Induction making it work for you Our guide for probationer teachers in Scotland
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Foreword by Dr Mary Bousted General Secretary, ATL Welcome to ATL the education union. I am delighted that you have joined us as a newly-qualified member. You can be confident that you have become part of a strong union which supports over 160,000 members in the UK.We will give you face-to-face support; comprehensive career advice; first-class legal assistance; extremely effective training; and an opportunity to be involved in your union. I believe today’s NQTs are the best ever. We have high-quality people going in ready to do a good job, which is excellent for the teaching profession. New teachers are also far more prepared for entering the classroom than ever before. Of course, we know that entering the classroom is also a huge challenge. As an NQT, not only are you dealing with the pressures of your induction year and the natural concerns about performance that all NQTs have, but you are also trying to establish a presence in the school, and be seen to be effective and in control of your class. Not to mention having a lot of lesson planning on your plate. But ATL is here to help. We understand the challenges you face and are committed to supporting you from the beginning of your career right the way through. This publication is designed to help you make your induction year work for you. We also have a range of other excellent publications to support you in your daily work, as well as a lot of useful information and features available on our website, www.new2teaching.org.uk. And, of course, ATL is always working hard at national level to defend our members’ interests and influence policy before it is set in stone. I hope you find this publication useful, and may I take this opportunity to wish you every success with your induction year and for the rewarding and exciting career ahead of you.
Contents Introducing induction The statutory basis of induction
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The standards
6
The induction system
7
Does induction apply to you?
7
What about everyone else?
7
Is your post suitable for induction?
8
Induction: a first look What you should know right from the start
9
Throughout induction
10
The support you should expect
10
An induction to suit you
11
A fair assessment
11
It’s your induction What you should and shouldn’t do
12
The demands of becoming a teacher
13
Your responsibilities
14
Raising your concerns
14
Developing professionally
15
Looking after yourself
16
Information sources
16
The role of your school Your timetable
18
Your programme of monitoring and support
19
The headteacher’s role
19
The supporter The role of your supporter
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If you have concerns about your supporter
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Observation and assessment Observation timings
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The importance of feedback
23
Observations by teachers other than your supporter
23
Professional reviews of progress
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Your action plan
25
Professional development activities
25
Observing experienced teachers
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Assessment arrangements
26
Formal assessment meetings
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Your initial teacher education profile Your ITEP: what you must do
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If there’s a problem with your induction What if I am absent due to illness during my induction year?
30
What if I have to take statutory maternity leave during the induction period?
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What if I am told that my teaching is unsatisfactory?
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What happens next?
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What happens if I still do not make satisfactory progress?
31
What happens if, at my final assessment, I am not considered satisfactory?
32
What if I am unhappy with the quality of the induction provided by my school?
33
ATL is here to help
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The role of your school It’s your induction Induction: a first look
Introducing induction 6
Introducing induction Induction is a complex process but this guide is designed to take you right through, from understanding induction and how it can work for you to what to expect from your local authority and your school.We also discuss what might happen should your induction not go as smoothly as hoped and explain how ATL can help in this most crucial start to your career as a teacher.
The statutory basis of induction The Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) arose out of the McCrone Report and forms part of the 2001 teachers’ agreement A teaching profession for the 21st century. Probationer teachers on the scheme have the same terms and conditions as teachers except in relation to: initial placement on pay scale, maximum class contact time, working year, maternity leave and termination of the training agreement. Details can be found in Part 2 Section 9 of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers handbook of conditions of service, although they will be covered within this publication.
The standards The guidance Standards for Full Registration sets out what is expected of probationer teachers during their induction year in order to gain full registration with the General Teaching Council Scotland. All students in their final year of a BEd or in their PGDE year will have received a copy of the document Achieving the Standards for Full Registration: guidance for Probationer Teachers and Schools from GTC Scotland, which includes a copy of the standards. The standard is organised under the three themes of professional development: professional knowledge and understanding; professional skills and abilities; and professional values and personal commitment. It provides: • a clear and concise description of the professional qualities and capabilities probationer teachers are expected to develop during the course of induction • a professional standard against which reliable and consistent decisions can be made on the fitness of probationer teachers for full registration with the GTC Scotland • a baseline professional standard which will apply to all teachers throughout their career.
Does induction apply to you? This guide is designed primarily for those eligible probationers who are participating in the Teacher Induction Scheme. Every eligible student graduating with a teaching qualification from one of Scotland's universities is guaranteed a one-year training placement, with a salary. The scheme is not compulsory but it allows probationer teachers to be considered for full registration within one school year (190 teaching days). It also offers a number of additional benefits: • a maximum class commitment of 0.7 full time equivalent (FTE)
• access to an experienced teacher as a nominated probationer supporter
• dedicated time set aside for professional development
• a consistently high quality probation experience.
