational research to inform their teaching.

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• Encourage the trainee to participate in the life of the school

and understand its role within the wider community;

• Support the trainee in developing the highest standards of

professional and personal conduct;

• Support the trainee in promoting equality and diversity;

• Ensure the trainee understands and complies with relevant

legislation, including that related to the safeguarding of

children;

• Support the trainee to develop skills to manage time

effectively.

Standard 4 – Self-development and working in partnership

Continue to develop their own professional knowledge, skills and understanding and invest time in developing a good working relationship within relevant ITT partnerships

The mentor should:

Met/able to meet Require support and/or training

• Ensure consistency by working with other mentors and

partners to moderate judgements;

• Continue to develop their own mentoring practice and

subject and pedagogical expertise by accessing appropriate

professional development and engaging with robust research.

Taken from ‘National Standards for school-based initial teacher education (ITT) mentors’ (2016) found at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/536891/Mentor_standards_report_Final.pdf

Informal/ Formative Observation Report Form 1 PGCE Secondary

Description/Commentary Strengths Issues

Pupil progress Comment on the progress made by the pupils in this lesson and over time

Informal/ Formative Observation Report Form 2 PGCE Secondary

Trainee‘s Name: _Observer:

School: _Date: _Class: _

Specific focus for the lesson: _

Preparation in advance of the lesson Comments/Evidence Standard

Teaching space prepared

Teaching resources prepared and in place

Lesson planned well and plan available for observer

At the start of the lesson Comments/Evidence Standard

Trainee meets and welcomes the pupils

Prompt/orderly start to the lesson

Rigorous, effective introduction to the first task

Links with previous lesson explained

Clear explanation of lesson purpose

Recap of pupils’ prior knowledge and learning

Lesson aims/objectives clear and appropriate?

Learning outcomes achievable and shared in a language that pupils understand

Key words displayed

During the lesson Comments/Evidence Standard

Good, accurate subject knowledge and understanding demonstrated in the way

the trainee presents and discusses their subject

Resources appropriate and used effectively

Appropriately differentiated activities acknowledging needs of individuals and/

or groups of pupils

Effective monitoring and intervention to ensure pupils understand the work

Errors and misconceptions corrected sensitively and effectively

Methods used which enable all pupils to learn effectively

Pupils are challenged and inspired

Clarity of expression and presentation

Effective management of transition points

Variety of teaching and learning styles

Variety of teaching strategies, activities and tasks e.g group work

Questioning effective in consolidation/developing/assessing learning

Responses which extend pupils thinking

Effective modelling

Effective explanations

Discussions handled confidently

Effective pace – time used well

Assessment built into planning

Pupils’ work assessed thoroughly and assessments used to target further

improvements in learning for individuals and groups of pupils.

Pupils receive accurate and constructive feedback on their attainment, progress

and areas for development

Appropriate and effective use of Teaching Assistant

Consistent application of the behaviour code; poor behaviour is dealt with

appropriately and high standards of behaviour and attitude insisted on

Extension work provided for more able pupils

There are clear, regular reviews of lesson aims and objectives during the lesson

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Good relationships evident – fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and

constructive

Awareness of the impact of gender, ethnicity, culture, EAL, SEN on the

development, progress and well-being of pupils

Practical and effective provision made to promote equality and inclusion for all

pupils including those for whom EAL is an additional language, or who have

SEN or disabilities

Health and safety issues taken into account

At the end of the lesson Comments/Evidence Standard

Sufficient time for review of learning referring back to objectives

Pupils reflect on what has been learned

Pupils reflect on how they have learned

Scene set for next lesson

Homework set to consolidate and develop learning

Teacher led dismissal of the class

Learning Comments/Evidence Standard

Pupils acquire new knowledge or skills, develop ideas and increase their

understanding

Pupils concentrate, persevere and complete the work

Thinking skills are promoted – analysis, enquiring, predicting, reflection,

problem solving, evaluation

Pupils show interest in their work, are motivated, actively involved and learning

independently

Pupils understand what they are doing, how well they have done and how they

can improve

Pupils are productive and work at a good pace

Additional areas Comments/Evidence Standard

The lesson forms part of a coherent scheme of work

The lesson complies with the National Curriculum/Agreed Syllabus (RE)

Examination Syllabus

Lesson plan adjusted to cope with changed circumstances

ICT used effectively where appropriate

Links with other subjects and cross curricular initiatives: literacy, numeracy, ICT,

behaviour management

Effective records of pupil achievement

Pupil progress Comment on the progress made by the pupils in this lesson and over time

Signed: _Mentor/Coordinator

PGCE Secondary Formal Observation 2020/21

Are the pupils making expected progress?

No Yes Better than expected with a trainee at this stage in their development

What evidence of the impact on pupil progress over time was reviewed?

Pupils' work (e.g examples from pupils' books over the past weeks/months)

Marking (e.g trainees' written feedback, and the progress made in pupil responses to this feedback)

Planning (e.g the context of the lesson - clearly building on previous work)

Trainees' use of data (e.g evidence of knowledge of pupils' working at, and target grades/levels - and

appropriateness of work set in relation to these)

Trainee's interaction with pupils (e.g discussions with pupils about their learning)

Observer's discussions with pupils (e.g what progress do they think they have made?)

