ITE Placement Handbook 2021-22 - Generic Information for all Courses Updated July 2021 - Leeds Beckett University
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
ITE Placement
Handbook
2021-22
Generic Information for all
Courses
Updated July 2021
1
Contents
1. CONTACTS............................................................................................................................................. 3
2. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 5
3. ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS .................................................................................................................. 6
3A. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRAINEE ................................................................................................... 6
3B. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MENTOR ................................................................................................... 7
3C. RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOST TEACHERS ............................................................................................ 9
3D. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LINK TUTOR ............................................................................................. 9
3E. RESPONSIBILITIES OF EXTERNAL EXAMINERS AND MODERATORS ................................................. 10
4. PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS OF TRAINEES ................................................................................... 10
4A. DRESS ............................................................................................................................................... 10
4B. PROFESSIONAL PERSONA ................................................................................................................. 11
4C. HEALTH AND SAFETY ........................................................................................................................ 11
4D. PLACEMENT PROVIDER ETHOS AND POLICIES .................................................................................. 11
4E. OBSERVATION ................................................................................................................................... 11
4F. TEACHING .......................................................................................................................................... 12
4G. TIMEKEEPING AND PUNCTUALITY ..................................................................................................... 12
4H. DIRECTED ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................................................... 12
4I. WHOLE SCHOOL / EXTRA CURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT ...................................................................... 12
4J. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................................................................. 12
5. PLACEMENT EXPECTATIONS ............................................................................................................... 13
5A. RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT ALLOCATION .................................................................................. 13
5B. PLACEMENT REASSIGNMENT ............................................................................................................ 13
5C. PAIRED PLACEMENTS........................................................................................................................ 13
6. INTERVENTION PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................... 14
6A. INTERVENTION 1................................................................................................................................ 14
6B. INTERVENTION 2................................................................................................................................ 15
6C. INTERVENTION 1 AND 2 PROCESS FLOW CHART .............................................................................. 16
6D. RE-SIT PLACEMENT PROCESS FLOW CHART..................................................................................... 17
6E. ACHIEVING QUALIFIED TEACHER STATUS (QTS) ............................................................................ 18
7. DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE (DBS) CHECKS ...................................................................... 19
8. EVALUATION OF THE PLACEMENT....................................................................................................... 20
9. TRAVEL POLICY ................................................................................................................................... 20
9A.TRAVEL TIMES AND EXPECTATIONS ................................................................................................... 20
9B. USE OF OWN TRANSPORT ................................................................................................................. 21
9C. HIRE CARS ........................................................................................................................................ 21
21. Contacts
Academic contacts
Pinky Jain
Head of Teacher Education
Nick Mitchell N.N.Mitchell@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Partnership Manager 07585 795290
Rebecca Tickell R.Tickell@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Senior Consultant, ITE 0113 812 4971
Sarah Hindmarsh S.L.Hindmarsh@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Director BA (Hons) Primary 0113 81 27072
Education leading to QTS 3 year route
Sue Rook S.N.Rook@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Leader BA (Hons) Primary 0113 812 5860
Education (5-11) leading to QTS 3 year
route
Mandy Pierlejewski M.J.Pierlejewski@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Leader BA (Hons) Primary 0113 81 22060
Education (3-7) leading to QTS 3 year route
Peter Mellor P.Mellor@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Leader PGCE Secondary (11-16) 0113 81 24713
Louise Nelson L.Nelson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Leader PGCE Primary (5-11) 0113 81 23529
Paul Ogilvie P.Ogilvie@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Leader PGCE Primary with PE (5- 0113 81 22457
11)
Suzanne Simpson suzanne.simpson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Course Leader PGCE Primary (Early Years 0113 81 21943
3-7)
Professional Services contacts
Placement Team carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 21761
Pastoral Team educationpastoral@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Admin Team teachertraining@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
DBS Team DBS@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 23268
3School Placement Guidance on Covid-19
School placements are a critical part of any QTS teacher training course. For
prospective teachers, school placements are periods of profound self-
development where trainees learn how to work closely with children and other
adults over a sustained period of time and demonstrate to themselves and
others their ability to meet the teacher standards for QTS. In the process, our
trainees make a substantial contribution to schools and their pupils. We expect
that the present academic year will be no different however schools’ routines are
affected by Covid-19 but it is important that we do what we can to ensure the
safety of our trainees, as well as those working in or attending schools.
We expect trainees to attend school during their placements: our partner
schools have agreed to take students and should have carried out the necessary
risk assessments to ensure they are providing a safe experience. Attendance on
placement is important and trainees missing school for whatever reason should
inform the Placement Office as soon as possible. We will also be asking our
placement schools to monitor trainees’ attendance.
Should trainees not be able to attend placement at any stage either
because a school is unable to host them, or because they have to self-
isolate, they will not be disadvantaged in respect of their course
assessment. Arrangements will be made for those trainees to continue their
studies through a virtual module and tutorial support will be provided.