What about everyone else? Probationary teachers not completing their probationary service on the Teacher Induction Scheme, or who decide to opt out of the scheme for whatever reason, may complete their probation via the Alternative Route which can take up to four terms (270 days) to complete.This involves: • teaching supply days or completing temporary service in Scottish state schools • teaching in the Scottish independent sector
The role of your school It’s your induction
The Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) is intended to provide for a well structured and well supported first year in the teaching profession for probationer teachers. It should provide the opportunity for those provisionally registered who are eligible to complete their probationary service and achieve full registration in one academic year. Clearly a positive induction experience is crucial in being able to pursue your teaching career. As your professional association, ATL is here to advise and support you every step of the way: see page 34 for the many ways ATL can help.
Induction: a first look
The induction system was introduced to ensure that all NQTs have a systematic and consistent induction with thorough assessment, and to establish that every NQT should receive a programme of monitoring and support during their first year of teaching.
Introducing induction
The induction system
• choosing to complete the probationary period outside Scotland • gathering service in exceptional circumstances. ATL would recommend that you read the GTC Scotland’s document Achieving the Standards for Full Registration before embarking on the alternative route. Further information can also be found at www.gtcs.org.uk/Probation/TheAlternativeRoute/thealternativeroute.asp.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
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The role of your school Induction: a first look
It’s your induction
ATL’s advice is that if you are eligible and you may wish to teach in a maintained school or a non-maintained special school at any time, you should seek to complete the induction period whenever and wherever this is available to you. This means that if you later wish to teach in a maintained school or in a non-maintained special school you could do so as an experienced teacher without the necessity of completing induction.
Introducing induction
Is your post suitable for induction? Achieving the Standards for Full Registration: guidance for Probationer Teachers and Schools (GTC Scotland, May 2007) describes the key features of an effective induction experience: • provides a stable environment for the probationer teacher such that the employment restricts class contact time to 0.7 FTE, with 0.3 FTE being set aside for professional development and support.This means 70% of your time is class contact time and 30% professional support • enables the probationer teacher to meet the Standards for Full Registration in the category in which s/he is qualified • is located in a school which has established, fully registered teachers who will provide support and guidance
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• is located in a school which has staff with a defined responsibility for supporting probationer teachers • provides an appropriate probationer support programme taking account of local and national advice • is located in a school which has established processes for supporting self-evaluation with probationer teachers and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. If you feel that your post is unsuitable for induction and that there is no sign of this being recognised, you can seek advice from ATL (see page 34)
What you should know right from the start You will have been preparing for your probationer teacher year at varying stages throughout either your final year of your BEd or your PGDE. Upon arriving at your allocated school, the school is expected to supply you with a probation pack including: • school aims, ethos and mission statement
• health and safety information
• school routines and administration arrangements
• extra-curricular activities
• school policies and procedures
• parental contact details
• resources and facilities
• information about where to locate information related to legislation or codes
• staff list
• copy of your job description.
The supporter
Induction: a first look
• school induction programme
The role of your school
Good induction helps you to feel at home, to fit in, to make sure you know all the routines and procedures and to understand the values, objectives and purposes of the organisation you join.
It’s your induction
Induction: a first look
www.new2teaching.org.uk
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The supporter The role of your school
Throughout induction The guidance Achieving the Standards for Full Registration says that induction should help probationer teachers to take increasing responsibility for their own professional development as the induction support programme progresses. Induction should: • provide a programme of monitoring, guidance and support which is tailored to individual needs and will help you meet the requirements for the satisfactory completion of induction • involve the headteacher or supporter and you in discussions using the professional development action plan (PDAP - see below), which result in short-, medium-and long-term objectives relating to identified individual needs, the specific school context and the requirements for the satisfactory completion of induction • weekly meetings with your supporter, leading to completion of your interim and final profiles for GTC Scotland
It’s your induction
• develop your skills of self-evaluation and provide a sound foundation for your PDAP. As part of the induction support programme, your headteacher has a duty to make arrangements such that you have a maximum class contact time of 0.7 FTE (15.75 hours per week) (see page 18 for more details).
Professional development action plan: The PDAP is used to identify initial development needs from August to December. It will then be reviewed to identify and agree strengths and weaknesses for development for the period January to June and will aid completion of both the initial and final profiles.
Induction: a first look
The support you should expect
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Your induction programme should be designed to support you to become an effective and successful teacher.You should expect to have: • support from a designated supporter • observations of your teaching and follow-up discussions • professional reviews of your progress • opportunities to observe other experienced teachers • other targeted professional development activities.
All of these have been shown to help NQTs make a smooth transition into teaching, and they should all be available to you in your school. Other sections of this guide explain in detail what should be provided. One thing is certain: support from experienced and sympathetic colleagues is an essential part of successful induction.
The supporter
An induction to suit you
This is where the PDAP comes in. It is meant to act as a bridge from your initial teacher education (ITE) and to contribute to this individualised programme by identifying for your school your individual strengths and priorities for further professional development.
As well as a programme of support, the guidance Achieving the Standards for Full Registration requires each NQT to be assessed against and to meet: • the standards for initial teacher education, ie the standards against which you were assessed as a trainee teacher, and • the Standards for Full Registration. Both sets of standards are published by the General Teaching Council Scotland and you should have received them when you completed your initial training. They are also available on www.gtcs.org.uk/probation/probation.asp.
