Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
Year 1 School-based Learning Professional Development
Activities
BA (Hons) Primary Education and
BA (Hons) Early Years - Primary Education
2015 - 2016
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
BOOKLET RATIONALE
This booklet has been created to support the bringing together of university and schoolbased learning. The school-based learning activities have been designed within the ITE
Partnership to provide guidance to Associate Teachers (ATs) and Professional Mentors/
Class Teachers on the types of activities that ATs should engage in in order to meet, to an
appropriate level at this stage of training, key aspects of the Teachers’ Standards. This set
of activities is by no means exhaustive and, as with all aspects of ITE Partnership, school
colleagues and ATs are encouraged to seek other related and bespoke opportunities for
development in these areas. Feedback from school colleagues and ATs is, as always, very
welcome and can be given either to the University Link Tutor, programme tutors or noted on
the relevant SBL evaluation form.
Activities, and priorities for 2015/16, have been developed in consultation with the following
school colleagues:
Leanne Andrews, Firs School
Cheryl Barry, Sychdyn Primary School
Anne Careless, Criftins Primary School
Matt Davies, Rudheath Primary Academy
Helen Jones, Firs School
Amanda Rowland, Broomfields Junior School
Katie Scoltock, Newton Primary School
Lynda Thomas, Helsby Hillside Primary School
Emily Wright, Tilston Parochial CE Primary School
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
Y1 University-based learning 2015/16
Below is information for our ITE Partnership colleagues based in school outlining the
university-based learning undertaken by the BA (Hons) Associate Teachers across all
modules throughout the year. As all modules are ongoing at the placement start, only some
of the content will have been covered prior to this.
Education and Professional Studies – Outline of module content
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Introduction to learning, teaching and assessment
An introduction to the concepts of learning, teaching, education, school and
curriculum;
A brief introduction to the history, sociology and philosophy of education;
Learning theories and their application in Primary and EYFS classrooms/settings;
the role of play in supporting learning and development;
Key theories of child development (social, moral, motor and cognitive);
An introduction to Early Years pioneers;
Factors influencing motivation and learning;
Classroom management and organisation; behaviour management and
engagement;
Theory into practice: planning for effective learning in primary or EYFS settings;
An introduction to Safeguarding/e-safety and Child Protection;
Personal and professional conduct;
The teacher as researcher:
Research in education;
Brief introduction to ethics in research;
Observation and the reflective practitioner; reflecting on practice;
Case studies and child profiles;
Interviewing professional colleagues.
School-based Learning Preparation - Outline of module content
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The role of the teacher;
Professionalism (focus on Part 2 of the Teachers' Standards);
Time management;
Planning and assessment skills;
Articulacy and the use of the voice;
Target setting and subject knowledge auditing.
Core Subject Learning
ENGLISH - Outline of module content
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English in the statutory documents for the EYFS and Primary phases (with a focus on
spoken English and reading);
Early language acquisition;
Spoken English with a focus on the use of standard English;
The Rose Review and the Simple View of reading;
The role of Systematic Synthetic Phonics in the teaching of early reading and spelling;
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
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Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
Teaching reading comprehension;
Reading for pleasure;
Technology to support the teaching of reading;
The application of reading and spoken language across subject boundaries.
