Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
ITE Placement and Travel Policy
2015/2016
Faculty of Education
ITE Placement and Travel Policy
School-based Learning (SBL) is an essential part of the ITE programmes at the University of
Chester. ITE Administration, Programme Leaders, Subject Leaders, Year Leaders,
University Link Tutors (ULTs) and Directors of Partnerships are committed to providing
quality placements for Associate Teachers (ATs).
The Trawl
Each year during the Spring Term, Partnership schools and colleges are sent an email which
enables them to confirm their on-going commitment to the Partnership. This email also
includes a Placement Offer form, which details all the programmes and dates of placements
for each SBL for the forthcoming academic year. During this period University Link Tutors
are also discussing with their schools the possibilities of places for the following year.
Each partnership school completes the form with their choice of placements for the next
academic year and returns it to the ITE Administration Office. The offers are then entered
onto a database. It is these offers that the ITE Administration Team have to work with
initially. Follow up calls are then made to schools during the Summer Term for those schools
that have not indicated to ITE Administration whether or not they are able to offer
placements for the forthcoming academic year. University Link Tutors also follow up
requests with schools they have worked with, and QA leads co-ordinate ULTs in Cluster
teams (geographically organised) early in September to follow up outstanding requests.
Head Teacher Ambassadors (Heads or recently retired Heads from within our Partnership)
also assist in recruiting schools to our Partnership throughout the year.
Matching ATs to placements
Before each SBL commences, the Programme leads, Year leaders, and the ITE
Administration Team, match placement offers to the ATs in consultation with the Directors of
Partnerships. In the Secondary Programmes, placements are arranged at the Secondary
Team meeting by the Programme Leader and Subject Leaders in consultation with the
Directors of Partnerships.
At the end of the academic year (July/August) for ATs continuing on undergraduate
programmes, or for new ATs commencing on either Postgraduate or Undergraduate courses
at the start of the next academic year, the ITE Administration Team will ask all ATs to
complete or update their personal details, on the AT Profile form, confirming their residential
address during their next SBL placement.
The AT Profile form also asks for ATs to confirm any schools with which they have already
had contact, their transport arrangements (e.g. whether they have use of a car and intend to
drive to placement) and any personal circumstances that might affect the choice of
placement.
Each AT is matched to a placement according to their developmental needs in order to take
account of previous knowledge and understanding; specific developmental needs such as
gaps identified in the previous year(s) or placement(s); performance against Teachers’
Standards; and specific programme criteria including the Key Stage/ age-phase experience
required.
In addition to this, the needs of ATs in relation to their inclusion plan, type of setting, and
available schools is also considered.
Every effort is made to match ATs to suitable placements, taking into account the
information and processes detailed above.
Prioritising which Associate Teachers to match with placements first
When beginning the process of placing a particular cohort, any ATs with a priority should be
placed first:
 Medical priority
 Family/ Childcare commitments (ITE Administration Team endeavour to place ATs
with family/ childcare needs within a reasonable commute; however this is not always
possible, particularly for ATs who live outside of the Partnership area).
As you are following a professional programme with the expectations this brings, it is the
ATs’ responsibility to explore all travel options available to them, e.g. public transport; lift
share (students, on your programme and other ITE programmes; teachers at the school;
relatives; neighbours); or any other available options. For public transport, we advise
students to check Traveline or Google Maps.
Should you encounter significant difficulties with your journey to school, the ITE Partnership
Team will be happy to advise you further. Contact should be made via email to
partnership.primary@chester.ac.uk or partnership.secondary@chester.ac.uk (depending
on your programme), and within 5 working days of notification of placement. Please title the
Subject as ‘Travel Advice Request’. The ITE Partnership Team will respond as quickly as
possible to such emails, but a response could take up to 5 working days. Any requests that
do not follow the above guidelines may severely impact our ability to assist you ahead of the
start of the placement.
In extreme cases where all travel options have been explored and all options exhausted, we
may be able to offer additional assistance with your journey. However, please be aware that
there will be a charge.
Transport considerations
Due to the location of schools within our Partnership, ATs are often required to travel.
Reasonable travelling times and distances are agreed upon by ITE Administration Team in
collaboration with Programme leaders, Year leaders, Subject leader and Directors of
Partnerships.
Placement and travel considerations:
 Wherever possible ATs are matched with placements where they can drive; get a lift
with another AT; are able to use public transport or are able to walk.
 We aim to ensure that journeys to placement schools are reasonable; however, given
the need to place students in diverse and contrasting settings to enhance their
development and given the wide parameters of our Partnership, a journey to
placement may exceed 90 minutes (one way).
ATs cannot be placed in a school where they are currently employed or where they have
relatives on the staff. It is also not desirable for an AT to be placed in a school where they
have strong links, professionally or personally, but this may be considered on a case-bycase basis.
‘Distant Placements’
In some circumstances, consideration will be given to self-sourced placements ‘at
distance’, or a placement within one of our distant ‘hubs’ such as Hereford, Luton or London
(locations out of the normal range of areas for placements).