Trainees should familiarise themselves with any health and safety
arrangements in place including those in respect of Covid-19 before
attending placement. Schools will have social distancing and hygiene
measures in place which trainees will be required to respect throughout their
placement. Trainees using public transport should also ensure they comply with
any requirements. Trainees making arrangements for their placement directly
with the school should confirm with their prospective host school any Covid-19
specific arrangements with which they have to comply.
If a trainee is unclear about any aspects of the arrangements for their
placement or has concerns about their health and safety in a particular
placement school, they should contact the Placement Office
(carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk).
More University guidance about Covid-19 can be found at
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/covid-19/. Government guidance on keeping safe in
schools can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/guidance-for-
schools-coronavirus-covid-19
42. Introduction
The ITE Placement Handbook has been prepared to guide trainees, Headteachers,
Mentors and Link Tutors through the Initial Teacher Education Placement process. It is
essential reading for working in partnership with Leeds Beckett University Initial Teacher
Education courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
This handbook provides generic practical guidance on expectations and processes for
schools and placement experience for trainees and will be accompanied by specific key
stage supplements.
The information gives guidance to trainees, Mentors and Headteachers regarding
policies and procedures relating to trainees on placement. Instructions highlight how
both trainees and Mentors should prepare for the placement and exercise their
responsibilities during the placement.
The Placement Office acts as a trainee-centred drop in service providing high quality
administrative support to placement providers, trainees and staff in relation to
placements as well as standardising procedures and documentation where possible.
The Placement Office is open 9am to 5pm (weekdays) closing only for Bank Holidays,
Christmas and occasional staff training days.
Recording and evaluation against the Teacher Standards takes place through
PebblePad, an online tool that facilitates broad and secure assessment of Trainees
taking into account lesson observations, pupil assessment data and scrutiny of pupil
work. The system allows trainees and those who work with them to record and measure
progress through the Teacher Standards, building an online evidence portfolio. Mentors,
trainees, Link Tutors and Leeds Beckett staff will be able to interact with each other
through PebblePad, tracking progress together towards the Teachers’ Standards,
setting and monitoring objectives and gathering and evaluating evidence of progress
towards QTS assessment. Mentor training, a guide and videos cover how to use the
PebblePad platform, however should you require further assistance, please contact the
Placement Office.
We hope that you find this information relevant and of use. Please do not hesitate to
contact us at the Placement Office by telephone on 0113 812 1761, alternatively by
email on carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk should you require further
clarification or information on anything mentioned within this handbook, or indeed
should you wish to discuss issues in relation to ITE Placements.
Nick Mitchell
Rebecca Tickell
Carnegie Hall
n.n.mitchell@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
53. Roles and Expectations
3a. Responsibilities of the Trainee
The ITE course is an academic and professional preparation to teach that is delivered
by a partnership of schools and Leeds Beckett University (Leeds Beckett ITE
Partnership) and trainees are expected to uphold academic and professional standards
of conduct.
The Teacher Standards include a clear statement of professional expectations which
trainees are expected to demonstrate throughout their course: A teacher is expected to
demonstrate consistently high standards of professional conduct. Teachers uphold
public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within
and outside school. Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos,
policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards in
their own attendance and punctuality
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards).
Leeds Beckett University also has policies and codes of practice relating to student
conduct, regulations and procedures relating to professional suitability or professional
misconduct. Further information can be found on the Student Regulations page of the
Leeds Beckett University Website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-
information/student-regulations/).
Throughout their ITE course trainees are expected to act and behave professionally and
responsibly in line with professional and academic expectations. Trainees must observe
and implement fully the policies, procedures and requirements of Leeds Beckett
University and the schools in which they are placed. They are expected to be proactive
and aspirational in their self-preparation to become well-qualified, reflective and self-
motivated teachers, and to promote the learning, development and well-being of the
children with whom they work during their initial teacher training.
