Supporting Probationers/ Newly Qualified Teachers in Argyll and Bute

The NQT’s Entitlement

  • NQTs are expected to teach for 0.7 of a week. Class contact time is 22.5 hours, and so this equates to 15 hours and 45 minutes contact time. This additional non contact time is for personal professional development and collegiate activities within the school.
  • In secondary schools,an NQT is expected to lead all of their own core classes in their main subject, and not simply be watching others teach or making up the class contact time in a different discipline. In the primary sector, hours cannot be made up by having NQTs assist in a colleague’s class at a different stage.
  • NQTs have an entitlement to regular, quality meetings with their supporter in the school. Regular high quality feedback and discussion is the best way to help the NQT to maximise learning from classroom experiences.
  • NQTs are entitled to attend the authority support seminars throughout the year. These seminars are a required element of the authority’ssupport for NQTs.

Supporting the NQT

A main feature, much admired internationally, is the allocation of a supporter to the NQT. This role is a critical one and can literally make or break the experience for the NQT.Therefore we need to ensure that any teacher assigned to this role is suited to it; this is not a role that everyone can do equally well and it is a head-teacher’s skill in allocating teachers to this that will ensure our programme’s continued success. The specification for a good supporter includes having:

  • a desire to nurture our newly qualified teachers;
  • a learning disposition;
  • more of a coaching than a telling disposition;
  • good people skills, and
  • excellent teaching skills.

Argyll and Bute provides “supporter” training annually. This should be considered mandatory for supporters who have not already attended the session. Where there are specific needs, the Local Authority coordinator will visit supporters to deliver training locally. Argyll and Bute also offers basic “coaching” training annually, and the skills developed during this training should be considered as central to a supporter’s success.

The main duties of a supporter areto:

  • get to know the probationer professionally and personally;
  • create an open, supportive and challenging climate for discussion;
  • co-ordinate and manage the probationer’s professional development programme;
  • monitor and evaluate progress through observation of teaching, providing feedback, organising regular meetings which focus on the probationer’s self-evaluation of his/her progress and identifying development needs and action plans;
  • ensure that opportunities are provided to address the professional development needs of the probationer;
  • provide pastoral support, when appropriate;
  • oversee the development, implementation and review of the probationer teacher’s action plans and portfolio;
  • monitor and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the school support programme for the probationer teacher;
  • encourage the probationer to reflect on his/her teaching and evaluate pupils’ learning;
  • complete, in conjunction with the Head of Establishment, the interim and final profiles for the probationer, and
  • liaise with the Local Authority ProbationCo-ordinator and Continuing Professional Development Co-ordinator (CPD Co-ordinator) in the school.

In Argyll we have generally enjoyed good relationships between supporters and NQTs, but this is a human process and it is worth acknowledging that there can be difficulties or personality clashes. If the relationship is experiencing difficulties, it is important that both parties have a chance to talk it over with a view to getting the relationship back on track. If this should happen it is important to involve the Local Authority Probation Co-ordinatorat an early stage. Experience tells us that this makes a positive difference for all concerned.

More specifically, there is 0.1 FTE allocated in the school’s budget for the supporter and it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that this is translated into quality time for the supporter and NQT to meet. The specific activities to be undertaken are:

  • regular weekly meetingsin a private space to discuss the NQT’s learning and development;
  • a minimum of 10 observed lessons, with each one focusing on a specific area of development agreed by both parties. It is recommended that at least 5 of these should be completed before Christmas, an additional 3 by Easter and a further 2 in the final term. Note that an observed lesson should ideally be done as a shared lesson and might only be as short as 25 minutes or so. These should not be “crit” style lessons with the supporter sitting at the back for an hour watching. Quality time should be given afterwards to discuss the observed lesson and a brief note of this recorded in the profile. It is good practice to have one of the observed lessons conducted by an independent observer e.g. a local teacher or a visiting Quality Improvement Officer;
  • note that the supporter should concentrate on developing one or two aspects of the NQT’s performance at a time. It is a long year, and you can gradually develop most of what is required over the long term; too many demands on an NQT too early can simply leave them feeling swamped;
  • helping the NQT to complete the profile for December and the end of May.

The Head Teacher’s role

The Head Teacher, (assuming the head teacher is not the supporter), is responsible for ensuring that the NQT has a positive and developmental experience. The head teacher will ensure that the NQT experience fits our high standards. The head teacher is responsible for the NQT’s development, the experience of the learners and supporting the supporter. The key challenges for the head teacher can include:

  • ensuring that “mistakes are treasures” and that the NQT moves forward positively when they inevitably occur;
  • ensuring that a sense of teamwork and skilful relationship management is maintained, and
  • where the NQT is not achieving the standard, telling the NQT sensitively but honestly what remains to be achieved, and/ or, supporting the supporter in doing so.

The main responsibilities are to:

  • support professional development of the probationer within the staff team;
  • enable the probationer and supporter to have time to discuss the progress of the probationer and ensure access to appropriate professional development activities;
  • provide opportunities for professional development for the supporter;
  • monitor and evaluate the school’s probationer support programme with the supporter;
  • complete, in conjunction with the supporter, the interim and final profiles for the probationer and recommend probationers for full registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, where appropriate.

The NQT’s role is to:

  • be open, enthusiastic about and receptive to Continuing Professional Development and the Teacher Induction Scheme processes;
  • seek advice and guidance from their supporter and other appropriate colleagues;
  • become familiar with the school’s policies and the schoolimprovementplan;
  • use the regular meetings with the supporter and the agreed action plans to support their learning and development;
  • review and reflect on their own teaching and learning and adjust plans and expectations in the light of their pupils’ achievements;
  • self-evaluate and monitor their professional learning and development with their supporter and other staff as appropriate;
  • maintain a record of professional development targets and future actions, and
  • identify and record appropriate critical incidents and evidence to use as a focus of discussion with their supporter.

The General Calendar

May/June / Host schools and Supporters are identified and issued with probationer Handbook and Supporting Probationers Document.
First Network Day for Supporters is arranged (Focus on TIS Structure)
Authority Induction Day for New Probationers.
August: / Ensure NQT is fully and formally introduced to the school. This includes all documentation such as handbooks and procedures, as well as a tour of the school and introduction to staff and explanation of everyone’s roles.
September: / Attendance of Support Seminars 1 and 2 in Inveraray.
Supporters’ Network Day 2: Focus on Coaching and mentoring and reporting on progress.
November: / Attendance of Support Seminars 3 and 4 in Inveraray.
Also completion of and submission of the interim profile to Local Authority Coordinator to arrive by first working day in December.
Submission of Practitioner Enquiry Project Proposal.
January: / Supporters’ Network day 3: Focus on Coaching and Mentoring and sharing experiences.
February: / Attendance of Support Seminars 5 and 6 in Inveraray.
March: / Submission of additional interim profile (if required) to Local Authority Coordinator.
May: / Attendance of Support Seminar’s 7 and 8 in Inveraray.
Submission and presentation of Practitioner Enquiry Project.
Final profile must be submitted to Local Authority Coordinator by mid May.

Extensions:

Once the probation period is over and the NQT has not yet satisfied you that they have fully achieved the required standard, you have two options open to you:

  • you may recommend no registration where you think the standard is unlikely to be achievable by the NQT at this time or in the near future;
  • you may recommend an extension period. This should only be used where you are very confident that the additional period of 12 weeks teaching will enable the NQT to achieve the standard. This is normally only granted where there are special circumstances such as illness that has held the NQT back, and would only be decided in conjunction with the Local Authority Probation Co-ordinator.

Please note that NQT’s will be given a full teaching commitment during an extension, not a 0.7 contact.