School Based TrainingStage 1

BA SBT3September 2014

Roles and Responsibilities

Expectations of a Mentor

• What would you expect of someone who was mentoring you in any context?

A mentor’s personal characteristics and their interpersonal skills and qualities are obviously important, as is their professional commitment.

Mentors should:

• be enthusiastic about teaching;• be willing to reflect on their own practice;• be able to articulate their professional knowledge;• be open-minded with the view that their approach to teaching and

learning is not the only one, nor indeed the “best”;• be willing to develop their own skills in, and understandings of,

teaching and learning;• be accessible, with a sympathetic and understanding approach;• have a positive and encouraging attitude;• have the ability to be critical in a constructive manner;• be a good communicator and a good listener;• be committed to the role of mentor;

Brooks V. & Sikes P. (1997) The Good Mentor Guide, Buckingham, Open University Press

What is a Mentor?

• A mentor is a person who helps me to think things through; to get from where I am now to where I need/want to be.

• Coaching and Mentoring – progression possible.

• Further details of training throughout the year in Partnership Guidance or contact Angela Ashley A.Ashley@mdx.ac.uk

The Mentor

The mentor should :• Co-ordinate trainee experience in the school and the

assessment of the trainee; • Support planning process for trainee, liaise with

class teacher and sign off files;• Observe, feedback & identify targets;• Meet the trainee to review targets and progress

against the standards;• Monitor the trainee file – weekly;• Liaise with University link tutor.

The Trainee

The trainee should:• Behave in professional way and demonstrate positive

values, behaviour and attitudes expected of a teacher;• Arrive by 8.15am and stay after school to attend

meetings, work in classroom etc.

Attendance on day link visits and block is compulsory.

A record must be kept of attendance. Please contact the link tutor if the trainee is frequently absent for a day or has an absence of more than three consecutive days.

Link Tutor Support• Link tutor will contact mentor during the preparation weeks to check

on trainee, offer support and arrange visit• Link tutor visit – two for a final practice and for a school new to

Middlesex. Link tutor will meet with mentor, do joint observation of teaching with mentor, give feedback (jointly if possible) to trainee and meet briefly with class teacher if appropriate

• Link tutor will provide contact details for mentor to seek support• Should there be difficulty in contacting the link tutor please contact

Angela Ashley, Academic Placement Coordinator a.ashley@mdx.ac.uk 0208 411 4254

• Schools will be paid £650 at the end of School Based Training when final assessments have been given to student and university.

Preparation Period

Trainee Teacher Information

• Primary trainees – 2 previous placements –

BA SBT1 - Reception/KS1 and one at

BA SBT2 - KS2 for most students

BA SBT3- students have opted for a preferred KS

• Trainees must show you both previous assessment reports Standards and discuss how to address targets

Time Activity Seven half days

Teaching + observation of one session of an experienced teacher, trainees should teach every day.

Half day PPA with CT and teamHalf day Planning and resourcing sessions aloneHalf day Supporting in class, further observations of

experienced teachers (including the class teacher)

Preparation Period

• Agree timetable with trainee • Trainee organises SBT Files• Primary - complete ‘Thinking for Teaching’ + annotate

medium term plans• have first week’s planning and resources in place• have completed child profile conferences and set up

assessment section of the file

Preparation Cont..

• Look at the expectations for planning in the Trainee Requirements – discuss in small groups. Planning changes after Mid Point

• Look at weekly file check sheet – are expectations clear?

• Look at checklist for Child Profiles – are expectations clear? SEN child included – discuss?

Look at the scenarios.

What action would you take?

Is the trainee ready to start?

File Signing

• Sign the School Based Training Checklist to authorise start of the placement

• See examples of planning early on and offer guidance• If the trainee has only a few minor adjustments to make

you may sign off the file on the following Monday and the trainee may start teaching on Tuesday

• If the trainee has been unable to reach a satisfactory standard having been well supported, issue a Cause for Concern form. Inform the link tutor. Send a copy of the form to the University. Do not let the trainee start teaching.

National Priorities

• How are we addressing the following?• SEN – child profile, focus across the subjects, dedicated

coordinator• Reading + Phonics – workshops, focus in lectures,

observation visits. In school students must observe phonics teaching and teach phonics. Mentors, Class teachers or Link Tutors should observe students teaching phonics. English staff coordinating

Observation and Feedback

• Trainees have two observations per week, total 2 hours

• One by the mentor. One by class teacher• Time should be pre-arranged• Do observe in the first week• Vary subjects/activities/context and time of day• Do a joint observation with link tutor and another

colleague

Observing the Trainee – when?