An Associate Teacher/ School will only be considered suitable for these placements if they
meet the following criteria•
•
•
•
•
•
If an Associate Teacher is on track for a final grade of Outstanding
The Associate Teacher has no prior record of ‘Cause for Concern’ or ‘Early Alert’.
The Associate Teacher has a good record for attendance and engagement at
University sessions and School based learning.
The placement is supported and endorsed by the PAT.
The school has a proven track record of supporting ITE.
There are no relatives working at the school.
The University of Chester values its partnerships with schools and the positive relationships
that have been built. Unless requested, ATs, therefore, must not approach schools to
organise their own placement as the school may not be suitable or it may have an
impact on other ATs already placed in the school.
Notifying ATs of their allocated placement
ATs will be informed about their placements either during PD sessions and year group
briefings at the University, or by email, within a reasonable time prior to placements
beginning. Any ATs who are unplaced when a placement is due to commence will be
notified and kept updated.
In the event of a school withdrawing places or other unforeseen difficulties arising before the
commencement of a placement, Programme Leaders/Subject Leaders and Year Leaders will
meet with ATs concerned and, if required, make individual adjustments.
If, because of a change in personal circumstances, an AT feels their planned school
experience may present difficulties, they must email the Year Leader / Programme Leader
as soon as possible. The ITE Administration Team will consider, in consultation with
colleagues as necessary, whether alternative arrangements need to be made.
There is no guarantee that ATs who move address during their Programme will be
placed near to their new home address. ATs are urged to consider the possible travel
implications to partnership schools should they move during a placement.
Unless there are mitigating circumstances, if ITE Administration Team and Directors
of Partnerships are satisfied that an AT can attend an arranged placement, but the AT
subsequently refuses to do so, the AT will be deemed to have failed that school
experience.
University Link Tutors (ULTs) are allocated to schools to ensure there is a direct point of
contact, and to build effective working relationships in support of ATs. ULTs are supported
by QA leads to ensure consistency of experience and support for ATs on placement.
School-based Learning (SBL) Bursary Scheme
As part of your programme you will spend time learning in professional contexts across the
region. The Faculty invests considerable time and energy building productive partnerships
with highly effective schools and settings where effective professional learning can take
place. Understandably our focus is on the quality of the placements rather than the location.
You will need to make your own arrangements to make sure that you arrive in plenty of time
to start work and as a contribution towards the travel costs that you may incur on
professional placements in your programme, the Faculty has created a School-based
Learning (SBL) Bursary Scheme.
How do I apply?
The Bursary is paid to all those eligible, as a single payment after the end of each
placement, by the submission of the School-based Learning Bursary Claim form (Appendix
1).
Please note: If, as stated in the placement policy, your journey falls into an ‘extreme cases
where all travel options have been explored and all options exhausted’ and we offer you
additional assistance with your journey (at a cost), you will not be eligible to claim for the
travel bursary.
On what basis is the bursary calculated?
While studying at the University you are expected to make arrangements to attend lectures
on campus. When on placement you will be required to undertake additional travel and the
amount of Bursary reflects the extra distance from the Campus where you normally study to
your placement. To streamline the payment system at the end of your placement the Bursary
Scheme employs a zone system.
How much is the Bursary?
The size of the bursary payment depends on the zone that your placement is in and the
length
of
each
placement
as
described
in
Appendix
2.
APPENDIX 1
Faculty of Education and Children’s Services
SCHOOL-BASED LEARNING (SBL) BURSARY CLAIM FORM
Student Details
Name
Student ID Number
Programme
Year of Study (e.g. Year
1, 2, 3)
University Email Address
Permanent Home
Address (incl. Postcode)
Placement Details
Placement Institution
Name (e.g. school /
nursery name)
Placement Address
Travel Zone (please
circle)
Placement
Postcode
1
2
3
4
5
Bursary
claimed (£)
Bank Account Details
Name of Account
Holder
Bank Name
Sort Code
Account Number
I confirm that I have attended the above placement.
Student’s Signature:_________________________________ Date: ___________________________
You must submit your Bursary Claim form after the LAST DAY OF THE SBL PLACEMENT UNDERTAKEN and within 21 days.
Claims received after 21 days from the last day of the School-based Learning placement will not be processed.
Form to be posted in the ITE Postbox on the First Floor landing of Riverside,
or posted to: ITE Administration, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ
For Office Use only
Head of ITE approval given (signature):
Date signed:
Nominal Payment Account:
APPENDIX 2
Placement Bursaries for 2015-16
Placement
BA QTS 1
BA QTS 2
BA QTS 2 Enrichment
BA QTS 3
PGCE Primary and
PGCE Early Years – SBL A
PGCE Primary and
PGCE Early Years – SBL B
PGCE Secondary – SBL A
PGCE Secondary – SBL B
Length of Zone 1
placement
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Zone 5
41 days
43 days
20 days
66 days
46 days
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£41
£43
£20
£66
£46
£82
£86
£40
£132
£92
£123
£129
£60
£198
£138
£164
£172
£80
£264
£184
65 days
£0
£65
£130
£195
£260
56 days
64 days
£0
£0
£56
£64
£112
£128
£168
£192
£224
£256