Early Years ITT
Early Years Teacher Status Programme Handbook
Assessment Only Route
2015-2016
Disability Support Services Statement
· SpLD (Specific Learning Difficulties) Support Team
· Inclusion Team (Physical and Mental Health)
Our approach is friendly yet professional and you can discuss your individual learning requirements in complete confidence. It is important to contact us as early as possible.
SpLD Support Team: Based in the University Library, 1st floor
You can contact us in relation to:
· SpLD assessments (Dyslexia, Dyspraxia)
· Specialist SpLD support
· Using assistive technology
· Applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)
· Visual stress / Meares-Irlen
The Inclusion Team: Based in the Student Information Centre (SIC), ground floor
If you have specific requirements due to a physical or sensory impairment, mental health/anxiety issues, health condition, an autistic spectrum condition, or needs emerge when you are studying here, we can advise you on:
· Applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)
· Specialist and/or personal support
· ‘Reasonable adjustments’ to learning, teaching and assessment
· Accessible facilities and equipment
SpLD Support Team
In person: University Library, Ormskirk, 1st floor
Tel: 01695 584372
E-mail:
The Inclusion Team
In person: SIC, Ormskirk, ground floor
Tel: 01695 584190
E-mail:
Equality and Diversity – Policy Summary
Edge Hill University’s vision is to ‘provide an environment where everyone feels able to participate, contribute, enjoy and influence their experience; and where inclusive practices underpin everything we do. Respect for, and celebration of, individual diversity will shape institutional strategy, direction and behaviour.’
The University seeks to identify and eradicate any practice which discriminates on the basis of race, disability, sex, gender re-assignment, age , sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion, belief or none, or socio-economic background.
The University recognises that equality and diversity embraces all aspects of employment and service delivery including curriculum; teaching; learning and assessment; research issues; and extra-curricular activities.
The University makes it a condition of service and admission that staff and students adhere to the Equality and Diversity Policy. Any breaches of this are dealt with under the Staff or Student Disciplinary Procedures, as appropriate.
The University makes every effort to ensure that traders, contractors, institutions, organisations or individuals who interact with Edge Hill University are aware of the policy. Discovery by the University of any inequitable policy or practice by them may result in Edge Hill University breaking links and ceasing to do business with them.
Edge Hill University widely distributes this policy summary and accompanying Equality and Diversity Policy throughout the University.
Making Contact
Students are encouraged to make any concerns known. The first point of contact for this is the Student Services Information Desk in the Student Information Centre on the Ormskirk campus (01695 584554, or student ). The Student Information Officer will refer you on to an individual member of staff as appropriate.
A full copy of the Equality and Diversity Policy can be obtained from the Student Services Information Desk or from Edge Hill University’s web site www.edgehill.ac.uk.
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Contents / Page no.Disability Support Services Statement / 2
Equality and Diversity / 3
Welcome / 5
Introduction / 7
Trainee Identity / 8
Roles and Responsibilities / 10
Overview of Programme / 11
Student Voice / 13
Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement / 16
Teaching, Learning and Assessment / 17
Lines of Communication / 18
Useful Contact Information for Trainees / 19
The Role of the Personal Tutor / 20
Employability, including References / 22
Former Trainee Development and Enhancement Programme / 23
Timetable / 24
Assessment Information / 25
Code of Conduct / 27
Attendance Expectations / 32
Academic and Professional Review Meetings (APRM) / 34
Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances (EMC) / 36
On Programme Self Declaration Procedure / 36
Safeguarding – Management of a Cause for Concern / 38
Teaching Standards / 40
APPENDICES / 42
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Welcome
Patricia Burgess
EYTS Graduate Programme Leader
Welcome to the Programme
The Early Years Team welcomes you to the programme.
The programme is designed to support you in the achievement of the Early Years Teacher Status, a status that will recognise your expertise as a practitioner and a professional leader.
Edge Hill University is a provider of Early Years Initial Teacher Training leading to the award of Early Years Teacher Status in the UK and delivers training and assessment on behalf of The National College of Teaching and Leadership in the North West.
We aim to ensure that you will find the programme challenging, innovative, and rigorous and, we hope, enjoyable, relevant and rewarding.
The programme requires a great deal of commitment from you as trainees. It is designed to provide personal enrichment and assist your professional development.
Enjoy your studies.
Patricia Burgess
EYTS Graduate Programme Leader
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Welcome from one of our Early Years Partners
I feel it is a privilege and an asset for all concerned, to be a partner setting with Edge Hill University. Over the past five years I have watched as students, trainees and colleagues, including myself, develop and move forward on our early year’s journey together. We all have strengths and skills to share and build upon and working closely with the university enables us to do this. The University prepare and encourage trainees to be confident to ask questions and contribute to discussions and debates around current issues.
Offering guidance and support and acknowledging the student’s contributions is key to ensuring they feel valued. Celebrating achievements and setting clear targets is an essential part of our role in the setting.
Working together to raise standards and improve outcomes for children is something we all want to achieve. Gaining a place on this course of study already shows your passion to be involved and if you show commitment and drive you will have the opportunity to make a difference.
It is exciting to be a part of this programme and I look forward to travelling on this journey with you.
Thank you
Jan Davies
Owner and Manager of Penguins Nurseries
Introduction to the Programme
The Programme Handbook 2015/16 is designed to provide you with a range of information that will continue to guide your understanding of the Early Years Teacher Status programme.
The Programme Handbook contains important information. Please ensure you spend some time reading it carefully and that you continue to refer to it during the year.