• Week 1 - perhaps just observe in a general way.• Week 2 onwards trainee must identify a specific focus,

for observation with standard specified on form.• Mentors and class teachers should also be involved in

identifying a focus for observations.• Trainee should provide you with a teacher-led

activity/lesson plan and files• Agree where to be positioned during observation• Avoid engaging with the children during direct teaching

but interact/listen during independent work to gain greater insight into planning of teaching

• Only in cases of danger/health & safety issues or serious disruption should the class teacher ‘take over’ the lesson

Observing the Student Teacher

• Is there consistency of expectation?• Observe the student teacher

- identify positives aspects of her practice

- prioritise areas to improve and strategies to develop practice

Example Observation

Giving Oral Feedback

• One person feedback as mentor• Another role play the student teacher• Third person observe• Observer to identify effective skills and

strategies that mentor uses• After 10 minutes group to agree effective skills

and strategies and to suggest how feedback could have been even better

• Use the Middlesex University Observation Form • Readable handwriting is fine, better than word

processed days later!• Don’t need to complete every section every time• Be positive and constructive in your praise and

criticisms• Set suitable targets and expect to review them

before the next observation (liaise with class teacher)

Giving Written Feedback

• Target setting and meeting them is a major part of trainee’s development

• Target and an appropriate strategy – suggestions?• Less is more – don’t overwhelm, liaise with class teacher• Trainees should consolidate targets on the weekly

review of targets form• Discuss targets at weekly timetabled mentor meeting• The hardest targets - more able trainee, avoid starting

with ‘continue to…..’• Activity – suggestions for more able trainee

Setting Targets: The right words?

Standards for Teaching DfE 2012

• Part One – Teaching – the 8 Standards• Part Two – Personal and Professional Conduct• Set of statements which define the behaviour

and attitudes expected• Discuss how easy you find it to use and meet

the standards in your own teaching• Activity: Sorting the Standards

School Based Training Assessment Record

• To ensure that the trainee is clear about how the block is progressing

• To build self-esteem and confidence by summarising trainee strengths at this stage

• Joint process with trainee, mentor and class teacher – professional dialogue

• To set clear targets which are accompanied by strategies to meet them

Assessment Record

Prior to meeting the mentor (and class teacher) for mid point:

• Student should have reflected on feedback, identified strengths and targets for the remainder of the block from weekly review of targets

• Student should have highlighted the Assessment of Standards Criteria to show the level they feel they are currently achieving. Mentor can alter these

• Engaged in professional dialogue with mentor prior to mid point meeting

Role of Trainee

• Prior to meeting liaise with CT and link tutor to identify strengths, targets and strategies

• Liaise with CT and link tutor to identify the grade in each of 8 standards, at mid-point (best fit)

• Meet with student teacher (and CT if possible) to finalise and discuss progress

• Monitor that student teacher has worked on targets using given strategies

Role of the Mentor

• Students must achieve a minimum of grade 3 in all standards by mid point. Expectation is that they will achieve grade 1 or 2 by the end

• A student teacher not achieving grade 3 in any of the standards must be issued with a Cause for Concern and a Progress Support Plan and the link tutor informed

• If a finalist has an overall grade 3 at mid point then this may also trigger a Cause for Concern Notification or an additional visit from the link tutor. However not all students at Grade 3, at mid point, will be a cause for concern. These students will be on track to achieve Grade 2 by the end of the placement, and will therefore only need a progress support plan. All trainee issued with a cause for concern will also require a progress support plan, as part of the cause for concern procedures.

Expected Level of Student Teacher

Grading using the Assessment of Standards Criteria

Activity• Read Guidance Notes• Consider table• Sort the levels given for each of the eight

standards• Comments

• The link tutor and mentor must liaise prior to grading student and particular concerns will be discussed

• Students will have a mid-point review meeting with link tutors

• Targets, strategies and grades will be discussed

• Students with “Cause for Concern Notifications” will be supported

• Students with a grade 3 at mid point will also be given additional support

Mid-point Review with Link Tutor

Final Reporting Procedures

• On a final placement the link tutor will make a second visit to discuss final reporting procedures.

• Professional dialogue with trainee and class teacher prior to grading

• School Based Training Assessment Record showing grades from previous SBTs as well as SBT3

• Expectation is that all student teachers will be grade 1 or 2 by the end of placement

• Assessment of Standards Criteria highlighted to show agreed levels

• Summative Report

What is required:

Purposes

• Both assessments are used as QTS evidence

• Tutors gain information from these assessments to inform action plans and course content

• Students share these assessments with mentors and class teachers in NQT year

• The summative report is part of University reference for first teaching appointments

• Assessments for final placements are used to inform Career Entry & Development Profiles

Strength or target only identified as a number

Something identified as a strength and then given as a target

No clear target “Continue to …”Strategies not givenContradicts mid-point assessment

Issues Identified by Student Teachers and Schools

• Transfer the grade entered on the Assessment Record• Write 3 – 4 substantial paragraphs summarising the

student • Does narrative relate to the grade given?• Does this report give a “feel” for the individual?• It should be more holistic than the assessment of

standards• Remember it will form part of the trainee reference for

his/her first appointment• Give a copy of each assessment to the trainee by the

end of the placement• email to the link tutor

Summative Report

Thank you for your support of initial teacher training at Middlesex.

I hope you have enjoyed mentoring and I look forward to working with you at Stage 2 training.

Angela AshleyAcademic Placement Coordinator

And finally…