PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS MEETINGS
  • PGCE Primary

PGCE School ‘A’ and School ‘B’

Responding to DCELLS Information Document No: 017/2009, Welsh Assembly Government

Rationale

  1. Aim
  • To meet the requirements of DCELLS Information Document No: 017/2009, Welsh Assembly Government.
  1. Objectives
  • To extend trainees’ understanding of the school context and professional requirements.
  • To build upon existing elements of good practice.
  • To organize a series of meetings between trainees and Headteacher/Senior Mentor/ assessment coordinator, SEN coordinator etc.
  1. Meetings
  • The first four meetings to be conducted before half term (SE ‘A’) with the other four to be conducted during the four weeks before the Easter vacation (SE ‘B’).
  • It is requested that the Senior Mentor arranges a timetable for the meetings at the beginning of the trainee’s practice in the school, noting the date and relevant personnel. Each meeting should last 30-45 minutes.
  • The meetings can be arranged during or after school hours, at a time convenient to the school and trainees.
  • The Senior Mentor can take charge of the arrangements but will not necessarily hold the meetings.
  • The topics selected for the meetings are be based on the Standards for each School Experience.
  • A Professional Requirements Meeting Response Sheet has been prepared by the University for each meeting(see pages15 - 22).
  • Each Professional Requirements Meeting Response Sheet will be kept in the Portfolio with the Progress Tracker.
  • Trainees are required to record the content of each meeting. Each sheet should be sent after completion to the School Experience Link Tutor at the same time as the Progress Tracker. The Headteacher/Senior Mentor will be asked to sign the appropriate form to indicate that the task has been completed.
  • If the nature of the trainees’ written response is unsatisfactory then this can be noted on the summative assessment form.
  • The aspects discussed in the Professional Requirements Meetings should be the main focus of the trainee’s observations when observing in her / his class or in alternative classes during the week that the meeting is held. They should be recorded in the Observation Log. The trainee can also observe other aspects that is of interest to her / him.

Overview of meetings and relevant Standards from DCELLS Information Document No: 017/2009, Welsh Assembly Government

Programme for PGCE

PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 1
1. ‘Professionalism’
Professional Expectations and School Priorities
017/2009 Standards: S1.2, S1.7, S1.8
PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 2
2. ‘Behaviour’
Promoting good behaviour across the school
017/2009 Standards: S2.7, S3.1.2, S3.3.1, S3.3.9
PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 3
3. ‘Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competency’
Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competency across the school
017/2009 Standards: S1.5, S1.7, S2.1, S2.2, S2.3, S2.5, S3.1.1, S3.1.2, S3.2.3, S3.3.2, S3.3.10
PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 4
  1. ‘Assessment for Learning’
Assessment for Learning across the school
017/2009 Standards: S1.7, S2.3, S2.4, S3.1.1, S3.1.2, S3.2.1, S3.2.2, S3.2.3, S3.2.4, S3.2.6
PGCE School ‘B’ – Meeting 5
5. ‘Professionalism’
Professional Expectations and School Priorities
017/2009 Standards: S1.2, S1.7, S1.8
PGCE School ‘B’ – Meeting 6
6. ‘ALN’
Additional Learning Needs across the school
017/2009 Standards: S1.1, S 1.6, S1.8, S 2.6, S3.1.1, S 3.1.2, S 3.2.4, S3.2.5, S3.2.6, S 3.3.4, S3.3.5, S 3.3.13, S3.3.14
PGCE School ‘B’ – Meeting 7
7. ‘Assessment’
Whole school assessment procedures and statutory assessment arrangements
017/2009 Standards: S2.5,S3.2.1, S3.2.2, S3.2.3, S3.2.4, S3.2.5, S3.2.6, S3.3.7
PGCE School ‘B’ – Meeting 8
8. ‘The school as a community / Contact with parents’
The school in the local and wider community / the relationship with parents and methods of communication
017/2009 Standards:S1.4, S1.5, S2.2, S3.1.5, S3.2.7, S3.3.12, S3.3.15
PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 1
1. ‘Professionalism’
Professional expectations and School Priorities
S1.2 / They demonstrate personally appropriate and professional behaviour, through their attendance, punctuality and appropriate dress, setting a good example to learners. They model the positive attitudes and behaviour expected from learners, for example, through their speech. They use positive, productive relationships with learners to support their learning and self-esteem.
S1.7 / They observe, reflect and begin to analyse to set targets for improvement in their teaching.
They show a willingness to take advice and take responsibility for attempting to implement it and develop professionally. They show awareness of the significance of up-to-date professional knowledge to support their own teaching.
S1.8 / They show awareness and some understanding of relevant aspects of professional conduct and conditions of service. They begin to show an awareness of the importance of health and safety.
They are aware of how and where to seek advice regarding matters of confidentiality, child protection and teachers’ responsibilities under the SEN Code of Practice for Wales.

Objectives

To assist trainees to:

  • Understand professional requirements;
  • Understand a teacher’s daily duties and wider duties;
  • Understand the importance of working as part of a team (school staff);
  • Understand the importance of extra-curricular arrangements to school life.

Background information for trainees

During the first weeks of the course, the trainees are briefed on the importance of professional behaviour.

Discussion area for the Head/Senior Mentor/Mentor

It would be advantageous to distribute photocopies of the relevant documents to the trainees prior to discussion of the following matters:

  • Any relevant policies;
  • to understand the school’s philosophy of teaching and learning;
  • priorities of the school’s Development Plan;
  • The head’s expectations of the staff, such as:
  • professionalism
  • punctuality
  • dress
  • daily duties
  • confidentiality – data protection;
  • The nature and organisation of teachers’ meetings, HMS and extra-curricular activities;
  • teachers’ school-wide duties and responsibilities;
  • Health and Safety and Child Protection responsibilities;
  • the importance of the teacher’s pastoral role and contact with parents/guardians;
  • the school’s contact with the community;
  • whole school’s vision.

Background reading for trainees

  1. Jacques, K, Hyland, R (3rded. 2007)Professional Studies: Primary andEarlyYears. LearningMatters t.185-198
  2. Cooper, H. (2nd ed. 2014) Professional Studiesin Primary Education.Sage
  3. EducationWorkforceCouncil(EWC) - available at:
  4. Professional LearningPassportl (PLP) available at:

PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 2
2. ‘Behaviour’
Promoting good behaviour across the school
S2.7 / They begin to acquire knowledge of strategies to promote good behaviour and establish a purposeful learning environment.
S3.1.2 / They match stated learning objective(s) to planned teaching. They include planning for assessment for learning. They give appropriate consideration to planning for all learners’ varying needs.
S3.3.1 / They begin to build successful relationships based on high expectations.They seek to establish a purposeful learning environment where learners feel secure and confident.
S3.3.9 / They set high expectations for learners’ behaviour and begin to establish an appropriate framework for classroom discipline to anticipate and manage learners’ behaviour constructively.

Objectives

To assist trainees to:

  • Understand the influences on standards of behaviour;
  • Understand that learners learn best in a safe environment;
  • Understand the importance of determining expectations with regard to behaviour and promoting self-discipline;
  • Understand the importance of establishing frameworks to maintain discipline and control learners’ behaviour constructively.

Background information for trainees

PGCE trainees will have discussed the importance of strategies for maintaining discipline and aspects of Emotional Intelligencein sessions/lectures.

Discussion area for the Head/Senior Mentor

It would be advantageous to distribute photocopies of the relevant documents to the trainees prior to discussion of the following matters:

  • Referring to the various factors which influence standards of behaviour.
  • Discussing the school’s policy for behaviour and the rules of the entire school.
  • Discussing the importance of creating class rules with the learners.
  • Discussing positive methods used to maintain discipline and the use of rewards and punishment.
  • Explaining any special methods that the school has adopted to control behaviour, e.g. Webster-Stratton.
  • Discussing any methods used to control the behaviour of some difficult learners e.g. reasonable force.
  • Discussing the importance of developing the individual’s robust Emotional Intelligence.
  • Drawing attention to the school’s anti-bullying policy and how it is implemented.

