Our School Direct Salaried (SDS) trainees' follow a bespoke programme that is underpinned by the St Mary's curriculum vision and values.
Based on the trainee's level of experience, the teaching expectations may vary and our link tutors will be able to support mentors in deciding the appropriate starting point for their trainees. Key documents including our Partnership Agreement for SDS schools can be found on our portal.
Start of phase
Trainee needs analysis
At the start of each phase, trainees' individual areas for development will be identified supported by St Mary's staff and school-based mentors and PCMs. This informs the individualised nature of the SDS programme and will allow for tailored support throughout the training programme.
Target setting and training aligned with relevant centre-based ITE programme
SMART targets are set in response to the needs analysis and aim to promote trainee progress. They also inform the alignment of centre-based training with the individual needs of the trainee. SDS trainees are required to attend ten days of centre-based training, which is decided with their subject tutor based on the content that would be most beneficial to the trainee's development.
Phases of training
Trainees will complete three phases of school-based training. This comprises of foundation, development, and consolidation phases, which are designed to facilitate progression from trainee to early career teacher (ECT). These phases are outlined in greater detail on our school experience training page. Your St Mary's link tutor will also guide trainees and mentors through each stage of their training.
Roles and responsibilities
Each member of the team supporting a trainee fulfils different roles and responsibilities, full details of which can be found in our Partnership Agreement.
PCMs and mentors are pivotal in facilitating successful school experience for trainees. While their roles are different, they will work closely to ascertain and act on the needs of the trainee while on placement. Further details of each can be found on our roles and responsibilities page.
The alliance acts as the first point of contact with the school managers and administration regarding the quality assurance of the training and assessment of the programme.
St Mary's programme leadership team comprises of Eleanor Stewart, Head of Education Partnerships and Apprenticeships, and Lydia Caulfield, Link Tutor.
Subject tutors take ownership of trainees' subject knowledge development and will provide individualised support to St Mary's trainees during their programme of study.
Ongoing
Weekly tasks
During a phase of school experience, there are various tasks that are completed on a weekly basis. Details of these can be found in our summaries of:
Training plan and school experience overviews
Our training plans provide a clear and progressive structure to phases of school experience. Our Partnership Team will send training plans to schools and trainees will also be provided with copies. The school experience overview pamphlet provides a condensed outline of the key processes, learning outcomes, and curriculum content for each phase of school-based training.
School based professional development programme
While on school experience, trainees will receive a school-based professional development programme that is delivered by expert colleagues in their setting. Examples of the content can be found on our SBPD page and the St Mary's Partnership Team is happy to support any schools who would like to discuss their delivery in greater depth.
Monitoring and Quality Assurance (M&QA)
As part of St Mary’s University's rigorous system of quality assurance of school experience, link tutors will oversee a required number of M&QA visits. The timing of these will be arranged with the link tutor.
End of phase
Completion of progress record
At the end of each phase, the progress record is reviewed and signed off by all involved in supporting the trainee. This informs the next phase of needs analysis and subsequent target setting to promote trainee development.
Tutorial with link tutor
The St Mary's link tutor will also meet with the mentor and trainee at the end of each phase to support with target setting, monitoring progress, and quality assuring the transition between phases of training.
This is an iterative process to the point of trainee assessment against the Teachers' Standards at the end of their training.