You are now an Early Years Teacher Status trainee at Edge Hill University. The programme is challenging, innovative, rigorous and enjoyable! It requires a great deal of commitment from you and it is designed to develop a range of important professional and vocational knowledge, understanding and skills. It aims to train high quality Early Years Teachers who:
Achieve the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013:
· Meet the needs of schools and settings and children;
· Develop throughout their professional careers.
Early Years Education at Edge Hill aims to develop high quality teachers and educators who have developed:
· commitment, creativity and energy within environments that encourage them to be reflective and analytical
· a range of academic, professional and vocational knowledge, understanding, skills and values
· intellectual skills and abilities within a high quality academic community
· an appropriate range of key transferable skills
· knowledge and skills across the Early Years Foundation Stage
And who will:
· work within the profession with an informed, thoughtful and innovative attitude and approach to Early Years Education
· continue their professional development throughout their professional careers
The Edge Hill University Trainee Identity
Early Years Teacher Status
Outstanding Training for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching…
An Edge Hill University Early Years ITT Partnership programme supports each trainee in developing as a professional practitioner who displays resilience, honesty and integrity; is respectful of others; is adaptable and flexible; communicates effectively with a range of audiences; acts independently and demonstrates self-organisation. Each individual is trained by expert practitioners from across the EHU Partnership to enable them to become inspirational, reflective teachers who engage with babies and young children in innovative and creative ways. Their potential to become outstanding leaders will be clear, they will be a highly valued and effective team player who seeks opportunities to contribute to every aspect of a setting’s life with an enthusiastic ‘can do’ approach. They will be a significant asset to their setting as an Early Years Teacher.
Each trainee will be enabled to develop their own individual teaching ‘personality’ and personal principles with the following elements as the essential building blocks for an outstanding practitioner:
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Roles and Responsibilities
Leadership of your Programme
Patricia Burgess / EYTS Graduate Programme Leader / / 01257 517112Tutors
Louise Masterson / Lecturer in Early Years / / 01695 654317Administrative Staff
Professional Support Team / / 01695 58473001695 584556
EYTS Group Tutor
Your EYTS Group Tutor will lead your teaching sessions and support you through the programme. They will be your first point of contact for individual or small group pastoral and professional support.
Setting Mentors
All Early Years Teacher Status trainees will be asked to identify someone within their setting who will act as the mentor for the trainee. This could be a practitioner who has previously achieved the status of EYP/EYT and who has agreed to give support and advice to the trainee during their time on the programme.
Assessors
All Assessment Only trainees will have an assessor who will be responsible for the Final Assessment Visit.
Overview of the Programme
Delivery of the Programme
The standard delivery route will take the form of three face-to-face taught sessions; online learning and independent study. The course tutor will be available at pre- arranged times for trainees to e-mail or telephone.
You will be introduced to the use of the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment during your induction session. You will need access to the internet in order to fully undertake the programme. You are also expected to arrange visits to other early years settings that may be different to yours in some way or cater for a different age range in order to ensure that you meet all the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013 to a good or outstanding level.
Enhanced Age Related Experience
All trainees are required to demonstrate personal practice and leadership across the birth to five age range, within specific age phases of birth-20 months, 16–36 months and 30-50 months.
All trainees will be required to undertake a self-arranged age related experience in one or more of these specific age phases in a different setting than their own in order to effectively meet the NCTL requirements and also to be able to complete the assessment tasks in order to meet the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013. Trainees who would benefit from undertaking age related experience may be aware of this as part of their own professional development, or it may have been indicated to them during the interview/offer process, or through discussion with the tutor. The experience must be as follows:
· 10 days in KS1
· Any other training related experience
Trainees are required to individually organise their own age related experience and should negotiate the arrangements themselves with their own and host setting, based on their training needs and in liaison with the course tutor. The age related experience may not take place within another area of their own setting and must be in another setting which has been graded as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.
Trainees should inform the programme tutor of their arrangements for undertaking an age related experience by completing the Age Related Experience Document.
Programme Specific Information – Assessment Only Route
Programme Calendar
You will be provided with a timetable, which is an overview of proposed sessions for the programme. Sessions may be amended or offered as individual study sessions and will be advised by the tutor or announcement on Blackboard.
Please note that the programme calendar/timetable includes the following:
· Induction day
· Face to Face Days x 2
· Pre- arranged opportunities to contact the course tutor
· Online sessions
· Assessment period
Trainees will be required to submit a piece of reflective writing which demonstrates how they meet each Standard.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the programme, trainees will be able to demonstrate personal practice and/or leadership as required by the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) 2013.
Student Voice
“All students should have the opportunity to be involved in quality enhancement and assurance processes…….. In considering approaches it is important that higher education providers create a culture and environment where students are encouraged to take up the opportunities on offer.”
Chapter B5, QAA Quality Code
Our aim within the Faculty of Education is to go beyond mere consultation, or representation of students in decision-making, and to try and create a genuine partnership with each and every student. We believe that where a genuine partnership exists, students not only identify enhancement opportunities but also offer ways to take forward those enhancements. Our principle means of developing this partnership is to create an environment in which all parties feel valued; and to create a wide range of opportunities for any student to engage in dialogue which leads to educational enhancement and assurance of quality.
The following list sets out some of the main ways in which every student can have a voice within their programme:
o Evaluation; including The National Student Survey and The NQT Survey
o Staff-Student Consultative Forums (SSCFs)
o Focus Groups
o Boards and Committees
o Course Representation
o Curriculum Development
o Personal Tutor discussions
The purpose of gathering students’ feedback is twofold. Firstly, it allows best practice to be recognised, celebrated and built upon; and secondly, it allows areas for improvement to be identified and acted upon.
In the past year students have fed back many positive things relating to the taught sessions and the support they received; and, in addition, have raised the following points that they would appreciate more phonics sessions.