MATHEMATICS - Outline of module content
 Introduction to the EYFS and National Curriculum for mathematics
 Exploration of attitudes towards mathematics
 Early number - counting
 Place Value and other number systems
 Mental and written methods for the four rules of number calculations
SCIENCE - Outline of module content
 The nature of science and why we teach it
 Early years science experiences - early explorations
 Children's ideas in science
 Constructivism
 Science in the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
 Scientific Enquiry (working scientifically)
 Selected topics from the NC programmes of study for physics, chemistry and biology
 Introduction to lesson planning in science
Other Modules
PE and Outdoor Learning in the EYFS and Primary Phases - Outline of module content
 An introduction to Physical Development and PE in the statutory frameworks for
EYFS and Primary phases;
 Learning and teaching through core PE activities, such as games, gymnastics and
dance, health related exercise and outdoor activities;
 An introduction to developmentally appropriate Physical Education and the motor
skills which underpin fundamental movement;
 A review of a range of teaching strategies that can be used in practical Physical
Education contexts;
 The contribution of Physical Development and PE to learning across the Early Years
and Primary phases;
 The promotion of Health and Safety and management of risk in Physical Education
lessons and out-of-school contexts;
 An introduction to teaching and learning Physical Development and PE in out-ofschool contexts;
 The contribution of Physical Development and PE, and the role of fundamental
movement skills in the promotion of appropriate health enhancing physical activity.
Learning and teaching in the Arts - Outline of module content
 Key skills and concepts in relation to arts education, including gaining experience and
expertise in a range of techniques for teaching children;
 Approaches to planning, learning, teaching, assessment, evaluation, classroom
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
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Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
management and inclusion in art and design, design and technology and music;
The potential for working collaboratively with a variety of art forms;
Creative learning and teaching opportunities across the arts;
The place of art and design, design and technology and music in a child’s curriculum;
To explore cultural diversity through the arts;
Meaningful cross-curricular links between the arts.
Computing, Primary Foreign Languages and Intercultural Perspectives - Outline of
module content
 The essential knowledge, skills and understanding to teach Computing and use
technologies to enhance learning;
 The Computing curriculum for key stages one and two and ICT in the EYFS;
 Progressions in programming;
 Selecting, using and combining technologies for creative purposes;
 Digital citizenship: safe, responsible and sensitive use of technologies and media;
 Choosing when and when not to use technologies for learning;
 Using technologies to support the teaching of languages and to explore intercultural
perspectives;
 Auditing of cultural journeys – global links and language experiences;
 Exploring the notion of different heritages and cultures;
 The contributions of different cultures and heritages to British culture and values;
 'Self and Other’ - articulation of own culture/heritage as a pre-requisite for
understanding another;
 Language as part of culture - learning from other languages;
 Multicultural and intercultural education – practice and development, similarities and
differences;
 The role of languages in developing children’s interculturality;
 The intercultural classroom, including school linking locally and globally;
 Introduction to the global dimension to the curriculum – global learning;
 Language teaching pedagogy, including cross-curricular approaches
 Language teaching pedagogy, including planning for micro-teaching and resources.
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
INDUCTION TO THE SCHOOL
Making the most of the first 2 days
The first 2 serial days of the placement should enable Associate Teachers to orientate
themselves with the class/ classes and schools they will be based in, collecting key
information and documents about the class/ classes, and about school policies and
procedures. Opportunities for meeting the class teacher and Professional Mentor will greatly
enhance this process.
Key information and documents to collect
Key Policies: e.g. Safeguarding and Child Protection; e-safety; subject-specific policies;
behaviour management; anti-bullying; Equality.
School information: school prospectus and mission statement; roles and responsibilities of
all staff; resources available in school and any procedures for booking them.
Class information: class list; details of groupings; key assessment data and tracking
information about children in class (including targets); information about children with
additional needs (e.g. EAL; SEN and disability (access to IEPs); medical needs); class
timetable (including access to hall and other facilities, e.g. ICT Suite); topics/ areas to be
covered during SBL; sketch classroom layout.
School routines: lunchtime arrangements; playground duty rota; staff meetings; staffroom
protocol.
Age-phase enhancement and enrichment:
Discussion should focus on requirements for this over the course of the year. These are
detailed in the Phase 1 document within the appendices in the SBL Guide.
General organisation:
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Arrange with your Professional Mentor or Class Teacher a suitable time each month
(during the serial days) to hold your ‘weekly review’ meeting;
With your Class Teacher and, if appropriate, your paired placement partner, establish
your responsibilities and activities for the second and third serial days.
