Welcome to the University of Derby Primary Partnership

1. Welcome to the University of Derby Primary Partnership Briefing for all stakeholders, 2013 – PART ONE www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

2. What do our school based colleagues say? Feedback on the partnership experience, consistently reaffirms its worth. Teachers have highlighted many benefits of working with trainees, including: • Developing a mentoring culture within the school • Promoting reflection in action • Sharing new ideas, strategies and planning • Supporting targeted interventions and personalised learning • An opportunity for you to learn about your practice and reflect on it • An opportunity to improve outcomes for your learners • Facilitating the gift of time!

3. CPPD Opportunities with Derby • Contribution to sessions at the university • Leadership of programme inputs and strategic development (e.g. Leading Partners in EAL) • Whole School INSET bespoke packages • Post-graduate modules through to complete Masters’ degree • Advancement to SLT yields additional opportunities, too.

4. ITE Provision at University of Derby • BEd 3 or 4 year route • PGCE 3-7, 7-11 & 5-11 • PGCE 7-11 & French Specialists • School Direct PGCE Primary or Secondary • Overseas Teacher Training Programme [OTT] • Raft of CPD modules - many of which are eligible for TDA funding!

5. Your Voices Heard Through Our Primary Partnership Infrastructure Primary Programme Committee Partnership Quality Group SLTs Mentors

6. ITE Partnership Websitewww.derby.ac.uk/ppweb • USERNAME: primary • PASSWORD: w2eb415log • Direct email addresses & telephone numbers • All PT documentation • Exemplar Materials • Dates for Your Diary • FAQs • Photo Gallery

7. Assessment protocols and processes for practical teaching Briefing for all stakeholders, 2013 PART TWO www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

8. CONTENT SECTION A - Core practices and protocols for assessment • The Assessment Handbook for Practical Teaching, 2013 • Assessment Protocols • Successful lesson observation and feedback. SECTION B - Moderation and Quality Assurance • The role of the ULT and SLT. • Internal and external moderation. • Evaluation across the partnership. SECTION C - The role of the student • The importance of the RRP. • The importance of the Placement File (professional record). www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

9. SECTION ACore Practices and Protocols www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

10. Grading vocabulary across all cohortsAssessment of grades can only be made using the stage specific criteria contained in Assessment Handbooks for Practical Teaching.No other assessment criteria can be used. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

11. Raising expectations of performance A grade 3 outcome has been reconceptualised as underperformance across the education sector. For an NQT, the grade 3 descriptor ‘requires improvement’ does not have employability-friendly status. Hence, school based and university based interventions will be triggered by grade 3 and grade 4 outcomes whether these are predicted or actual. Supplementary guidance on awarding grade 3 is found in each Reflective Teaching handbook. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

12. Maximising the number of students attaining a placement attainment outcome that is at least ‘good’ PREDICTED GRADES ACTUAL GRADES At three points in the placement, Mentors are asked to assess actual level of attainment against all 8 Teaching Standards. The targets set should support movement towards a final attainment grade that is at least good. At two points in the placement, Mentors are asked to predict likely attainment outcomes so that where this prediction is a grade 3 or a grade 4, school based and university based interventions can secure an outcome that is at least good. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

13. The challenge? Within these changes in expectations and processes, we need to operate in ways that help students to feel that they are valued and supported whether they are attaining grade1, 2, 3 or 4. Our student evaluations suggest that they thrive in an environment where their starting points are valued, where their progress is assessed accurately but non-judgementally and where they have clear communication about areas of strength and priorities for development. We also have to operate high expectations and challenge so that we can secure for them (and our children), the best outcomes possible. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

14. Assessment Phases during Practical Teaching Assessment Phase 1 Assessment Phase 1 usually comprises the first two or three weeks of the placement. This period is know as the orientation period. The AP1 report is written at the end of the Assessment Phase 1 and is in two parts ASSESSMENT PHASE 1 (AP1) REPORT – PART ONE Assessment of Attainment at the end of Orientation ASSESSMENT PHASE 1 (AP1) REPORT – PART TWO Planning Confirmation Day – Readiness for Placement www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

15. Assessment Phase 1 on the Placement Calendar Example from PGCE Practical Teaching 1 AP1 Report (Part 1) Indicative actual attainment Predicted attainment for the end of AP2 AP1 Report (Part 2) Planning Confirmation Day www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

