Building on your strengths - A guide for Teachers
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Advanced Skills Teachers
Building on
your strengths
A guide for TeachersForeword by Stephen Twigg - Minister of State for Schools
The Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) grade provides a wonderful opportunity to recognise and
reward those excellent teachers who want to continue teaching but also wish to spend some time
helping to develop the skills of teachers in their own and neighbouring schools. I believe it is right that
our best teachers should be able to develop their careers while continuing to do what they love
best - teaching our children and young people.
Our vision is to have a teaching workforce that is properly trained and supported with access to
good information technology together with other adults in the school providing effective support. ASTs
are central to our vision and have a crucial role to play in meeting the demand for effective professional
development to improve teaching and learning. Increasingly teachers want to work with and draw on the
skills and expertise of their fellow professionals and ASTs are particularly well placed to bring their
practical classroom perspective to bear because they remain as classroom practitioners. And in
becoming an AST your own horizons will be broadened and your work with other teachers will enhance
your own practice helping to keep you at the cutting edge of pedagogy.
In becoming an Advanced Skills Teacher you will not only receive recognition and reward for continuing
your excellent practice in the classroom but you will also add a new dimension to your career through
locally driven professional to professional approaches to improving teaching and learning.Unlocking classroom experience
Your Career
Recognising the needs of professionals helping to raise teaching and learning
standards in their own and other schools.
Teaching is often regarded as a “calling” - ASTs normally spend 20% of their time
a role that people undertake because of its working on these additional duties
unique ability to shape the lives of others. (listed below) in other schools.
As a result, it can sometimes be overlooked This is known as outreach.
that teachers, just like other professionals,
have their own career and personal • leading professional learning groups
advancement goals - and challenges. • advising on classroom organisation and
How can you progress if you want to teaching methods
continue to teach? How do you ensure • providing model lessons
that you are rewarded for sharing your skills • spreading good practice based on
and expertise? What steps can you take to educational research
keep yourself challenged and motivated? • producing high quality teaching materials
How can you broaden your experience • advising on professional development
and knowledge? And how do you get • establishing professional learning teams
the recognition you deserve? in schools
• helping to support performance
The Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) management
programme is designed to address just • supporting teachers experiencing
such issues, and much more. It is a key difficulties
part of the Government’s plans to strengthen • helping with the induction and mentoring
the teaching profession by promoting of newly qualified teachers
better leadership, better rewards, better • participating in initial teacher training.
training and better support.
Making the right choice
It offers an alternative career path through
which excellent classroom practitioners can By definition an AST is an excellent teacher
continue to teach without having to take on who achieves the very best standards of
management responsibilities. In return they classroom practice and who is paid to
are rewarded for providing other teachers share their experience with other teachers.
with the opportunity to learn from their best
practices, build on their strengths and Anyone in a maintained school who
address any development needs. wants to stay as a classroom practitioner
and who has the professional and
The role of AST’s inter-personal skills needed to satisfy
the AST assessment standards, can apply
Like any teacher, the main role of an AST for an AST post. This includes part-time
is to provide excellent classroom teaching and peripatetic staff and those currently
and most of their time is spent working holding management responsibilities who
with their own classes. But they will also wish to concentrate on teaching.
undertake a range of additional duties
“There is no doubt that ASTs can help to improve teaching practice and raise standards.
Not because we know it all, but because sometimes all a teacher needs is someone to
give them that little bit of extra confidence to do what they know is right.”
Judy Gurney | Advanced Skills Teacher | Bedgrove Infant SchoolAddressing your concerns
Your Questions
“If I want a new career challenge why candidates will almost certainly already be
not just become a Department Head?” recognised by colleagues as having the
particular professional and inter-personal
Because you may want to be a teacher,
skills needed to be successful in the role.
rather than a manager. The AST role is
about recognising and rewarding
“How do I know that this isn’t just
excellent classroom practitioners.
another passing fad ?”
It allows you to do what you do best -
in the classroom - while also offering ASTs were first introduced in 1998 and
you the opportunity to raise standards have expanded significantly since then.
of teaching and learning by assisting The Government’s aim is that, over time,
other teachers and honing your own ASTs will represent 3-5% of the teaching
‘best practice’ ideas and approaches. population. In addition, there is no fixed
time limit for AST posts; decisions about
“All of my colleagues are ‘excellent’. the length of posts will depend upon the
Why should I say that I'm better than priorities of schools and LEAs.
them?”
“What support would I get as an AST?”
There are many excellent classroom
practitioners and everyone is welcome to A complete infrastructure is in place to support
apply for an AST post. But suitable and promote the work of ASTs. Nationally,
the DfES offers a range of advice and
guidance services, while your LEA will also
have a dedicated AST Co-ordinator to
arrange outreach work and facilitate the
sharing of ideas and experience. In addition,
ASTs will inevitably liaise closely with their
own Headteachers.“While I became an AST in order to share best practice and help others it has also enhanced
my own skills, because you learn new ways of approaching different schools and teachers.
This broadening of horizons is one of the key benefits of being an AST - you get to meet
new people, work with senior managers and experience different procedures and policies.”
Arti Malik | Advanced Skills Teacher | Raynham Primary School
“Aren’t ASTs just ‘hired guns’ used to ASTs have developed a number of
provide extra resources?” innovative approaches to provide
consistent teaching cover and ensure
ASTs do not take over classrooms or
that the education of their children does
provide supply cover. But ASTs do bring
not suffer. These include the re-deployment
a new perspective to help reach solutions
of existing resources, the use of part-time
collaboratively by ensuring that dedicated
staff, such as recently retired colleagues,
time is available to support the development
and the scheduling of lessons to
of best practice teaching and learning.
incorporate time for outreach. The
AST scheme gives you the flexibility to
“Why would I want to criticise my
determine the most effective approach
colleagues?”
for you and your school.
The AST role is more akin to that of a
critical and/or supportive friend. Under the “Our school is already performing well.
direction of the Headteacher, their role is What’s the point of becoming an AST?”
to work as an integral part of the school’s
Congratulations! In that case, you could
team providing unbiased advice and
be an ideal AST, helping to share the
practical guidance whenever and wherever
good practices that you have developed,
it is needed to improve overall teaching
honing the teaching methods that you
standards.
use, building closer relationships with
other schools and generally raising the
“Wouldn’t I just be at the beck and call
profile of your school. As well as this,
of the LEA and/or other schools?”
your school gains from the experiences
No. The role of the LEA or other schools is of other schools.
to match both the skills and the availability
of their ASTs with the requirements of “Would I be paid more as an AST?”
schools. Furthermore, only 20% of an
Yes. Although how much will depend on
AST’s time is spent working on outreach,
where you were to start with. ASTs attract
and this can be scheduled to suit the
a salary beyond the classroom teacher
particular needs of each person.
pay scale in return for taking on additional
duties. ASTs will normally be expected to
“I can’t just leave my classroom to
drop their management role freeing their
work on outreach. Who would provide
time for AST duties.
the teaching cover?”
Without doubt effective pre-planning is
essential. Schools that already employ
“At the end of the day it’s also great to get feedback and know that you have helped to
improve results, boost the confidence of other teachers and generally enhance the self-esteem
of the school. That’s the beauty of being an AST - you’ve got something tangible to show for
your work. From a career point of view it has given me a new lease of life.”
Ann Holland | Advanced Skills Teacher | Temple SchoolHow you will benefit
Your Opportunity
The AST scheme offers a range of personal and career benefits to teachers:
1. Career advancement 5. Enhanced profile
The Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) scheme Given its high priority within government,
is a career path that enables teachers to the AST programme has attracted
continue spending the majority of their considerable attention from the teaching
time working in the classroom. profession, school governing bodies and
parents. Your appointment as an AST can
2. Financial rewards positively enhance your personal profile,
A separate pay spine has been created as well as that of your school, by
for ASTs in recognition of their key skills demonstrating your commitment to
and good practices. improving teaching and learning standards.
3. Personal motivation 6. New school opportunities
ASTs have the opportunity to become Through outreach work ASTs can foster
involved in areas that transcend the close working relationships with other
traditional bounds of teachers, providing a educational establishments, including
whole new set of personal and professional feeder schools, providing the foundation
challenges that build on and exploit your for new initiatives such as resource sharing
existing strengths. and collaborative learning projects.
4. Professional development 7. Career satisfaction
The AST role is a unique opportunity for An AST can help an individual teacher
teachers to enhance the depth and range overcome a particular issue. But the effects
of their skills through their work with other of that work do not end there. With every
teachers and AST colleagues. There is also problem solved or best practice shared
scope for participation in local and national there is a cumulative or “snowball” effect
professional development initiatives. that will benefit the school and its pupils
for many years to come.
“The AST role is an exceptional motivational device. I’ve gained so much enjoyment and
satisfaction from it. Not only does it afford you time to communicate with people, so that
you can really support others, but you can also pursue your own personal development
and training. Overall, the AST scheme is a real success - it has taken me to another level
of professional development and given me a new set of challenges. It is the best career
opportunity I’ve had.”
Victoria Rossington | Advanced Skills Teacher | Walton Girls’ High SchoolTaking the next step
Your Decision
To decide if the AST role is the right career choice for you here are a
few simple steps you can take:
1. Are you a suitable candidate? 5. Obtain the AST information pack
Are you looking for a new career This information pack describes in detail
challenge? Do you already support your what an AST is, what being an AST
colleagues in your own time? Do you have involves and what benefits the post
the professional and inter-personal skills offers. It also explains the purpose of
needed to guide/coach other teachers? the programme and includes brief details
If so, why not discuss your suitability for of the assessment process and funding
the role of AST with your Headteacher. arrangements. To obtain a free copy
please contact DfES Publications on:
Alternatively, you may want to consider
taking a post as an AST in another 0845 60 222 60
school. Details of such posts are
normally advertised in the Educational and quote DfES/0755/2001
Supplements of the National Press.
It's your career and your decision -
2. Talk to your LEA AST Co-ordinator but working together we can
If you think you’ve got what it takes to create our future.
become an AST then you and your Head
should talk to your LEA’s AST Co-ordinator
who can explain more about the Authority’s
strategy and the funding arrangements in
place for the appointment of ASTs.
3. Contact other ASTs
To find out more about the practicalities
of working as an AST you can discuss the
scheme with other ASTs. For details please
contact your LEA’s AST Co-ordinator.
4. Read more online
The DfES AST web site contains everything
you need to know about the programme
aims, selection requirements and
application process as well as details
of AST-related events. You can access
the site at:
www.teachernet.gov.uk/astCopies of this publication can be obtained from: DfES Publications PO Box 5050 Sherwood Park Annesley Nottinghamshire NG15 0DJ Tel: 0845 60 222 60 Fax: 0845 60 333 60 e-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com Please quote reference number: 1467-2005DOC-EN Published: April 2005 Crown copyright 2005. Produced by the Department for Education and Skills © Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non commercial or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged. www.teachernet.gov.uk/ast
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