In addition to observing professional and university expectations, trainees are required
to:
• Conduct themselves in accordance with the professional expectations of the
Teacher Standards and work consistently towards exceeding the Teacher
Standards requirements;
• Demonstrate a professional attitude to ITE Partnership staff, parents, pupils and
course commitments;
• Understand and operate within the provisions of all relevant legislation that
applies to schools and young people including equality and diversity law;
• Ensure that they are fully cognisant of, and work within, the health and safety
arrangements in their schools, including safe guarding and child protection, and
the school’s policies, procedures and codes of conduct. They must immediately
inform the host teachers or other member of staff if they have any concerns for a
child’s welfare;
• Complete all required tasks, assessments, assignments, duties and directed
activities, including reading tasks and pre-session preparation and planning
required by the university and their schools in relation to the ITE course;
• Maintain full, accurate and up-to-date records of their progress and of feedback
and objective setting with their Mentor and Link Tutor using the PebblePad
platform and share and critically discuss these reports and records with all ITE
partner staff when required;
• Respond constructively, with academic and professional integrity, to advice and
guidance offered by trainers and others during their course; and when
6discussing their own, or their pupils’ progress; take responsibility for their own
learning and self-development; and complete all activities, tasks, assignments
and documentation to time and with evident commitment;
• Attend punctually all elements of the course including training days in school,
and follow absence procedures in schools and in the university;
• Maintain effective communications with the university, their placement schools
and the individual staff and ITE trainees with whom they train, and ensure that all
relevant partners have up-to-date contact details for them throughout the ITE
course;
• Ensure that they provide to school staff, as required, relevant documentation
relating to their course including university policies and handbooks and support
in using PebblePad as appropriate;
• Prepare themselves appropriately for each school-experience placement by
familiarising themselves with the school’s ethos and context, by researching
publicly accessible data including the school’s website, prospectus, Ofsted
report and data dash-board or other relevant DfE data on the school’s response
to national policy and legislation including the Prevent Strategy.
Trainees are responsible for ensuring that their term time address details are correct
and up to date on MyBeckett (update my details) and their travel and circumstances on
InPlace. Failure to do so may affect their placement.
3b. Responsibilities of the Mentor
Schools working in the partnership will have teachers who have been trained as
Mentors in the Leeds Beckett partnership or the partnership of another ITT provider.
The Mentor is a teacher with strong experience in the age phase of the trainee’s course
and, for secondary trainees, the subject of the ITE training.
Mentors share responsibility with the university’s tutors for the trainees overall course
and for ensuring the integration of the school-based and university-based elements to
create cohesive and integrated learning opportunities and experiences. The Mentor
carries the main responsibility for the day-to-day learning and progress of the trainee
when they are in school. The university tutors carry that responsibility when the trainees
are in the university.
The Mentor is responsible for securing the specific arrangements and programme of
learning and assessment for their mentee in their school. They liaise with the ITT Co-
ordinator and other mentors and host teachers and with the Link Tutor and the trainee in
setting-up the programme and in assessing the trainee’s progress and achievements.
The programme arranged by Mentors will vary according to the specific school-
experience placement that the trainee is undertaking and additional guidance on
specific expectations and arrangements are provided in the detailed course handbooks
to which Mentors and trainees should refer.
The Mentor is responsible for advising, guiding and supervising trainees in school. They
are expected to observe the trainee’s classroom practice, and support and critique the
trainee’s planning and assessment of pupils. Mentors are expected to meet weekly with
the trainee to provide critical feed-forward and feed-back on their professional
development and their professional performance and to set precise and achievable
objectives for the trainee’s self- improvement and development. Progress against
objectives should be discussed and monitored in the weekly meeting between the
trainee and their Mentor. Trainees should keep notes of the meetings and each meeting
record should be signed by the Mentor and trainee. Copies of the weekly meeting
record should be retained and filed. These records must be up-to-date and be available
for ITE partners to scrutinise at any time.
7The Mentor will liaise with the Link Tutor allocated to each trainee and the Link Tutor
and Mentor will be responsible for agreeing together the interim and final grades
awarded to the trainee against each of the Teacher Standards.
Whilst the programme organised by Mentors will vary according to the requirements of
different placements, aspects of the role that are common to all placements include the
provision of:
• Induction into the school and its policies, codes of practice, and other
arrangements and expectations, including dress and self-presentation;
• Access to relevant internal documentation and clear guidance on protocols and
limitations as to their use;
• A programme of structured observation, teaching, assessment, marking, and
parental engagement relevant to the stage of training and the placement phase.
• Opportunities to observe a wide range of formats and styles of teaching and
learning, and different teachers especially those with high expertise in specific
aspects of teaching, learning and management;
• Opportunities to engage with staff meetings, in-service training, meetings for
parents including meetings regarding pupil progress; transitional arrangements
across relevant key stages (e.g. KS2 to KS3);
• Weekly observation, feedback and objective setting by the Mentor, of the
trainee’s work and progress in school, using PebblePad.
• A scheduled one hour weekly meeting with the trainee to discuss and monitor
progress, agree and set improvement objectives;
• Fair, consistent and accurate assessment of their trainee/s, and discussion and
reporting of assessment grades to ITE partners, including the trainee.
Assessing Trainees
Assessment of trainees is a key part of the Mentor role. The following is a summary of
the principles underpinning assessment in our partnership.
Trainees’ teaching over time should be assessed holistically focusing on the impact they
have on the quality of pupil progress and learning. The Teacher Standards will be
applied as appropriate to the context and content of trainees’ teaching, over sequences
of lessons with regard to the context in which a trainee is practising and consistent with
what could reasonably be expected of a trainee teacher at their stage of training.