The intention is that all NQTs are assessed in the induction year against the same set of professional expectations and that the standards represent explicit and shared understandings. Despite this, teaching contexts do vary enormously.This is why, throughout this guide, we shall emphasise: • what high-quality support should look like and why you should take action if you do not receive it • the importance of a fair and equitable assessment, based on open, shared, unbiased, convincing evidence. Quality assurance in terms of induction is the responsibility of the Appropriate Body (see below).
Appropriate Body: The General Teaching Council Scotland is the body which decides whether or not probationer teachers have met the Standards for Full Registration.This will be based upon the headteacher’s recommendations following completion of the interim and final profiles. Probationers must see and sign off all profiles that are submitted to the GTC Scotland by the headteacher. This is to indicate they have seen the profile, not that they agree with its contents. A probationer has the right to make detailed comment in a separate communication to the GTC Scotland.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
Induction: a first look
A fair assessment
It’s your induction
The role of your school
Induction is most effective when tailored to the needs of the individual NQT and the specific teaching context. After all, teachers begin from different starting points and meet different demands and opportunities in their first teaching post.
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The supporter The role of your school
It’s your induction: What you should and shouldn’t do It is important to remember when it comes to induction that you come first.You have just one chance to show that you can teach successfully so it is important that you help to create the right conditions for your success. So what else besides teaching causes problems for a newly-qualified teacher? Well, not surprisingly, there are the usual culprits: • personal relationships • money worries • poor accommodation • difficult or tiring travelling arrangements
It’s your induction: what you should and shouldn’t do
It’s your induction
• loneliness
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• getting to know a new group of people • health problems.
It makes sense for you to take as much care as you can to avoid any situation which could create stress when you start teaching. If any personal problems begin to cause you concern and to distract you from your teaching, try to resolve them as soon as possible. Remember that you can always contact ATL for advice and support – see ‘ATL is here to help’ on page 34 for details of the many points of contact and helplines available to you.
It is important to remember that the special challenges of teaching remain challenges for many teachers – not just for you.
Remember that teaching: • is a physically and emotionally demanding profession • involves constantly standing, walking, squatting and kneeling, being alert, listening and paying attention • can involve comforting distressed children and calming angry ones; encouraging insecure children and challenging complacent ones; dealing with distressed and discouraged parents and with demanding and insecure parents • is intellectually demanding when you have to plan for children with a wide range of abilities and look afresh at a subject from the children’s viewpoint.
Why not find out if you can share preparation, or ask your colleagues for practical suggestions? ATL also produces a guide, Managing classroom behaviour, which provides practical advice on creating the conditions for good behaviour and finding proactive rather than reactive strategies. It is available free of charge to members (orderline: 0845 4500 009; e-mail: despatch@atl.org.uk) or can be downloaded from www.new2teaching.org.uk, where you will also find lots of other useful advice on behaviour management. Above all, ask for help when you need it – don’t just suffer in silence!
Be reassured that NQTs commonly report difficulties in classroom management.This can obviously be stressful and demoralising but you must share your problems with your colleagues.Teachers are busy and school days never go to plan but there will usually be someone available with the time to help new teachers.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
It’s your induction: what you should and shouldn’t do
The role of your school
The supporter
Teaching makes great demands on you personally. Motivating children, gaining their respect and cooperation, and being constantly ‘on show’ all need particular personal resilience.You may also become anxious because you are totally responsible for a class for the first time. Sometimes the anxiety can become so great that you feel you cannot make decisions even about small matters.
Observation & assessment
The demands of becoming a teacher
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Observation & assessment The supporter The role of your school
It’s your induction: what you should and shouldn’t do 14
Your responsibilities In order to achieve the Standards for Full Registration you are expected to: • check that your timetable meets the stipulated requirements • be open, enthusiastic about and receptive to continuing professional development and the probation process • seek advice and guidance from your supporter and other appropriate colleagues • become familiar with the school’s policies and the school development plan • use the regular meetings with the supporter and the agreed action plans to support your learning and development
• self-evaluate and monitor your professional learning and development with your supporter and other staff as appropriate • maintain a record of professional development targets and future actions • identify and record appropriate critical incidents and evidence to use as a focus of discussion with their supporter • complete the appropriate sections of your interim and final profiles.
• review and reflect on teaching and learning and adjust plans and expectations in the light of your pupils’ achievements
Raising your concerns Your weekly supporter meetings should be where any concerns are raised. Alternatively you can raise them with the local authority probation or induction coordinator. ATL would always advise you to seek our guidance first over any concerns in your probation year to ensure that you have the personal support you need.