What evidence of the use of assessment was reviewed?

Pupils' work (e.g examples from pupils' books over the past weeks/months)

Marking (e.g trainees' written feedback in books and folders, and the progress made in pupil responses to this feedback)

Planning (e.g using assessment data and knowledge of the students’ prior attainment and targets; use of AfL)

Trainees' use of data (e.g evidence of knowledge of pupils' working at, and target grades/levels - and

appropriateness of work set in relation to these)

Trainee's interaction with pupils (e.g discussions with pupils about their progress; questioning)

Discussions with mentor (e.g regarding use of assessment with other classes)

28

Strengths: Identify up to 3 strengths of the lesson you observed, relating them to the Teachers’ Standards and including reference to the trainee's impact on pupil progress over time

Standard 1: Set high expectations which inspire,

motivate and challenge pupils

Standard 2: Promote good progress and outcomes by

pupils

Standard 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum

knowledge

Standard 4: Plan and teach well-structured lessons

Standard 5: Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils

Standard 6: Make accurate and productive use of assessment

Standard 7: Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment

Standard 8: Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

Aspects for development: Ask questions to spark the trainees’ thinking

Standard 1: Set high expectations which inspire,

motivate and challenge pupils

Standard 2: Promote good progress and outcomes by

pupils

Standard 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum

knowledge

Standard 4: Plan and teach well-structured lessons

Standard 5: Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils

Standard 6: Make accurate and productive use of assessment

Standard 7: Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment

Standard 8: Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

Action plan: Include suggested reading where appropriate

30

Standard 1

Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils

• Establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect

• Set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions

• Demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of pupils

Standard 2

Standard 3

Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge

• Have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of developments in the subject and curriculum areas, and promote the value of scholarship

• Demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of Standard English, whatever the teacher’s specialist subject

Standard 4

Plan and teach well-structured lessons

• Impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of lesson time

• Promote a love of learning and children’s intellectual curiosity

• Set homework and plan other out-of-class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understandingpupils have acquired

• Reflect systematically on the effectiveness of lessons and approaches to teaching

• Contribute to the design and provision of an engaging curriculum within the relevant subject area(s)

PROMPT: What is the context of the lesson?

Standard 5

Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils

• Know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively

• Have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these

• Demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of children, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of development

• Have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional language; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate

distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them

Standard 6

Make accurate and productive use of assessment

Standard 7

Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment

• Have clear rules and routines for behaviour in classrooms, and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behaviour both in classrooms and around the school, in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy

• Have high expectations of behaviour, and establish a framework for discipline with a range of strategies, using praise,sanctions and rewards consistently and fairly

• Manage classes effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to pupils’ needs in order to involve and motivate them ;

• Maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority, and act decisively when necessary

Standard 8

Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

• Make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school

• Develop effective professional relationships with colleagues, knowing how and when to draw on advice and specialistsupport

• Deploy support staff effectively

• Take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback from colleagues

• Communicate effectively with parents with regard to pupils’ achievements and well-being

PROMPT: Has the trainee contributed to parents’ evenings/ emailed or phoned parents / sent postcards home?

Personal support plan

This form can be used at any time However, it must to be used where progress is

unsatisfactory or when the trainee’s observed lesson has been unsatisfactory or when you believe the trainee is in danger of failing to meet the QTS Standards If targets are not met

by the review date then a ‘Cause for concern’ should be issued.

focus E.g join a regular exercise class, plan a film night one evening

each week, go for a 15 minute

Cause for concern

This form should be used following failure to make progress using a ‘Personal support plan’.

Planned date for the next review of progress:

Copy to School

Coordinator Copy to trainee Copy to School Mentor Copy to BGU Tutor Copy to PGCE Course Leader

Overview of assessment against the Teachers’ Standards

Weekly Mentor Meetings

Two objectives set each week including appropriate tasks and success criteria:

1) One linked to Teachers’ Standard in focus

2) One linked to current practice

‘Reflection’ on the significant learning

Formal lesson observations

4 formal lesson observations by BGU tutors

(UBMs)

2 formal lesson observations by school

mentors (SBMs) or coordinators

Standards reviews – 4 in total

Evidence for the Teachers’ Standards listed and discussed – training and practice (take from and/or refer to Weekly Mentor Meetings records)Targets for future development set

All evidence is recorded on the electronic Record of Professional Development

The Teachers’ Standards: Part One

1 Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils

• establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect

• set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions

• demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of pupils.

a Is able to establish a safe

and stimulating

environment for pupils,

rooted in mutual respect

Consistently uses innovative strategies to establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect, which motivates and inspires pupils to learn and enjoy the subject

• Receiving clear, consistent and effective mentoring in how to set tasks that stretch pupils, but which are achievable, within a challenging curriculum

• Using intentional and consistent language that promotes challenge and aspiration