Observation
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Observe a range of both core and foundation subjects, including at least one Literacy
lesson and one Numeracy lesson.
From your observations and discussions with the class teacher make a note of the
strategies used to manage children’s behavior; record exactly how they are used; the
rationale behind them; the impact they have.
Child Profiles
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Two contrasting children should be selected as a focus for child profiles by the class
teacher. ATs should then work closely with these children throughout the year,
gaining insight into their learning needs and supporting their learning appropriately.
Regular reviews or progress in this activity will take place in university sessions
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
throughout the year.
Breaking the ice with the whole class (suggestions)
Whilst this is not mandatory, it is a good idea to do some activity, that you feel confident with,
very early in the placement.
For example, you could:
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Begin to read aloud to the class on a regular basis and continue for the rest of the
placement.
Team teach an oral/mental starter for a numeracy lesson.
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS FOR THE WHOLE PLACEMENT
Classroom management and behaviour management
Many of the suggested Professional Development Activities for the autumn term focus on
this area, and are detailed later in this document. Weekly reviews of progress should
regularly review progress in this area and set targets.
Presence in the classroom
Associate Teachers should be aware of the importance of this from the start of the
placement, and regular feedback and support should be given to enable them to develop
greater self-awareness of the impact of aspects such as body language, positioning and
voice. Where there are any concerns about classroom presence, these should be shared
with the University Link Tutor, so that additional support can be provided.
Working with parents and carers
Developing confidence for communicating with parents and carers has been identified as a
programme priority. During the course of the year, Associate Teachers should be given the
opportunity to do each of the following on at least one occasion:
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Write a letter to parents, introducing themselves as an Associate Teacher. A
template for this is provided on the Professional Journey website;
Communicate with parents to give praise about a child’s achievement (s);
Communicate with parents to respond to concerns about a child’s progress or wellbeing;
Engage in at least one communication with parents that involves technology (e.g.
Twitter, text, blog);
Attending and, if deemed appropriate, contributing during a consultation with parents
and carers (e.g. parents’ evening);
Make a phone call to parents;
Communicate to parents about a child’s progress in reading (e.g. through reading
record/ diary);
Attend an extra-curricular event organised for parents, and talk to the parent (s) of at
least 3 children during this.
Core subjects
Many of the suggested Professional Development Activities for the spring term focus on this
area. Weekly reviews of progress and target setting throughout the year should review
progress in subject knowledge and set targets, taking account of ATs’ subject knowledge
audits.
Planning
Associate Teachers need to gain an insight into levels of planning in a primary school (long
term, medium term and short term), and support in this area should be provided throughout
the year. Suggested progression is as follows:
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
Autumn Term:
Associate Teachers should be engaged in discussion about the planning process, and
shown good examples. Using the university lesson planning format, and based on the class
teacher’s planning. Associate Teachers should plan lessons, or parts of lessons for groups.
Spring Term (1)
As above + Associate Teachers should be shown examples of medium term planning and
how this translates to weekly and/ or lesson plans.
Spring Term (2)
As above + Associate Teachers should be given the opportunity to engage more with
medium term planning, and how short term planning is derived from this. This may involve
some collaborative working, but Associate Teachers should not be asked to derive their own
medium term plans during the first year placement.
Summer Term (1)
As above + Associate Teachers should be given the opportunity to evaluate progress
towards medium term planning.
Summer Term (2, block placement)
As above + Associate Teachers should be completing lesson plans with increasing
independency, and preparing plans and teaching the whole class in some lessons, as
deemed appropriate.
Child Profiles
Aims:
 Enable Associate Teachers to gain a greater understanding of assessment, target
setting and tracking of children’s progress;
 Enable Associate Teachers to gain a greater understanding of factors that affect
children’s attainment.