• care about your own professional growth and development • have objectives and plans for the professional skills you need now and in the future to do your job well • have expectations that the organisation you work for will facilitate and enhance your professional development, and demonstrate a positive attitude to your professional future in teaching. You should also: • make yourself familiar with the Standards for Full Registration at the start of your induction period so you know what is expected of you • participate fully in planning your programme of monitoring, support, assessment and development activities, and in revising your objectives • be prepared to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can set your priorities for your professional development using your initial professional development action plan (IPDAP) with your supporter. This means that it is important for you to make time for reflecting on your own work, and identify aspects of the standards where you have not yet had opportunities to develop, for example, by offering suitable objectives for your professional development. However, it is also accepted that you may need support to understand whether you are achieving the standards, and your supporter should be able to tell you at your weekly supporter meetings whether your self-evaluation is accurate or wide of the mark. If you are unsure about whether you are reaching the standards, and if you are not clear about what objectives have been set for you to reach the standards, you can seek advice from your ATL representative (see page 34).
www.new2teaching.org.uk
Observation & assessment The supporter
You will be expected to:
The role of your school
You are expected to develop professionally within your probation year and Achieving the Standards for Full Registration: guidance for probationer teachers and schools (GTC Scotland, May 2007) provides a framework for professional development and discussion from your local authority/employer induction session through to the final progress review meeting.
It’s your induction: what you should and shouldn’t do
Developing professionally
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Observation & assessment The supporter The role of your school
It’s your induction: what you should and shouldn’t do 16
Looking after yourself Nurturing the body, mind and soul is vital in getting the most out of your induction. If you look after your health and well-being, you are more likely to be an effective, happy teacher. • Don’t give up on sport and exercise. In some schools, staff organise sports activities – some even have fitness clubs. It can be a good way to get to know your colleagues. • Make time for outside interests and seeing your friends. • If your schedule seems too much, maybe give some thought to massage, meditation, yoga, relaxation exercises or aromatherapy: anything that might help to defuse your anxiety. • Make time in your schedule for eating sensibly and getting plenty of sleep – not always easy when you start a career.
• Don’t let teaching absorb all of your time. Set limits so that you can look after yourself. • Don’t expect to be the one to help every child. There will be other colleagues there for them too! • Don’t set unrealistic expectations for the holidays. Despite the temptation to catch up on the housework or your paperwork, you need to be able to relax too. • Treat yourself! Arrange breaks to visit friends and family in advance, and don’t alter your plans because you think you are too busy. • Keep thinking about why you wanted to be a teacher!
• Use all the support networks in teaching that you can, including the special networks for NQTs that many LAs operate (see also page 34 for how ATL can support you).
Information sources Your local authority will have produced resource materials for its probationer teachers which may cover topics such as: • probationer handbook • continuing professional development guidelines • integrating the feedback • probationer log book.
Remember also that ATL’s website, www.new2teaching.org.uk, has been specially designed to cover the key issues and areas of concern that new teachers have, from lesson planning, behaviour management and report writing to dealing with stress.
In this kind of organisation, you will find that your colleagues are open with each other about the difficulties they are having and know that it is acceptable to ask for support and help from others. It may be particularly useful to seek out last year’s NQTs, who often have more experience of the problems you are encountering.
• an atmosphere of trust • good communications • everyone involved in decision making • supportive management • recognition of good work • an emphasis on enhancing everyone’s confidence • a concern to make the working environment more attractive
• collaborative activities • supportive colleagues.
It could be that some schools that have taken on NQTs would not usually be regarded as suitable environments for induction. In this circumstance, the local authority would have to be involved, as it is its duty to ensure that each school is capable of meeting its responsibilities for monitoring, support and guidance, and for undertaking a rigorous and equitable assessment of standards.
Your ITEP
The role of your school
• encouraging professional development
However, if you find that you don’t have enough support at your school or you are finding your particular environment challenging to work in, your ATL representative can offer you personal and confidential advice. If your school doesn’t have a representative, contact one of the many helplines ATL offers (see page 34).
Observation & assessment
The professional culture of a school plays a very significant part in your induction. If things don’t seem to be going smoothly, it may not be you but other factors in the school. Some of the characteristics of a strong professional culture are:
The supporter
The role of your school
www.new2teaching.org.uk
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Your ITEP
If your school has not planned for a 0.3FTE reduction in your timetable or if you feel the way it has been allocated across a term or the year will mean the balance of your workload – and what is expected of your professional development – is unreasonable, you can seek advice from ATL (see page 34)
The role of your school
The supporter
In order to achieve the Standards for Full Registration probationer teachers are expected to have a class contact time of 0.7FTE (15.75 hours) with the remaining 0.3FTE (6.75 hours) being set aside for continuing professional development (CPD).You are, therefore, not expected to take on a full teaching load and the 0.3FTE CPD time should not be used to cover absent colleagues.
Observation & assessment
Your timetable
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Your programme of monitoring and support should have the following key components:
• you are fully supported in meeting the Standards for Full Registration
• the identification of an appropriately experienced teacher to act as a supporter (see page 20)
• the assessment is fair and well-founded.
• observation – this works both ways, with your teaching being observed and you observing your more experienced colleagues’ teaching (see page 22)
Very soon after taking up your appointment, your school should make sure that you are aware of the assessment requirements, the procedures that will be followed and the expectations of your role.
• weekly review meetings with your supporter • the provision of a range of carefully selected and targeted professional development activities, which should be linked to the priorities identified in the PDAP. The weekly meetings with your supporter are a key element in you successfully completing your probation year. They will be focused on the standards required to achieve full registration.The standards help to set out an explicit and shared understanding of what is required of you.