• Creating a positive environment where making mistakes and learning from them and the need for effort and perseverance are part of the daily routine

• Seeking opportunities to engage parents and carers in the education of their children (e.g proactively highlighting successes) with support from expert colleagues to understand how this engagement changes depending

on the age and development stage of the pupil

• Receiving clear, consistent and effective mentoring in how to create a culture of respect and trust in the classroom that supports all pupils to succeed (e.g by modelling the types of courteous behaviour expected of pupils)

• Teaching and rigorously maintaining clear behavioural expectations (e.g

for contributions, volume level and concentration)

• Applying rules, sanctions and rewards in line with school policy, escalating behaviour incidents as appropriate

• Acknowledging and praising pupil effort and emphasising progress beingmade

• Lesson observations specifically focussing on interactions between teacher and pupils – mentor observing trainee and trainee observing colleagues (Use ‘1 Who are the learners?’ observation proforma)

• School-based reflective task 2: Transition

b Is able to set goals that

stretch and challenge pupils

of all backgrounds, abilities

and dispositions

• Consistently sets goals that stretch, challenge and motivate pupils

• Uses effective strategies to support the learning and progress of underperforming groups

c Is able to demonstrate

consistently the positive

attitudes, values and

behaviour which are

expected of pupils

Consistently and effectively demonstrates and models the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of pupils

2 Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils

• be accountable for pupils’ attainment, progress and outcomes

• be aware of pupils’ capabilities and their prior knowledge, and plan teaching to build on these

• guide pupils to reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn and how this impacts on teaching

• encourage pupils to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their own work and study.

a Is able to take accountability

for pupils’ attainment,

progress and outcomes

Consistently accountable for pupils’ attainment, progress and outcomes

• Receiving clear, consistent and effective mentoring in how to take into account pupils’ prior knowledge when planning how much new information to introduce

• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues how to reduce distractions that take attention away from what is being taught (e.g

keeping the complexity of a task to a minimum, so that attention is focused on the content)

• Breaking complex material into smaller steps (e.g using partially completed examples to focus pupils on the specific steps)

• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues how to sequence lessons so that pupils secure foundational knowledge before encounteringmore complex content

• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues how to identify possiblemisconceptions and plan how to prevent these forming

• Encouraging pupils to share emerging understanding and points of confusion so that misconceptions can be addressed • Linking what pupilsalready know to what is being taught (e.g explaining how new content builds on what is already known)

• Observing how expert colleagues plan regular review and practice of keyideas and concepts over time (e.g through carefully planned use of structured talk activities) and deconstructing this approach

• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues how to design practice, generation and retrieval tasks that provide just enough support so that pupils experience a high success rate when attempting challenging work

• Pupil progress identified for individuals, groups and classes and outlined in

‘Weekly Meetings’ on the eRPD Supporting data could include:

• Test scores

• Conversations with pupils

• Examples of pupil work

• School-based reflective task 4: Differentiation & pupil progress

b Is aware of pupils’

capabilities and their prior

knowledge, and plans

teaching to build on these

• Has detailed understanding of the pupils’ capabilities and their prior knowledge

• Can demonstrate through their planning and teaching that their pupils, including those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs, make goodprogress

c Is able to guide pupils to

reflect on the progress they

have made and their

emerging needs

Pupils are consistently offered high quality intervention and feedback which enables them to identify the progress they have made and understand what they need to do to improve

d Is able to demonstrate

knowledge and

understanding of how pupils

Is consistently and effectively able to use knowledge and understanding of how pupils

3 Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge

• have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings

• demonstrate a critical understanding of developments in the subject and curriculum areas, and promote the value of scholarship

• demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher’s specialist subject

a Has a secure knowledge of

the relevant subject(s) and

curriculum areas, fosters

and maintains pupils’

interest in the subject, and

• Receiving clear, consistent and effective mentoring in how to identify essential concepts, knowledge, skills and principles of the subject

• Observing how expert colleagues ensure pupils’ thinking is focused on key ideas within the subject and deconstructing this approach

• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues the rationale for curriculum choices, the process for arriving at current curriculum choices and how the school’s curriculum materials inform lesson preparation

• Providing opportunity for all pupils to learn and master essential concepts, knowledge, skills and principles of the subject

• Working with expert colleagues to accumulate and refine a collection ofpowerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations and

demonstrations

• Using resources and materials aligned with the school curriculum (e.g

textbooks or shared resources designed by expert colleagues that carefully sequence content)

• Being aware of common misconceptions and discussing with expert colleagues how to help pupils master important concepts

• Lesson observations focussing on how keywords and other vocabulary are introduced and developed with pupils - mentor observing trainee and trainee observing colleagues (Use ‘8 Choose your own focus’ observation proforma)

• School-based reflective task 6: Subject &

pedagogical knowledge, planning and progress

b Is able to demonstrate a

critical understanding of

developments in the subject

and curriculum areas, and

promote the value of

scholarship

• Effectively demonstrates consistent and critical understanding of developments

in the subject and curriculum areas

• Consistently and effectively promotes the value of scholarship