1. AIMS
to provide within the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership a quality experience for postgraduate intending teachers;
to offer departments the opportunity to work with postgraduate intending teachers to their mutual benefit;
to enrich the ‘traditional’ PGCE course for postgraduate intending teachers with the full, day-to-day experience of working within a secondary school.
2. PREAMBLE
Gloucestershire secondary schools have combined with the University of Gloucestershire to establish a PGCE teacher training course which is unique in the country. the course will involve St. Peter’s having postgraduates for seventeen weeks of the year as the major part of their year’s teacher training. St. Peter’s will be the ‘parent school’ for these postgraduate intending teachers and will have a training manager. Joy Sullivan, will work closely with the heads of department concerned to ensure that the postgraduates in the school have the widest possible experience, balanced with what might be expected of a newly qualified teacher.
As a Training School we also will seek to recruit up to 6 Graduate Trainees per year. These will be attached to departments as supernumerary teachers throughout the year, with the exception of a 5/6 week twin placement at a different school. From 2003, the majority of these twin placements will be at Oxstalls School according to our Partnership Promotion Schools Action Plan. A programme of mentor training for both schools is being developed in liaison with Karen James, Deputy Head at Oxstalls. GTPs will have access to the same subject pathway and professional development training at Gloucestershire University as the PGCE Trainees.
3. OBLIGATIONS REQUIRED BY POLICY
i The Training Manager should
ensure an effective and appropriate experience for students placed in the school and provide opportunities for reflection on the ‘areas of competence’;
liaise with other training managers, subject co-ordinators, and HEI to ensure a cohesive experience;
assess students’ competences and contribute to overall student assessment;
monitor, evaluate and co-ordinate heads of department in their schools;
be a member of the GITEP PGCE course committee;
be responsible to the course leader for the delivery of professional preparation modules ensuring that preparatory material is available to students;
take a significant proportion of the teaching of the professional preparation modules, co-ordinating staff who may share in its delivery;
ensure effective student and staff evaluation of the relevant professional preparation modules;
write student references.
ii THE GOVERNORS should
ensure that the course is properly resourced and managed;
ensure the Training School acceptance is adhered to.
iii SMT should
overview the management of the course to ensure that it meets the needs of the postgraduates and the needs of the pupils and the staff in the school.
we meet the requirements for Training School status.
iv Heads of School should
contribute to the postgraduates’ experience by providing placements for postgraduates in tutor groups and contribute to the assessments of competency in their pastoral area.
v Heads of Department should
ensure that no student teacher should be left unsupervised unless the head of department feels he or she is ready;
ensure that no student teacher is left unsupervised during practical lessons, (e.g. P.E., science practical);
trainees are fully “au fait” with the health and safety requirements of the subject.
vi All staff should
contribute to the creation of a supportive environment for the postgraduate intending teachers.
vii Teachers should
contribute as appropriate to the professional development of postgraduate intending teachers both within the classroom and in the school generally.
4. The execution of this policy shall be monitored by the governors.