If, at any time, you feel that you are not clear about the assessment standards, requirements, procedures and criteria for success, you should raise this with your supporter and particularly before your first observation.
Observation & assessment
Establishing what development opportunities you may need to reach the standards should be done early in planning your individual induction programme to ensure that:
The supporter
Your headteacher should ensure that professional development activity begins as early as possible after the start of the induction period.
Your ITEP
Your programme of monitoring and support
The headteacher’s role Headteachers are responsible, in conjunction with the Appropriate Body (the LA), for the supervision and training of NQTs during their induction period, and for ensuring that the NQT has an appropriate induction programme.
The role of your school
The headteacher will 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.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
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If there’s a problem
Your supporter A clear responsibility is placed upon schools to provide probationer teachers with a supporter.The role of the supporter has specific and distinct duties which are set out in the guidance for probationer teachers and schools: Achieving Standards for Full Registration.
Observation & assessment
Your ITEP
The role of your supporter The supporter is expected to: • get to know the probationer professionally and personally • create an open, supportive and challenging climate for discussion • coordinate and manage the probationer’s professional development programme • monitor and evaluate progress through observation of teaching, providing feedback, organising regular meetings focusing on the probationer’s self-evaluation of their progress and identifying development needs and action plans • ensure that opportunities are provided to address the professional development needs of the probationer
The supporter
This is obviously an important role, and the quality and personality of your supporter will be a big factor in your induction. Equally important are the supporter’s evaluative skills which he or she will need in making a fair assessment of you. Schools should take this into account when identifying supporters, and when preparing and training them. Many teachers make superb supporters and take on these additional assessment responsibilities considerately and conscientiously, having been fully involved in planning induction as part of the way the school supports its staff. However, some schools may be: • less well organised
• provide pastoral support, where appropriate
• less aware of their responsibilities
• oversee the development, implementation and review of the probationer teacher’s action plans and portfolio
• unclear about the training, preparation and expertise required
• monitor and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the school support programme for the probationer teacher
• less conscientious in ensuring that NQTs receive the high-quality support demanded from the school by GTC Scotland.
• encourage the probationer teacher to reflect upon their teaching and evaluate pupils’ learning
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• liaise with the local authority induction coordinator and continuing professional development coordinator.
• complete in conjunction with the headteacher, the interim and final profiles for the probationer
If you have any concerns at all about the quality of your induction programme or the support from your supporter, you can contact ATL for advice (see page 34).
The vast majority of supporters take their responsibilities seriously and offer excellent support and advice. However, if you have any concerns at all about the support you are receiving, it is important to raise them as soon as possible.
In the first instance you should raise the issue through the school’s internal procedures for raising professional concerns.You can also talk things over with your ATL representative, or one of ATL’s member advisers (see page 34 for contact details).
If there’s a problem
If you have concerns about your supporter
• you are not confident of their experience, especially in supporting you and assessing you against the standards • you are not getting constructive feedback on your lessons and in your professional reviews against the standards.
Observation & assessment
• the responsibilities of your supporter and other colleagues are not clear
Your ITEP
You should never hesitate to seek advice if you feel that:
The supporter
Although it can be very difficult to broach your concerns, remember that you have a right to clear, consistent, harmonious and fair arrangements for your induction. It is in everybody’s interests that you make a critical assessment of what you are being offered.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
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If there’s a problem Your ITEP Observation & assessment
Observation and assessment 22
Observation and assessment Observation of your teaching is the basis for formative (giving feedback on your progress) and summative (formal) assessments.The guidance on achieving the Standards for Full Registration states that your supporter is likely to undertake most of the observations of your teaching.
Observation timings Probationer teachers on the Teacher Induction Scheme will be expected to have five observed teaching sessions between August and December and four between January and June. Each of these respective blocks of teaching observation will include one observation by an independent observer.
All arrangements for observation should be agreed with you in advance.You should always know what the particular focus of any observation is going to be, and be able to see that it is related to completing the requirements for the Standards for Full Registration.
• the identification of development needs arising and/or the recognition that a new area of development should be focused on.Your supporter will be a good source of advice. You are required to keep a record of the observed session feedback on the observed teaching feedback form. It will form an integral part of your interim and final profiles. Inadequate or unhelpful feedback is a more difficult issue, but you should always seek further help from ATL on how you might remedy this, because your success during the year is linked to the support you receive to improve your teaching.
Observations by teachers other than your supporter While your supporter is likely to undertake most of the observations of your teaching, it is possible that you will be observed by other teachers with particular specialisms or responsibilities such as special educational needs (SEN) or pastoral care.You may also be observed by advanced skills teachers from other schools or tutors from higher education institutions.