In completing the Child Profiles, Associate Teachers must demonstrate that they are aware
of (for at least English and Mathematics):
 each child’s attainment in relation to national age-related expectations and baseline
attainment at the start of the year and/ or key stage/ age phase;
 how the child’s attainment has been tracked over time;
 each child’s quantitative and qualitative targets, and how these impact on planning;
 contributory factors that may have impacted on the child’s learning and attainment.
Associate Teachers must also provide evidence of how they have (for English and
Mathematics):
 monitored the child’s progress towards targets;
 planned for and assessed the child’s learning in relation to their targets.
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
Outstanding Associate Teachers will:
 demonstrate a degree of autonomy and initiative in addressing the above;
 liaise with appropriate colleagues in school in support of the child’s learning
Using the Child Profiles for SBL and UBL assessment
Associate Teachers are encouraged to draw upon quantitative and qualitative data in the
Child Profiles as evidence towards Teachers’ Standards and to support critical reflection in
academic assignments, where appropriate.
The Child Profiles should enable Associate Teachers to demonstrate their proficiency in
relation to the Teachers’ Standards identified below:
5b) have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to
learn, and how best to overcome these;
5c) demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of
children, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different
stages of development;
5d) have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special
educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional
language; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive
teaching approaches to engage and support them;
6b) make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils’ progress;
6c) use relevant data to monitor progress, set targets, and plan subsequent lessons.
Presentation of Child Profiles
Aside from the cover sheet, there is no set presentation format for the Child Profiles. They
should appear in the relevant section of the SBL File, and provide evidence of Associate
Teachers’ impact on each child’s learning from the very beginning of SBL.
Where work samples are included, they should be annotated in an analytical way, with direct
reference made to the child’s attainment and/ or targets.
The evidence in the Child Profiles should enable Associate Teachers to provide a very
detailed verbal or written report at the end of SBL which highlights the child’s strengths and
weaknesses, progress towards targets and areas for development. Associate Teachers
should be able to identify factors which have had an impact on the child’s learning and
reflect on the impact of their teaching.
Child Profiles – examples of possible content
Records of pupil tracking
Details of qualitative and quantitative targets (and assessment made in relation to these)
Examples of summative and formative assessment that has been completed
Work samples (annotated to demonstrate relevance)
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
AUTUMN TERM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
FOCUS: CLASSROOM ORGANISATION, BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT AND
TEACHING PEDAGOGY
The following are suggested activities, which will help structure your time in school during
the autumn term. The emphasis is on enabling you to gain a greater insight into classroom
organisation, behaviour management and teaching pedagogy, and to make links between
theory introduced in the university to practice observed in school.
1)
Track a full day for one class of children.
Record your observations during the day in your own diarised format. Try to consider
why particular class management and teaching strategies are being used to support
children’s learning. You should take opportunities to support individual children/ groups
as directed by the Class Teacher throughout the day. Observation should be
participatory!
Some suggestions of what to look for:
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Transitions;
Routines, including at the start and end of the day;
Behaviour management strategies;
How questioning is used to find out what children know and understand, or to
challenge their thinking;
Strategies used to engage children in discussion;
Ways in which children are grouped and why;
Learning styles;
Ways in which children’s learning is assessed.
You may find Appendix 2 in the SBL Guide useful in supporting your observations.
2)
Safeguarding and Child Protection:
 Read the school’s Safeguarding/ Child Protection Policy and talk to the designated
teacher and/ or the Head Teacher to find out more about Safeguarding and Child
Protection.
 Find out who the Designated Safeguarding Officer is, and if possible talk to them to
find out more about their role, and about Safeguarding and Child Protection.
 Make sure that you know what to do if you are worried about the welfare of a child –
so that you can help to protect children from maltreatment.
 Identify and record what is happening in the school, and what is done to: prevent
impairment of children’s health or development; provide safe and effective care;
enable children to have the best life chances. Explore the role of the curriculum.
 Gather evidence of how your placement school/setting ensures children use
technology, including the internet, safely. Evidence may include school policies, esafety rules and/or planning which illustrates appropriate e-safety practice.