When making judgements, the full range of evidence should be utilised, including
planning, discussions with trainees and pupils, pupils’ responses in lessons and in their
work books, the quality and impact of trainees’ marking and feedback, trainees’
assessment and planning records and evidence of their own and their pupils’ progress
and learning over time.
The quality of teaching must be judged in terms of attainment in relation to the relevant
Teachers’ Standards and not on individual lessons. Assessment must be informed by
evidenced, professional judgements which are accurate and rigorous. All grades,
comments and Objectives should be aligned with the grade descriptors for the grade
being awarded.
Free Mentor training is provided by the university. Details will be emailed regularly by
the Placement Office.
83c. Responsibilities of Host Teachers
Host teachers support trainees with elements of their school-based training. They may
offer specialist curriculum and pedagogic expertise, for example in phonics,
mathematics, behaviour management, inclusion, assessment. They may also receive
trainees within their classroom to offer opportunities for collaborative teaching or
experiences with different groups of pupils and teaching and learning arrangements.
Host Teachers are responsible for supporting, advising and monitoring trainees on
discrete aspects of their work in school, within the Host Teacher’s classroom. Host
Teachers are expected to:
• Set this support within the overall programme of experience and learning set-up
by the mentor;
• Discuss with the trainee their learning, objectives and progress in the specific
areas that they are supporting;
• Report to the Mentor on the trainee’s progress and input into the weekly
meetings and reporting templates as appropriate;
• Contribute to the mid-point and end-point assessment of trainees.
3d. Responsibilities of the Link Tutor
A Link Tutor is allocated to each trainee at the start of each assessed placement. The
Link Tutor is responsible for quality assuring each trainee’s experience and training in
school and for providing advice support and guidance to the trainee in collaboration with
the Mentor.
The Link Tutor is the first point of contact with the University for all matters concerning
the ITE course and trainees on school experience. The Link Tutor will support the
school in making contact with colleagues in the ITE Partnership and Leeds Beckett
University. Where more than one trainee is placed in a primary school, the same Link
Tutor will normally be allocated to support each trainee individually, so that the school
and the Link Tutor are able to build a strong and reciprocal training relationship.
The role of the Link Tutor is to:
• Quality assure the trainee’s experience in school by promoting and monitoring
the implementation of ITE policies, procedures and reporting requirements in
the school setting;
• Work closely with Head Teachers and senior managers to ensure that the
school’s link with Leeds Beckett University is developed and enhanced to the
benefit of all parties;
• Liaise with school staff, university academic and administrative staff, and
trainees in support of progress on placement;
• Provide expertise, support, advice and guidance to trainees, Mentors and other
staff working in the ITE Partnership;
• Assess and monitor trainees’ progress on placement, and secure high quality
training and outcomes for each Trainee in their school experience placement;
• Ensure that all partners evaluate the school experience, its integration with
other ITE Partnership training provision, and its outcomes, and identify areas
for course improvement;
• Remain up to date with Teacher Training policy, regulation and practice in
England and, through attendance at all training meetings, fully and effectively
support and comply with Leeds Beckett ITE Partnership procedures and
practices.
During placements, Link Tutors will normally visit trainees once unless there are
particular reasons for extra visits. The visit will usually be at the mid-point of the
9placement. Link Tutor and Mentors will jointly undertake a mid-placement overview
meeting to set and agree objectives. At the end of each placement, the Link Tutor will
contact the Mentor to agree an end-placement review which will indicate grades for
each Teacher Standard.
The Link Tutor meetings play a key role in keeping up-to-date with academic, regulatory
and sector developments. Leeds Beckett University will organise regular Link Tutor
meetings.
3e. Responsibilities of External Examiners and Moderators
In order to be compliant with the Secretary of State’s ITT Criteria, all ITT providers are
required to:
• Appoint external Examiners / Moderators who can offer an independent
perspective on:
• the efficacy of the training programme in allowing trainees to maximise
their achievement/attainment;
• the accuracy and reliability of grading;
• the effectiveness of underlying processes; (Criterion C3.41);
• Establish clearly the role of the External Examiner / Moderator in the Partnership
Agreement (Criterion C3.22).
Leeds Beckett External Examiners and External Moderators (external practice experts)
are appointed, normally for three years, and have no direct involvement with the work of
the partnership. They are required to offer an external perspective on the processes,
procedures and practices of the ITE Partnership, the quality of the training provision
across the ITE Partnership and the attainment of trainees, and to support verification of
the accuracy, reliability and consistency of the assessments made by the ITE
Partnership. The University operates procedures to ensure that professionals with
extensive experience of ITE are appointed to these roles.
External Examiners and External Moderators will visit partner schools and meet with
trainees and Mentors to carry-out their role. Leeds Beckett University is responsible for
identifying those trainees who are to be visited, applying established criteria, and will
inform all partners of the visit timetable. All partners are required to facilitate and support
the roles and purposes of the External Examination and Moderation procedures and
processes.