16. AP1 Reports AP1 (Part 1) Report – Assessment of attainment at the end of orientation • Usually at the end of the orientation period. • Indicative actual attainment grades against all 8 teaching standards and actual overall attainment grade at the end of AP1. • A predicted overall attainment grade for the end of Assessment Phase 2 (AP2). • Commentary on strengths. • Priority targets for development to support movement towards a final outcome that is at least ‘good’. • Where any grade is 4 or where the predicted grade is 3 or 4, the ULT is informed by the SLT via the placements office. Derived from on going, formative assessment (e.g. appraisals, RRP) Grading decisions supported only by stage specific criteria. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

17. AP1 Report AP1 (Part 2) Report - Planning Confirmation Day Readiness for Placement • A check that the placement file meets expectations. • A check that the student is sufficiently prepared for the placement. • Confirmation that previous summative reports and the students’ action planner have been seen. • Confirmation that their professional conduct is commensurate with Part Two of the teaching standards. • Setting of targets for further development for the file. • Where students are not sufficiently prepared, ensuring that the SLT informs the ULT via the placement office. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

18. Assessment Phase 2 (AP2) Report Assessment Phase 2 is usually the first half of the block. Example from PGCE, Practical Teaching 1 End of AP3 Summative Comments End of AP2 Report Actual attainment Predicted attainment for the end of AP3 www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

19. AP2 Report • A more detailed analysis of the students’ areas of strength and/or competence • Actual attainment grades against all 8 Teaching Standards and actual overall attainment grade for end of AP2. • Confirmation that the student has conducted themselves in ways commensurate with Part Two of the Teaching Standards (Personal and Professional Conduct) • Predicted overall attainment grade for the end of AP3 • Targets that will secure movement towards at least grade 2 by the end of the placement (or grade 1 in cases where grade 2 is already attained). Derived from on going, formative assessment (e.g. appraisals, RRP) Grading decisions supported only by stage specific criteria. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

20. Assessment Phase 3 Report Assessment Phase 3 usually comprises the final 3 or 4 weeks of the block. It is the period during which all students should be progressing towards an attainment outcome that is at least ‘good’ for their stage. The AP3 Report is usually completed on final day of placement. • General comment on student’s progress. • Comment from teaching assistants on their experience of working with the student. • Record of days missed/made up. • Confirmation that school based tasks have been completed. • Confirmation that student conduct has been commensurate with Part Two of the Teaching Standards (personal and professional conduct). • Actual attainment grade for all 8 Teaching Standards with commentary on achievements and targets for future development. • Additional comment on Early mathematics and SSP/Early Reading. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

21. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

22. Appraisals • Usually 2 appraisals per week. • The focus should be agreed beforehand. • Can be based on observed teaching or on other aspects of professional development (e.g. teamwork). • Mainly provided by the mentor but should be supported by the ULT, SLT and subject specialists. • Areas of strength/competence and areas for development should be clearly described with reference to the Teaching Standards. • Where there are instances of underperformance terms such as ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ should be used. • SMART targets should be designed to secure continued progress with a review date. • All parties should sign and date the appraisal. The appraisal must make reference to the impact of the student’s practice on outcomes for children and should include subject specific targets. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

23. The Assessment Handbook Assessment Handbooks provide stage specific grading criteria. • Structured around all of the teaching standards • Specific to the student’s stage of development • Criteria to support grading decisions • Criteria can be used to assess current attainment • Criteria can assist target setting • Report formats for Assessment Phase 1, 2 and 3. • Guidance on supporting underperforming students • No other grading criteria to be used to assess attainment www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

24. Criteria for completing students • Present in all Assessment Handbooks. • Can only be used to grade completing students. • Can inform target setting for students at other stages and the induction year. • Criteria include direct quotations from Ofsted evaluation criteria for school inspections www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

25. Extract from Assessment Handbook for Completing Students www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

26. Student attainment and pupil progress Grading criteria make reference to outcomes for children. Grading decisions must be informed by evidence of ; • the students’ impact on the children’s well-being. • amounts and rates of children’s progress However, it is important to consider this fairly and realistically in the context of: • The on-going progress of the children • The on-going practices within the school • The context of the school/class • The students’ stage of training • The length of the placement www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

27. Ofsted and progress – terms used by Ofsted ATTAINMENT Means attainment against national expectations in relation to SATS and EYFS profiles. PROGRESS Describes positive changes in attainment over time from starting points. ACHIEVEMENT Describes wider educational outcomes across the primary curriculum.