3)
Observe and note the types of questions asked of children in the classroom. Consider
what makes effective questioning and the impact that high quality questions have on
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
the learning in the lesson. How is questioning used? Is it to illicit answers; to check
understanding; for assessment purposes? Using Bloom’s taxonomy
(http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/bloomtax.htm), consider the types of
questions asked.
4)
Keep a reflective diary of your observations in classrooms, particularly in relation to
classroom management and organisation; behaviour management; and teaching
strategies, including differentiation. Appendix 2 in the SBL guide offers some prompts
to help focus your observation.
5)
Write a reflective commentary (500 words approx.). This should focus on the extent to
which you have seen a particular learning theory evidenced in classroom practice, and
the impact on children’s learning. Submit your reflective commentary to Moodle as
directed by Monday 14th December 2015. You may find the module of reflective
writing on Moodle (PR4902) useful to help structure your thoughts.
6)
Design and make an interactive resource to be used in supporting learning on Visit
Day 4, 5 or 6. You will need to discuss the resource with your base class teacher on
Day 1 or Day 2, identifying what kind of resource it will be and which children it will be
used with. How will the resource complement the children’s learning? You have free
choice as to what to design and make, but ideas could include an IT resource,
problem-solving activity, role-play activity, story-sack, number game, puppet etc. It
should be interactive. You should use the resource to support the learning of a group
of children or the whole class, and evaluate its effectiveness. Use your interactive
resource to support teaching a small group or the whole class and write a short
evaluation (up to 500 words) of your teaching and the effectiveness of the resource in
enhancing the children’s learning. Submit your reflective commentary to Moodle as
directed by Monday 11th January 2016.
7)
Meet with 2 children (selected for child profiles), to find out about their interests and
attitudes to learning. Identify any factors that may affect the children’s motivation and
learning. Write a brief report of what you have found out about each child, ensuring
that this is done anonymously (e.g. referring to the children as Child A and Child B).
8)
Through informal discussion, find out more about the professional roles of adults
working in the school (see SBL Guide, Appendix 2).
9)
Observe an assembly or whole-school gathering led by the Head Teacher or Deputy
Head Teacher and try to identify how this relates to the school ethos.
10)
Identify differences in the physical classroom environment in two different classes (e.g.
one in KS1 and one in KS2, or one in EYFS and one in KS1). You may find it useful to
sketch and label a detailed plan of the classrooms.
11)
Accompany a teacher on break duty and observe the children interacting in an informal
context.
12)
Observe a PE lesson in EYFS, KS1 or KS2 (where possible).
13)
Investigate and report on the use of displays to support learning in the classroom.
Have a close look at the ways in which displays support children’s learning. For
example, displays of vocabulary lists, book reviews, role-play areas, topic webs,
working walls, displays of children’s work across the curriculum, thematic displays etc.
14)
Observe how 5 unfamiliar classroom resources are used to support children’s learning
and record some findings.
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
15)
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
Take any opportunities to assist with extra-curricular activities.
SPRING TERM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
FOCUS: ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
English
Prior to SBL, please ensure that you have updated your ‘English Subject Knowledge
Confidence Audit’.
SBL Focus 1: Standard English
As partial evidence for Teacher Standard 3c, endeavour to model the use of Standard
English throughout your time in school, practising in particular avoidance of the common
errors highlighted in UBL sessions.
SBL Focus 2: Teaching Reading
Word-reading - Systematic Synthetic Phonics
As you know from English sessions in university, Teacher Sub-standard 3d relates to your
ability to demonstrate your SSP subject knowledge. The pure subject knowledge element of
this can be evidenced in part by university-based evidence: your articulation test, your SSP
terminology test and your phonics assignment, but your understanding of the pedagogical
element of subject knowledge is significantly enhanced in school. It is from your SBL,
therefore, that much of your evidence for this teacher standard will come. As outlined in
green on your PR4903 schedule of sessions and below, there are several activities which
you should endeavour to undertake in order to deepen your understanding of how ‘teaching
reading theory’ and ‘teacher subject knowledge’ relate to your practice in the classroom.
