PGCE Newsletter 11th Ed. May '19 by Peter Tankard

SECONDARY PGCE NEWS Core and School Direct Newsletter

Key considerations at the end of the programme.....

Edition 11 | May | 2019

As we approach the closing stages of the PGCE programme for 2018-19 it is perhaps important for us to reflect upon the successes of this year in terms of the development of the next generation of teachers and the significant role that we have all played in that process. Our collaboration continues to go from strength to strength resulting in some extremely positive outcomes for our trainees across the whole partnership. As our trainees continue to develop during the final stage of the programme it is important that we all strive to help them become the best that they can be and to be ready for their NQT year, remembering that many will remain in our partner schools...

Some important reminders...

• Please use the grade descriptor matrix in order to focus on those areas where improvements can be made - S.M.A.R.T. targets. • If a trainee was graded at 4 for any standard at KAP2 there must be clear evidence of an action plan having been used to address this shortfall including a review and any subsequent actions • KAP 3 Grade Deadline - Friday 21st June 2019. This is a very strict deadline as the assessment board at which these outcomes are considered is within a week following this date. • When considering final KAP3 grades, if any standard is considered to be at grade 4 then this standard is deemed to have been failed resulting in the trainee not meeting all eight to at least the minimum level. Unfortunately this means they cannot be recommended for QTS.

In this issue....

• Key considerations at the end of the programme • PebblePad on completion of he SEP • Addressing Teacher Workload • DfE advice • A Shared Vision • Wider Partnership Support • Key dates and contacts

PebblePad on completion of the SEP... The completion of an online Progress Portfolio is a compulsory element of our PGCE programme and the trainees are required to be ‘signed off’ on this aspect before we can fully recommend them for the award of QTS. As well as providing the trainee with a comprehensive portfolio that can be used subsequently for their CPD, it also provides some essential evidence, data and compulsory activities that the University requires for compliance. The final page of this portfolio will be released at the beginning of June and it contains some critically important tasks that must be completed. These include an online evaluation survey of the programme and their NQT Professional Development Profile (the old CEDP). The trainees will be made aware of these crucial tasks by the University but any help you can offer in order that this element is completed successfully and timely is, as always, greatly appreciated.

How well trainees teach...

WHAT OFSTED SAY….

When inspectors observe teaching they are also observing the children’s/pupils’/learners’ responses, including in lessons and from work in their books/folders. The key factor in judging the quality of teaching over time is the impact teaching has on the quality of learning of children/pupils/learners. (Initial Teacher Education Inspection Handbook, Sept 2015)

Addressing teacher workload in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) [Trainees and Mentors] The DfE’s Advice for ITE providers... ITE providers should review the tasks trainees are required to undertake on their placement in order to reduce workload, and those in their schools who provide support such as their mentor. Measures should be put in place to eliminate unnecessary burdens. The following questions should be considered: • Are all the tasks necessary? Do they all directly improve trainee development /pupil progress? If not, can they be stopped? • If they are necessary, are they appropriately staggered? Is time ring-fenced as part of school-based training time for the tasks? An area of continual concern for trainees across our partnership is the sometimes burdensome nature of lesson planning and the production and use of resources, especially as their practice, and as a result pupil progress, develops. The DfE advise partners to work collaboratively to “help trainees develop curriculum planning skills”. We should promote ways for “trainees to evaluate and use existing high quality resources for sequences of lessons, to promote a collaborative culture in using, adapting and evaluating the quality of curriculum plans and schemes of work”. They go further to say that we should “encourage schools to share existing high quality materials with trainees, such as schemes of work, high quality curriculum resources and textbooks, and help them to use these when planning a sequence of lessons”. Ultimately, the DfE believe that “The primary focus of all activities that trainees are asked to undertake should always be on those which contribute directly to pupil outcomes and effective development of the trainee. Activities which do not do this should be reviewed, streamlined or stopped where necessary”. (Taken from ‘Addressing teacher workload in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Advice for ITE providers’ Nov, 2018)

During an inspection:

WHAT OFSTED SAY….

Direct observation will be supplemented by a range of other evidence, including work in children’s/pupils’/learners’ books or folders, enabling inspectors to evaluate the impact that training has on trainees’ and NQTs’/former trainees’ quality of teaching over time and professional development. (Initial Teacher Education Inspection Handbook, Sept 2015)

A shared vision....

Contd...

The DfE advises that there needs to be a ‘shared vision’ across partnerships that relates to:

• expectations for trainees on professional placement, using the principles from the workload reports on ‘marking’, ‘planning and resources’ and ‘data management’. • expectations which match the reality of the role and do not add to workload • expectations for how trainees’ evidence is meeting the Teachers’ Standards Since the publication of this guidance, the university has been working with key stakeholders to develop a series of ‘shared expectations’ that relate to the bullet points above. These expectations will also take into account any changes to the framework for the inspection of Initial Teacher Education, due to be published by Ofsted, with a particular focus on the reduction of teacher workload. The aim of this shared vision is to address the guidance from the DfE whilst at the same time providing clarity regarding the current expectations and requirements for a PGCE trainee to be awarded QTS at the end of the programme. The first of this series of expectations relating to lesson and curriculum planning is currently in draft form and will be shared across the partnership at the beginning of the next PGCE year via the next edition of this newsletter. It is sincerely hoped that this will help trainees and mentors work together to streamline the process of lesson planning whilst maintaining the quality and efficacy of the process.

Supporting the wider partnership... The DfE believe that “ITE providers play an important role in helping to encourage and foster culture change needed across the education system to address workload issues”. They see this very much as a collaborative process and cite a number of joint strategies that could make a valuable contribution to the reduction of teacher workload including: • organising partnership conferences and events to provide a forum to share workload reduction strategies, effective use of resources and evidence of what works. • using their communication mechanisms, for example, partnership newsletters, to communicate key messages relating to workload and updates from the education sector, including, for example, Ofsted myth-busting guidance and case studies on the DfE Teaching blog • ensuring that ITE partnership committees include workload and work-life balance of trainees, mentors, school-based and centre-based trainers as a standing agenda item. (Taken from ‘Addressing teacher workload in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Advice for ITE providers’ Nov, 2018)

Dates for your diary (2018-19)….. • • • • •

Mon 3rd Sept 2018 - Start of ‘Core’ PGCE Wed 5th Sept 2018 - School Direct Induction Day Mon 24th Sept 2018 - Initial Experience Phase (IEP) begins Thu 20th Dec 2018 - IEP ends Mon 4th Feb 2019 - Sustained Enactment Phase (SEP) begins • Fri 21st Jun 2019 - SEP ends The twelve PfL Dates (2018-19): (6/9/18), (7/9/18), (17/9/18), (18/9/18), (5/10/18), (19/10/18), (16/11/18), (30/11/18), (18/1/19), (25/1/19), (1/2/19) & (10/5/19) 2018-19 Trainee Grades and Reports submission to UoC: • Autumn Term - Thu 20th December 2018 • Spring Term - Fri 5th April 2019 • Summer Term - Fri 21st June 2019 (Final Grades)

Useful Links….

ITE Core Content: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/536890/Framework_ Report_11_July_2016_Final.pdf

IEP Mentor Support video link: http://tinyurl.com/IEPmentorvideos New Mentor Framework: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/536891/Mentor_ standards_report_Final.pdf NASBTT Toolkit: http://www.nasbtt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ Training-and-Assessment-Toolkit-April-2015.pdf Addressing Teacher Workload in ITE: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/753502/Addressing_Workload_in_ITE.pdf