28. Levels of student attainment and pupil progress • Student teachers are unlikely to bring about changes in attainment over their placement period since there is not enough time. • The impact of their practice on pupils cannot be judged with reference to national benchmarks. • However, student teachers can show pupil progress in other qualitative ways (e.g. against goals set in unit plans, objectives in lesson plans, general goals for pupil progress set at the start of the placement, PLPs). • Student teachers can also illustrate achievement in its wider sense. • The priority is to develop a systematic assessment and planning routine that helps this to come to fruition and be evidenced.

29. Preparing for an Observation Good Practice • Agree the focus of the observation beforehand • Engage in a pre-observation discussion with the student in which they explain their teaching choices • Ensure that the student provides you with a copy of the lesson plan and resources for the lesson • Look for evidence of children’s response and progress More detailed guidance on good practice for Observation and Feedback is provided in your training booklet (p.11)

30. Managing The Debrief • Lead with positives • Avoid ‘So how do you think that went?’ • Focus upon the specifics • Opportunities for you and student to reflect on practice – ask questions that encourage the student to be critically reflective? (e.g. At what points were the children most engaged and why do you think that was?’ • Constructive criticism during feedback • Involve the student in setting targets • Don’t duck the issue! • Be forthright in your verbal and written feedback where you need to be!

31. Like any skill or craft, learning to teach is a developmental process characterized by devastating disasters and spectacular successes.

32. The Subtle Art of Mentoring “We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.” Ben Sweetland

33. SECTION BModeration and Quality Assurance For Placements www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

34. The Role of the University Link Tutor (ULT) • ULTs are lecturers within the Initial Teacher Education Programmes • Highly experienced primary practitioners • Research interests • Active projects with colleagues in school • ULTs visit between 20 and 50 students per year and this informs moderation • Some ULTs are SLTs www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

35. The Role of the University Link Tutor Quality Assurance Moderation To support the moderation of judgements about levels of attainment To advise and support mentors in the assessment processes for Practical Teaching. To promote consistency of practice across the partnership. • To monitor, support and develop the quality of placements • To intervene and advise where there are shortfalls in quality or where students are underperforming • To promote an ITE culture across schools www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

36. ULT School visits In the autumn term, ULTs will visit partnership schools to meet with students, mentors and the SLT. The purpose of the visit is to: • Ensure that students are aware of expectations for the placement. • Support students’ reflection on their own progress. • Meet with mentors to discuss the students’ progress, clarify the expectations and assessment protocols for the placement and advise on recent developments across the partnership. • Meet with the SLTs to discuss quality assurance. • Explore any questions or concerns and advise accordingly. • Make dates for the next visit. There are no observations of the student during the ULT School Visit www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

37. ULT moderation visits • The ULT will engage in a joint observation with the mentor. This is an essential feature of the moderation process and must be facilitated. • Usually, the ULT will not observe the whole lesson. • Grading judgements will be discussed and moderated. • An appraisal will arise from the joint observation. • The ULT will support the feedback and reflection process. • A file audit will take place. • A quality audit will take place. • The ULT will provide advice and support for the mentor. The SLT will manage the visit, ensuring best use of time for the ULT and mentors. The ULT will usually meet with the SLT. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

38. The Internal Moderation Team (IMT) • The Internal Moderation Team (IMT) comprises senior colleagues at the university. An IMT visit is made when a student is attaining a borderline grade 4 profile. • An IMT visit usually occurs during the final week of the placement (though it may occur earlier in exceptional circumstances). In collaboration with school colleagues the IMT visit results in a judgement about: • Whether the student has maintained a satisfactory level against the stage specific criteria described in the Assessment Handbook. • The extent to which standard support and assessment processes have been in place. • The IMT visit will result in a pass/fail decision with these decisions made in collaboration with school colleagues. • The visit will always involve a joint observation, a file audit and a quality audit. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