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From the outset, ensure that you model correct articulation of phonemes when
working with children on reading/spelling activities. (Associated UBL session: 1)
Observe and support phase 1 SSP teaching in a Foundation Stage 1 setting
(Nursery/3 year olds). As this is unlikely to follow the 4-part structure of a discrete
SSP lesson, use the usual university observation form to make your notes, taking
care to use appropriate terminology when recording information. (Associated UBL
session: 2)
Observe, support and later teach a sequence of phase 2/3 SSP lessons in a
Foundation Stage 2 setting (Reception/4-5 year olds). Use the specific discrete SSP
lesson pro-formas: ‘AT observing teacher’ and ‘SSP discrete lesson planning’
(resource folder on Moodle). (Associated UBL session: 3)
Observe, support and later teach a sequence of phase 4/5 SSP lessons (Y1/2 – 5-6
year olds). Use the specific discrete SSP lesson pro-formas: ‘AT observing teacher’
and ‘SSP discrete lesson planning’ (resource folder on Moodle). (Associated UBL
session: 4)
If possible, observe, support and later teach a phonics intervention group in KS2.
Alternatively/in addition, observe/examine the place of SSP in KS2 spelling lessons.
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
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Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
Note how SSP is applied in other English lessons and in other areas of the
curriculum.
As for all lessons you teach, when teaching discrete SSP lessons of your own, several other
teacher standards may also be evidenced.
Reading for Pleasure
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Read whole fiction book(s) to a group/class purely for the purpose of promoting a
love of reading.
Develop an element of the school reading environment e.g. create an exciting
reading area.
Collate examples of whole school or class-based attempts by teachers to promote
reading for pleasure. E.g. World Book day events, visiting authors, reading-based
rewards etc. Comment on the value of such activities. (Associated UBL session: 6)
Reading Comprehension
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Read with individual children. Base discussion around Assessment Focus-specific
questions to promote progress in children’s understanding of texts. (Associated UBL
session: 8)
Observe and later lead a sequence of group guided reading sessions. (Associated
UBL session: 9)
Note how reading comprehension is applied in other English lessons and in other
areas of the curriculum.
SBL Focus 3: Spoken English
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How do teachers in the EYFS promote pupil progress in the Prime area
‘Communication and language’? Observe teaching/provision and ask to see EYFS
planning in this area. Make notes on your observations.
In years 1-6, how do teachers promote pupil progress in Spoken English? (See P7 of
the English NC programmes of Study for specific aspects of spoken English that
should be taught). (Associated UBL session: 12)
N.B. Writing
The teaching of writing is not the focus of university based learning this year. However,
observing and supporting writing lessons (and possibly teaching if you feel confident) will be
extremely valuable as teaching writing will be the focus of your UBL next year.
Immediately following SBL, complete the ‘Teaching English Experience Log’ and
upload this to Moodle (as will be explained). Also, update your ‘English Subject
knowledge Confidence Audit’ (electronic and hard-copy), focussing particularly on
the teaching of reading elements.
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Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Mathematics
1.
Observe maths teaching outside your base class in at least one other class in school.
Write a descriptive account of the lesson that would allow you to use your notes to teach
the same lesson. Note the learning objectives, structure of the lesson, questions the
teacher asks in whole class session and of individuals or groups as the children
completed the tasks set. Pay particular attention to any misconceptions that occur with
pupils or that the teacher may introduce to teach from. Include these misconceptions in
your written account. Include your perceptions of what the pupil’s learnt.
2.
Teach the starter activity you taught and evaluated in maths session in University to
your peers to pupils. You can teach a whole class, group or pair of pupils. Write a
reflective account of the teaching episode. Include as a minimum, what went well, what
you would change if you used the task again and what the pupil’s learnt.