If there’s a problem
• from the observer's perspective, a detailed explanation of how the lesson progressed and met the set objectives, including the opportunity for you to explain why you worked in a certain way or feel your perception of the session is more appropriate
Your ITEP
Feedback from the observed session should be discussed at the next meeting with your supporter. It is expected that the discussions would include:
Observation & assessment
The importance of feedback
Whoever observes you, the principles remain the same:
• you should understand clearly why you are being observed • there should be a follow-up discussion to analyse the lesson that was observed • a brief, written record should be made, relating to your objectives for development and indicating where action should be taken. If you are not happy with the way you are being observed, seek advice from ATL.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
Observation and assessment
• it should be part of a programme agreed in advance
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ATL is here to help If there’s a problem Your ITEP
Professional reviews of progress The Teacher Induction Scheme is designed so that at all points probationer teachers can assess themselves, and be assessed, against the Standards for Full Registration. Expectations are placed on the headteacher, the supporter and the probationer to ensure every opportunity is afforded for the probationer to be able to meet the required standards. Your objectives should be reviewed and revised in light of the standards and your needs and strengths. There should be a written record of your progress towards your objectives, any new objectives and the steps that will be taken to support you to achieve these objectives. The role of the supporter should be to provide formative as well as summative assessments, since both make an important contribution to your development. In effect, you should know:
Observation and assessment
• the extent to which you are judged to be meeting the relevant standards
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• if you are judged not to be meeting the standards, exactly where you are deficient and how you can plan to improve your skills.
The supporter meetings, therefore, should be discussions between you and your supporter which should be informed by evidence, eg from observation of your teaching. Evidence – a key word here – is not your supporter’s opinion. It is based on specific incidents in your supporter teaching set against evaluative criteria which allow you to see exactly what it was that made the difference between your performance and acceptable standards. The GTC Scotland provides guidance on evidence collecting as part of their quality assurance responsibilities. It would obviously be sensible for you to read this. You can expect your supporter to discuss it with you. Supporter meetings are also meant to focus on the PDAP (see page 25), and to review and revise your objectives for professional development in your action plan in the light of the formative assessment.These objectives should determine what development activities are arranged as part of your individualised programme of support.
ATL is here to help
Setting objectives is a useful way for your supporter to help you reach the standards by planning development opportunities through which your teaching will improve.They form part of your individualised action plan, drawn up and discussed with your supporter.
If there’s a problem
Your action plan
Objectives: between three and five, which are carefully phrased, focused, realistic and achievable; enable you to build on your identified strengths; support your needs; and are related to achieving the Standards for Full Registration.
Success criteria: clearly phrased, descriptive criteria against which you can judge whether you have achieved
Your ITEP
Your action plan should identify the following.
each objective.
Actions: that you and others need to take to achieve the objectives, and an indication of who needs to do what and which actions are realistic and achievable within the resources available.
Resources: that will be needed to support the plan, including the time that will be allocated for your development opportunities.
Target dates for achievement: which are realistic and manageable.
Professional development activities A clear purpose of induction is to begin the process of ‘lifelong learning’ with the expectation of continuous professional development.You are meant to have planned and targeted professional development activities during the probation year which are based on your PDAP. The professional development activities are intended to help you meet the Standards for Full Registration. They could include: • taking part in any staff programme at your school • making contributions with other teachers to specific school improvement activities • The local authority within which you’re based will also run CPD activities which you’ll be expected to attend as part of your 0.3 FTE CPD time as a probationer
teacher. ATL will also run events that may count towards your CPD activities • spending time with the school’s SEN coordinator to focus on general or specific SEN matters • receiving appropriate advice or training from professionals outside the school, and attending external training events that are relevant to your identified needs.
Observation and assessment
Review dates: when progress will next be evaluated.
There must be evidence that you have had opportunities for professional development if your school is to show that it has met the requirements for your induction period.
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Your ITEP
If there’s a problem
ATL is here to help
Observing experienced teachers NQTs should be given opportunities to observe experienced teachers to help develop good practice in specific areas of teaching, in their own or other schools. Such observation is often found by NQTs to be the most useful induction activity. It is good practice, therefore, for observation of experienced teachers to be arranged for you by your supporter. The important point to remember about observation is that you must know: • why you are going to observe • what it will contribute to your objectives • that what you observe will be discussed – preferably with both the experienced teacher(s) and your supporter. It should be seen as a professional development activity and not just something set up for its own sake. You should be involved in identifying it as a need at one of your weekly supporter meetings. If you are unsure how an observation fits in with your action plan and objectives, or if you feel that observing an experienced teacher would help you develop, raise this with your supporter.
Observation and assessment
Assessment arrangements
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As we have explained in earlier sections, assessment against the standards is a continuous theme in your probationer year. Your supporter should work with you to plan an individual induction programme to ensure that: • you are fully supported in meeting the Standards for Full Registration • the assessment is fair and well-founded. It is essential for you to be aware of the assessment requirements, the procedures that will be followed and what is expected of you. One of your responsibilities will be to know what standards are required to become a fully registered teacher in Scotland.The Standards can be found at www.gtcs.org.uk/Publications/StandardsandRegu lations/The_Standard_for_Full_Registration.asp. Supporters will also need to be familiar with the standards and to have skills in assessment.
