This checklist might help you to identify how well your school is prepared to support trainee teachers in their training. It is not a definitive list but has been developed from best practice across the ITE partnership. You may want to use the list to deve lop your own school’s practice or identify areas that need particular attention.
The appropriate box below can be ticked or shaded, based upon how confident you feel about your school’s practices.
The list can then be used internally to discuss the schoo l’s preparedness and to identify areas and strategies for improvement. You might find it useful to share your thoughts with the university adviser.
We hope you find the checklist of good practice useful. If you have any other aspects of best practice you would like to share with other partnership schools please do not hesitate to contact the Partnership Office.
For each section, use the following numbered code:
3.
In place
Informing parents:
2.
In place 1.
Not in Place
3 2 1
Parents are informed by letter, either specific or a general newsletter, when trainees are teaching their child’s class. Names of each trainee are provided and letters advise on supervisory procedures. They also indicate where parents should first enquire in terms of any minor problems.
Parents are invited to meet trainees in the classroom at the end of the day at an early stage of the placement.
A paragraph is included in the school brochure outlining the policy of the school towards ITE and how it supports and supervises trainees
Trainees are invited to write their own letter of introduction to parents.
Induction:
The school identifies a senior manager or mentor to acquaint trainees with in-house policies, expectations and procedures at a very early stage in the placement. Where there is more than one trainee in a school, they are led through the induction process together.
Trainees are given access to the school’s intranet from which they can glean information including policy and planning documentation.
The school gives special attention to policies relating to Child Protection, Health & Safety, Equal
Opportunities, Teaching & Learning.
The school has a formal policy relating to the induction of trainees or includes trainees in their overall staff induction policy.
Mentoring:
A programme is agreed with trainees which provides opportunities during the course of the placement for trainees to observe teachers who present good role models in either classroom management or subject expertise.
Mentors and senior managers carry out joint observations in order to moderate judgements
Mentor/trainee discussions are regularly timetabled, often on a weekly basis. (Discussions focus on ITDPs and lesson evaluations from which targets are identified for action, with follow-up at the subsequent meeting).
Trainee files are scrutinised on a weekly basis and the content forms part of mentor/trainee discussions. Mentors ensure that file contents are organised as set down in the PiE Handbook and that trainees maintain their personal “Record of Mentorship”
3 2 1
3 2 1