School of Education
Primary PGCE and BEd Programme
TRAINEE SCHOOL PLACEMENT DOCUMENTATION
September 2012
For additional copies of this documentation please use the memory stick/CD that is available for schools or access the School of Education Partnership website:
go.herts.ac.uk/ITEpartnerships
Contents
Section A: Guidance
Introduction 4
Equality and Diversity 5
Expectations of Trainees 6
What to do if you have a problem in school 7
Portfolio of Evidence Files 8
Pre-block Placement Days 8
Planning 9
Assessment of Pupils 10
Assessment of Your Performance on School Placement 11
Guidance Notes for Notification of Cause for Concern and
Moderation and Assessment Grid 12
Cross Phase Visits 15
BEd2 Special School Placement: Guidance Notes 15
Careers and Placement Service 17
Career Entry and Development Profile (CEDP) 18
Evaluating Placement 18
Claiming Travel Expenses for School Placement 19
Section B: Documents for Portfolio
Trainees are responsible for using these forms by completing, filing and making these available to mentors and tutors to complete their sections.
Portfolio Cover Sheet 20
Documents for Portfolio – Summary of Forms and Evidence 21
Portfolio Part 1: Standards Evidence Grid 22
Standards Portfolio: Evidence Grid 23 Completed by trainee and signed off by mentor and tutor
Nursery School Visit 58
KS1/KS2 School Visit 59
Secondary School Visit 60
EAL Visit 61
Special School Visit 62
SEND Placement Tasks 63
Trainee Code of Conduct 65
Portfolio Part 2: Lesson Planning & Pupil Assessment 66
Foundation Stage Plans 67
Key Stages 1 and 2 Plans 72
Detailed Lesson Evaluation 75
Guidance for using Lesson Plan 76
“Best Fit” feel of National Curriculum Levels 77
Lesson Plan: Mathematics 80
Lesson Plan: Literacy 84
Group Assessment Checklist 87
Whole Class Assessment Checklist 89
Reading Record 91
Portfolio Part 3: Trainee Assessment 92
Attendance Register for Placement 1/2/3 93
Classroom Skills Observation Forms 1-6 (SOFs) 94
Trainees’ (generic) Observation Form (TOF) for use when observing others 101
Lesson Observation Forms (LOFs) 103
Trainees to print out for all observed lessons and to make available to the tutors and mentors to complete
Lesson Observation Form: Teaching of Guided Reading 107
Trainees to print out ONE of each, for each placement and to make available to the mentor to complete
Lesson Observation Form: Teaching of Systematic and Synthetic Phonics 111
Trainees to print out ONE of each, for each placement and to make available to the mentor to complete
Professional Training Record 116
Trainees to complete, mentors to sign
Moderation Forms
-Moderation and Assessment Grid 117 This form must be emailed to
-Report and Reference 118
-Notification of Cause for Concern 140
This form must be emailed to
Portfolio Part 4: Reading and Mathematics Portfolios 141
Portfolio Part 5: Other Evidence 142
Trainee Placement Evaluation Form 143
BEd Only
Portfolio Part 6: Summary of Evidence for QTS 145
School of Education
Primary PGCE and BEd Programme
TRAINEE SCHOOL PLACEMENT DOCUMENTATION:
Section A: Trainee Guidance
Introduction
Your time in school on placement forms an essential part of your course and as such you need to be extremely well planned and prepared for this aspect of your training. You will be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards (see Appendix B). The Standards Evidence Grid (see section B) exemplifies the training activities that need to be undertaken and the evidence to be collected by you while on placement. The Moderation and Assessment Grid is used to grade your overall performance on placement.
Organisation of placements
The University organises placements in schools. It does so in line with the Placement Policy (see Appendix C). You will be informed when to contact the school once all the placements have been confirmed. We endeavour to inform you at least three days before placement. You will not normally be placed in schools where your children attend, or where you have a close connection. The time in school is split between placement preparation days followed by the block placement.
For each placement you will received the Placement Milestone Notes with specific details of dates and placement requirements: for example the build up of teaching time and school tasks to complete.
Attendance and Absence
It is a TA requirement that trainees complete the required time in school: for BEd programme this is 120 days, for PGCE primary it is 90 days (for 2012/13); time visiting other settings such as special schools counts towards this total. As such the expectation is for 100% attendance.
If you are absent from placement for any of the following reasons please ensure that your mentor, the Senior Placement Administrator (Ben Bergonzi: ) and visiting tutor are contacted as soon as possible.
· Illness/personal circumstances
· Informal visits to other schools while seeking employment (for the whole day)
In the event of industrial action we have been advised by the teaching unions that as a trainee you are not party to an industrial dispute and therefore you will need to come in to school. The only exception to this is if the school is completely closed.
Total absence of more than 3 days may need to be made up for the trainee to be compliant. The mentor and visiting tutor must discuss how this will be arranged. Any remaining absences at the end of a placement must be recorded on the Report and Reference.
Support from School
The roles and responsibilities of school can be found in the Partnership Policy (see Appendix D). It is also worth looking at the explanation of the mentors’ roles in the mentor section of this handbook. Expectations for specific placements are on the Placement Milestone Notes given to you before each placement
Support from Visiting Tutor
The Visiting Tutor (VT) is your UH ‘link’ while on placement. The VT will give you his/her contact details and will be your first port of call if you need advice while on placement. The VT will make three visits to school on each placement to support both you and your mentor and agree judgements on your progress and achievement. Where difficulties occur extra visits may be made. See the ‘Visiting Tutor Section’ of the handbook for a list of their roles and responsibilities.
BEd Placements
Year 1 Module 4EDU0102, (teaching time is 40%), 15 credits UH level 4
In your first year, where possible, you will be attached to a school/setting for a full academic year. In the autumn term, there are a series of visit days, where you are expected to observe and work alongside the class teacher, undertaking a range of activities linked to English and mathematics modules and SEND. During these days, you will also become familiar with the routines and practices of the class and to gain information about the levels at which the children are working.
There may be opportunities to visit other classes throughout the school to observe good practice in the core subjects and you will arrange to meet with the mathematics subject leader. This initial school experience is designed to monitor your personal qualities and potential to continue with initial teacher training.
In the summer term, you will return to this class for your assessed placement. The year culminates in a six week block placement. This is assessed on a pass/fail basis where you must demonstrate awareness and understanding of the Teachers’ Standards (DfE 2012) with structured help.
Year 2 Module 5EDU0084, (teaching time building up to 60%), 15 credits UH level 5
The second school placement begins with a series of placement preparation days. You will be placed individually in a class. Directed tasks will be set and you are expected to spend time observing good practice in a range of classes.
A total of nine weeks is spent in school in the Spring Term. The placement is assessed on a pass/fail basis against your ability to implement the Teaching Standards with support and guidance.
Year 3 Module 6EDU0466 , (teaching time building up to 80%), 30 credits UH level 6
The final year school placement begins with a series of preparation days in the spring term. Again, you will be placed individually. Here, you will prepare for the seven-week block placement, starting in March. This is assessed on a pass/fail basis where you must implement the Teaching Standards consistently, securely and independently, for the most part.
PGCE Placements
Placement 1, (teaching time building up to 60%
This is in the autumn and spring terms. This will start with five pre-block days followed by a four week block placement.
The placement is assessed on a pass/fail basis against your ability to implement the Teaching Standards with support and guidance.
Placement 2, (teaching time building up to 70-80%)
This is in the summer term. This will start with ten pre-block days followed by a eleven week block placement.
This is assessed on a pass/fail basis where you must implement the Teaching Standards consistently, securely and independently, for the most part.
Equality and Diversity
The University of Hertfordshire is committed to promoting equal opportunities and fair treatment for all trainees. A full copy of the policy is located in the Appendix A. on the placement CD and on the University website (www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/equality-and-diversity).
Expectations of Trainees
An essential aspect of the teacher’s role is the ability to behave professionally towards colleagues, children, parents and carers. During school placements and university sessions, therefore, trainees must demonstrate such professionalism.
You should be well dressed and punctual. You should expect to be in school before 8.30am staying until at least 4.30pm. Where this is impossible, for example: year 1 BEds who have UH transport, then the school need to be informed of this at an early stage. Make a point of checking in and out with your mentor at the start and end of the day wherever possible.
Schools and mentors are generally very supportive of trainees on placements if they perceive a high level of commitment and willingness to learn, however do be sensitive to the many demands placed on mentors.
In view of the immense importance of demonstrating professional attributes, the form below must be read by you at the beginning of your programme. It should be signed before starting placement and kept in Portfolio Part 1.
The importance of professionalism is also emphasised throughout the Teaching Standards, all of which trainees are required to meet in order to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
School of Education Code of Professional Conduct for Trainees
I will demonstrate my professionalism by:
· adhering to the trainee commitment in the Partnership Agreement; (in your placement handbook)
· acting upon the principles stated in University of Hertfordshire’s School of Education Building Learning Communities booklet and the statutory frameworks referenced in Teachers’ legal rights and responsibilities (Berry, J., 2007);
· becoming familiar with key school placement policies and applying them consistently;
· having high standards of attendance and punctuality at school, and at all university sessions;
· maintaining files/portfolios to be available for both school and university staff on placement and campus;
· participating actively in my own learning and supporting the learning of others;
· showing courtesy and respect towards all school and university staff, fellow trainees, children, parents and carers;
· working within the ethos and expectations of the placement school e.g. attending planning/staff meetings, training etc;
· dressing appropriately for school placement and other relevant formal occasions;
· using electronic communication responsibly, realising that everything transmitted on internal and external systems will be/may be more widely accessible than to the immediate recipient(s);
· not referring adversely on public network sites to any matters relating to specific schools, children, school staff, placements or the University;
· adhering to the University Code of Conduct (which can be found on the website under in the A-Z in Joining Information);
· adhering to the University’s Academic Regulations for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes.
· adhering to the Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards.
and serious attention paid to the above expectations.
Please sign a copy from Section B or from your CD and put in Portfolio File 1.
Any misconduct will be dealt with through UH procedures http://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-governance/uprs.cfm
What to do if you have a problem in School
Portfolio of Evidence Files
Your placement files provide the evidence towards your progress against the Qualified to Teach Status and your final placement grading (see Moderation and Assessment Grid). As such it is important that you set these up before placement so that you have the forms readily available for your mentor and you are familiar with them. You will need five sections, one for each part of the portfolio; please see Section B for the content of each and the relevant forms required.
Pre-block Placement Days
Prior to the assessed block placement, trainees get experience of the school during attendance on pre-block placement days. These days are essential in providing opportunities to carry out a range of teaching and learning activities including:
· directed tasks set by programme directors before placement. (Trainees are responsible for informing class teachers of these tasks and negotiating suitable times for them to be completed);
· trainee observations of teachers (a suggested form (TOF) is included;
· 6 formative observations by the trainee using the detailed prompts on the Classroom Skills Observation Forms (SOFs 1-6)
· establishing themselves as a teacher;
· working with groups of pupils on an activity initiated by the teacher/trainee, supporting pupils, making assessments etc.;
· working with the whole class in short, specific ways;
· overseeing a whole class activity initiated by the class teacher;
· observing one/two/three pupils working together on a similar task and noting down their level of involvement and the pupils' use of language etc;
· observing how the teacher interacts with the pupils: how s/he responds to: poor/excellent work: good/bad behaviour: movement around the room: noise levels;
· finding out whether the teacher uses particular techniques/gives clear signals of disapproval, moves towards the disruption or re-focuses attention on the task in hand;
· finding out about parental involvement, other adults working in the classroom, pupils going to other classes/teachers;
· considering the ethos and organisation of the school, number of classes, organisation of year groups, school rules and routines etc.;
· collecting information to support planning:
- -an outline timetable;
- -medium term planning/units of work, some early lesson plans;
- finding out about available resources, including ICT;
- a plan of the teaching room(s) and seating plan;
- pupil groupings and names have to be learnt;
- systems, routines, rules and sanctions;
- policies;
- school requirements re: record keeping, forward planning submission;
· involvement in the wider role of the teacher: staff meetings, duties etc.