ATL is here to help If there’s a problem Your ITEP
Formal assessment meetings The guidance Achieving the Standards for Full Registration sets out the ‘professional development journey’ during which the formal assessment meetings are described in detail.You should expect to receive an induction meeting at the start of term, a progress review meeting in December and a final progress review meeting in late May or early June.The progress review meetings will be informed by:
• probationer’s self-evaluation assessments and portfolio of CPD activities
The second and final progress review meeting in May/June will • review progress
• observed teaching sessions
• identify and agree strengths and development needs
• supporter’s weekly meetings
• action professional learning and development plan for the following session
The first progress review meeting in December will:
It will also see the completion of the final profile completed for GTC Scotland.
• review progress • identify and agree strengths and areas for development • agree interim professional development action plan for the January to June period. An interim profile will then be completed for GTC Scotland stating whether or not you are making satisfactory progress in meeting the Standards for Full Registration.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
Observation and assessment
• progression of professional development action plan
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ATL is here to help If there’s a problem Your ITEP
Observation and assessment 28
The evidence should emerge from your everyday work and from your support programme, rather than being compiled just for the purposes of assessment.The guidance emphasises that there should be no surprises. As well as these written records, other examples of evidence are:
• your lesson plans, records and evaluations • your self-assessments and record of professional development. At the completion of both the interim and final profile, probationer teachers are required to sign the profile to say they have seen it.
• formal and informal assessment records of pupils for whom you have responsibility • information about liaison with others, such as colleagues and parents
If you cannot see that evidence is being systematically gathered, or where it relates to the standards, you should raise your concerns at the progress review meeting. If you have ongoing concerns about the quality of your probation experience which have not been addressed then contact ATL before taking any further action.
You can see that this fits in with the idea that, increasingly, you will take responsibility for your own professional development.
• guide the processes of reflection and collaborative discussion
The ITE profile is a good resource for professional discussion and reflection. What is important is that it is used to support your development throughout your induction and to ensure that you receive the appropriate support during that time.
• focus your reflection on your achievements and goals. It is supposed to be used to help your school: • use the Standards for Full Registration and the Standards for Initial Teacher Education to build on your achievements.
Your ITE profile: what you must do You should be given an ITE when you are a trainee teacher and it should summarise the discussions you had with your ITE provider about your strengths and professional development priorities. You must: • make your ITE profile available to the school • work with your supporter to set objectives for your professional development, and devise an action plan • make an active contribution to your professional development. If you are not asked for it, you must ensure that your supporter knows that you have your ITE profile readily available.
If the ITE profile action plan you bring with you from initial teacher education includes areas in which you have less confidence and need more experience, practice, support and development (and if this is likely to remain important in your induction post), you must specifically draw attention to this the first time you meet your supporter and in your professional review meetings. Your ITE profile will form the basis for your interim professional development action plan and you have a responsibility to keep this up to date throughout the year, recording CPD activities undertaken amongst other tasks in order to meet the Standards for Full Registration.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
If there’s a problem
• help you make constructive connections between initial training, induction and the later stages of your professional development
Your initial teacher education profile
The initial teacher education profile (ITEP) is intended to play a central role in the induction arrangements.The purpose of the ITEP is to:
ATL is here to help
Your initial teacher education profile
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If there’s a problem with your induction What if I am absent due to illness during my induction year?
ATL is here to help
Where a probationer teacher requires an extension on health grounds due to having missed more than 20 days it will be looked at on a case-by-case basis by the GTC Scotland.
What if I have to take statutory maternity leave during the induction period? ATL will be able to advise you of your rights and the correct procedures to follow. The GTC would be advised by the local authority regarding the maternity leave and would write to the probationer teacher. The length of any extension is of course dependent upon the amount of maternity leave.You should seek advice from ATL as soon as you know you are pregnant.
What if I am told that my teaching is unsatisfactory?
If there’s a problem with your induction
There should be no last minute surprises for probationer teachers. Any concerns should be raised by the supporter at the earliest opportunity. If, following the interim progress review and subsequent submission of interim profile stating that a probationer teacher is not making the required progress, then GTC Scotland will write to inform the probationer of this. Probationer teachers are then required to complete an additional interim profile at the beginning of the spring term.You should contact ATL’s member advisers immediately as they will be able to advise you during every stage of the process (see page 34 for contact details).
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What happens next? As soon as it is recognised that you may fail to complete the induction period satisfactorily, both the headteacher and the GTC Scotland should assure themselves that: • the assessment of you is well-founded and accurate • areas in which you need to improve have been correctly identified
• a relevant support programme is in place to help you meet those objectives. This is where consistent and sustained support from ATL can help. It is critically important that you understand the reasons why you may be at risk of not completing the induction period and that you feel confident there is a strategy to ensure you can be helped to improve. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification from your headteacher and your supporter, and for specific advice on what to do.
ATL is here to help
• appropriate objectives have been set to guide you to reach the standards
In essence, you should do all you can to comply and you should always be able to show that you have followed advice and taken action. Where your LA has provided examples of effective teaching and learning that reaches the standards, you should read this carefully and discuss it with your supporter. The GTC Scotland should respond to a request from your school for guidance, support and assistance for you. If your school does not request such help on your behalf and you feel you cannot raise this with your supporter, you should ask your ATL representative to raise this for you.
What happens if I still do not make satisfactory progress?
If this applies to you, it will become even more important to be clear about what you have to do to reach a satisfactory standard if you are still in this position at the end of the second term.You should continue to do all you can to demonstrate that you have followed advice and taken action.
www.new2teaching.org.uk
If there’s a problem with your induction
A small number of NQTs may struggle to show that they are reaching the standards required during their induction year.
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What happens if, at my final assessment, I am not considered satisfactory?
ATL is here to help
ATL does not want this to happen to anyone and will provide as much help as possible to try and avoid it. However, in such an event the details of the procedures are set out in the guidance Achieving the Standards for Full Registration. If you have not been successful, you must seek advice from ATL’s member advisers immediately (see page 34 for contact details). If a recommendation for an extension is received, you will be advised in writing by the GTC Scotland (with copies to your headteacher and local authority) of the further probationary period required.Those affected have the right to request reconsideration of their case by writing to the Professional Standards Committee. Recommendations for extension should be reserved for cases where there is a real prospect that the probationer concerned will reach the Standards for Full Registration.
If there’s a problem with your induction
If a recommendation is made by the headteacher that registration should be withdrawn, the case will be considered by the members of the Professional Standards Committee. Probationers have the right to be present and/or be represented by an ATL official or a lawyer.
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Recommendations for withdrawal should be made following a clear professional judgement that, despite all efforts to help, the probationer concerned has no prospect of achieving the Standards for Full Registration. In addition, an appeal can be made against the Professional Standards Committee's decision by writing to the Appeals Board.
Appeals If you wish to appeal, ATL can give you support and help in using all the rights of appeal. ATL will advise you if it would be prudent for you to appeal against an extension or the decision that you had failed induction. Appeals will be to the General Teaching Council Scotland.
The guidance emphasises that it is your responsibility, if you are not satisfied with any aspect of your induction, to act as quickly as possible. In the first instance, you should raise your concerns with the school using the internal procedures. However, you should always first seek advice from ATL (see page 34). It is the headteacher’s responsibility to make sure that your concerns are addressed satisfactorily.
ATL is here to help
What if I am unhappy with the quality of the induction provided by my school?
The GTC Scotland’s responsibilities
If there’s a problem with your induction
The GTC Scotland is responsible for the Teachers Induction Scheme and works with local authorities to ensure that schools can give probationer teachers the opportunity to demonstrate they meet the Standards for Full Registration. If you feel your concerns are not being addressed at a school level then you can contact either the local authority probation manager/coordinator or the probation department at the GTC Scotland. Before you contact either body, then we would advise that you first of all contact ATL to discuss the issues concerned.
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ATL is here to help As your professional association, ATL wants to ensure that you have every opportunity for a productive and successful induction period, so do make use of all the advice and help that we can offer on any issue that concerns you.
Your ATL representative at your school
Other ATL support and helplines
Your first port of call should be your ATL representative. Your rep will be able to offer you practical and personal support, and can be an invaluable colleague in helping you to understand the organisational culture of your school, the personalities of those responsible for your induction, and perhaps even the ‘background politics’ which could influence the support you receive.
As an ATL member, you also have automatic access to the following: • ATL’s member advisers: 020 7930 6441 (during office hours) or 020 7782 1612 (between 5pm-8pm, Monday to Friday during term time) – for confidential and personal support on any issue related to employment; it is staffed by member advisers who are experienced in the issues facing NQTs. • ATL Stress Helpline: for confidential counselling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, call 08705 234 828. • ATL Crisis Line: support for any member who has experienced assault or trauma, call 08705 234 838.
ATL is here to help
• ATL Legal Helpline: for confidential legal advice on any personal issue, call 08701 654 026.
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© Association of Teachers and Lecturers 2006. Second edition 2008. All rights reserved. Information in this publication may be reproduced or quoted with proper acknowledgement to ATL.
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Autumn 2012: update to your copy of Induction Please note that the General Teaching Council Scotland has issued guidelines which make changes to the time allocations for probationer teachers from 2012/13. The following replaces all references made to time allocations for probationers throughout this publication.
The guidelines, which local authorities are expected to adhere to, are as follows: • There should be a continued commitment to a maximum of 18 hours per week class contact time (0.8 full-time equivalent or FTE) for all those entering the induction scheme at the start of the school year in August. • This figure of 18 hours may be increased later in the session (but not normally before Easter) for teachers whose progress is deemed satisfactory. This variation, which will offer opportunities to gain additional experience and develop skills, should come only after full discussion with the individual probationer about his or her needs. The process for approving variation would be endorsed by the relevant manager within the local authority. • The teaching time expected of probationers whose progress has been identified as unsatisfactory or giving cause for concern should be maintained at no more than 18 hours (0.8 FTE). • The total allocation of teaching time across the school session should not exceed that of an average allocation of 18.5 hours (0.82 FTE) per week. (For clarity, 18.5 hours is equivalent to 0.82 of the established teacher class contact time of 22.5 hours.) • Where practicable, part of a probationer’s relief time should include one full day out of class.
Update to your copy of Induction
The full guidance issued by the GTCS can be found at www.probationerteacherscotland.org.uk.
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