39. External Examiners • Visits occur in the final week of placement across a range of schools and placements • Examiners are selected on the basis of their experience and reputation in the field of ITE and primary education • The examiners will be asked to evaluate specific aspects of partnership provision. • Overall, the aim is to benchmark quality and consistency in student attainment and support. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

40. Evaluations of placement by students Students complete an online evaluation of their placement, grading the following 8 areas on a scale of 1 (outstanding) to 4 (poor) • Arrangements for Induction • Health and Safety • Effective mentoring • Materials, resources and opportunities • Guidance and feedback • Life of the school • Moderation • Quality of written assessment • ULT role • Diverse opportunities to achieve the standards. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

41. Feedback to schools by students – 2 stars and a wish www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

42. Student Evaluations 2009-13 There is a strong trend towards outstanding overall and in the majority of the specific aspects (e.g. quality of written feedback). www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

43. Typical student comments for placements rated less than good • Induction day was not well organised • The mentor did not understand what was expected • The mentor did not spend time with me and seemed very pressured • The mentor told me on the first day that she did not ask for a 2nd year student • A job share situation made communication difficult • Feedback focussed exclusively on the negative • The mentor would not award good or outstanding grades even though I had achieved the criteria because he felt that a student teacher couldn’t be ‘good’ yet • The mentor did not use the university criteria • Their curriculum was very tightly controlled • There was no space to learn from failure • There was no space to be creative • There were no or very few opportunities for feedback from people other than the mentor. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

44. Typical student comments for placements rated as good or better • Induction day was well organised • I felt like a welcome and included member of the teaching team • I felt valued • The mentoring style balanced strong support with freedom to learn from mistakes, to experiment and to be creative • Feedback was clear and fair with manageable targets • Strengths as well as weaknesses were noted in feedback • The mentor had time for me and knew what was expected • I gained support and useful feedback from colleagues in addition to my mentor • I was graded fairly with reference to university criteria • People were not judgemental www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

45. Evaluations by SLTs and ULTs • Annually, SLTs are invited to an evaluation conference. • A SWOTT analysis is carried out. • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats • Targets for development • The issues and targets raised by SLT’s influence strategic planning across the partnership. • ULTs also evaluate the quality of mentoring and support provided by the partnership schools they have visited. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

46. Section C The Role of Students in supporting assessment of their attainment and in securing high levels of attainment www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

47. The role of the student Throughout the programme, students are expected to: • Accept, enquire about and act upon the feedback and targets they receive from more experienced colleagues. • Evaluate in an increasingly systematic way, the impact of their teaching on outcomes for learners. • Engage in reflection, individually and with others. • Track and evidence their own progress and attainment against stage specific criteria provided in the Assessment Handbook. • Be proactive in securing opportunities to develop professionally. • Use the weekly progress meeting, RRP and the placement file (professional record) as tools for achieving the above. Hence, more experienced colleagues should promote and support a collaborative approach to the assessment of progress and attainment. www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

48. The Record of Reflective Practice (RRP) Students should use the RRP meaningfully to: • Reflect upon (and not describe) their professional learning, particularly in terms of impact on pupils. • Design SMART targets (informed by appraisals, informal feedback and self-evaluation) that will support progressive attainment of the Teaching Standards and evaluate their progress towards these. • Note sources of evidence for the attainment they confirm in their RRP. • Refer to their RRP during discussions of progress and assessment. Hence, more experienced colleagues should invite students to refer to the RRP in weekly progress meetings and should consider the RRP when writing reports at the end of assessment phases (AP1, 2 and 3) www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

49. Student attainment and pupil progress Grading criteria make reference to outcomes for children. Grading decisions must be informed by evidence of ; • the students’ impact on the children’s well-being. • amounts and rates of children’s progress Students need to develop systems of professional record that enable them to: • Make appropriate interventions to deepen progress for learners • Explain and evidence the impact of their practice on children’s progress • Account for amounts and rates of progress www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

50. Student teachers and pupil progress A ‘hit and miss lesson’ results from a general assessment and understanding of what children need. It meets most children’s needs but not all. It might include unnecessary repetition of work. For Ofsted, this is satisfactory teaching. ‘Hit and miss’ lessons don’t happen when they are formed from an accurate, astute understanding of who needs what so that everyone moves forward in steps fitting for their stage of development. For Ofsted, this is outstanding teaching. What implications does this have for students in terms of their systems of professional record?