Background reading for trainees

  1. Adams, K (2009) Behaviour for Learning in the Primary School. Learning Matters
  2. Arthur, J, Grainger, T & Wray, D (2006)Learning to Teachin the Primary School. Routledge

p 102-117

  1. Estyn, (2006)Behaviour in Wales: Good practice in managing challenging behaviour.
  2. Grigg, R (2010)BecominganOutstanding Primary School Teacher.Longman p 332-364
  3. Hayes, D (2006) Inspiring Primary Teaching. Primary Matters p 86-101
  4. Hayes, D 92004) Foundations of Primary Teaching. Routledge p 312-352
  5. Jacques, K, Hyland, R (3rded. 2007)Professional Studies: Primary andEarlyYears. LearningMatters p124-134
  6. Shelton, F, & Brownhill, S (2008) Effective Behaviour Management in the Primary Classroom. Open University Press
  7. Webster-Stratton, C (2009) How to Promote Children’s Social and Emotional Competence. Paul Chapman

PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 3
3.‘Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competency’
Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competency across the school
S1.5 / They contribute towards the planning and understand the effects of learning outside the classroom, extracurricular activities or activities for enrichening the learner's learning.
S1.7 / They observe, reflect and begin to analyse to set targets for improvement in their teaching.
They show a willingness to take advice and take responsibility for attempting to implement it and develop professionally. They show awareness of the significance of up-to-date professional knowledge to support their own teaching.
S2.1(a) / make good use of any guidelines produced by, or are approved by, the Welsh Assembly Government to support the development of the seven learning areas and the child development profile
S2.1
S2.3 / They exhibit knowledge, understanding and appropriate skills related to the subject / subjects for which they have been trained.
They understand the continuum in the learner's learning process, and give it consideration.
S2.5 / They use ICT confidently and competently during teaching activities and begin to evaluate its value. They make appropriate use of ICT to support other professional activities such as planning and assessment.
S3.1.1
S3.1.2 / They identify learning outcomes relevant to the ages of all learners, or their stage of development, which builds on previous learning.
They set clear learning outcomes.
They give appropriate consideration to planning for the various needs of all learners.
S3.2.3 / Where appropriate, they assess the learners' progress by using early learning aims and National Curriculum level descriptors.
S3.3.2 / They can teach the required or expected skills, knowledge, and understanding relevant to the curriculum for learners in the age range for which they are trained, and as relevant to the age range they are trained to teach make appropriate use of the Curriculum Cymreig for learners aged 7-14 and Wales, Europe and the World for learners aged 14-19.
S3.3.10 / They use ICT in their teaching with growing awareness of its appropriateness and impact.

Objectives

To assist trainees to:

  • understand how the school plans for literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills and knowledge to have been taught before they are required by learners in other learning areas/subjects;
  • understand how schools begin / have considered planning/adapting prepared schemes for mapping literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills across the curriculum;
  • understand how schools begin / have considered planning opportunities for ensuring progression within the skills across the curriculum;
  • understand the role of the literacy, numeracy and digital competence coordinator.

Trainees' background information

Trainees will have received sessions in college on the background to the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence Frameworks before this School Experience.

Areas of discussion with head/senior mentor

It would be desirable, if possible, to share photocopies of relevant documents, beforehand with the trainees in order to discuss the following areas:

In line with the operational stage of the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence Frameworks the school is currently implementing:

  • is there a whole school policy regarding the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence Frameworks and has planning been put in place for them?
  • how will responsibility be established for planning cross-curricular literacy, numeracy and digital competence across the school?
  • what sort of teaching strategies and effective class arrangements ensure that learners acquire information on numeracy, reading, writing, oracyand digital competence and apply them across the curriculum throughout the school?
  • how does the school track and monitor literacy and numeracyskills and start considering how to track and monitor the learners' digital competence skills and li teracy and numeracy skills across the curriculum and report to parents on the development of these skills?
  • how do the co-ordinator and classroom teachers plan for ICT and Digital Competence?

Background reading for trainees

  1. Estyn(2011) Strategy and guidance for inspecting literacy in 3-18 year old pupils.
  2. WAG (2008) Language Skills, Literacy and Communication. WAG
  3. Literacyand Numeracy Framework - Literacy and Numeracy Components

Available from:

Accessed 30 August, 2017

  1. National Literacy and Numeracy Framework, information document number: 120/2013

Available from:

Accessed 25 September 2013

  1. Hansen, A. & Vaukins, D. (2012) Primary Mathematics across the Curriculum.Sage
  2. Cullen,J. et al (2012) Primary English across the Curriculum. Sage
  3. NationalLiteracy Trust Available from:

30 August,2017

  1. DigitalCompetence Framework –Available from:

framework/?skip=1&lang=en

  • relevant school policies

PGCE School ‘A’ – Meeting 4
4. ‘Assessment for Learning’
Assessment for Learning across the school
S3.1.1 / They must demonstrate that they set challenging teaching and learning objectives which are relevant to all learners in their classes. They base these on their knowledge of:
  1. the learners;
  2. evidence of their past and current achievement;
  3. the expected standards for learners of the relevant age range;
  4. the range and content of work relevant to learners in that age range.

S3.1.2 / They must demonstrate that they use these teaching and learning objectives to plan lessons and sequence of lessons, showing how they will assess learners’ knowledge, skills and understanding. They take account of and support learners’ varying needs so that all those they teach can make good progress.
S 3.2.1 / They make appropriate use of a range of monitoring and assessment strategies to evaluate learners’ progress towards planned learning objectives and use this information to improve their own planning and teaching.
S3.2.2 / They must demonstrate that they monitor and assess as they teach, giving immediate and constructive feedback to support learners as they progress. They involve learners in reflecting on, evaluating and improving their own performance.
S3.2.3 / They are able to assess learners’ progress accurately using, as relevant, the Foundation Phase Outcomes, National Curriculum level descriptions, National Curriculum outcomes, criteria from national qualifications, the requirements of awarding bodiesor objectives from the relevant guidance. They may have guidance from an experienced teacher where appropriate.
S3.2.4 / They identify and support more able and talented learners, those working below age-related expectations, those who are failing to achieve their potential in learning and those who experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. They may have guidance from an experienced teacher where appropriate.
S3.2.5 / With the help of an experienced teacher, they can identify the levels of attainment of those learning English or Welsh where this is the language in which they are being taughtand is different from the language or form of language of their home. They begin to analyse the language demands and learning activities in order to provide cognitive challenge as well as language support
S3.2.6 / They record learners’ progress and achievements systematically to provide evidence of the range of their work, progress and attainment over time. They use this to help learners review their own progress and to inform planning.

Objectives

To enable trainees to:

  • Understand the importance of an assessment policy;
  • Understand the significance of Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategies as form of continual assessment of learners’ progress and achievements throughout the school;
  • Understand the assessment framework requirements of the NC or the requirements of the Foundation Phase (as relevant) to identify learners’ level;
  • Set improvement targets for individuals throughout the school.

Trainees’ background knowledge

PGCE Trainees will have had a number of sessions on Assessment for Learning (AfL) during the School Experience Preparation sessions e.g. setting clear (skills based) learning objectives, success criteria, self/peer assessment strategies, feeding observations into planning to ensure progression in skills etc.

Headteacher/senior mentor's discussion points

It would be advantageous to distribute photocopies of the relevant documents to the trainees prior to discussion of the following matters:

  • The relevant policies, e.g. assessment, responding to children’s work;
  • The role of the assessment coordinator;
  • How the school comes to a decision on learners’ achievement and the school’s assessment portfolio;
  • Discussing how records are kept:
  • Core and foundation subjects of the NC
  • Teaching areas of the Foundation Phase
  • Profile of the child/examples of a child’s work
  • Learners’ self-assessments
  • Learners’ individual targets;
  • How to use teacher assessments to check that the teaching is effective and to plan new work;
  • Using information from assessments to set targets for individuals;
  • Using homework to support class work.

Background reading for trainees

1.Clarke, S. (2014) Outstanding Formative Assessment: Culture and Practice. HodderEducation

2.Dweck, C (2012) Mindset : Changing the Way You Think to Fulfil Your Potential. LittleBrown Book Group.

3.Glazzard, J. and Stokoe, J. (2011) Achieving Outstanding on your TeachingPlacement.Sage

4.Grigg, R. (2014) Becoming an Outstanding Primary School Teacher. Taylor & FrancisLtd.

5.Hattie, J. (2013) Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximising Impact on Learning.Taylor & Francis Ltd.

6.Muncaster, K., Clarke, S. (2016) Growth Mindset Lessons-Every Child a Learner.Rising Stars

7.Robinson, C., Bingle, B. and Howard C.(2015) Your Primary School-BasedExperience : A Guide to Outstanding Placements. Critical Publishing Ltd.

8.Thomas, A. and Lewis, A. (2016) An Introduction to the Foundation Phase.Bloomsbury

9.Wyse,D. and Rogers, S (2016) A Guide toEarly Years and Primary Teaching. Sage