1. Mentor Briefing for part-time PGCE Consolidation Placement
November 2017

2. Contacts
Consolidation Placement Director: Ann Jones T: E: Placement team office T: (Rachael Brook) E:

3. Weekly s will be sent to mentor / link tutor and student teacher throughout the placement with reminders of key requirements. Please check that you are receiving these as they may be sent to the school office.

4. The Student Teachers Are studying their PGCE on a part-time basis.
They began the programme in September completing half of the programme last year and the remaining half this year.
All university based elements of the programme, and all academic assignments will be completed before the current placement.
They undertook the Developmental Placement in Spring It will be a year between that and the current placement.

5. Dates in 2018 Preparation: 22nd and 23rd January 29th and 30th January
Week beginning 12th or 19th February depending on the date of half-term
Planning check:
By Friday 23rd February
Block experience:
Monday 26th February to Friday 4th May
(8 weeks with 2 weeks Easter break)
Mid-point moderation appraisal:
Week beginning 19th March
Interim report:
Monday 26th March
Intervention Day:
Thursday 29th March
(Support day in university for students at grade 3 at this point)
Exit Interview:
Week beginning 23rd or 30th April

6. Key features of the Consolidation Placement: Preparation Days
Gather contextual information, start School Based Tasks and get to know the children, the classroom and school routines.
Expectations are clearly set out in the SE handbook.
40% teaching groups and whole class, 40% planning and preparation and 20% working alongside class teacher
Planning must be in place and signed off by the mentor no later than Friday 23rd February.

7. Key features of the Consolidation Placement main Block
Student teachers move from 60% to 80% timetable, aiming to be, as far as possible, the class teacher.
Six appraisals (minimum) spread evenly over the 8 weeks.
There may be an additional early reading appraisal (either phonics or guided reading).

8. The assessment process for the Consolidation Placement
Midpoint Moderation Appraisal (one of the six) with mentor and link tutor (week 4).
Interim report (submitted via STASS) – by Monday 26th March.
Exit Interview with link tutor (week 7or 8).
Triangulation meeting and report (student teacher, class teacher and mentor reviewing the placement and producing summative reports, overall grading and targets for NQT induction).

9. Planning
Teaching should only be undertaken by student teachers based on clear and prior planning.
Student teachers in EYFS should follow the planning used in their setting.
Student teachers in KS1 and 2 must prepare medium term plans in advance and plan for every taught session.
YSJU pro-forma does not need to be used.
If planning has not been approved, the student teacher must NOT start their placement and the link tutor and SE Director must be informed.

10. Medium term planning
Student teachers may use school medium term planning pro forma structures as long as these include all the elements identified on the University medium term pro forma:
- Number of weeks / sessions.
- Length of sessions.
- Learning objectives.
- Success criteria (steps to learning).
- Teaching and learning activities.
- Resource implications.
- Assessment opportunities.
Medium term planning may take a variety of forms such as thematic, skills based or ‘creative curriculum’ planning.

11. Short Term Planning
Student teachers can you their chosen pro forma which should include:
Key learning objectives referenced to NC/ELGs etc.
Success criteria
Assessment plans
Use of other adults [if appropriate]
Activity/differentiation/special considerations
Resources
Vocabulary
Brief outline of session including key questions as appropriate
Evaluation of learning and teaching/next steps
Expected timings

12. Monitoring and Assessment
Significant expectations around monitoring and assessment.
We expect the student teachers to:
Start with basics provided by YSJU
Increasingly take on more of the school’s approaches and/or their own approaches developed alongside the school
Have robust cycles of planning, teaching, assessment
Maintain clear and useful records

13. Non-contact time
Throughout the placement student teachers should have10% PPA and 10% CPD time each week. This should be timetabled.
Student teachers should be proactive in planning their CPD. The focus should be on developing weekly targets.
Professional development should be recorded in the new CPD tracker.

14. Gathering evidence
Student teachers should be encouraged to identify (with the support of mentors) practice which demonstrates their achievement of the Teachers’ Standards.
This should be noted in the Record of Professional Development throughout the placement and shared with the mentor.

