The partnership website is now live!

Welcome to the first Weekly Update

When an update is posted on the partnership website, trainees and Class Mentors (CMs) will receive a notification email containing a link to it. All the CM and trainee email addresses we have are now in the system. Please could trainees and CMs check with each other that they have received the email. Sometimes these alerts land in people’s trash and spam folders, so please do check these if you can’t find it in your inbox.

All posts can be viewed directly on the updates page and the most recent are always listed in the footer of every page.
The partnership website also has all the relevant documentation including planning templates, observation forms and handbooks.

Induction

As part of the trainees induction to the school, they should familiarise themselves with the content of the policies listed on pages 6 and 7 of the Professional Development Journal and follow the guidance on p5.

Important Information for Class Mentors

Level 1 Mentor Training

All Class Mentors are required to complete our level 1 training. If CMs have completed this in the past then there is no need for them to repeat this training as it only needs to be completed once. If CMs are unsure of this, it’s the training after which the mentor badge is awarded.

The partnership office has sent an email to those CMs who haven’t attended level 1 training to invite them to the last session of the year which is on 21 March at the slightly earlier time of 1330-1530.

Next year the DfE are introducing a whole new set of requirements for ITT, including mentoring. Completing the level 1 training will reduce the hours of training required as part of these new requirements which state that mentors require 20 hours of initial training and 6 hours of annual refresher training.

Briefing Video

For those CMs who were unable to attend the briefing meeting at the University on 21 Feb. 2024, please could they watch the video that can be found on the briefing video page and register they have done so by completing this form. The video provides information about the changes to the programme and the current processes and procedures for School Placements. If CMs are attending the level 1 training on 21 Mar. 2024 then there is no need to watch the video as the content will be covered in the session.

All the relevant information, including the handbook, is available via the Guidance item in the main menu on the partnership website, and general mentoring guidance can be found under the Mentoring item.

This Week

The Weekly Expectations are outlined in the handbook (p.35). Please do remember that these are for guidance and CMs should guide trainees through them at a pace that is appropriate for their learning.

In summary, trainees spend 70% of their timetable in class working with individuals and small groups of children. They do not need to be involved with whole class planning and teaching.

The focus is on trainees getting to know their new school, and its staff, and forming relationships with the children they will be teaching. Trainees need to remember to complete the Policies and Procedures exercise in the Professional Development Journal (p.5) to familiarise themselves with the school’s policies and guidance, especially on safeguarding and e-safety. Pages 6 and 7 of the PDJ should be printed out, completed and signed by trainees and CMs, as it was for SP1.

Weekly Review

As this is the first week of placement the agenda for the Weekly Review will be more informal:

1. Review trainee progress
   • a discussion of the RS2, with trainees sharing the highlights of SP1.
   • discuss the “Targets for SP2” that were set in the last week of SP1 and are recorded in the trainee’s ePortfolio.
   • if trainees have targets remaining from the January Preparedness to Teach survey, they should share these with their CMs.
2. Set targets and what will help the trainees to progress in the areas for improvement
   • In light of the above discussion (item 1), and the informal observations the CM makes this week, targets and action plans are drawn up (see Target Setting below)
   • From the areas for improvement, identify one that will form the Focus Improvement Area (see The Weekly Review on p.8 of the handbook)
3. Identify PDAs that can be completed during the week ahead (see Professional Development Activities below)

Target Setting

All targets and action plans need to be achievable within the week and each week a Focus Improvement Area is identified (see The Weekly Review on p.8 of the handbook). These should be established at this week’s Weekly Review and recorded in the trainee’s ePortfolio.

As well as targets and action plans addressing the Focus Improvement Area, other targets set this week should include:

• a target to develop ways in which behaviour for learning can be promoted (see next week’s theme)
• some of those identified at the end of SP1 (Week 11 in trainees’ ePortfolios)
• the teaching of phonics (if appropriate)

Targets and action plans can also include addressing areas within:

• the Preparedness to Teach Survey (see above)
• the Trainee Progress Tracker
• the trainee’s subject knowledge (if appropriate)
• areas of practice observed by the CM this week

Focus Improvement Area

As trainees’ learning to teach is complex and involves many aspects of practice developing at the same time, it is impractical to document everything they do in order to progress. Therefore, each week, a Focus Improvement Area is identified. More information can be found on the Focus Improvement Area page and page 9 of the handbook.

Professional Development Activities

Trainees should plan and begin to start the appropriate Professional Development Activities this week. For CMs’ reference, an electronic copy is available here.

Planning

In preparation for next week, trainees should start to become familiar with any planning from which they will be creating lesson plans. Please could CMs therefore take time during this week to model the planning process to their trainees.

CMs’ Observations of Trainees

As there is no requirement for a formal lesson observation this week, CMs should informally observe the trainees practice throughout the week to help inform the discussion at the Weekly Review.