4. Professional Expectations of Trainees
A teacher is expected to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and
professional conduct. Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high
standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school. Teachers must have
proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in
which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality.
Teachers’ Standards May 2012
4a. Dress
As a professional and a role model for the children, it is expected that trainees will dress
appropriately and adhere to the school’s dress code. If trainees are unsure of the school
requirements then they should be pro-active and ask the school prior to placement
commencing.
1
See of the ITT Criteria Supporting advice NCTL (2015) pp 26-28
2
ITT Criteria Supporting advice NCTL (2015), pp 22-23.
10Dress should be ‘fit for purpose’ and conform to health and safety guidelines. In most
cases it is appropriate to dress in a smart but casual way that is also appropriate for the
classroom.
Designer and expensive clothing is best avoided in a busy, active and sometimes
messy environment. Likewise, it is also good practice and common sense to avoid any
clothing that may cause offence to a school community or even antagonistic to local
culture such as sportswear associated with particular teams.
Trainees will also be expected to wear appropriate clothing, such as a tracksuit, for PE
and associated lessons.
Schools differ in what they consider to be appropriate dress although they are expected
to respect the religious and cultural values of individual student teachers.
4b. Professional persona
Trainees are expected to demonstrate a professional attitude to all school staff,
university staff who may visit, parents and pupils at all times.
Trainees must also be professional and receptive to feedback offered on their teaching
and progress.
Trainees should exemplify a good standard of spoken English and avoid language that
could be misunderstood such as slang, being overly familiar and any form of swearing.
Use of the Internet and mobile phone use during the school day should be restricted to
private and personal time. Many schools have mobile phone policies for staff and
trainees should check their particular placement settings policy.
Be mindful of discussing any confidentiality issues inside or outside the placement
setting and express any opinion in a professional manner and refrain from gossip or
inappropriate use of social media.
4c. Health and safety
Become familiar with the health and safety regulations which apply to schools and
particular subjects.
Interviews / interactions with pupils should occur in a public place where they can be
seen by other members of staff.
4d. Placement provider ethos and policies
Become familiar with the placement provider policies, including handbooks and codes of
conduct.
Follow placement provider procedures, safeguarding and behaviour management
policies
Become involved in staff meetings if appropriate.
4e. Observation
Trainees must spend time observing and acquainting themselves with the placement
setting and the pupil’s interaction with the teacher during the lesson.
Observe teachers and their approach to different pupils and aspects of the curriculum.
114f. Teaching
Take an active role in teaching in a thoroughly committed way.
Assess pupils’ achievements and keep records.
Work under the supervision of placement provider staff and observe codes of
confidentiality.
Planning to be completed in a timely manner and to be available at all times.
4g. Timekeeping and punctuality
Trainees should be aware of the times they should be in school, in lessons, in tutor time,
and be punctual.
Whilst in school, trainees are expected to fulfil the professional role of the teacher and
therefore need to arrive as a minimum at least half an hour before the school day starts.
Trainees should check start and finish times with the school, but these may well need to
be extended according to the amount of preparation and organisation needed to fulfil
professional responsibilities as a teacher.
4h. Directed activities
Trainees should complete any directed activities as required and take the initiative in
liaising with Mentors to organise these.
4i. Whole school / extra curricular involvement
Participation in extra-curricular activities is an expectation, therefore trainees must show
initiative and not wait to be asked. It is suggested that trainees:
• Leave a legacy of extra-curricular activities that can be continued by other
teachers after their departure.
• Become familiar with outside agencies and links.
• Attend parents’ evenings where appropriate.
• Attend the placement provider‘s professional development days if appropriate.
4j. Legal responsibilities
Trainees must be aware of the school’s statutory legal responsibilities about the
following and ensure they are familiar with them.
• Medicine - do not administer medicines in any form to pupils.
• Sex education - do not undertake any teaching in relation to sex education,
either as a planned activity or as it arises in class discussion.
• Substance use/misuse - if pupils report any issues relating to drug or solvent
abuse, even in confidence, immediately report the matter to the host teachers
and/or the Headteacher.
• Child protection - if pupils report any issues relating to physical or sexual abuse,
even in confidence, immediately report the matter to the host teachers and/or the
Headteacher.
• Playground duty and PE - a qualified teacher must be present during playground
duty or in the teaching of Physical Education. Trainees must not take sole
responsibility for these or related activities.
• Physical contact - be mindful of professional responsibilities and the legal
framework governing physical contact between teachers and children. Trainees
also need to understand the school policy relating to this matter.
• Industrial action - trainees need to discuss their position with the Headteacher
regardless of your union status.
125. Placement Expectations
5a. Recruitment and placement allocation
The Placement Office are responsible for the recruitment of ITE placements.
The university expects the trainee to keep the Placement Office informed of any
circumstances that may affect their placement.
