Over the course of their programmes, trainees are expected to take increasing responsibility for the planning, delivery, and assessment of lessons alongside other school based activities. These are detailed on our training plans and are in line with phase specific guidance.
Please note that at no point should any trainee be teaching more than is required of an early career teacher (ECT).
Trainees on our primary programmes teach a designated number of lessons per week to build confidence, classroom presence, and provide opportunities for development over the course of their training. The training plans are designed to be progressive and support them in teaching across the primary curriculum throughout their programme. It is important to note that we understand the unique nature of schools and would like to emphasise that there is flexibility when applying the training plan to your setting. Please consult your link tutor if you have any questions about how to provide opportunities for trainee development in your school.
Trainees in the early stages of their training will be required to take responsibility for a steadily increasing number of lessons. They are expected to plan, teach, assess, and evaluate all lessons taught to engage in ongoing professional development. This will be supported and overseen by their mentor. Alongside their teaching, trainees will also be required to engage in observations of expert colleagues, engage in professional dialogue with their mentor, and work with profile children. Please refer to the training plan for further details of weekly expectations of trainees.
During their consolidation phase, trainees are required to teach a more significant portion of the teaching timetable and take increased ownership of the transitions between lessons. Trainees will be expected to spend the last six weeks of their consolidation placemement delivering the equivalent of 80% of the teaching timetable in preparation for their ECT programme. Please refer to training plans for more detail as to what trainees should teach in each week of their placement.
This guidance sets out the expectations for a trainee’s school-based timetable for each phase. The timetable may be varied to suit the trainee’s stage of development and individual needs if considered appropriate by the mentor, PCM and university tutor.
The proposed models may be appropriate for trainees; however, not all of them will be ready to meet the full timetable requirements at each stage of training.
- The Foundation Phase provides an opportunity for trainees to begin to develop their professional attributes, knowledge, understanding, and skills, as defined in the Core Content Framework.
- In this Foundation Phase, trainees should take approximately 30% of a main professional scale teacher’s timetable, for example, on a typical 25 period week this would mean a timetable of (25 x 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.3 = 5.4) five or six periods class teaching. This is a minimum requirement and stronger trainees may take on more periods than this.
- During the initial weeks they may act in a supporting role with the class teacher, and undertake focused observation, teaching of small groups or team-teaching. While most trainees will start whole-class teaching within the first two weeks, some may need a gradual introduction to this. The start of whole-class teaching should depend on the confidence and readiness of the trainee.
- When the trainee assumes responsibility for teaching classes, the usual class teacher will always be present in the classroom and will take a supportive role in lesson planning and in the preparation of materials.
- It is hoped that most trainees will start at least some whole-class teaching within the first two weeks of their school placement, and work up to the 30% load by the October half term.
- Each week a minimum of two formal observations of the trainee must be conducted and recorded, although only one observation per week is required before the October half term.
- Schools are asked to provide trainees with an experience (teaching and/or observation) of both Key Stages 3 and 4. Please note that for the purpose of training, Ofsted do not consider Yr 9 to be KS4; the ITT criteria clearly state that training should cover at least four school years. Key Stage 5 teaching/observation can be included if appropriate.
- A further 30% of the Foundation Phase timetable should be allocated for in-class supportive work, for focused observation and subject knowledge enhancement (for example by participating in GCSE and AS/A2 lessons).
- The remainder of the Foundation Phase timetable is for working on the Assessment Profile, Portfolio of Evidence, lesson preparation, pupil assessment, and self-evaluation. Trainees are expected to focus on their own professional development, including weekly targets and any school-based tasks.
- Trainees should be attached to a tutor group to provide opportunities to become familiar with the teacher’s pastoral role. Trainees are not required to take on any specific duties, but will support the work of the form tutor, which may include PSHE lesson, however the trainee is not expected to lead these in this phase.
- If there is another trainee from the same subject area in the school, they may be asked to work collaboratively with some classes.
- Trainees may also become increasingly involved in extra-curricular activities.
- Questions about the timetable should be discussed with the mentor in the first instance, and then the PCM, and the university tutor if needed.
- As with the Foundation Phase, a few trainees may require further time to adapt to the expected teaching commitment, so mentors should be prepared to allow for a gradual introduction in the second placement school.
- In order for the trainee to build on their Foundation Phase experience and to meet the Teachers’ Standards in full, timetable demands for the Developmental and Consolidation Phase are greater.
- In the Development Phase: Trainees should move gradually from 30% (in Jan) to 60% (of four day week maximum) by Easter (25 x 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.6 = 10.8) 11 lessons.
- In the Consolidation Phase: Trainees should increase to (25 x 0.9 x 0.6 = 13.5) fourteen lessons (of a five day week).
- An additional 10-15% should be used for in-class support work with other teachers or for further focused observation.
- The remainder of the timetable is for working on the Assessment Profile, Portfolio of Evidence, lesson preparation, pupil assessment, and self-evaluation. Trainees are expected to focus on their own professional development, including weekly targets and any school-based tasks.
- Where provision for post-sixteen education, primary liaison, SEND, or EAL exists, it is vital that trainees are given relevant experience. This may be through whole-class teaching, team-teaching, micro-teaching or focused observation, and visits to other institutions, as appropriate.
- Trainees should be attached to a tutor group for this placement and should work towards the responsibilities of a form tutor, which may include PSHE lesson, however the class teacher is expected to take a lead in planning the lessons.
- Subject mentors should also review the trainee’s timetable at the end of the Developmental Phase, with a view to making any adjustments for the Consolidation phase that would further enhance the trainee’s achievement against the Teachers’ Standards, for example, by giving a trainee more challenging opportunities to further develop and demonstrate skills of working with pupils with SEN. Any changes should be informed by discussions arising out of the weekly training meetings and should be discussed with the university tutor.
- Term one: up to 40% of normal contact time as whole class teaching. The other 60% to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term two: 50-60% of contact time as whole class teaching. The remainder to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term three: 80% of contact time as whole class teaching. The remainder to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term one: 50% to 80% of contact time as whole class teaching. The remainder to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term two: 50% to 80% of contact time as whole class teaching. The remainder to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term three: 80% of contact time as whole class teaching.
- Term one: 80% of contact time as whole class teaching. The remainder to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term two: 80% of contact time as whole class teaching. The remainder to comprise of group work, observation, training and meetings.
- Term three: 80% of contact time whole class teaching.