3.
Obtain a copy of the schools calculation policy. Read this and document any
discussions you have with staff in school re clarification of ideas within the policy that
you are not clear about.
4.
Complete the ‘Resources for Teaching Place Value evaluation document’ (Available on
Moodle to download).
Science
Science Activity 1
The place of science as a core subject
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Discuss with your mentor and/or science co-ordinator the rationale for how science is
‘positioned’ in the curriculum in your school. What is the pattern of delivery in the
timetable (e.g. regular slots twice a week) and why has that approach been adopted?
Compare the place of science alongside the other core subjects of English and
Mathematics. Policy and curriculum planning documents might also help you to explore
this if available to you. Make notes of your findings.
Science Activity 2
Science in the new primary curriculum

Discuss with your mentor and/or science co-ordinator how the new curriculum for
science has been implemented in your school. Have they followed the suggested content
for each year group in the curriculum document or have they applied the guidance more
flexibly? How did they decide how to organise it? What were the reasons for the
decisions made? Make notes of your discussions.
Science Activity 3
Observation of science lessons

Observe at least three full science lessons across different year groups in your school.
Focus your observations on these key aspects:
o Identify when and how a constructivist approach is applied in the lessons. Note
the features you observe where this happens (i.e. what it looks like) and observe
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
the impact on pupils’ progress in conceptual understanding within individual
lessons.
o
Analyse which types of scientific enquiry you see being taught in the lessons
and discuss with the teacher concerned their rationale for selecting that type of
enquiry for the given learning opportunity.
o
Identify the specific skills of scientific enquiry being taught, practised and
extended in the lessons you observe. How are they matched to the age and
experience of the children?
o
What techniques does the teacher use to manage classroom organisation and
pupil behaviour in practical science sessions?
To support your focused observation of science lessons, you can use the prompts in the
science lesson observation pro-forma to record your analysis of the selected features.
Complete one pro-forma for each of the science lessons you observe. You can do this
electronically if you prefer so you can expand boxes. If you don’t observe any of these
features, make notes of the approaches that you see being used in the lesson instead.
SUMMER TERM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
FOCUS (during serial days): THE BROAD CURRICULUM
The serial days in the summer term should enable Associate Teachers to gain further
experience across the breadth of the curriculum. During the block placement, Associate
Teachers should draw upon any of the Professional Development Activities in the booklet, as
appropriate to support training needs.
1) Observations
Observe at least one lesson for each National Curriculum area and/ or EYFS area of
learning. For each lesson observed, track the content back to the curriculum and record
this in your notes.
2) Research
a)
Find out what cross curricular links are made through the teaching of foundation
subjects in KS1 and KS2. Ask to look at examples of medium term planning to
support this. Investigate approaches used to teaching the curriculum (e.g. through
topics or more ‘subject-specific approaches)
b)
The following extract is taken from the statutory framework for the Early Years
Foundation Stage. Investigate how the statement in bold is put into practice.
‘There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational
programmes in early years settings. All areas of learning and development are
important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting
children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to
learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the prime areas, are:
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University of Chester
Year 1 SBL Professional Development Activities
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
BA (Hons) Primary Education and BA (Hons) Early Years – Primary Education
• communication and language;
• physical development; and
• personal, social and emotional development.
‘Providers must also support children in four specific areas, through which
the three prime areas are strengthened and applied.
The specific areas are:
• literacy;
• mathematics;
• understanding the world; and
• expressive arts and design.’
3) Teaching
a)
Identify opportunities for supporting learning in non-core subjects, and keep a
record of experience.
or
b)
Identify opportunities for supporting learning across prime and specific areas of
learning in EYFS, and keep a record of experience.
4) Identify time to meet with the SENCO. In your meeting, discuss how the school identifies
children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and how provision is
made for these children in school. Identify what additional provision is made for the
children and what the role of parents is.
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