The matching of trainees to placement offers is an academic decision. This will be
undertaken in collaboration with the Placement Office and all details will be relayed via
InPlace.
The university expects trainees to attend their assigned placement school, failure to
attend the school without due correspondence with the Placement Office may lead to a
withdrawal of the placement offer and ultimately having to resit or even fail the course.
Placements often require big commitments in terms of time, efforts and motivations.
Transport to and from the school can be very difficult to arrange and often involves
setting off at 6am and returning home after 6pm. It is an expectation that trainees will
have to comply with the transport policy arrangements and the decisions of the
placement team.
5b. Placement reassignment
In the event of exceptional or mitigating circumstances a trainee can request a review of
the placement decision by completing and submitting the Placement Reassignment
Request Form detailing the reasons why they feel their circumstances warrant a
reassignment of placement. This application will then be reviewed by an academic
panel after which the trainee will be formally informed of the decision. The decision
made is final and trainees will be expected to abide by the decision.
Occasionally trainees may request to make initial contact with schools in known
locations, but before a school is approached this must be checked with the Placement
Office. Potential self-sourced placements need to be considered and approved by the
Course Leader and Partnership Manager so please submit such requests in writing to
the Placement Office. Please note this is in no way a guarantee of a placement in
that school.
5c. Paired placements
Holistic and Phase 1 placements may see two trainees as teachers in one classroom, a
paired placement or individual trainees in separate classes. Increasingly in initial
teacher education (ITE), collaborative teaching is being recognised as a valuable means
of professional development at all stages from student teacher to highly experienced /
senior member of staff. It is widely recognised that people will be working together and
supporting each other in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Team teaching,
mentoring, peer coaching, joint planning, mutual observation and feedback are
increasingly becoming a normal part of school life. The university recognises the
benefits of such collaborative approaches by incorporating opportunities to undertake a
group or paired placements where appropriate.
6. Absence Reporting Procedure
If a trainee is unable to go into the placement setting on a day that they are scheduled
to attend this procedure must be followed:
131. Contact the school as soon as possible by telephone and follow the school’s
staff absence reporting procedures. It is helpful if an indication as to the length of
absence can be given.
2. Contact the Placement Office on 0113 812 1761 or
carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
3. Contact the Link Tutor.
On each subsequent day that the trainee remains unable to attend the placement,
advise the school, the Placement Office and the Link Tutor as early as possible that
day.
Should the absence extend for more than 5 working days a medical certificate is
required.
a. A copy of the certificate must be sent to the Placement Office.
b. The Placement Office will then liaise with the school on behalf of the
trainee until they are ready to return.
On resuming the placement the trainee should ensure that arrangements are made,
which are convenient with school, to make up for any days of absence, where possible.
Should a trainee miss 5 days or more of placement (in total during the duration of the
placement) then the Placement Office and Link Tutor may need to instigate intervention
procedures.
To achieve Qualified Teaching Status Trainees are required to have completed 120
days in school. Any shortfall in qualifying days should be discussed with thr Course
Academic.
6. Intervention Procedure
Occasionally a trainee’s teaching performance or professionalism may not match the
appropriate standards. If this situation is left unchecked, it can have negative
consequences for the trainee and the school. Should a Mentor be concerned they
should make this very clear to the trainee at the earliest opportunity and inform the
Link Tutor as soon as possible.
6a. Intervention 1
The Mentor may feel that further support is required in the form of a focused intervention
designed so a trainee makes expected progress for their phase of training. In such
cases, in consultation with the Link Tutor, an Intervention 1 objective would be set.
Intervention 1 is normally considered in the early to middle stages of a trainee’s
placement although one may be put in place at any stage of a placement. The Link
Tutor should be informed at this stage that an Intervention 1 is in place and the
intervention should be recorded on PebblePad.
The intervention should highlight a strategy for the trainee to follow in order to progress
against the Teachers Standards where they are performing below the expected level.
For a short placement, the time allowed for this intervention should be two to three days
at most. This is the first step to support improved teaching that has to be formally
recognised in order to proceed with the placement.
After the time set for demonstrating improvement, a judgement will be made with regard
to the trainee’s performance to determine if sufficient progress has been made. If
14sufficient progress has been made then the trainee will follow the scheduled placement.
If the outcome of the judgement is that insufficient progress has been made then an
Intervention 2 will be put in place.
6b. Intervention 2
If it is judged that further action is required following Intervention 1, the Mentor should
consult with the Link Tutor to set up Intervention 2. This second intervention is
appropriate where it is felt that a trainee is at risk of failing a placement.
In exceptional circumstances where Mentors judge that the learning and progress or
safety of children is at risk, trainees may be placed on an Intervention 2 without passing
through a previous Intervention 1. Likewise, a trainee could repeat the Intervention 1
stage if a mentor were to judge that their performance was below expected but not such
as to risk a failed placement.