15. There should be three Link tutor visits
In preparation days or early in main block  
Visit 2:
Stage 1 of exit process (week 4)
Shared appraisal at mid-point to support target setting
Visit 3:
Stage 2 of exit process (week 7 or 8)
Exit interview in final two weeks of block (+ moderation of judgements)

16. Documentation: mentors and student teachers
Consolidation Experience Handbook
detailed expectations for the placement
Appraisal handbook
All the necessary forms for mentors for appraisals
Planning and Assessment Guidance
Planning and assessment information and documents for student teachers
Dealing with Placement problems
Guidance if things go wrong

17. Four School Experience files
Well kept files are required for passing this placement.
1. Teaching file
Everything needed for one week in the classroom
2. Planning and archive file
Long and medium term plans, schemes of work etc.
Overviews where appropriate
Archive of lesson planning
3. Record of Professional Development
Student profile document
Reflective learning journals
Grading Guidance
School based tasks
4. Monitoring and Assessment File
Samples gathered under 11 headings to
support the exit interview process

18. Weekly reflective learning journal and the record of weekly meetings
Please try to arrange a regular weekly meeting with the student teacher
Consider Friday or Monday so that the RLJ can be read, discussed and acted on in the following week
Mentors need to decide whether they are happy with an electronic copy and if so, when? Lay your ground rules about communication outside school

19. Weekly reflective learning journal and the record of weekly meetings
The first sections of the RLJ should be completed by the student teacher and discussed with the mentor during their weekly meeting.
The RLJ should then be completed through discussion between student teacher and mentor. It should be informed by lesson evaluations, and by an overview of the whole week.
Student teachers should be demonstrating sustained competence throughout the week.
During the weekly meeting the reflective learning journal should be used to help identify targets for the forthcoming week.

20. The Emerging Professional
We expect student teachers in their final placement to be:
Reflective
Increasingly autonomous
Demonstrating sustained competence in the classroom
Demonstrating potential to become an NQT

21. Student teachers should become increasingly autonomous
Planning, teaching and assessment of whole class
Own professional development, including the use of CPD time
Coping with the daily rigour of the job
An ability to cope with change/be flexible

22. Potential to become an NQT
Meet all Teachers’ Standards
Fulfil all aspects of the role of the class teacher
Highly respected by learners and colleagues
Positive attitude
Willingness to learn and be available to help

23. The mentor role Support Appraise Classroom management
Professional development and wider involvement in the school
For completion of school based tasks
Planning, teaching and assessment Lessons
Professional performance and characteristics
Files

24. Formative feedback All appraisals should result in:
Constructive, formative feedback;
Subject specific feedback
Target setting related to the TS
Supporting the student teachers in understanding how to improve
e.g. from RI (Requires improvement to become good) to Good or Good to Outstanding
Refer to the ‘Good to Outstanding booklets’ to support this development

25. Placement Grading
Final grades are identified at the end of the placement in discussion between mentor and link tutor.
Grades of 1 = Outstanding, 2 = Good, 3 = Requires improvement to become good and 4 = below standard.
All grades are appropriate to the stage of the student teachers' training.
Final grades are embedded in the student teacher’s reference.

26. Dealing with problems
Clear procedures in the ‘Dealing with Placement Problems’ booklet
Most problems are small and can be solved quickly at school level
Anything bigger or longer term MUST involve YSJU at an early stage. Don’t wait till time is short!
Contact link tutor first or Consolidation Experience Director if it’s urgent/major
Students at grade 3(RI) or below will need additional targets in place using the YSJU Requiring Improvement Action Plan pro-forma

27. Finally – SUMMING UP Refer to the Handbook regularly and weekly emails
Discuss the student teacher’s targets from the Developmental Placement and how to address them
Ensure the student teacher is ready to start the block – satisfactory files and medium term planning
Plan a timetable for the whole block if possible
Arrange weekly meetings and discuss student teacher’s reflections and grades

28. For nurturing our student teachers
Thank you
For nurturing our student teachers
All documentation can be found on our website: