‘Put it there, Partner!’ A Case Study of An Organic Partnership with a School Adrian Copping Does not contain traces of School Direct Does not contain traces of School Direct

We know that teachers learn best from other professionals and that an ‘open classroom’ culture is vital: observing teaching and being observed, having the opportunity to plan, prepare, reflect and teach with other teachers (p.19) Great Britain. Department for Education. (2010). The Importance of Teaching. London. The Stationery Office

We had the experience but missed the meaning. And approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form.” T.S. Eliot. ‘The Dry Salvages’ part of ‘The Four Quartets’ 1941

‘…all too often designs for teacher education (as framed by policy) have instead relied on an acquisition view of learning and a view of knowledge as a thing that is transferred (experienced teacher to beginner).. Experience in schools simply becomes an opportunity to receive or become acculturated to the existing practices of the setting with an emphasis on reproduction of routinised behaviours and the development of bureaucratic virtues such as compliance and the collection of evidence. Learning to teach becomes teaching by proxy.. constrained by pervasive delivery metaphors..’ Ellis. V (2010). P.106

collaborative cooperative HEI-led partnership Furlong, J., Campbell, A., Howson, J., Lewis, S. and McNamara, O. (2006) 'Partnership in English Initial Teacher Education: Changing Times, Changing Definitions- Evidence from the Teacher Training Agency National Partnership Project', Scottish Educational Review, vol. 37, 32. Categories of partnership

accommodateembedpartner The school is willing to host ITE students and staff and provide access to its resources The school partners with ITE students and staff in adding their perspectives to student learning and development The school plays an active role in developing and shaping learning programmes alongside ITE students and staff and co-delivers A continuum of school involvement in ITE

The Case Study (so far) Supporting a student into NQT into RQT Observe/ support in school Observe/ model/ support in school Practitioner Research School- embedded Learning Reciprocal Activity &CPD May 2012 – July 2014

Student into NQT into RQT development journey School development journey University Tutor development journey Tutor / student support school initiates HEI development journey Practitioner research Current PGCE student development journey Reciprocal activity accommodate embed partner? Conceptualising the process; A ‘Give and Take’ model with an organic label

What was the impact? As a teacher, I believe that working in partnership with Adrian Copping has inspired my own teaching and made me reflect more on why I decided to become a teacher and how I can improve my own practice. (Hannah PGCE student, then NQT now RQT)

What was the impact? More recently, Adrian has ran a Murder Mystery higher level thinking day with my current Year Five Class at XXXX Academy and all of my class had a fantastic day and learnt a lot. I think my class benefitted from the creativity and the excitement of being taught by a historical character. (Hannah PGCE student, then NQT now RQT)

What was the impact? This second day went a lot better than expected. A lot of the children were able to engage with the different types of writing asked of them and enjoyed the real examples, especially of the coded letters. They were able to draw on the creative thinking skills from yesterday and I have been impressed at some of their writing, especially compared to what they usually produce. (reflective diary extract – lines 64-68)

What was the impact? Laura: Well, I popped in for the session before break yesterday and I was surprised to see so many of the children engaged. Adrian used approaches that I didn’t expect to work with this class.. Andrea: So, is there some CPD for staff then do you think? Laura: Well certainly for some of our staff who might shy away from this then yes. Andrea: Adrian, would you be willing to broaden this out? ( extract from semi-structured interview)

What was the impact? ‘It was really useful to team teach with you because although we have planned English a lot, seeing how you do it for a real context, helping you with structure and ideas helped my confidence but then working with you and seeing how you respond to the needs of the children and use your plan flexibly was really helpful for us to experience’ (Rosie (Pseudonym) primary PGCE student, interview)

Conclusions (so far) Relationship-built partnership is sustainable and transferable; Symmetric partnership (NCSL 2011) (moving from accommodate to embed and towards partner) is desirable by all stakeholders because they/we can get something they/we need from it; Practitioner Research in school can act as a catalyst for stakeholder involvement and springboard to other reciprocal activity.

So where next…. Shaping of a bespoke PGCE for an alliance of schools at a distance from university collaboratively with Heads and teachers Joint collaborative work on pedagogy and what it means to be a teacher educator Practitioner Research Reciprocal CPD Innovative approach – joining primary and secondary

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