The procedure is as follows:
• The Mentor should contact the Link Tutor and inform them that they feel an
Intervention 2 is required.
• The Mentor should also inform the Placement Office.
• The Link Tutor will support the Mentor in drawing up Intervention 2, including
time scale and evidence required, to help the trainee address the specific areas
for development.
• The trainee must be made aware that there is a real possibility of them failing the
placement at this stage.
The Link Tutor and Mentor will arrange to carry out a joint observation of the trainee at
the earliest possible opportunity (this is in addition to the regular assessed observations)
with a view to coming to a common judgement on the trainee’s progress and
performance.
If at this stage, the trainee is judged not to have made adequate progress a final
decision on terminating the placement will be made following an observation and formal
meeting with a university academic member of staff.
Should insufficient progress have been demonstrated by the trainee, they will be
deemed to have not met the expectations and requirements of placement and will be no
longer supported in the placement setting. The trainee therefore must contact their
Course Academic to discuss their future direction.
In the unlikely event that a Trainee demonstrates consistently high levels of
unprofessional conduct and / or lack of commitment and enthusiasm during the
placement, the school is within their rights to withdraw the offer of placement with
immediate effect.
The grounds for asking a Trainee to leave the setting would be either for unprofessional
conduct or having a negative impact on pupils’ learning.
If a Trainee is asked to leave a placement setting it is deemed as a failed placement
and they must contact their Course Academic to discuss their future direction.
156c. Intervention 1 and 2 process flow chart
Mentor has concerns that trainee's teaching performance /
professionalism does not meet required standards. Mentor
makes this clear to the trainee.
Intervention 1 Intervention 2
Link Tutor informed Link Tutor visit arranged
Objective(s) set Objective(s) set
Trainee aware of potential consequences
Progress reviewed Progress reviewed
Objective(s) Objective(s) met
met and Objective(s) not
Objective(s) not and satisfactory met and insufficient
satisfactory progress made.
met and insufficient progress against
progress made. progress made. No futher action Standards. Trainee
No further Escalate to placement withdrawn from
action Intervention 2 continues placement
placement
continues
University contacts
trainee to discuss options
and next steps
166d. Re-sit placement process flow chart
University informed of unsuccessful
(or withdrawal from) placement
Meeting arranged with Course Academic (or nominated alternative academic) to
review trainee’s performance and make necessary recommendations. Turnaround
Form completed highlighting actions and teaching standards requiring
improvement
Trainee may decide that Copy of Turnaround Form sent to Placement
they do not want to Office and Link Tutor. Future meeting date set
pursue course or QTS by which time trainee must show evidence of
(process ends here) meeting actions and standards requiring
improvement
Trainee and Course Academic meet
again. Academic decides on the
strength of the case whether trainee is
prepared for a re-sit placement
Trainee prepared. Placement Office
source suitable school / setting for re- Trainee not adequately prepared for re-
sit placement. sit placement. Trainee to meet Course
Trainee permitted to re-sit Academic once again to discuss
placement only once
176e. Achieving Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Trainees have to meet the standards by undertaking a minimum of 120 days of school
placement and satisfactory outcomes are measured by collaboration between university
and school-based staff. There will be a minimum of 2 Placements offered in this module.
There will be 3 phases of assessment during the placements. Each phase of
assessment will have to be completed successfully in order to progress onto the next
phase. All three phases have to be successfully completed in order to pass QTS. Only
one repeat phase of assessment will be offered during the length of the course.
What constitutes a failed placement?
Not meeting Part 2 of the teaching standards. Part 2 must be met at the end of all three
phases of assessment (standards met)
If a trainee withdraws themselves from a placement without due cause or if a school
withdraws their support for a trainee during placement.
A decision from an academic panel including Course Directors regarding insubstantial
progress against the teaching standards or misconduct.
Not meeting all of the teachers' standards (standards met) at the end of Phase 3, final
placement.
Fig 1 Pathways to achieving recommendation for QTS
187. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks
All trainees studying towards QTS are required to undergo an Enhanced DBS Disclosure
Check as an entry requirement of the course and will not be enrolled until this check has been
completed and the Disclosure Certificate has been issued. The DBS status of every trainee
will be checked and confirmed prior to commencement of any placement as part of the course.
Once issued and approved, DBS certificates are valid for the duration of the course. In line
with NCTL guidance we do not make additional checks in respect of separate school
placements or after a three year time lapse from initial issue.
DBS Placement Guidelines:
Students are not required to provide their copy of the DBS Disclosure Certificate to
schools and schools are not authorised to ask for sight of the Certificate. Clearance will
be sent directly from the university. If a school requests sight of the Disclosure
certificate, the trainee is advised to contact the DBS Team for further advice
In line with the Department for Education (DfE) Statutory Guidelines ITT entry criteria for
teacher trainees,the ITT Provider (University) will confirm to schools that a trainee’s DBS check
has been completed in advance of the placement. We will confirm that our students have
undertaken an enhanced DBS disclosure check through Leeds Beckett University in line with
our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and have been fully approved for any’ regulated
activity’ placements as part of their course.
