Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
ITE Placement and Travel Policy
BA QTS Year 3
2017/2018
Subject to annual review
ITE Placement and Travel Policy 2017-18 BA QTS Year 3
Faculty of Education
ITE Placement and Travel Policy
School-based Learning (SBL) is an essential part of the ITE programmes at the University of Chester. ITE Administration, Programme Leaders, Subject Leaders, Year Leaders, University Link Tutors (ULTs) and Directors of Partnerships are committed to providing quality placements for Associate Teachers (ATs).
Requests for Placements
The university works closely with local and regional schools. Each year during the Spring Term, Partnership schools and colleges are asked to confirm their on-going commitment to the Partnership and update their offer of placements for each SBL for the forthcoming academic year. During this period University Link Tutors are also discussing with their schools the possibilities of places for the following year.
It is these offers that the ITE Administration Team have to work with initially. Follow up calls are then made to schools during the Summer Term for those schools that have not indicated they are able to offer placements for the forthcoming academic year. The Partnership Team which include Tutors, University Link Tutors, and QA Leads follow up outstanding requests.
Matching ATs to placements
Before each SBL commences, the Programme Leads, Year Leaders (for BA QTS), Subject Leaders (for PGCE Secondary) and the ITE Administration Team match placement offers to the ATs in consultation with the Directors of Partnerships.
At the end of the academic year (July/August) for ATs continuing on undergraduate programmes, or for new ATs commencing on either Postgraduate or Undergraduate courses at the start of the next academic year, the ITE Administration Team will ask all ATs to complete or update their personal details, on the AT Profile form, confirming their residential address during their next SBL placement. The AT Profile form also asks for ATs to confirm any schools with which they have already had contact, their transport arrangements (e.g. whether they have use of a car and intend to drive to placement) and any personal circumstances that might affect the choice of placement.
Each AT is matched to a placement according to their developmental needs in order to take account of previous knowledge and understanding; specific developmental needs such as gaps identified in the previous year(s) or placement(s); performance against Teachers’ Standards; and specific programme criteria including the Key Stage/ age-phase experience required.
In addition to this, the needs of ATs in relation to their inclusion plan, type of setting, and available schools is also considered.
Every effort is made to match ATs to suitable placements, taking into account the information and processes detailed above. If an AT does not provide, in good time, critical information that may impact on the placement process decisions there may be a delay in the start to placement.
ITE Placement and Travel Policy 2017-18 BA QTS Year 3
Prioritising which Associate Teachers to match with placements first
When beginning the process of placing a particular cohort, any ATs with a priority are normally placed first:
· Medical priority
· Family/ Childcare commitments (ITE Administration Team endeavour to place ATs with family/ childcare needs within a reasonable commute; however this is not always possible, particularly for ATs who live outside of the Partnership area).
‘Distant Placements’
In some circumstances, consideration will be given to self-sourced placements ‘at distance’. An Associate Teacher/ School will only be considered suitable for these placements if they meet the following criteria:
• If an Associate Teacher is on track for a final grade of Outstanding;
• The Associate Teacher has no prior record of ‘Early Alert’ or ‘Cause for Concern’;
• The Associate Teacher has a good record for attendance and engagement at University sessions and School-based Learning;
• The placement is supported and endorsed by the PAT;
• The school has a proven track record of supporting ITE;
• There are no relatives working at the school.
The University of Chester values its partnerships with schools and the positive relationships that have been built. Unless requested, ATs, therefore, must not approach schools to organise their own placement as the school may not be suitable or it may have an impact on other ATs already placed in the school.
Transport considerations
Due to the location of schools within our Partnership, ATs are often required to travel. Reasonable travelling times and distances are agreed upon by ITE Administration Team in collaboration with Programme Leaders, Year Leaders (for BA QTS), Subject Leaders (for PGCE Secondary) and Directors of Partnerships.
Placement and travel considerations:
· Wherever possible ATs are matched with placements where they can drive; get a lift with another AT; are able to use public transport or are able to walk.
· We aim to ensure that journeys to placement schools are reasonable; however, given the need to place ATs in diverse and contrasting settings to enhance their development and given the wide parameters of our Partnership, a journey to placement may exceed 90 minutes (one way).
ATs cannot be placed in a school where they are currently employed or where they have relatives on the staff. It is also not desirable for an AT to be placed in a school where they have strong links, professionally or personally, but this may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
As you are following a professional programme with the expectations this brings, it is the ATs’ responsibility to explore all travel options available to them, e.g. public transport; lift share (ATs, on your programme and other ITE programmes; teachers at the school; relatives; neighbours); or any other available options. For public transport, we advise ATs to check Traveline or Google Maps. We do not consider taxis a form of public transport.
All Associate Teachers travelling in their own car to placements, either alone or with other ATs, are responsible for checking with their insurers that they are covered for this purpose, as well as ensuring that they have a valid MOT, valid driving licence and valid car tax.