Risk assessment for declarations and disclosures returned with a listed offence:
If a Self-Declaration or Disclosure Certificate is returned with a listed offence the trainee will
be asked to provide a statement and reference as further evidence for the University to make
a full ‘risk assessment’. All evidence will be assessed by the University to determine the
relevance of the offence and the trainee’s suitability in relation to undertaking regulated activity.
If the trainee is approved following the assessment, they will be permitted to continue on the
course and approved to be involved in placements which will involve regulated activity working
with children and/or vulnerable adults. Details of the offence will not be disclosed to any third
party in line with DBS regulations. If the trainee is deemed unsuitable to work with children or
to teach they will be removed from the course.
Failure to engage with the DBS process may jeopardise a trainee’s place on the course.
Should a trainee lose their DBS Certificate at any point during their course of study the
should should contact the DBS Team for advice. The trainee may be required to meet
the cost (£40) of replacing the certificate.
Changes to DBS status:
If the trainee’s status changes (i.e. there is an allegation of criminal conduct or they are subject
to a caution/conviction) after the DBS Certificate has been issued, they must disclose this.
When a trainee discloses a change in their status, the School will make a judgement on the
relevance of the information to undertaking regulated activity. The DBS Team will be updated
and in some cases a new DBS check wil be required.
If the information is deemed relevant to suitability to undertake regulated activity, the case will
be addressed under the Student Code of Discipline.
19All trainees will be required, on an annual basis, to confirm that there have been no changes
to their DBS status when completing the on-line Registration and Enrolment (ORE) which
includes a self-declaration page which must be completed.
8. Evaluation of the Placement
As part of our quality assurance and course monitoring procedures for our Qualified Teacher
Status courses we ask all trainees and Link Tutors to complete an evaluation of the
placement questionnaire. We estimate it should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.
This information is used to inform future course developments and continuously make
improvements year on year.
The evaluation will be an online electronic survey and access to this survey will be sent near
the end of each placement.
9. Travel Policy
The Carnegie School of Education recognises that school placements form an integral part of any ITE
course and the nature of our partnership means that trainees may be expected to travel considerable
distances to attend placements. We expect trainees to meet all of their travel costs, but we will on a case
by case basis, consider making a contribution towards costs.
Financial help (such as the Hardship Fund) may be available for certain trainees. To find out more visit
https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/money-advice/
9a.Travel times and expectations
The partnership is spread across a wide geographical area, but the core areas are Leeds, Bradford,
Wakefield, Kirklees, Calderdale, Barnsley and Doncaster. If trainees wish to do attend schools outside of
the core areas it is expected that they will organise their own placements. We do work with some
schools in Harrogate and Rotherham and have a very limited number of partner schools in York and
outlying regions of North Yorkshire, South and East Yorkshire.
20The university considers journey times of up to 90 minutes each way, to and from placement, to be
acceptable as a standard commute. We do not take into consideration traffic. On average, most journeys
by public transport and car will take at least 1 hour.
For the purpose of calculating approximate journey times the Placement Office use the term time
address of the trainee on InPlace and refer to AA Route Planner for car travel and Travel Line Journey
Planner for public transport.
Trainees are expected to fully engage in all school activities and schools may have an expectation for
trainees to be in attendance at schools from 8.00am to 4.30pm or later.
In line with the University Transport Strategy, trainees are encouraged to use public transport wherever
possible and those with cars are asked to provide lifts wherever practicable, for fellow trainees.
9b. Use of own transport
All trainees using their own vehicle must ensure that their motor insurance covers them for travel to and
from their placement or activity of the placement, as the insurer may not deem this to be Social,
Domestic and Pleasure cover (SD&P). The University does not hold this cover or accept any
responsibility or liability for damage caused to your or third party vehicles and property.
9c. Hire Cars
Use of a hire car will only be considered in exceptional circumstances for those trainees who meet the
eligibility criteria and where this is the only option or the most cost effective method of travel for a group
of trainees to and from their placement. Hire cars are rarely considered for single occupancy travel.
Hire cars are paid for by the university and designated drivers are insured by the university. All petrol
costs will be paid for by the driver. Note also that the driver remains liable for the payment in full of
parking fees, fines and other penalty charges. Any such charges incurred by the university on behalf of
the trainee will be reclaimed.
At the end of any hire period, vehicles must be returned with a full tank of petrol or the same amount as
was provided upon collection. In such cases where a car is not returned with a full tank the University
reserves the right to reclaim additional fuel charges from the trainee.
Trainees who choose to use taxis/private hire vehicles do so at their own expense.
Please refer to the Car Hire Handbook for further information.
21You can also read