Should you encounter significant difficulties with your journey to school, the ITE Partnership Team will be happy to advise you further. Contact should be made via email to or (depending on your programme), and within 5 working days of notification of placement. Please title the Subject as ‘Travel Advice Request’. The ITE Partnership Team will respond as quickly as possible to such emails, but a response could take up to 5 working days. Any requests that do not follow the above guidelines may severely impact our ability to assist you ahead of the start of the placement. Please do not email tutors as this duplicates work and may cause delay in responding to your email.
In extreme cases where all travel options have been explored and all options exhausted, we may be able to offer additional assistance with your journey. However, please be aware that there will be a charge for this – for 2017-18, this has been agreed at £3.50 per day (£17.50 per week).
Notifying ATs of their allocated placement
ATs will normally be informed about their placements either during PD sessions and year group briefings at the University, or by email, within a reasonable time prior to placements beginning. Any ATs who are unplaced when a placement is due to commence will be notified and kept updated.
In the event of a school withdrawing places or other unforeseen difficulties arising before the commencement of a placement, Programme Leaders/Subject Leaders and Year Leaders will meet with ATs concerned and, if required, make individual adjustments.
If, because of a change in personal circumstances, an AT feels their planned school experience may present difficulties, they must email the relevant Partnership email address ( / ) as soon as possible, and we will advise of the necessary next steps. The ITE Administration Team will then consider, in consultation with colleagues, whether alternative arrangements need to be made.
We are unable to take into account mitigating circumstances after you have been notified of your placement if the circumstances could have been detailed to the ITE Partnership Team earlier. However, we are aware that sudden and unexpected changes in situations can occur, and if this does happen, you need to notify us urgently; otherwise this could also lead to a delay in starting your placement.
There is no guarantee that ATs who move address during their Programme will be placed near to their new home address. ATs are urged to consider the possible travel implications to partnership schools should they move during a placement.
Unless there are mitigating circumstances, if ITE Administration Team and Directors of Partnerships are satisfied that an AT can attend an arranged placement, but the AT subsequently refuses to do so, the AT will be deemed to have failed that school experience.
University Link Tutors (ULTs) are allocated to schools to ensure there is a direct point of contact, and to build effective working relationships in support of ATs. ULTs are supported by QA leads to ensure consistency of experience and support for ATs on placement.
ITE Placement and Travel Policy 2017-18 BA QTS Year 3
School-based Learning (SBL) Bursary Scheme
As part of your programme you will spend time learning in professional contexts across the region. The Faculty invests considerable time and energy building productive partnerships with highly effective schools and settings where effective professional learning can take place. Understandably our focus is on the quality of the placements rather than the location. You will need to make your own arrangements to make sure that you arrive in plenty of time to start work and as a contribution towards the travel costs that you may incur on professional placements in your programme, the Faculty has a School-based Learning (SBL) Bursary Scheme for BA QTS ATs who are in Year 3 in 2017-18.
How do I apply?
The Bursary is paid to all those eligible, as a single payment, by the submission of the School-based Learning Bursary Claim form (Appendix 1). The completed form can be submitted after the first 5 days of an SBL placement, and no later than Friday 20th July 2018. Any forms received after this date will not be accepted.
Please note: If, as stated in the placement policy, your journey falls into an ‘extreme case where all travel options have been explored and all options exhausted’ and we offer you additional assistance with your journey (at a cost), you are eligible to claim for the travel bursary towards public transport costs incurred.
How much is the Bursary?
The size of the bursary payment depends on the length of each placement and the zone that your placement is in, based on the journey between an AT’s residence during the placement (usually term-time address) and the placement school. Please refer to the table below.
Placement Bursaries for 2017-18
Placement / Length of placement / Zone 1(0-3 miles) / Zone 2
(3.1-10 miles) / Zone 3 (10.1-15miles) / Zone 4 (15.1-20miles) / Zone 5 (20.1+ miles)
BA QTS 3 / 54 days / £0 / £54 / £108 / £162 / £216
* Mileage is based on the distance (one way) from an AT’s residence during the placement (usually term-time address) and the placement school.
APPENDIX 1
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
School-based Learning (SBL) Bursary Claim form
Associate Teacher DetailsName
Programme and Year of Study / BA QTS Year 3 / University Email Address
Permanent Home Address (incl. Postcode)
Postcode of AT’s residence during SBL (if different to above)
Placement Details
SBL Placement School / Setting Name
Placement Postcode / Mileage (one way) from AT’s residence during the placement (usually term-time address) to placement school
Travel Zone (please circle) / 2 3 4 5 / Bursary claimed (£)
Bank Account Details
Name of Account Holder
Bank Name
Sort Code / Account Number
I confirm that I have attended the above placement.
AT’s Signature:______Date: ______
You can submit your Bursary Claim form after the first 5 days of an SBL placement, and no later than Friday 20th July 2018.
Claims received after Friday 20th July 2018 will not be accepted.
Form to be posted in the ITE Postbox on the First Floor landing of Riverside,
or posted to: ITE Administration, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ
For Office Use only
Head of ITE approval given (signature):Date signed: / Nominal Payment Account: