student handbook 2017/18 - newcollegedurham.ac.uk · the individual learning portfolio ... how will...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Student Handbook 2017/18
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education: Education and Training
Certificate in Education: Education and Training
2
Contents
An Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Welcome ............................................................................................................................................. 5
About Your Programme ...................................................................................................................... 6
Programme Aims and Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 7
Aims of the Programme ...................................................................................................................... 7
The Learning Outcomes: Professional Graduate Certificate in Education.......................................... 8
The Learning Outcomes: Certificate in Education ............................................................................ 10
Key Information .................................................................................................................................... 13
Important Dates ................................................................................................................................ 13
Staff Contact Details ......................................................................................................................... 14
Specific Contacts ............................................................................................................................... 14
Programme Overview ........................................................................................................................... 15
The PgCE Programme Structure........................................................................................................ 15
Learning and Teaching .......................................................................................................................... 17
Induction to New College Durham .................................................................................................... 17
Programme Induction ....................................................................................................................... 17
Expectations and Conduct ................................................................................................................ 18
The Learning and Teaching Strategy: An Overview .......................................................................... 20
Taught Sessions ................................................................................................................................. 21
Your Placement ................................................................................................................................. 22
Personalisation .................................................................................................................................. 23
Communities of Practice ................................................................................................................... 23
Continued Professional Development .............................................................................................. 23
The Individual Learning Portfolio .......................................................................................................... 24
What is your ILP? .......................................................................................................................... 24
How is your ILP structured? .......................................................................................................... 24
How will my ILP be submitted? ..................................................................................................... 25
When will you use your ILP? ......................................................................................................... 25
What will it contain? ..................................................................................................................... 25
Can I make the presentation of my ILP more personal?............................................................... 26
How will my ILP be assessed? ....................................................................................................... 26
3
Assessment Information ....................................................................................................................... 28
Assessment Information ................................................................................................................... 28
Presentation Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 29
Assignment Format ........................................................................................................................... 29
Title Page ........................................................................................................................................... 29
The Assignment ................................................................................................................................. 29
Assignment Submission .................................................................................................................... 30
Feedback on Assessments ................................................................................................................ 31
Standard Statement on External Examining ................................................................................. 31
Referencing: What is referencing and why is it important? ............................................................. 32
Top ten referencing tips .................................................................................................................... 32
Example of using Harvard referencing .............................................................................................. 33
Reference List for the essay example: .............................................................................................. 34
Library & Information Services ............................................................................................................. 35
Academic Support Tutor ....................................................................................................................... 35
Encountering Problems ......................................................................................................................... 37
Support if you are experiencing problems........................................................................................ 37
Illness or personal difficulties ........................................................................................................... 37
Mitigating Circumstances and Extensions ........................................................................................ 37
Academic Misconduct ....................................................................................................................... 39
Academic Appeals ............................................................................................................................. 39
Dealing with Complaints ................................................................................................................... 39
Contacting Staff ..................................................................................................................................... 41
Appropriate use of e-mail ................................................................................................................. 41
Appropriate topics for e-mails .......................................................................................................... 41
Inappropriate topics for e-mails ....................................................................................................... 41
Formatting e-mail messages ............................................................................................................. 41
E-mail response ................................................................................................................................. 42
Attendance ............................................................................................................................................ 43
Attendance Monitoring .................................................................................................................... 43
Notification of Absence..................................................................................................................... 43
Have your say ........................................................................................................................................ 44
Student representation and communications .................................................................................. 44
Getting Your Views Across ................................................................................................................ 44
4
Teaching Practice .................................................................................................................................. 46
An overview of your placement ........................................................................................................ 46
Your mentor ...................................................................................................................................... 46
Your responsibilities as a mentee ..................................................................................................... 46
Role & responsibilities related to teaching practice ......................................................................... 47
Benefits of building an effective mentoring relationship ................................................................. 47
Contracting and Mentorship ............................................................................................................. 48
HOW TO BE A ‘GOOD’ MENTEE – the four Rs ................................................................................... 48
Your Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 50
Employability..................................................................................................................................... 50
QTLS Status ....................................................................................................................................... 50
Progression from the Cert. Ed. .......................................................................................................... 51
Progression from the PgCE ............................................................................................................... 51
Getting started: Quick Guides and Reference Material ........................................................................ 52
Helpful hints ...................................................................................................................................... 53
Creating an Effective Mentoring Relationship .................................................................................. 53
Jargon Buster .................................................................................................................................... 54
Some Useful Links ............................................................................................................................. 58
Teaching Practice: Survival Guide ..................................................................................................... 60
Help your learners with their English: Some commonly misspelt words .......................... 65
Homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings) ........................ 66
Appendix A: New College Durham Marking Criteria ......................................................................... 67
Level 4 Assessment criteria ............................................................................................................... 67
Level 5 Assessment criteria ............................................................................................................... 68
Level 6 Assessment Criteria .............................................................................................................. 69
5
An Overview
Welcome
A warm welcome from New College Durham to all new trainee teachers on our Professional
Graduate Certificate in Education and Certificate in Education programmes.
This Student Handbook provides you with essential information that will support you throughout
your studies and beyond. In it you will find an overview of the organisation of your programme and
its assessment arrangements. It also contains core information about your teaching practice
placement, future progression routes and a range of other information to support both the practical
and academic sides of your course. We strongly recommend that you make yourself familiar with the
contents of this handbook and keep it in an accessible place for reference.
You will find that there is plenty of help and support available to you throughout your programme.
NCD Online is a rich source of information and your course tutors will always be on hand to guide
you in the right direction. This handbook will draw your attention to some of the most important
things that you need to know and point you in the direction of information that you may need.
On a day-to-day basis programme information will be available via NCD Online. Through this you will
be able to access: learning materials from lectures and seminars; modules guides; up-to-date course
information and announcements about teaching arrangements. You will also be able to take part in
a range of learning activities which will support your development.
If the guidance you need is not available from any of the sources above your Programme Leader,
tutors or course administrators will be able to answer any further questions or offer specific advice.
This is a very demanding programme but we very much hope that you will enjoy your time studying
at New College Durham and that the training you receive helps you to become a highly successful
teacher with the skills and capacity to continue to learn and develop as your career progresses.
Throughout this handbook you’ll find quick strategies, ideas, tips and
resources that may be of use to you throughout your training. Just keep an eye
out for boxes that resemble this for things that you may (or may not) find useful!
6
About Your Programme It is no secret that teacher training courses are demanding. Combining your academic study with a
substantial teaching practice commitment can be challenging. Plenty of support and guidance will be
available to you from New College Durham, your mentor and placement provider. The trick is to
remain organised, listen to feedback and ask for help if it is needed.
Completing a programme of this type requires a high degree of commitment from you. First and
foremost this is a professional course that is designed to help you become the best teacher that you
can be. It will prepare thoroughly to work in wide range of educational establishments with a variety
of students. You will focus on developing your understanding of how to facilitate learning and
teaching in your specialist subject and become prepared for the wider expectations of teaching and
training roles.
It is expected that as a trainee teacher you will approach this course, from the outset, in a
professional manner. Underpinning this course are The Professional Standards for Teachers and
Trainers- England (The Education and Training Foundation, 2014). These professional standards will
be referred to frequently throughout the programme and you will consistently assess your progress
against them. From the outset you will identify suitable evidence to demonstrate that you have met
these standards in your own learning and your practice.
Programmes at this level require extensive independent study and reading beyond your allocated
contact times. You will be expected to: complete independent reading and research; use online
resources; work effectively in collaboration with others; participate in formative assessment
activities; take part in a range of learning activities and to consistently track and document your
development as a professional.
As a full time, pre-service student at New College Durham you will complete your training over the
course of one academic year. During this time you will complete an intensive taught two week
introductory period followed by taught contact over two days a week at the university. At other
times you will be expected to attend your teaching practice placement and complete independent
study. During the year you will also complete two block teaching placements to enable you to
become fully involved in the wider life and experience of working in your chosen educational setting.
As a part time, pre or in-service student at New College Durham you will complete your training
over the course of two academic years. Over the course of your programme you will have an
introductory 12 week period to cover the essential elements of education and training followed by
one taught session a week during term times. At other times you will be expected to attend your
teaching practice placement and complete independent study.
This course brings together people from different backgrounds, different regions of the country and from all over the world. This learning community is an excellent source of knowledge and experience; you will be encouraged to make the most of all opportunities to extend your experiences by listening and talking to (both face to face and virtually) other trainees who, like you, are studying and broadening their horizons. In addition you will be encouraged to develop links with other subject specialists to develop your understanding of your own subject area and to share ideas and approaches.
7
Bell work: activities that are displayed on the board, or left on table, for students to start as soon
as they enter the room; they can relate to former or to future learning. Helps to increase pace,
sets expectation, encourages smooth lesson starts and supports behaviour management.
Programme Aims and Outcomes
Aims of the Programme The over-arching purpose of this programme is very clear; it will help you become a good or
outstanding teacher in the education and training sector. All aspects of this programme are designed
to support that over-arching purpose with a focus on supporting your development, learning,
progress and knowledge as a practitioner. Regardless of your level of study all teachers and trainers
in the sector must demonstrate the same levels of practical skills and meet the same professional
standards. Differentiation between levels of study is evident in the academic assignments that you
will complete and the criteria that you are assessed against in these assignments.
This programme therefore aims to:
Prepare trainee teachers to teach within and across a range of contexts demonstrating competence in
their teaching, training and professional responsibilities.
Provide trainee teachers with a varied grounding in learning, teaching and assessment strategies and
the capacity to continue to improve and develop these in their future careers.
Develop trainee teachers who motivate and inspire learners to succeed, progress and develop skills
through the implementation of a range of innovative, creative and adaptive teaching strategies.
Develop trainee teachers who engage with their subject specialism to develop the depth and breadth
of their own knowledge gaining confidence in all aspects of its delivery.
Promote collaborative working practices between trainees and a range of professionals in support,
teaching, leadership and subject specialist roles.
Develop trainee teachers who have the capacity to reflect effectively on all aspects of their practice
and the experience of their learners in order to promote continuous improvement and development.
Foster in trainees an understanding of the importance of continued professional development and its
impact on their practice and the development of their learners.
Develop trainees who exhibit a strong understanding of social and cultural diversity and incorporate
an ethos of equality and inclusivity into their own teaching.
Develop the skills of trainee teachers in the areas of technology, English and maths building their
confidence to promote and advance these skills in their learners and embed them within their own
teaching.
Provide trainee teachers with suitable and relevant skills for employment in educational contexts and
to enable trainees to develop the employability skills of their own learners.
Provide trainees with the skills to contextualise aspects of education and educational providers and to
be able to evaluate the impact of policies, PSRB requirements and quality processes.
During your programme, you will discuss what aims, objectives and outcomes are. It’s
worth noting that these terms (and other similar terms) are frequently used in differing
8
ways by different educational institutions, providers and sectors. What is most important
is that you understand and can articulate the differences between the concepts that the
terms represent and use these concepts to aid effective planning in the long, medium
and short term.
The Learning Outcomes: Professional Graduate
Certificate in Education The following learning outcomes indicate the skills and knowledge that you will have developed on
successful completion of this programme.
Knowledge and Understanding
K1 Demonstrate a comprehensive and detailed knowledge of a range of learning, teaching and assessment strategies and apply these appropriately when practising in educational contexts.
K2 Synthesise and critically appraise a range of educational theories and
concepts evaluating these in relation to professional practice.
K3 Research and evaluate a variety of approaches for meeting the needs of
learners, in a range of contexts, to promote progression and development.
K4 Demonstrate a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of a range of reflective
frameworks synthesising these in order to critically evaluate practice.
K5 Analyse and evaluate professional body requirements, standards and
expectations with reference to practice.
K6 Develop subject specific pedagogy, appropriately framing knowledge, to meet
the needs of a variety of learners.
Cognitive/Intellectual Skills
C1 Using appropriate theories and frameworks critically reflect on practice
demonstrating intellectual flexibility and openness to new ideas.
C2 Synthesise, appraise and evaluate a range of theoretical approaches linking
these explicitly to educational practice whilst making independent judgements.
C3 Consider and contextualise aspects of education and a range of educational
providers; explore their structures and critically evaluate the impact of policies,
professional body requirements and quality processes.
C4 Critically evaluate teaching approaches, their impact and/ or their
appropriateness to different contexts demonstrating intellectual and practical
flexibility.
Practical/Professional Skills
9
P1 Work autonomously to deliver innovative educational experiences, using a
range of creative teaching strategies that are appropriate to the learners and
the context.
P2 Operate ethically in situations of varying complexity and predictability whilst
adhering to appropriate institutional expectations, professional standards and
codes of conduct.
P3 Work with independence complying with relevant professional, institutional
and subject specific guidelines, requirements and expectations.
P4 Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of teaching and
professional practice.
Key Transferable Skills
T1 Demonstrate the capacity to plan, manage and evaluate individual continuous
personal, intellectual and professional development.
T2 Demonstrate operational English and literacy skills to a consistently high level
and exhibit a strong subject knowledge base.
T3 Recognise and evaluate the processes that underpin working with a range of
professionals and stakeholders demonstrating an understanding of
professional contexts and institutional organisation.
T4 Recognise and evaluate the factors which enhance group processes and work
collaboratively in order to improve personal effectiveness when working with
others in professional contexts.
T5 Engage effectively in academic discussion and present arguments in a
professional manner.
T6 Develop the skills required to communicate fluently and effectively in a range
of written and spoken styles that are appropriate to the context.
T7 Develop the skills required to manipulate data in a range of ways appropriate
to the professional context.
T8 Develop a range of digital literacy skills appropriate to professional contexts.
10
The Learning Outcomes: Certificate in Education The following learning outcomes indicate the skills and knowledge that you will have developed on
successful completion of this programme.
Knowledge and Understanding (insert additional rows as necessary)
K1 Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of a range of learning, teaching and
assessment strategies and apply these appropriately when practising in
educational contexts.
K2 Critically appraise a range of educational theories and concepts
evaluating these in relation to professional practice.
K3 Research a variety of approaches for meeting the needs of learners, in
a range of contexts, to promote progression and development.
K4 Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of a range of reflective frameworks
and employ them in the critical evaluation of practice.
K5 Explore professional body requirements, standards and expectations
with reference to practice.
K6 Develop subject specific pedagogy appropriately framing knowledge to
meet the needs of a variety of learners.
Cognitive/Intellectual Skills (insert additional rows as necessary)
C1 Using appropriate theories and frameworks reflect on practice
demonstrating intellectual flexibility and openness to new ideas.
C2 Evaluate a range of theoretical approaches and link these explicitly to
educational practice whilst making independent judgements.
C3 Consider aspects of education and a range of educational providers;
explore their structures and evaluate the impact of policies, professional
body requirements and quality processes.
C4 Critically evaluate teaching approaches and their impact and/ or their
appropriateness to different contexts demonstrating intellectual and
practical flexibility.
Practical/Professional Skills (insert additional rows as necessary)
P1 Work autonomously to deliver innovative educational experiences,
using a range of creative teaching strategies that are appropriate to the
learners and the context.
11
P2 Operate ethically in situations of varying complexity and predictability
whilst adhering to appropriate institutional expectations, professional
standards and codes of conduct.
P3 Work with independence complying with relevant professional,
institutional and subject specific guidelines, requirements and
expectations.
P4 Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of teaching and
professional practice.
Key Transferable Skills (insert additional rows as necessary)
T1 Build the capacity to plan, manage and evaluate individual continuous
personal, intellectual and professional development.
T2 Demonstrate operational English and literacy skills to a high level and
exhibit a strong subject knowledge base.
T3 Understand the processes that underpin working with a range of
professionals and stakeholders; understanding professional contexts
and institutional organisation.
T4 Understand the factors that enhance group processes and working
collaboratively. Use this understanding to improve effective working
within a team.
T5 Engage effectively in academic discussion and present arguments in a
professional manner.
T6 Develop the skills required to communicate fluently and effectively in a
range of written and spoken styles that are appropriate to the context.
T7 Develop the skills required to manipulate data in a range of ways
appropriate to the professional context.
T8 Develop a range of digital literacy skills appropriate to the professional
context.
Mini whiteboards can be a great way to get a whole class actively involved, to assess the
understanding of all members of a group and to add a bit of pace and challenge (even adults
enjoy the novelty). Purpose produced boards can be cumbersome, quite heavy and expensive.
12
For a cheap, more portable variety, laminate some thin white card (or a couple of pieces of A4
paper placed back-to-back). Chopped-up jay cloths make ideal board rubbers and fine dry wipe
markers can be picked up from any stationary shop. All feels just a little bit Blue Peter doesn’t it?
13
Key Information
Important Dates (Awaiting college calendar dates)
Dates Event Notes
Induction week
Autumn term
Winter break
Spring term
Spring break
Summer term
First block teaching placement
Second block teaching placement
Student conference
Subject specialist resource fair
Learning mats are a good method of reminding learners of key concepts/ frameworks; fore-
grounding core skills; keeping a focus on the ‘big picture’ of learning, or ensuring that you focus
attention on numeracy or literacy in your lessons. They are usually left on desks to act as an
additional support and reference point- like a placemat. Ideally they should be colourful, visually
appealing, varied and brief. They should be useable across a unit of lessons (or across different
types of lesson in the case of numeracy and literacy focused mats). They are most easily created
in PowerPoint or Publisher, print (ideally in colour) and laminate. A couple of very usable but
quite uninspiring examples are provided at the end of this pack- use your knowledge and
imagination and you can create some very original, memorable and useful resources!
You’ll probably come across the phrase ‘three part lesson’ at some point. It still crops up on lesson plans quite frequently and is still widely referred to. Whilst not wrong, it is a bit simplistic since it encourages teachers to stick to a quite defined format for every lesson that they teach (starter, main activity, plenary). Check below for more information on starters and plenaries. However, it does lead into the concept that in most cases learning is more likely to take place in lessons containing more than one activity, or broken into sections, sometimes called ‘chunking’. It helps to maintain pace and allows for more variety. Aim to chunk your lessons and have a number of activities that are interwoven and all contribute to the overall aims and objectives of the lesson. The aim is to enable students to make progress at an appropriately challenging pace.
14
Staff Contact Details
Teaching Staff Contacts
Hannah Stewart-Payne - Email: [email protected]
Christopher Howe - Email: [email protected]
Amanda Naisbett - Email: [email protected]
Course Support Team Contacts
HE Administration Office
E-Mail: [email protected]
Tel: 0191 3754527
Student Support Team (ASC)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Tel: 0191 3754400
Students Union
Web: www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk/su
Tel: 0191 3754548
Specific Contacts Issue/ Concern Main Contact
Overall course matters (including extensions
and personal difficulties that may impact your
course)
You should contact the Programme Leader.
Queries about an individual module or
assessment
You should contact the named module leader.
Administration related matters You should contact Joanne Cornell.
Placement related queries In the first instance you should discuss these
with your mentor. If your query is unresolved
15
you should raise your concerns with your
personal tutor.
Programme Overview
The PgCE Programme Structure This programme is split into a series of modules (as are all New College Durham courses). However, it is important that you do not view these modules as distinct and discrete units. All modules, whether they are theory or practice based, are inextricably interwoven; there will always be an overlap in skills and content. The expectation is that you will apply your learning in an all-inclusive way at all times. All aspects of this programme aim to develop the skills and knowledge that you need to become a good teacher and it is therefore much more useful for you to view your programme in the round, as a holistic whole rather than independent sections.
The following diagram provides an overview of structure of the modules across the academic year for full-time provision:
Full-
tim
e o
ne
ye
ar
Blo
ck 1
Introduction to Education and Training
(Level 4/5, 20 credits)
Weeks 1 and 2 (intensive delivery mode)
Pedagogy in the Specialist Subject (Level 5, 20 credits)
Weeks 3 to 15
(including teaching practice)
Policies, Theories and Research in Learning and Teaching (Level 4/5, 20 credits)
Weeks 3 to 15
(including teaching practice)
Blo
ck 2
Preparing for Professional Practice
(Level 5/6, 30 credits)
Weeks 16 to 32 (including teaching practice)
Curriculum Design Policy and
Perception in Education (Level 5/6, 30 credits)
Weeks 16 to 32
(including teaching practice)
16
The following diagram provides an overview of structure of the modules across the academic year for part-time provision:
Par
t- t
ime
tw
o y
ear
s
Ye
ar 1
Introduction to Education and Training
(Level 4/5, 20 credits) Weeks 1 - 11
Pedagogy in the Specialist Subject
(Level 5, 20 credits) Weeks 12 to 32
(including teaching practice)
Policies, Theories and Research in
Learning and Teaching
(Level 4/5, 20 credits)
Weeks 12 to 32
(including teaching practice)
Ye
ar 2
Preparing for Professional Practice
(Level 5/6, 30 credits) Weeks 1 to 32
(including teaching practice)
Curriculum Design Policy and
Perception in Education
(Level 5/6, 30 credits) Weeks 1 to 32
(including teaching practice)
If used effectively starters (like bell work) mean that learning can begin as soon as learners enter the classroom. They can be used to introduce new ideas or a new topic, or to re-cap / consolidate / reinforce prior learning. It’s best to avoid totally unrelated activities which often sap pace and leave learners a little confused (e.g. brain teasers) unless you have a very specific educational reason for choosing to use them. There are hundreds of starter ideas out there all they need is a little adaptation. Main features of starters:
Short, usually 10 mins maximum and inclusive so everyone can get involved
has lots of pace - very interactive and engaging, they should focus attention
motivational – offer early success, intrigue or pose questions.
Plenaries don’t have to happen only at the end of the lesson. They can fit in at any point and are a way to check that learners are making progress (‘mini plenaries’). They also help to share understanding and are a good aid to AfL. Paying careful attention to the progress of your learners will help you to adapt your teaching to meet their needs. Main features of plenaries:
they refer back to and consolidate the most important learning points in the lesson
they should refers back to the aims and objectives stated at the beginning of the lesson
they put learning into context, by linking it both to prior and future learning
they provide an opportunity for informal assessment – a quick check that learning has taken place
should last no more than 10 minutes and frequently are much shorter. There are loads of plenary ideas available out there that just take a little adaption to your lesson. If in doubt post-it notes are a fail-safe way of getting learners to quickly summarise.
17
Learning and Teaching
Induction to New College Durham At the start of your programme you will take part in a variety of induction activities. During this time you will be introduced to the variety of facilities and support that New College Durham has to offer. During this time you will:
be given detailed information about the library
have computer access arranged
be given details about how to use and where to find information on the LRC system
be given details about and what you can expect from being a student at NCD
be given an overview of the support facilities available to you through student services.
Programme Induction At the start of your course you will be given detailed information about your programme and you will have the opportunity to get to know your Programme Leader, tutors and fellow trainees. A clear and comprehensive course induction will:
explain the structure and organisation of the programme
outline the aims and outcomes of the programme
provide you with this handbook and other important documentation
introduce The Professional Standards for the Education and Training sector
make the expectations of the course clear and discuss codes of conduct
provide you with an overview of the various formative and summative assignments that will be completed with a clear timetable of dates for their completion
give you a flavour of the types of learning strategies that will be employed
provide a clear understanding of the role, function and expectations of your Individual Learning Portfolio.
Love it or hate it PowerPoint looks set to stay (although there are other options out there that are well worth exploring). Death by PowerPoint has become a significant feature of many taught sessions and it is frequently used a crutch (we’ve all been there- nerves and a fear of forgetting something lead us to over populate our slides and be drawn to use them too heavily). Here are some things to consider when using PowerPoint and as your confidence grows you should try them out:
Black on white is not suitable for some students (particularly those with specific literacy difficulties of visual impairments). Instead experiment with coloured backgrounds and contrasts.
Try to experiment with master-slides, these use the space on slides in different ways to consistently display core information for the lesson and help to keep learners on track (e.g. key words, learning objectives).
Use visual images and diagrams to present what you say in different ways rather than bullet points of key statements.
PowerPoint slides can be made interesting, it’s a very versatile piece of software that lends itself creative presentation. Experiment with colour, layout, images, diagrams, music and embedded clips. Let the presentation reflect the topic.
Challenge yourself not to use it all, or to only allow yourself to use single words, quotations or images.
Remember: Preparing a PowerPoint is not planning a lesson!
18
Expectations and Conduct
We want you to enjoy your time at New College Durham and on your teaching practice placement. As a professional course it’s important that you
approach all aspects of your study and development with commitment. You should aim to approach your time at the college and on your placement in
exactly the same way as you would approach a professional post. It’s important that you demonstrate appropriate skills so that future references can fully
reflect your abilities in this area. Here are the things that we expect from you and in return what you can expect from us.
We expect that you will… You can expect us to…
Attend all taught sessions and be punctual. In cases where this is
not possible, for example if you are ill, you should contact your
module tutor and programme leader. Contact should be made
before the session begins and you should briefly explain why you
are unable to attend and when you will be returning to class.
Attendance is carefully monitored.
Complete all tasks and assignments to the best of your ability by
the deadline date; this includes formative assessments and class-
based work. In cases where you are unable to do this you should
contact your programme leader or module leader to make
alternative arrangements. This should be done prior to the
submission date.
Be reliable and consistent in your approach to your placement. If
you are going to be absent from your placement you should
contact them and forward lesson planning to cover your organised
teaching.
Be a role model for your students and demonstrate the highest
professional standards.
Ensure that all taught sessions are well-planned, demonstrate a
range of approaches to learning and teaching and a clearly linked
to the overall aims and outcomes of the programme.
Ensure that the programme is suitably challenging, has an
appropriately fast pace and that it sets and maintains high
expectations for your achievement from the outset.
Ensure that you are given regular formative, verbal feedback
during taught sessions to aid your development and that you have
opportunities to apply your learning in manner that will ensure
your progress and development.
Ensure that all written assignments are set with clear expectations
for their completion, clear hand-in dates and a precise indication of
when written feedback will be received. College policy states that
this should be within four working weeks.
Be supportive and flexible in our approach to your studies and
development. We will personalise learning as fully as possible to
enable all trainees reach their full potential.
19
Work in a collaborative and positive manner with all staff at the
college, on your placement and when working with external
agencies.
Carry out all duties in line with your placement’s policies and
expectations.
Ensure that you use social networking sites in a responsible and
appropriate way. There must be no contact with students or
parents via such sites, private email accounts or private mobile
phones.
Maintain professional standards of dress and appearance in line
with placement’s policy in this area.
Comply with equal opportunities legislation and follow your
placement’s policies in relation to safeguarding and protecting the
welfare of students.
Listen carefully to the advice and feedback that you receive from
your tutors and mentor. Act on this advice to the best of your
ability.
Provide continued support and guidance during your placements
through email contact, face-to-face tutorials and telephone
tutorials (the latter two options will be arranged in advance on a
case-by-case basis).
Ensure that clear targets are set for your development as a teacher
during formal observations of your practice.
Communicate clearly with group unavoidable changes to
timetables, delivery patterns or rooms.
Work closely with your placement mentor to ensure that you make
the best possible progress.
Above all we will be approachable and supportive of your varying
needs throughout the year.
Some characteristics of effective learning environments
There are opportunities to revisit learning,
reflect on what has been achieved and
correct errors in light of feedback.
There are routines and high expectations that
learners, other adults and the teacher
maintain.
Resources are well organised, the layout of the
room is conducive to learning and appropriate
for the learners.
A variety of learning strategies are used.
Ideas come from a variety of sources.
Learners ask good questions and those
questions are valued.
The teacher asks a range of effective
questions that develop understanding and
are carefully directed.
Criteria for success is clear, transparent and
communicated effectively.
Learning habits are constantly modelled, e.g.
curiosity, creativity, enthusiasm, persistence.
Learning is linked to the broader curriculum,
other subjects, ideas, contexts and the real
world.
20
Literacy and Numeracy
You will be expected to embed literacy and numeracy into all of your lessons to enhance and
support the achievement of your learners, therefore you will need to be confident in your skills in
these areas. If you do not hold a GCSE grade C or equivalent in Maths, it is strongly advised that you
achieve it by the end of the programme or soon after. Many teaching posts will require these
qualifications as ‘essential’ so your employment options maybe limited if you do not have both
English and Maths at L2 or above.
The Learning and Teaching Strategy: An Overview
The concepts of learning and teaching are absolutely central to this programme. You are a student but you are also a trainee teacher so everything that you study and experience will not only help you to progress as a student but will also help you to develop your own practical expertise as a teacher. Recognising this will help you to become an effective practitioner capable of adapting to a variety of situations and contexts.
Every taught session that you experience will develop your understanding through the consistent discussion of learning and teaching as concepts. You will be encouraged to consider your experiences in your taught sessions from your perspective as a student but also to explore the rationale behind the strategies used from the teacher’s viewpoint. You will be encouraged to go through the reverse process when evaluating your own teaching practice.
Learning and
Teaching
You as the learner
You as the teacher
Your students as
the learners
Your tutors as the
teachers
21
Taught Sessions
Your taught sessions will include a mixture of seminars, lectures, interactive workshops, tutorials and directed study. Throughout, the aim will be to provide you with a solid theoretical background from which you will be able to develop, evaluate and reflect upon your own practice. It is expected that you will become an informed practitioner who takes an active interest in relevant developments in your subject area and in the broader area of education. You will be encouraged to explore:
• How theoretical approaches have shaped educational practice • how research is impacting and developing your subject area • the evidence base that supports the use of specific strategies in specific contexts • how research and theory informs and defines ‘best practice’ • how research and theory impacts broader educational policy and national agendas • the dynamic nature of educational practice and the role of research in this process • the tensions that can exist between educational research and the realities of practice.
On a practical level a range of approaches will be used in your taught sessions. These will be adapted to meet the needs of cohorts, especially in relation to the types of contexts in which you are placed. The suitability of strategies for different contexts and different types of students will be discussed and evaluated at all times. Regardless of your immediate needs and context it is important to note that you should aim to develop your breadth of understanding since you never know what skills you may need to draw upon in the future. The general approaches used in taught sessions will include but are not limited to:
the use of the VLE and on-line resources
simulations and scenario based tasks
problem solving activities
modelling of learning and teaching strategies
a range of assessment for learning activities
in class observations of recorded teaching sessions
the use of a range of technology
microteaching, presentations, debates and group work
case studies
observations of peer
the development of you Individual Learning Portfolio (see the next section for specific details)
critiques of theories and approaches. Of these, the process of modelling is the approach that underpins all others. All your taught sessions will model and introduce strategies that you can adapt to your own subject area, for your own students. The aim will be to expose you to a wide range of practice in learning and teaching and to encourage you discuss and evaluate that practice. Here are some of the approaches to teaching and learning that may be modelled on your programme. This list is by no means exhaustive but it will give you some strategies to start exploring:
22
Enquiry based learning (aka Inquiry based learning)
Questioning techniques
Assessment for Learning (aka Assessment for Progress)
Social Media
Assumption Busting Co-operative Learning (aka Kagan Co-operative Learning)
Inverted Learning Magenta Principles
Advanced organisers, e.g. mind- maps, concept maps and flow charts.
Drama in education (a broad term to cover a range of different approaches, e.g. hot-seating, role-on-the-wall, thought tracking, role of the expert)
Self-learning, independent learning, directed study
Mystery Spots (encourages a narrative to be built upon around a concept via application)
Direct Attention Thinking Tools
Different forms of modelling
Question Generation Relational Diagrams
The use of technology in the classroom
Design Thinking (aka CASE method)
Gamification Active Learning Techniques
Classification, predications, summary
Use of sound, visual images
Creative lateral thinking
Embedding maths and English skills.
You will also benefit from the input of visiting lecturers and guest speakers who will introduce specialist content and provide you with greater exposure to a range of delivery styles and approaches.
Your Placement
Your placement setting, teaching practice and your mentor have a crucial role to play in your development. This element of your programme is not simply a support strategy to enable you to gain experience but is a central aspect of your learning; your mentor and other colleagues are actively involved in teaching you. As a mandatory element of the programme it is essential that you take every opportunity that you can to become fully involved in the broader life and experience of your placement. We also strongly encourage you to gain a breadth of experience across settings, age groups and ability levels and to undertake observations in the types of educational settings that your students have previously experienced. There are plenty of misconceptions, misunderstandings and assumptions floating about in educational settings about the prior experiences and preparedness of students; most of these stem from a simple lack of experience, knowledge or awareness of the methods used. Your students will progress more fully if you understand their starting points clearly and contextualise their learning within their broader experience.
It will also aid the development of subject specialist skills and trainees are required to observe and learn from experienced professionals in their subject area. Trainees are expected, as far as possible, to engage with all aspects of their placement setting, this may include activities such as: CPPD, meetings, pastoral roles, parents evenings, marketing events, departmental activities, external events and planning processes. A close relationship between the delivery centre and Mentors (including dual observations, mentor training and mentor support) will ensure that teaching practice placements enhance the development of trainees enabling you to make good
progress as teachers. There is close communication between your tutor and your mentor; your mentor provides invaluable information about your progress as a teacher and is trained to formally observe your
23
lessons and to provide you with clear targets to support your progress. Your mentor will also aid your subject specialist development and the development of your classroom practice. The full role of your mentor and placement is addressed in more depth in the Teaching Practice section of this handbook.
Personalisation This programme aims to personalise the way in which it is delivered to meet your individual developmental needs and the specific needs of different groups and cohorts of students. Personalisation of learning is very important and is something that you will consider when planning for your own learners. There will be ample opportunity throughout the programme for you to discuss your needs with your programme leader and tutors. Particularly as the programme progresses, based upon your experiences, there may be certain aspects that you feel would be beneficial to re-visit or to give particular emphasis to and you should feel free to discuss this. During the programme you will also have a personal tutor who will help you to track your progress against the professional standards, conduct the majority of your formal tutor observations and be there to support you throughout the programme. They may also be your first port-of-call when you apply for jobs, need to arrange a reference or would like some last minute interview advice!
Communities of Practice One way of aiding your own subject specialist development is to become involved in formal or informal communities of practice. This can be as simple as working with other trainees on your course or subject specialists in your placement. These communities act as a great way to share ideas, resources, experiences and approaches with others who fully appreciate the unique features and complexities of your subject area. During your programme you will have the invaluable opportunity to meet peers from a range of other delivery centres through your participation in the student conference and the subject specialist fair. These will help you to build your own communities of practice across centres and to benefit from the extra support that these offer. You will also be supported to make links with other subject specialist communities and organisations.
Continued Professional Development
Throughout your programme you will also be given the opportunity to participate in a series of skills enhancement workshops. These will act in the same way as the continued professional development sessions provided across educational institutions. You will have the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of sessions in areas such as numeracy, literacy, exam board training, academic writing development and L&T sessions run by former trainees. These sessions are provided to develop breadth and help increase employability.
24
Embedding literacy and English skills in lessons is always a core priority. Before you fully develop your
understanding of how this can be achieved there are a few things that you can keep in mind from the start:
When asking learners to complete a piece of writing make sure that you provide a real and relevant context for that writing. You’ll get much better responses if writing is appropriately framed.
Discuss with learners the genre (type of text), intended audience (who the text is produced for), purpose (reason for its production) and style (specific features) of texts that they produce (written or spoken) or encounter (listen to or read).
Be mindful of the fact that many younger students have grown up producing and encountering a much broader range of language and texts than would have been the case in previous years. Discussing how to use appropriate Standard English and considering levels of formality and informality are a good starting point.
Develop language and subject specific terminology by asking students to re-frame responses using more appropriate, or more complex language.
Have a couple of dictionaries and thesauruses to hand, make sure learners know where they are and encourage their use.
Model appropriate and aspirational language use, avoid colloquialisms in your spoken language.
Check your notes, presentations and hand-outs carefully; if and when mistakes slip through (they will when you are working quickly) admit to them and draw the attention of learners to the corrections.
Correct literacy errors in written work but don’t allow your focus on them to over-shadow your assessment of the piece as a whole. Feedback should be explicitly linked to the intended outcomes of the piece. Do include specific literacy outcomes for pieces of work and tasks.
When asking learners to work in groups or pairs, discuss the spoken language skills that you expect them to use and the features of an effective discussion.
The Individual Learning Portfolio
What is your ILP? The Individual Learning Portfolio (ILP) is central to this programme, to your assessment and to your development as a teacher. It is designed to track, monitor and evidence your journey from the start of your Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Certificate in Education to the end of the course. It will support you in explicitly providing evidence linked to the professional standards and will demonstrate all aspects of your progress as a teacher within the sector. You will be given plenty of guidance on its development and completion throughout your programme but here are some of the key things you need to know straight away.
How is your ILP structured? Your ILP is split into four sections to aid its structure and your assessment but, like the programme itself, should be regarded as a holistic record of your development throughout the programme. It is the most substantial piece of work that you will produce and acts as the summative assessment for three modules.
The following diagram outlines the structure of the ILP:
25
How will my ILP be submitted? When you hand in your ILP for assessment it will be submitted as a folder. The standard template will be available to you through the VLE for you to work on and you may find a working hard copy to be useful.
When will you use your ILP? You will constantly refer to your ILP and be expected to bring your working copy with you to all mentor meetings, tutorials, taught sessions and to keep it available during your practice placement. It is mandatory that you have a copy available for your tutor or mentor to access during formal observations if needed.
What will it contain? This is a substantial portfolio. It will include a range of different types of evidence all designed to enable you to demonstrate your progress as a teacher. Some of the items it will include are:
• Assessments and evidence of development of your subject knowledge
• Evaluations, targets and action plans
• Your formal observations and evaluations
• Records of tutorials and mentor meetings with outcomes from these
• Microteach lesson plan and evaluation
• Observations of experienced teachers and peers
• A weekly reflective journal
• Case studies
• A range of evidence mapped against the professional standards, e.g. lesson plans, SoW,
sample student work, samples of assessment, original resources
Evidence of development as a teacher
Section1: Introduction to Education and Training. Summative assessment
of this module.
Section 2: Pedagogy in the Specialist Subject.
Summative assessment of this module.
Section 3: Preparing for Professional Practice.
Summative assessment of this module.
Section 4: Enrichment and Extension. Supports
broader development and tracks evidence for
future employment, study or professional
formation.
26
• Critical incident reports
• Tracking of CPD
• CV and covering letter
• Skills development (particularly linked to English and maths)
• Three consolidation tasks (essay or report at the end of sections 1 to 3)
Throughout indicative word counts will be provided where needed.
Can I make the presentation of my ILP more personal? Yes absolutely! The template is designed to provide guidance and clear expectations for the content of your portfolio and many aspects will require you to write in prose but you can choose to present everything else in a variety of other ways. Some of the most successful ILPs are the ones that are ‘owned’ by the trainee. Some suggestions of things you may like to consider are identified below:
How will my ILP be assessed? Since your ILP is so substantial and very different from other types of assessment there is a detailed rubric that outlines expectations at each level and each grade (this can be found in your ILP itself). This criterion is split into four core areas:
1. The NCD undergraduate criteria;
DiagramsFeel free to use alternative ways of presenting, e.g. tables/ targets and tracking.
Photographs (ensure you
have consent if they include
students)
Links to sound file,
videos, make it into your
own website
Your weekly journal can be presented in different ways -it doesn't have to be straight
prose- think about what works for you.
Make links between
evidence and across
sections.
Powerpoints, presentations
, resources, assessed
work, data
Use more complex varied models in your reflection- find which methods work most effectively for you.
You can annotate and highlight the professional standards to demonstrate
progress
27
2. The quality of your reflection; 3. The quality and range of evidence identified and provided; 4. The targets, actions and tracking linked to your development and progress.
You should refer to these criteria to help you develop your portfolio. It will indicate clearly what is expected from you in order to achieve each grade. Your ILP will be graded as a whole. Individual tasks within your ILP will not fit explicitly under one of the core areas above- to achieve this the ILP would need to be extremely prescriptive and would be limiting as a result. Instead you are likely to cover multiple areas during each task and it is the overall effectiveness of the document that will be assessed against these headings. If you are extremely good in one area and less successful in another a best fit approach will be adopted and balanced across the whole piece of work.
Lesson observations (whether formal or informal) require a lot preparation. When you are being
observed by you tutor or your mentor you will be expected to provide a pack containing: a detailed
lesson plan; a class list with accompanying notes (where applicable); copies of the resources that you
will use and the scheme of work that the lesson falls into. You may be working with experienced
teachers who don’t write lesson plans for every session but as a trainee you need to. Be aware of the
fact that experienced teachers, when observed for appraisal, performance management or Ofsted will
produce everything they need to and more!
28
Assessment Information
Assessment Information The assessment tasks throughout the programme, including formative assessment tasks, are varied and designed to assess the full range of skills that you need to demonstrate in order to become a good practitioner. Each assessment (both formative and summative) reflects the content and skills of the module in which it appears. Some modules may have in-course assessments (ICAs) and all modules have end-course assessments (ECAs). Precise details of expectations, word counts and the criteria against which assignments will be
assessed for each level will be provided in the first taught session of each module and outlined in
individual Module Assessment Guidelines documents. Submission dates can be found on NCD Online
under individual module sites.
Mind mapping is an endlessly useful technique BUT the skills need to be taught if you are going to get mind maps as opposed to spider diagrams! Mind mapping software is freely available on the internet and there are plenty of apps to use with tablets. Don’t be afraid to use pen and paper – it works just as well – at least A3 is best and colours are a must. Here are the key rules as outlined by Tony Buzan.
1. Start in the centre with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colours. 2. Use images, symbols, codes and dimensions throughout your Mind Map. 3. Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters. 4. Each word/image must be alone and sitting on its own line. 5. The lines must be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic
and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre. 6. Make the lines the same length as the word/image. 7. Use colours – your own code – throughout the Mind Map. 8. Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping. 9. Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map. 10. Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines.
Pop some examples of mind maps on the
board (there are plenty of images available
on the internet). Giving learners a clear
model of your expectations will let them
know exactly what you want!
29
Presentation Guidelines
Assignment Format Your assignment should consist of the following:
• Assignment front sheet • Title Page • Assignment • Reference list • Appendices (if applicable)
Title Page This should contain the following information:
• Name of programme • Your name or your student number (as informed by your module leader) • Module title (exactly as identified in your module guide or specification) • Module code (exactly as identified in your module guide or specification) • Module leader • The assignment title • The date of submission • Total word count, excluding bibliography and appendices
The Assignment This should be presented as follows:
• Text should be in Arial font size 12 • Line spacing of 1.5 (one and a half) • Margin sizes should be the default ones used in Microsoft (2.54 cm left and right, 3.17 cm
top and bottom) • A clear gap should be left between paragraphs to make it clear where they start and end • Each page should be numbered as a minimum standard. As you become more skilled in word
processing, you are encouraged to include a header or footer that includes your name (or student number) and the module code (Arial 10 point sufficient in footer)
• Clearly printed on single sided A4 white paper • You are responsible for proof reading and spell checking to rectify spelling and typographical
errors • Students are reminded that they must adhere to within 10% of the word limit identified for
their assignment. That is, the assignment must not be more than 10% over the specified word limit (excluding references/bibliography and appendices), nor less than 10% below. Markers will not read or take into account material over the stated amount. You would not do yourself justice if your word count is under!
30
Assignment Submission
You will be required to submit assignments on time and in accordance with the procedures detailed in the NCD Online Intranet. Your tutors will also clearly explain to you how each assignment should be submitted. You are notified of the exact assignment submission date by the Module Leaders. Up-to-date information can also be found on NCD Online. This is a demanding and busy course so make sure that you remain well-organised and make a careful note of all deadlines. Don’t leave things until the last minute and expect instant assistance - plan ahead. If you are experiencing difficulties talk to your personal tutor. If those difficulties give you grounds to request an extension you should contact your programme leader and complete the relevant paperwork.
A summary of the key features and recommendations of Assessment for Learning
‘Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment’ was a seminal work published in
1988 by by Paul Black and Dylan William of King’s College London. It cited evidence from around the world
that assessment methods designed to improve learning, rather than only measure it, can raise standards. The
report had a huge influence on policy and practice at all levels.
Share the learning objectives Learners, as well as teachers, thereby understand the aim of the lesson and
can judge whether they have met the objective through achieving the outcome.
Ask questions effectively for example give learners time to think about a question and provide opportunities
for everyone to respond. The type of question asked is also important; there is a place for both closed and
open questions, but thought should be given to which type is most appropriate for the context.
Mark work, including independent tasks, formatively. When given grades or marks, learners typically look
only at these and ignore suggestions for improvement. With AfL, teachers learnt to concentrate on giving only
comments, on which pupils were expected to take action to improve the work.
Learners assess one another Learner groups can mark each other’s work, and thereby learn to think about
the aim of a piece of work and to understand the criteria of quality (self and peer assessment).
Involve learners in their assessments By involving learners in setting test questions, in inventing mark
schemes, and in marking one another’s answers, teachers helped learners to achieve a view that is based on
understanding the work that has been covered.
See: Assessment Reform Group http://www.aaia.org.uk/afl/assessment-reform-group
Initial Teacher Education on AfL http://www.ite.org.uk/ite_topics/assessment_for_learning/003.html
31
Feedback on Assessments You will receive written feedback in electronic format, on all of your assessed work and will be given an indication of the grade you have achieved. This will either be presented as a Pass/ Fail statement or as a percentage mark. This mark is referred to as ‘unratified’, meaning it is provisional, as all marks must be agreed by the Assessment Board at the end of the academic year before they are considered to be final. Feedback is an important part of your development. In fact feedback is the best way to improve your performance. Many students focus mainly upon the grades which they are awarded for each piece of work. Whilst we understand the reasons for this we want to stress to you that feedback is much more important in helping you progress and improve your skills. As a trainee teacher you will become aware of this very quickly in your own practice. Feedback on from all aspects of your programme should inform the target setting, reflection and action planning in your Individual Learning Portfolio.
Feedback may take different forms:
Individual written feedback is returned on all assignments. This will normally be received within four weeks of submission.
Verbal feedback will also be provided, particularly for formative work (in seminars and through individual meetings with tutors).
If you have failed to attain a pass mark for an assignment you should discuss your next steps with your module tutor and/ or programme leader who will explain the process and impact on your progress. We will support you as fully as possible to achieve all that you can.
Standard Statement on External Examining Students often ask questions about how we know that their degree is broadly of the same standard as degrees awarded for similar courses by other universities. In the UK we have a system called external examining which is one of several ways that we confirm that standards are met. An external examiner is generally an experienced lecturer from another university who offers an independent view as to whether the work of students on the course is of the correct standard. The external examiner does this by looking at a sample of work (e.g. assignments, exam answers, dissertations), discussing the work with your lecturers and attending the assessment boards to endorse results. They then produce an annual report which tells us about any concerns they have and any good practice they have identified. The external examiners’ reports are made available to student representatives and school representatives. You can also request the relevant external examiner report for your course by e mailing [email protected] Please note that students are not permitted to contact external examiners directly and external examiners will not respond to any communication from individual students. If you have any concerns about your course then please speak to your programme leader.
32
Referencing: What is referencing and why is it important?
Referencing is the process of acknowledging the sources you have used in writing your essay,
assignment or report. It allows the reader to access your source documents as quickly and easily as
possible in order to verify, if necessary, the validity of your arguments and the evidence on which they
are based. You identify these sources by citing them in the text of your assignment (called citations or
in-text citations) and referencing them at the end of your assignment (called the reference list or end-
text citations). The reference list only includes the sources cited in your text. It is not the same thing
as a bibliography, which uses the same referencing style, but also includes all material, for example
background readings used in the preparation of your work.
Top ten referencing tips
1. Be aware: if you don't already know, check with your tutor which referencing style you are
expected to use
2. Be positive: used properly, references strengthen your writing, demonstrating that you have
spent time researching and digesting material and produced your own opinions and arguments
3. Be decisive about the best way to cite your sources and how you balance your use of direct
quotations, paraphrasing and summarising (read about these in the introductory Basics sections
of Cite them right online)
4. Be willing to ask for help: library/learning resource staff offer support with referencing and
academic skills
5. Be organised: prepare well and keep a record of all potentially useful sources as you find them
6. Be prepared: read the Basics sections of Cite them right online before you begin your first
assignment
7. Be consistent: once you have established the referencing style required, use it consistently
throughout your piece of work
8. Be patient: make time and take your time to ensure that your referencing is accurate
9. Be clear: clarify the type of source you are referencing and check Cite them right online for
examples
10. Be thorough: check through your work and your references before you submit your
assignment, ensuring that your citations all match with a full reference and vice versa
This programme uses the Harvard System of referencing and a full guide is available via: http://www.citethemrightonline.com/Home
33
Example of using Harvard referencing
Learners claimed that feedback often seemed to just state what they had achieved, rather than ‘providing opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance’ and hence providing a platform for student/teacher dialogue which would lead to enhanced student motivation (Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall, 2014 pp. 135-142). The importance of feedback is also highlighted by the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency, 2011) who claim that despite the fact that in recent years the NSS (National Student Survey) results have identified assessment and feedback as the area where students are least satisfied, results have not much improved. Furthermore Tummons (2011) claims that good feedback needs to reflect the learning outcomes and assessment criteria and use language which is clear and unambiguous. Bloxham and Boyd, 2007 advocate ‘feed forward’, a term which suggests helping learners develop via clear comments on strengths that can be applied to other work and clear, specific areas for development (Bloxham and Boyd, 2007). Sadler (cited in Jacoby et al, 2014 p. 72) argues that: Built-in electronic, continuous assessment enables teachers to provide instantaneous feedback, which has the potential to enhance student learning, as they are able to see the impact that their efforts relate to achievement and reflect upon the outcome. In order to be of any value, students and teachers both need to be actively involved in the feedback process and I introduced a new system where learners were emailed the feedback one week prior to a one-to-one tutorial where all the comments were discussed in-depth. Knight and York (2003) claim that ‘in an ideal world, both teacher and student seek to interpret and understand what the other is saying, with the intention that the student will develop their learning’ but in reality many students fail to address development points after receiving poorly written feedback. The new ‘dialogic’ element of follow-up tutorial feedback had a positive impact and students reacted favourably. The idea of using errors in a constructive way and making feedback an interactive, two-way process is advocated by Biggs and Tang (2011) who also highlight the need for creating learning environments in which students can feel save to make mistakes.
It is always important to keep up-to-date with reforms in your sector. One area of recent focus has been the vocational education and the introduction of the 16-19 Study Programmes. “The aim of Study Programmes is to maximise the potential of young people (16-19) to progress onto higher education and/or skilled employment by ensuring that vocational routes to higher education and employment are seen as high quality and a genuine alternative to academic routes.” Department for Education, January 2013 (based on Alison Wolf’s 2011 Review of Vocational Education) For further details: http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/study%20programmes
As a teacher you can’t hide from the need to handle data. So here is a quick list of the basic things that
any teacher needs to know how to do: create spreadsheets using excel and be able to create graphs
from those spreadsheets; understand predictive data; be able to calculate valued added scores using
predictive information; be able to calculate averages (mean, mode, median); calculate percentages;
understand retention rates, success rates and achievement rates.
34
Reference List for the essay example:
Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2011) Teaching for Quality learning at University, 4th edn. Maidenhead: Open
University Press
Bloxham, S. and Boyd, P. (2007) Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education, A Practical
Guide, Maidenhead: Open University Press
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2014) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education: Enhancing academic Practice, Abingdon: Routledge
Knight, P. and Yorke, M. (2003) Assessment, Learning and Employability, Maidenhead: Open
University Press
Jacoby, J., Heugh, S., Bax, Ch. and Branford-White (2014) Enhancing learning through formative
assessment, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(1) pp. 72-83
QAA (2011) Understanding assessment: its role in safeguarding academic standards and quality in
higher education, Gloucester: The Quality Assurance Agency
Tummons, J. (2011) Assessing Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector, 3rd Edition, Exeter: Learning
Matters
The Unseen Children’s Report
Twenty years ago, Ofsted published ‘Access and achievement in urban education’, a report looking at 7 urban areas with high levels of deprivation, with an update published 10 years later in 2003.
Over the past year Ofsted has undertaken a review in order to understand the current pattern of disadvantage and educational success across England, to learn the lessons of recent policy initiatives, and to come forward with proposals that would really make a difference.
This report sets out some of the main evidence that informed the review. It draws on test and examination data, inspection outcomes, and published reports and research.
This is a really important report for you to be aware of and to consider!
You can find the full report at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unseen-children-access-and-achievement-20-years-on
35
Library & Information Services
You will find that students on all courses are actively encouraged to use our well-stocked Learning Centre. Our Learning Centre is very accessible and is open during term time as follows:
8.30am – 8.30pm Monday – Thursday
8.30am – 4.30pm Friday
9.00am – 1.00pm Saturday
NB: Times are restricted during holiday periods – please check with the Learning Centres for details.
You will also be given a computer account which will enable you to do on line research and send and
receive email
A specific “reading list” (where appropriate) for your course will be provided in each module guide
and our Learning Centres have a huge database of magazines and journals on-line. You are
encouraged to access this resource. The Learning Centre produces a number of very useful guides and
your course induction will include and introduction the College Learning Resource Centre.
Academic Support Tutor
At the start of your course you will be introduced to a range of higher education skills which you will
develop throughout your higher studies. These include the skill of referencing your work, academic
research skills, and critical thinking skills. Learning some of these higher skills can be a little daunting
at first but you will quickly become proficient at them with practice. To help and support you in
developing your higher skills whilst studying at the College, you can access help and support from
our Academic Support Tutor.
Our Academic Support Tutor is based in the Neville Building and can be contacted through your
Course Leader or Personal Tutor. They will be happy to support you throughout your course, but will
be particularly useful in the early days of your studies as you become accustomed to the particular
skill set required for higher study. Please don’t be afraid to ask for any higher skill support and extra
academic skill sessions throughout your study time here at the College. We are here to help you
achieve your course qualification.
36
Differentiation Adapted from: http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/MethodsofDifferentiationintheClassroom.aspx. The BBCactive website is a great source of practical information. Differentiation is defined by the Training and Development Agency for Schools as ‘the process by which differences between learners are accommodated so that all students in a group have the best possible chance of learning’. It has come to be a key skill for any teacher, especially those of mixed-ability classes. Differentiation can be achieved by:
Task
Grouping
Resources
Pace
Outcome
Dialogue, questioning and support
Assessment
37
Encountering Problems
Support if you are experiencing problems If you have serious, unanticipated problems - we will always try to help you out. Remember if you do have problems that your personal tutor should always be your first port of call. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to ensure that the School office has your up-to-date term-time address and any change of name (e.g. marital status). A number of specific troubleshooting issues are listed below to help you become aware of procedures.
Illness or personal difficulties If you are ill or are having personal problems which may affect your progress on the course, see your tutor immediately. Tutors will always try their best to resolve problems for you using the procedures, but in some cases tutors may feel that they do not have the expertise to advise you properly, in which case they may suggest that you see an Advice Support Careers (ASC) counsellor for expert and confidential advice.
Mitigating Circumstances and Extensions It is the responsibility of all students to attend examinations and to submit work for assessment by the set date. There may be times when, for reasons outside your control, you have not performed as well as you could in your assessment. Or there may be circumstances that prevent you from submitting a summative assessment on time or attending an examination. It is important that you discuss your situation as soon as possible with an appropriate member of staff, such as your Module Leader or Programme Leader, who will be able to provide you with guidance on the most appropriate course of action from the following list:
A Short Extension of up to 7 days, usually for one module only (not available for a reassessment attempt);
A Long Extension up to the end of academic year or end of the assessment period – this is normally only offered to full-time students;
A Deferred Submission of up to one calendar year from original submission date – this is normally only available to part-time students;
Suspension of study for a period of up to 2 years;
Alternatively, if your problems are outside your control, you can apply for Mitigating Circumstances.
In all cases you will need to make a formal application. It will need to meet agreed criteria and be properly approved by your School/College. If you apply for Mitigating Circumstances your application, and the evidence you supply to support it, will have to be approved by a Mitigating Circumstances Board, and if it does not meet the criteria then mitigation may not be granted.
38
The following points will help you when submitting an application for mitigating circumstances or applying for an extension:
Do:
review the grounds for applying for mitigating circumstances; seek guidance from your module or personal tutor if you are experiencing difficulties in completing your work on time;
meet with your tutor prior to the submission/examination date; discuss with a tutor whether an extension would be appropriate, and if so, what
type; request an extension where you are unable to meet the deadline; submit an application that covers all module assessments you are taking during the
period of difficulty; submit the application for Mitigating Circumstances within two weeks of the
submission/examination date; complete all sections of the application form; include evidence to support your case with your application form; make sure that you receive a receipt from your School/College when you submit
your application form.
Don't:
apply for mitigating circumstances if you have been granted a long extension for the same set of circumstances;
apply for any formative assessment - pieces of assessment that do not count to your overall module mark;
use evidence that is undated or solely from family members supporting your application - you have to provide independent evidence.
Information on the types of extension is set out on NCD Online/Student Intranet. The Mitigating Circumstances Regulations (Taught Components and Programmes) can be found on NCD Online/Student Intranet.
Collaborative Learning Collaborative learning is an educational method where two students or a group of students work together to support and develop their learning. It's based on the concept that groups of students can learn more from each other through sharing and social interaction than they would if they learned individually. Many approaches to collaborative learning are dynamic whilst collaborative approaches encourage pace, depth, variety and challenge. There are plenty of pitfalls to watch out for though; the progress of students must be central whilst the tasks chosen are carefully selected to facilitate this. It’s the learning not the activity that is important!
39
Academic Misconduct
In order to avoid academic misconduct, New College Durham is committed to continually educating students on how to develop good academic practice and writing skills.
Academic misconduct is treated very seriously and is defined as any activity or attempted activity which gives an unfair advantage to one or more students over their peers.
We strongly recommend you read the College Policy and guidance on academic misconduct
which can be found on the student intranet.
Academic Appeals Academic Appeals relate to a review of a decision of an academic body, (Assessment Board
or Mitigation Panel), charged with making decisions on assessment, student progression and
awards. Appeals may be made in respect of the following areas relating to the assessment
process:
A formal assessment result
A decision taken as a result of academic failure e.g. termination of registration
A decision taken as a result of unsatisfactory academic progress
Your Course Leader will give you further guidance if you feel you have the need to appeal on
any of the areas stated above and the College Procedure for Academic Appeals can be found
at:
Dealing with Complaints Although we expect you will be satisfied with the service we provide, please be assured that
we will deal promptly and fairly with any complaint.
We strongly recommend that you talk over any issues with your Course Leader in the first
instance to try and solve the issue informally and amicably. If this informal approach does
not resolve the matter to your satisfaction you may wish to make a formal complaint. A
college feedback and complaints form can be accessed by the following web link to our
website:
http://www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk/the-college/information-about-us/freedom-of-
information/publication-scheme/what-are-our-policies-and-procedures/
40
The following tips may help you to avoid academic misconduct: Do:
Familiarise yourself with the regulations and penalties that can be incurred. For professional programmes, a single case of academic misconduct may result in you being discontinued from your course.
Make sure that you know how to correctly acknowledge other people’s work or opinions, and get feedback from your Tutor on whether or not you are doing this correctly.
Take care when making notes from books or articles. Always keep a record of whether your notes are a paraphrase of the source or a direct quotation, so that you don’t inadvertently include quotes without proper acknowledgement. [This is a frequently cited reason students give when accused of academic misconduct.]
Seek support from your Module or Personal Tutor if you are experiencing difficulties in completing your work on time.
Don’t:
Cut and paste (or reproduce) chunks of material from electronic sources or books/articles. [Even if you acknowledge the source, material not stated as being a direct quotation will make you vulnerable to an accusation of academic misconduct.]
Loan your work to other students. [If it is then copied, you may be accused of academic misconduct.]
Borrow work from current or previous students.
Submit the same work for different assessments.
Get someone else to do your work. [Essay-writing web sites don’t always keep their promises and have been known to inform universities of students who have purchased work.]
In order to support students avoid plagiarism the following guidance notes are provided. Additional information will be made available throughout your programme of study.
41
Contacting Staff
Appropriate use of e-mail Utilising appropriate methods of communication, both at NCD and on your placement, is a core professional skill. Here are some straight-forward ground rules to consider when contacting members of staff and colleagues.
Appropriate topics for e-mails The following examples can be used as a guide to indicate when it is appropriate to e-mail the programme team or your placement colleagues:
Information that is not available in relevant handbooks, on NCD Online or in the documentation that you are given access to in your workplace. It is advisable to check these places before seeking further advice.
Missing an appointment. If you are going to miss a scheduled appointment or your planned teaching you need to ensure that the relevant people know. In the case of missing your planned teaching practice you should also follow your placement absence arrangements.
Missing a taught session. We monitor your attendance. Should you miss a session because of illness or unforeseen circumstances, please contact the module leader so that our records can be updated.
Clarification on an issue raised in a session. It is easy to misunderstand or be unsure of what exactly was said in a session. Sometimes it may be appropriate to e-mail a tutor with a simple question, although it is usually a better idea to raise any issues in the session or in a tutorial.
Requests and confirmation of appointments made with tutors, e.g. tutorial support.
Inappropriate topics for e-mails We receive many e-mails every day, and, unfortunately, sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between important and trivial messages. You can help us by sending e-mails only when it is absolutely essential. This will allow us to answer important e-mails more quickly. Here are examples of emails that you should not send:
Queries about information that can be found in handbooks, placement information or on NCD Online. E-mails may not be answered which ask for information readily available elsewhere. This will include things such as details on submission dates, module administration, the assignment tasks and how to reference texts.
Extensions can only be considered if an extension request has been given to the Programme Leader using the relevant extension request form.
Formatting e-mail messages Please identify yourself by Name, Programme and Year Group.
Ensure that your e-mail has a meaningful subject line.
The subject line gives the reader of the e-mail an indication of its importance and may dictate how quickly it is read. It is not helpful to receive an e-mail without a subject line. An example of informative subject line would be: ‘Year 1 Absence on Professional Skills module’. An uninformative subject line would be: ‘Question’ or, of course, a blank space!
42
Begin your e-mail with an appropriate greeting.
Be concise but informative.
Use correct grammar and spelling. Write in proper sentences and do not use slang or abbreviations as these would make any e-mails difficult to understand and make them appear unprofessional.
E-mail response Tutors endeavour to respond to emails as quickly as possible. Please note that tutors are not expected to respond to emails during holiday periods including weekends.
Bloom’s Taxonomy You’ll find Bloom’s taxonomy used at every level of education from pre-
school to doctoral study!
Source of this graphic: http://mnpsbloom.weebly.com/ Some very useful Bloom’s graphics: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/03/new-blooms-taxonomy-planning-kit-for.html http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2011/09/blooms-taxonomy-21st-century-version.html
43
Attendance
Attendance Monitoring Students are expected to attend all lectures, seminars, workshops and any other scheduled teaching activity e.g. research project supervision. It is through interpersonal exchanges with tutors and peers that experiential learning and the testing of ideas takes place and the college has strong evidence that good attendance is related to success in assessments. Attendance will be monitored and if there is evidence that you are not engaging with college studies then you may be withdrawn from the programme.
Attendance during your teaching practice is crucial. You should view your course and placement in a professional manner; reliability and consistency are key.
Notification of Absence Attendance registers are taken during classes. If you are absent you must e-mail your tutors to let them know. If you require support we have support mechanisms but these can only be used if you let us know your problems and ask us for support. If your attendance continues to be a problem you will be asked to see the Programme Leader and then the Head of the School.
The Magenta Principles (Mike Hughes) The magenta principles are fundamentally about re-framing understanding and responses to texts. They are a good way to encourage students to engage fully with any text (written, spoken, visual, media based, multi-modal) that they encounter. On a basic level whenever students are presented with a text/information/facts they are to use one or more magenta principles when working with it…
reduce change assemble search connect arrange enlarge
simplify classify compare and contrast deconstruct apply prioritise perform it
44
Have your say
Student representation and communications When things go wrong with the course or could be improved, it is quite likely that you will spot it before we do. So it is important that you let us know when there are problems. These problems vary in how easily they can be addressed. Have a look in the college handbook or on the student intranet for advice on where to go or how we can support you. Some can be dealt with straight away, once they are brought to the attention of the right person. Other problems require more detailed consideration and widespread discussion, so they inevitably take longer to fix. Sometimes, they are so major that they require major course overhauls and will not be fixed in time to affect you, but will make your successors eternally grateful to you. Sadly, there are some problems that are a consequence of resource limitations or external constraints and we may not be able to do much about them, but at least we will be able to let you know the reasons why those problems exist. In any event, it is important that you let us know what you think, and you can be sure that your views will be an important part of any decision making process. You can use e-mail and telephone to contact staff.
Getting Your Views Across
1. Lecturing staff – Module Leaders If you have any concerns you should first approach the Module Leader for the module concerned. Staff lecturing on individual modules welcome constructive feedback. In the first instance, you should deal with problems arising from individual modules by bringing them to the attention of the member of staff concerned.
2. Programme Leader
If you still have issues or problems with regard to individual modules or the organisation of the course then please contact the Programme Leader. 3. Curriculum Manager, New College Durham
The Curriculum Manager has overall responsibility for the Education courses, both in its general running and ongoing development. The Curriculum Manager represents Education on School and college committees and works with programme teams to co-ordinate the operation of programmes and to ensure their quality. The Curriculum Manager role is also to ensure that programme teams attend to the student experience rigorously and consistently. 4. Formal feedback
There are more formal ways of giving feedback on courses. All modules are subject to a formal review each year and you will be asked to complete online evaluations on these modules. We will explain more about this when the time comes to do it. However, if you think something is going wrong, let us know straight away.
45
5. Student Representatives
These are the most important channels of information about your views. The Student Representatives serve an invaluable function. We take what they say very seriously and we directly involve them in as much decision making as possible. It is important that you use your representatives to the full and appreciate the amount of work they do on your behalf.
The best teaching…
Demonstrate variety and depth in tasks brought to life by excellent teacher subject
knowledge and enthusiasm.
Learning is linked to prior learning, future tasks, across the curriculum and to the real
world.
The plan is not stuck to slavishly; timely digression and adaptation often lead to
memorable moments.
High-quality verbal and written assessment is evident and is clearly understood and
responded to by students. Time is given to apply improvement.
Doing the same repeatedly does not improve attainment, there is evidence of variety, a
focus on pace and challenging targets for all students.
Teachers engage and respond to their students, they build a rapport and respect and
genuinely what their students to achieve.
There are clear plans, resources are professionally produced and varied, there is care
attention and thought.
Tips for observations can be found at: http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/how-teachers-can-show-visible-progress-when-they-are-being-observed http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/assessment-how-get-best-out-being-observed/23205
46
Teaching Practice
An overview of your placement
You will undertake a significant teaching practice placement that will form an integral part of your training as a teacher. Your teaching practice allows you to put your learning to use in a practical setting where you will receive support and guidance from experience practitioners. This is the aspect of your programme that really helps you to develop you classroom skills; you can only really learn by doing! Here are some of the golden rules:
throw yourself into your practice- the more you put in the more you’ll get out
don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things- just be prepared for them not to work
don’t be overly critical of yourself but likewise don’t assume you have nothing to learn
listen to your tutor, mentor and colleagues and ask their advice. At the back of this handbook you’ll find a few bits and pieces that will support you in the first few weeks of your programme (just whilst your feet) the Teaching Practice Survival Guide applies from day one and will give you some things to think about.
Your mentor
During your time on this placement you will receive support from a designated mentor who will provide frequent verbal and written feedback linked to your development as a practitioner. They are your first port of call during your placement and will have a wealth of experience that you can draw upon. Being a mentor is an entirely voluntary role. People volunteer to do the job because they really want to help new teachers progress and develop. We are lucky to have a variety of outstanding mentors working with us. Your mentors will also contribute towards the development of your subject specialist knowledge helping you to frame your understanding of your subject within the context of a teaching environment with learners who are at different levels. They will also help you to consider how to adapt approaches to your subject to meet the requirements of different professional bodies and awarding bodies for learners at a range of different levels. General Mentor Role and Responsibilities:
to be a contact point for trainee teachers within the placement/workplace setting;
to help trainee teachers to resolve any practice issues that arise during teaching practice at the placement/workplace;
to meet regularly with trainee teachers throughout the period of placement/ workplace teaching practice [trainee teachers keep records of this]
to provide informal support to trainee teachers, where necessary e.g. via phone, e-mail.
to observe the trainee teachers and complete observation forms.
Your responsibilities as a mentee
You have a number of responsibilities as a mentee and it’s important that you take them seriously. This programme should see you moving away from being a student to becoming a professional.
47
Familiarise yourself with the core values and requirements of the new Professional Standards for
teachers and Trainers in Education and Training – England (see your ILP) and use this framework
consistently to help you to reflect on your progress and produce meaningful targets and action
planning in your Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
Your mentor will expect you to:
monitor your professional development against the professional standards
develop professional competence in working in line with the professional standards
maintain you Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and be able to produce and discuss this on request
store written records of mentor and tutor feedback in your ILP
store written records of mentor discussions, mentor reflection sheets and contact log, in your ILP
seek and respond appropriately to professional advice and regularly discuss progress with you tutors, mentors and class teachers
engage in wider professional activities as appropriate.
Role & responsibilities related to teaching practice
Teaching practice provides you with opportunities to show professional competence in teaching by
demonstrating that you have met the minimum professional standard required by teachers working
in the field. It is your responsibility to organise formal mentor and tutor observations during your
teaching practice.
As a trainee teacher you will:
agree observation dates with your mentor and tutor/s in good time
at the planning stages work collaboratively with the course tutor (who may be your mentor) and agree the topic/content and learning outcomes to be taught
make sure that you show the course tutor/your mentor your intended lesson plan and resources in sufficient time for you to make alterations
make sure that the content of your lesson plans conform to the standard requirements identified in the ILP
remember that the most important aspect of the lesson is how your learners learn
Benefits of building an effective mentoring relationship
There are many potential benefits of building an effective mentoring relationship including having
someone available who is:
an experienced teacher who is up-to-date with knowledge and teaching methods in the area of your specialist subject
48
more familiar with ways of working within the establishment (especially if you are new or a part timer with limited contacts)
familiar with and can point you in the direction of existing resources
able to offer advice and guidance on ways of teaching your subject area and working with particular learners
able to help or act as a ‘sounding board’ when challenging situations arise or a boost of confidence is needed
networking with other tutors teaching your specialism
able to offer you insights into your developmental needs Mentors may also be prepared to act as a referee for future job applications if you have worked well with them and frequently employment opportunities arise within the settings and departments in which students are placed.
Contracting and Mentorship
In order to get the most out of the mentoring process, the mentor and mentee should agree the
boundaries, expectations and practicalities of their working relationship from the very beginning.
This are often referred to as ‘contracting’ and can help to clarify understanding how the mentoring
process will unfold. It is also a valuable opportunity to build rapport.
Questions to consider at contracting are:
How do we ensure confidentiality: mentor; mentee and students?
Who is responsible for what in the relationship? What are the requirements for each module in the programme for example, the timescale for observations and teaching hour completion?
How long do we expect it to last, for the duration of the ITT programme or longer?
How often will we meet, for how long and where?
How formal will we want it to be?
What degree of informal support is practical? (adapted from Wallace and Gravells, 2007, 27)
HOW TO BE A ‘GOOD’ MENTEE – the four Rs
As suggested by Wallace and Gravells (2007), good mentees:
- take responsibility for the success of the mentoring relationship. They demonstrate
initiative by taking ownership of their own development by thinking about what they want
from the mentoring relationship and setting the agenda for meetings.
- show respect by keeping or rescheduling meetings and talk through issues rather than
simply not turning up.
- are responsive to help. They are willing to take on board new ideas and perspectives and are
keen to take action to learn and develop their skills
49
- are reflective. They don’t necessarily want to be given the answers, preferring to work things
out for themselves. With a view to creating better understanding, they might challenge the
mentor but ultimately see mentoring as a learning opportunity in self-awareness.
You might like to remember these four Rs as they could help you get the most out of the mentoring
experience - responsibility, respect, responsive and reflective.
See the Help Hints: Creating an Effective Mentoring Relationship guide for some points to help get you started.
50
Your Next Steps
Employability
This is a professional course and is designed to prepare you as fully as possible for future employment within the education and training sector. If you are already employed you will be given some of the skills and understanding needed to progress within your chosen field. The heavy focus of the programme on The Professional Skills for Teachers and Trainers is part of your preparation for employment. In addition there will be opportunities for you to develop:
interview skills application writing skills
letter of application and CV writing skills. Teaching interviews are often quite unique and many of the formative assessments that you will engage in throughout the programme have taken this into account. Full-day, multi-panel interviews are generally the norm and so you will gain experience of the following things to make sure that you fully prepared for every eventuality:
being observed teaching during the interview process and what you are expected to prepare
presentation skills
the kinds of approaches that student panels will use
how to handle informal meetings with department members (be under no illusions these are assessed)
scenario based activities
in-tray exercises
data related tasks
the types of questions asked on formal panel interview. Whether you are applying for your first job in the sector or whether you are looking to move or apply for promotion feel free to ask for help and advice on any aspect of the process. If your nerves are getting the better of you, you may also like to take the opportunity to have a mock interview with your tutor.
QTLS Status
QTLS stands for Qualified Teacher in the Lifelong Learning Sector and is considered to be equivalent to QTS in the compulsory education (Qualified Teacher Status). QTLS is not completed jointly with education and training programmes (if you study to become a primary or secondary teacher QTS is completed at the same time as your academic qualification and is followed by the completion a probationary year monitored by the DfE- the NQT year). To gain QTLS you register through The Education and Training Foundation and go through the process of professional formation whilst employed within the sector. The process and the evidence that you produce are very much akin to the Individual Learning Portfolio that you produce during the first stage of your qualification (PgCE or Cert. Ed.). Many students who complete these programmes go on to gain QTLS and it is desirable to do so. You will find that it gives you greater flexibility and professional standing.
51
For more information on professional formation and how to apply go to:
www.et-foundation.co.uk Information about the status of QTLS in schools can be found at: www.gov.uk/organisations/department-for-education
Progression from the Cert. Ed. Your Cert. Ed. qualification is completed at levels 4 and 5. On completion of this route you may be eligible to continue with your studies and can top-up to a BA in Education and Training at New College Durham. This is an extremely popular route for students who wish to obtain a full degree qualification. You’ll find details of this on the university web-site. Feel free to talk to your tutor about this route, what it entails and the many benefits it can have for your future career.
Progression from the PgCE Your PgCE qualification is completed at levels 5 and 6. There are two clear routes that you can take to continue your studies and your development. Both options can be completed on a part-time basis and will complement future employment. The first is the option to complete a UCPPD award entitled Personal and Professional Values in Teaching at Teesside University. This level 7 award has been designed with recent graduates in mind and is intended to support the process of professional formation whilst encouraging you to develop your approaches to learning and teaching more fully. You will benefit from continued observations and support from tutors and will develop the skills needed to help you become more effective in the classroom. You will also have the opportunity to become an expert in a specific area of learning and teaching. You may be able to count the credits from this programme towards a future MA in Education. The second option available to you is to move directly towards studying for a full MA in Education at Teesside University. This level 7 qualification requires a significant amount of commitment and will explore multiple aspects of education from a variety of different perspectives. The MA in Education attracts students from a wide variety of backgrounds and is an excellent opportunity to broaden your horizons.
52
Getting started: Quick Guides and
Reference Material
The following section contains a range of resources to help you get
started and find your feet.
You’ll find that you need to know a lot very quickly and this section
will give you some core information to help in those first few weeks
of your training and beyond.
53
Helpful hints
Creating an Effective Mentoring Relationship
At the first meeting:
spend some time getting to know your mentor
discuss his/her availability and honour these times
consider whether you want to fix a schedule of meetings or organise them one at a
time
set a time limit for meetings and stick to it
Generally:
Always attend meetings on time and if you need to reschedule give your mentor
plenty of notice
Organise your teaching observations with as much notice as possible
Accept the support and encouragement offered by the mentor and consider advice
in the spirit it is offered
Take responsibility for monitoring your progress through sound reflection and the
maintenance of your ILP and Progress File
Take a positive approach to the value of feedback as constructive criticism is a
valuable tool for reflecting on your own behaviour and performance.
Be willing to learn about the organisation and about possible new ways of working
Try to make meetings valuable learning experiences by having an agenda
Be honest and open and ask questions if you are unsure about something
Remember that your mentor will help you to make decisions, but is not responsible
for making them for you
54
Jargon Buster
The world of education is full of jargon and terminology. Some of it you will recognise but you will
come across a lot that you haven’t encountered before. Here is a quick list of some of the most
common terms to get you started. Remember if you come across something you aren’t sure about-
just ask!
Academies
Academies are independent state-funded schools. These schools have more freedom over their finances, the curriculum they teach and teachers’ pay and conditions.
ADHD
A condition whereby a child has difficulty in maintaining concentration and is unable to stay on task
due to hyperactivity. See ADD. More information from the Mental Health Foundation.
APD
Auditory Processing Disorder. A condition which impairs the way auditory information is processed
by the brain. APD can exist in those with perfect hearing or with hearing loss and can co-exist with
any other disability, condition or learning difficulty. It is not curable but can be helped by
development of individual coping strategies. Find out more on the APDUK website
Asperger
syndrome
Asperger syndrome is an autistic spectrum disorder. The National Autistic Society says: "People with
Asperger syndrome find it more difficult to read the signals that most of us take for granted. As a
result they find it more difficult to communicate and relate to others."
Assessment
for Learning
Perhaps the simplest definition of this was given by Black and William in 1998: Assessment for learning can be defined as "all those activities undertaken by teachers and/or by their students, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged". From September 2009, all UK schools were expected to implement an assessment for learning programme. Day-to-day assessments would include effective questioning; observations of children during teaching and while they are working; holding discussions with children; analysing work and reporting to children; conducting tests and giving quick feedback.
Autistic
spectrum
An autistic spectrum disorder is a complex lifelong developmental disability which affects the way a
person communicates and relates to those around them.
Behaviour
Support
Plan
A written plan detailing support arrangements for the education of children with behavioural
difficulties.
BSL
British Sign Language. Is a language mainly used by deaf people. It uses handshapes, facial
expressions, lip patterns and upper body and head movements.
Challenging
behaviour
Non-judgemental term which covers range of behaviour from severe mental or emotional problems
through adolescent angst to naughtiness. Challenging Behaviour Foundation website.
Contextual
Value Added
Factors that relate to learner progress – e.g. SEND, deprivation, etc.
55
CPD Continuing professional development. CPD includes any activity that increases teachers’ knowledge
or understanding, and their effectiveness in schools. It can help raise teaching and learning standards
and improve job satisfaction. CPD is for all teachers, at any stage of their career.
DfE
The Department for Education is responsible for education and children's services in England.
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Sufferers may have difficulty
understanding simple number concepts and often have problems learning number facts and
procedures.
Dyslexia
A learning difficulty of which the chief manifestation is a particular difficulty with reading and
spelling. For more information go to the British Dyslexia Association.
Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is generally recognised as an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement.
Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought.
EAL
English as an Additional Language. Refers to children whose first language(s) is/are not English and who may not yet be speaking English fluently or even at all.
EBD
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. Children who display these problems may be placed on the Special Needs Register and given extra support.
Functional
Skills
Functional Skills are qualifications designed to help learners aged 14 and above build practical skills
for work, education and everyday life. The skills cover English, maths and ICT.
HMI
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate. Permanent inspection staff of Ofsted.
IEP
Individual Education Plan Identifies the special educational needs of a child and outlines targets and strategies to support their learning.
Inclusion
Inclusion recognises the importance of catering for diverse needs. Inclusive principles highlight the
importance of meeting children's individual needs.
Independent
Learning
Learning that enables pupils to think for themselves and to plan and manage their own learning, ie
where a learner acquires knowledge by his or her own efforts and develops the ability for enquiry
and critical evaluation.
LAC
Looked After Children - children who are in care or looked after by foster parents
MLD
Moderate Learning Difficulties - A pupil with MLD will receive extra assistance under SEN provision. Pupils with MLD will have attainments well below expected levels in all or most areas of the curriculum. Their needs will not be able to be met by normal differentiation
Ofqual
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and vocational
qualifications in Northern Ireland. Ofqual also regulates Sats, GCSEs, A-levels, the Diploma and NVQs.
56
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is an independent organisation
which reports directly to Parliament. Ofsted inspects and regulates services which care for children
and young people and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Ofsted sets out to
raise standards in British schools through regular inspections. Ofsted also regulates childminders,
adoption and fostering agencies, pupil referral units, further education, initial teacher training and
learning in prisons.
Pedagogy
The art of teaching.
Personalised
Learning
The official definition of personalised learning is "putting the learner at the heart of the education
system." The major components of personalised learning include: paying attention to every child's
individual learning styles, motivations and needs; a rigorous use of pupil target setting linked to high
quality assessment; well-paced and enjoyable lessons; and pupils are supported by partnership with
others well beyond the classroom."
Plenary
A part of a lesson where the teacher reviews what's been learnt, usually through questioning the pupils
Professional
Graduate
Certificate in
Education
This qualification enables you to teach students in the learning and skills sector, as well as students who are aged 14+. It does not give you QTS but you can apply for QTLS on completing the qualification. Trainees completing this programme will usually have an Honours Degree of a 2:2 or above.
PRU
Pupil Referral Unit - established and maintained by an LA to provide education for pupils who would
not otherwise receive suitable education because of exclusion or other reasons.
QTLS
Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills is a teacher qualification in the learning and skills sector. It is
equivalent to QTS.
QTS
A newly qualified teacher has Qualified Teacher Status. This is the accreditation that allows you to
teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales. To achieve QTS you have to
complete a period of Initial Teacher Training (ITT).
SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Provision to support pupils with learning disabilities - may
be provided through mainstream or more specialised education.
STEM
Science, technology, engineering and maths.
Statement
Pupils who are issued with a statement, have a serious SEN requirement and will receive extra assistance with their learning The statement sets out the child’s needs and the help they should have. It is reviewed annually
TAs
Teaching Assistants. The role of a teaching assistant is varied but will include some or all of the following: working with one-to-one or with small groups of pupils; supporting pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities; preparing the classroom for lessons; tidying and keeping the classroom in order; creating displays and helping on school outings or events.
VI Visually Impaired
57
VLE
Virtual Learning Environment - a virtual classroom that allows teachers and students to communicate with each other online.
58
Some Useful Links
Here you will find links to a variety of websites that you might find useful in your
practice. These are things that you won’t find on your reading list.
This list is far from exhaustive. If you come across anything else that you think is
useful, ingenious or a little bit different please let your course tutor know and share it
with your group.
Link Description www.et-foundation.co.uk Home of the Education and Training Foundation. Visit for
information on The Professional Standards and sector up-dates.
www.tes.co.uk The Times Educational Supplement web-site. A leading jobs section, resources, community and news.
www.aqa.co.uk www.edexcel.co.uk www.ocr.co.uk www.cityandguilds.com
A selection of exam boards and awarding bodies. Find information on qualifications, specifications, past-papers, exemplar answers, training materials and CPD opportunities.
www.bbc.co.uk The BBC takes its role in education seriously. Their web-site is full of articles, resources and active approaches.
http://www.fejobs.com Find employment opportunities and careers advice here.
www.discoveryeducation.com Find here a useful puzzle maker, ideal for quick starters and easy add-ons.
www.apple.com/itunes Some great free content including lectures from world leading institutions- use extracts in your teaching, set as guided learning for your students or improve your own subject knowledge.
www.ted.com Its tagline is ‘ideas worth spreading’. Access plenty of interesting talks and interviews. Great opportunities to encourage debate.
www.howstuffworks.com Aims to explain everything. Lots of simple articles and videos. Direct your students here or ask them to create their own.
www.youtube.com You can’t beat YouTube for short video clips about anything and everything.
nationalgeographic.com Space, the environment, cultures, animals and more all accompanied by startling and thought-provoking photography.
issuu.com An online magazine hub. Varied and often niche. www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI The Encyclopaedia Smithsonian. As interesting in its
presentation as it is in content. www.teachit.co.uk A popular resource sharing web-site. The original site focused
on Secondary English teaching. Since then it has branched out and it now caters for a range of other subjects including science, maths, geography and ESOL.
www.gethighnow.com Some brilliant optical and audio illusions. Great warm up, re-focus or leave on a high material. For psychology and science teachers it also comes with high quality explanations.
www.mentalfloss.com Lists and trivia. This is quiz heaven. http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/series/fe-teaching-for-the-future
Watching others teach is always a good way to learn- find some useful examples here.
www.ofsted.gov.uk The schools and colleges inspection body home. Find inspection frameworks here. If you want to know more about a
59
school or college before applying check out their Ofsted report. For schools you should also look at their data dashboard.
www.fora.tv All sorts of videos from conferences, events and more. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
Government education policy in one place. Safe-guarding and SEND legislation and guidance can be found here.
www.ucu.org.uk www.nasuwt.org.uk www.teachers.org.uk (NUT) www.unison.org.uk www.atl.org.uk
Trade unions and professional associations for lecturers, teachers, trainers and public services workers. Find information on: pay and conditions; health and safety; support and professional publications.
http://jobs.theguardian.com/interview-advice/
General interview advice aimed at a range of professionals (not education specific but very useful).
http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/
Support for your professional development in the FE and skills sector.
http://www.educationengland.org.uk/
Visit for the history of education in the UK.
http://goanimate.com/ For creating (or getting your students to create) animations. http://prezi.com/ A rival to PowerPoint – it benefits from greater versatility. https://www.polleverywhere.com/login
http://www.socrative.com/
https://www.wedgies.com/
Some sites that you can use for creating polls. A very useful and endlessly flexible in class strategy.
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/ Free learning from the OU. Loads of great content in a range of subject areas.
http://coggle.it/ http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page https://www.text2mindmap.com/
Useful online mind mapping tools and guidance. Lots of applications and uses across subject areas.
http://www.wordle.net/ Create word clouds from texts or concepts. Great for representing things in a slightly different way.
60
Teaching Practice: Survival
Guide
Your teaching practice can be a bit of
a rollercoaster; you’ll experience some
great moments but are likely to make
plenty of mistakes as well. As you
settle into your placement(s) you’ll gain
confidence in many areas but you are
also likely to start to feel the demands
of the workload as you try to juggle to
your teaching commitments, your
assignments and your formal
observations.
Here are some simple tips to help you
make the most of your teaching
practice.
1. Be prepared. The more organised
you are the better; you’ll find that
you have much more confidence
and students will respond more
positively.
2. Set your expectations with your
students as soon as you meet
them and make sure you stick to
them. Aim to be consistent, firm
and fair.
3. Don’t make promises you can’t keep,
to students or colleagues.
4. Make sure you plan ahead. Last
minute and over-night planning can
become exhausting and you are
reliant on nothing else cropping up.
Talking through your plans with
peers and colleagues will
invariably help you to improve and
troubleshoot them.
5. Work out who’s who in your
placement setting and who to go to
for help with SEND, behaviour,
absence reporting and
reprographics. Make sure you
know how to get in touch with them
and how find them.
6. Know your students. First their
names (and use them) and then
aim to get to know a little bit about
their backgrounds and contexts.
Do your research. Make sure that
you are aware of any specific
needs, disabilities or ESOL.
7. Ask for help. There are plenty of
people willing to support you (your
tutors, your mentor and
colleagues) don’t wait until it’s too
late. Don’t be afraid to admit that
you’re struggling or stressed;
everyone has been there.
8. Be reasonable when you ask for
help. Save questions for an
appropriate time, your mentor
meetings or your tutorials. Write
down answers so that you don’t
need to ask again. Make sure that
the information is not readily
available elsewhere.
9. Establish good working relationships.
You can make friends with your
colleagues but be professional and
accept that they have to be honest
to help you get better.
10. Reward yourself. Set yourself
manageable and realistic targets
61
and give yourself some quick
incentives.
11. Look after yourself. Keep a ready
supply of food, snacks and coffee
to hand. Teaching is more
physically draining than you might
think. Be prepared to be tired and
set yourself limits. You need to
have a work cut-off time for
evenings and you need to try to get
a full day off at the weekend.
12. Don’t be a perfectionist. Accept that
things won’t always be impeccable.
Some of the things you had
envisaged just won’t get done or
just won’t work.
13. Listen to feedback and advice. Learn
from others. As a teacher there is
always something you can learn,
try or to do differently next time.
The most successful teachers are
adaptable, honest and realistic
about their performance.
14. Don’t dwell on it. If you make a
mistake, or something goes wrong,
admit it, learn from it and move on.
15. Beg, borrow and steal. Become
used to spotting good ideas that
you can adapt and stockpiling
resources that with a little bit of
thought and reinvention can be a
great skeleton for your lessons.
Look at the way things are done in
other subjects and adapt them to
your own area.
16. Make friends with other trainees and
new teachers. They’ll understand
and it’s a good way to share ideas
and strategies.
17. The more you put in the more you’ll
get out. Get involved in as many
different aspects your placement
as you can. Attend open evenings,
staff meetings, CPD events,
parents’ evenings or marketing
events. Go on trips, help with
displays or offer to mentor
students. All these things will give
you a much wider experience.
18. It’s never too early to start thinking
about your CV. Identify the skills
and experience that you have, take
opportunities to develop and start
looking for employment (practice
placements frequently employ their
trainees when opportunities come
up).
19. Enjoy yourself. You may be
on a steep learning curve but take
time to make the most of the
experience.
62
Point
Link your point to the key words in the question.
Make sure your point is relevant to the question.
For example…
This is shown when…
For instance…
This is made clear when…
This becomes evident when…
Evidence
Keep it short.
Integrate your evidence into your writing fluently.
Use quotations or detailed references to the text.
Put your evidence in context.
Analysis
Explore the effect of individual words and phrases.
Link your ideas to other parts of the text.
Identify and comment on hidden meanings, messages and themes.
Comment on structure and how it enhances meaning.
Comment on sentence length, sentence structure, and its effect.
Explore the language choices made by the author and explain the effect/
impact on the reader/ audience.
English
Learning Mat: POINT + EVIDENCE + ANALYSIS (PEA)
This implies…
This creates…
…seems to be suggesting…
The use of the word “…” suggests…
…encourages the reader to feel…
The author has…
This makes the reader feel…
The effect of this is…
This emphasises…
63
Use a wide variety of connectives
to help link your ideas, sentences
and paragraphs. You may already
use adding, cause and effect,
temporal, place or sequencing
connectives when you write.
Writer’s
Wordbank
Learning Mat
Use a wider variety of connectives to help
link your ideas, sentences and paragraphs
to give extra and different information. You
will present ideas more clearly if you can
use emphasising, comparing, illustrating,
contrasting and qualifying connectives. To
expand further use connectives that express
opinions, recognise others’ opinions, show
interpretations or explore meanings.
Temporal Adding Place Earlier Since Before Whenever Until Later
Now During Meanwhile Already By the… In…hours…
And As well as Moreover
Too Also
On Beyond To Inside Near Towards within
From Among Into Throughout Below Outside Beneath
Cause and Effect Because So Thus
Therefore Consequently As a result
Sequencing Qualifying Illustrating Firstly Secondly Next Then The most important reason In addition To sum up
Finally After Before Subsequently In conclusion Then After Before
However Except As long as Although
If, yet Apart from Unless Despite
For example For instance Such as
As revealed by In the case of
Showing Interpretations Alternatively On the other hand This is
A different way of looking at it Looking at it this way
Emphasising Comparing Contrasting
64
Above all Especially Notably In particular Emphasising Moreover Clearly
Significantly Indeed Clearly Moreover Especially Notably
Equally In the same way as Similarly
Likewise Like with Just as
Whereas Instead of Unlike
Otherwise Alternatively On the other hand
Expressing Opinions Recognising Others’ Opinions Exploring Meanings Apparently Fortunately Naturally Oddly Possibly Superficially Surprisingly Unfortunately Of course Incidentally
Certainly Evidently In my experience Logically Luckily Officially In my view Rationally Understandably
Some people think that It is often said that Most people would agree It Is hard to ignore
People may disagree Many people seem to think It could be argued that
This could mean It may be This suggests Perhaps On the face of it
Possibly It seems to me that Perhaps Possibly If
Use this space to plan and organise your ideas
65
Help your learners with their English: Some commonly misspelt words
absence accept acceptable accessible accidentally
accommodate achieved acquainted acquiescence acquire
acquit acknowledge aerial aggravate agreeable
a lot amateur ambiguous amendment analysis
ancillary apparent appearance approximate argument
arrangement ascent beginning benefited believe
briefly business calculator calendar category
ceiling changeable chaotic choice colleagues
collectible college commission commitment committed
committee companion compensate competitively completely
concede conceding connoisseur conscience conscientious
conscious consistent convenience correspondence courteous
courtesy criticism crucial debriefing deceive
decipher deficient definite definitely description
desirable deterrent develop disappear disappointed
discipline discrepancy dissatisfied dissertation eccentric
economic embarrass emphasize equipped equipment
especially essential exaggerate excellent exempt
exercise existence expenses extremely exceed
existence experience feasible foreign forfeit
forty fourth fulfilled fulfilment gauge
generally government grammar grievance grateful
guarantee guardian harass height hierarchy
ignorance immediate immediately immensity independent
indispensable intelligence irrational irrelevant irreparable
66
judgement knowledgeable leisure liaise library
lightning maintenance manoeuvre memento millennium
miniature minuscule mischievous misspell nationally
necessary negotiate noticeable occasion occasionally
occupant occur / occurred occurrence official omission
omitted parallel particularly parliament permanent
perseverance possession precede preferable preference
preliminary privilege procedure proceed professor
proprietary psychology questionnaire questioning reasonable
receive recommend referred reference regrettable
relevant religious repetition ridiculous rhythm
schedule science scissors sensible separate
separately seize similar sincerely sovereign
success supersede surprising tomorrow transferred
twelfth twentieth undoubtedly unnecessary until
vacuum vicious visible weird withhold
Homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings)
its I can see its advantage it’s Short form e.g. it is / is has
principal The head of the college principle Fundamental truth or law
whether I don’t know whether.. weather Rain, snow, wind etc.
your This is your book you’re Short form: you are
practice Good practice (noun) practise I need to practise (verb)
their These are their books there There are too many cooks /
here and there
they’re Short form: they are to / too/ two To be or not to be, I would like
to go there too, two books (2)
67
Appendix A: New College Durham Marking Criteria
Level 4 Assessment criteria
90% - 100%
Exceptional work with presentation of a very high standard. There is coherence of ideas and demonstration of a thorough knowledge and understanding. Arguments are supported by wide reading with very effective use of source material and accurate referencing.
80% - 89%
Outstanding work with presentation of a very high standard. There is coherence of ideas and demonstration of a thorough knowledge and understanding. Arguments are supported by wide reading with effective use of source material and accurate referencing.
70% - 79%
Extremely good work with presentation of a high standard. There is coherence of ideas and demonstration of thorough knowledge and understanding. Arguments are supported by wide reading with appropriate use of source material and accurate referencing.
60% - 69%
The work is well presented and coherently structured. There is evidence of a sound knowledge and understanding of the issues with theory linked to practice where appropriate. Most material used has been referenced/ acknowledged.
50% - 59%
Presentation is acceptable but with some errors. There is knowledge and understanding of issues under discussion and some evidence of the application of knowledge and ideas where appropriate. Some use of relevant source material.
40% - 49%
Presentation is acceptable but attention to structure and style is required. The content is relevant but largely descriptive. There is evidence of a reasonable level of knowledge and understanding but there is limited use of source material to support the arguments, proposals or solutions. Some links are made to practice where appropriate.
30% - 39% Fail
The work is poorly structured and presented. Some material may be irrelevant. Content is based largely on taught elements with very little evidence of reading around the topic and little or no reference to practice where appropriate.
20% - 29% Fail
The work is very poorly structured and presented. Much material is irrelevant. Content is based almost entirely on taught elements with very little evidence of any purposeful reading around the topic. No effective reference to practice where appropriate. To obtain a mark of 20% the work must show evidence of a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and with the subject matter.
0% - 19% Fail
The work is extremely poorly structured and presented. It demonstrates no real knowledge or understanding of key concepts and principles. Much material is irrelevant. No effective use of supporting material. No reference to practice where appropriate. Not a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and/or subject matter.
68
Level 5 Assessment criteria
90% - 100%
Exceptional work with presentation of the highest standard. The work contains coherent arguments and ideas. There is a detailed understanding of subject matter and critical analysis of issues/problems. Points are made clearly and concisely, always substantiated by appropriate use of source material. There is evidence of a sound ability to critically interrelate theories with examples from practice where appropriate.
80% - 89%
Outstanding work with presentation of a very high standard. There is comprehensive understanding of key concepts and knowledge and evidence of critical analysis and insight. Accurate interpretation of data with arguments, ideas and solutions presented effectively and based on strong research and reading.
70% - 79%
Extremely good work with presentation of a high standard. Evidence of strong knowledge and understanding together with some critical analysis and insight. Source material is used effectively to support arguments, ideas and solutions.
60% - 69%
Very good presentation. Sound knowledge and understanding with an emerging ability to critically engage with and apply the concepts involved linking them to practice where appropriate. Good use of source material which supports most points clearly. Content is wholly relevant and is coherently structured.
50% - 59%
Presentation is of a good standard but some shortcomings. Evidence of a sound knowledge base but limited critical and practical application of concepts and ideas. Content is largely relevant although points may not always be clear and structure may lack coherence. Contains some critical reflection and some use of source material to illustrate points.
40% - 49%
Adequate presentation. The work is descriptive and/or lacks critical analysis where required but is relevant with limited though sufficient evidence of knowledge and understanding. There is some evidence of reading although arguments/ proposals/solutions often lack coherence and may be unsubstantiated by relevant source material or partially flawed. Links to practice are made where appropriate.
30% - 39% Fail
Poorly structured, incoherent and wholly descriptive work. Evidence of a weak knowledge base with some key aspects not addressed and use of irrelevant material. Flawed use of techniques. Limited evidence of appropriate reading and no evidence of critical thought. Little reference to practice where appropriate.
20% - 29% Fail
Very poorly structured, incoherent and wholly descriptive work. Evidence of a very weak knowledge base with many key omissions and much material irrelevant. Use of inappropriate or incorrect techniques. Very little evidence of appropriate reading and no evidence of critical thought. No links to practice where appropriate. To obtain a mark of 20% the work must show evidence of a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and with the subject matter.
0% - 19% Fail
The work is extremely poorly structured and presented. It demonstrates no real knowledge or understanding of key concepts and principles. Much material is irrelevant, incorrect or omitted. No evidence of critical thought. No effective use of supporting material. No links to practice where appropriate. Not a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and/or subject matter.
69
Level 6 Assessment Criteria
90% - 100%
Exceptional work. Presentation is logical, error-free and, where appropriate, creative. There is an in-depth understanding of issues/problems and excellent critical/deep engagement with the material and concepts involved. Very skillful interpretation of data. Arguments, ideas and, where appropriate, solutions are presented coherently and fully underpinned by thorough research and reading.
80% - 89%
Outstanding work with presentation of a very high standard. There is comprehensive understanding of key concepts and knowledge and clear evidence of critical analysis and insight. Accurate interpretation of data with arguments, ideas and solutions presented effectively and based on strong research and reading.
70% - 79%
Extremely good work with presentation of a high standard. Demonstrates an excellent knowledge base with a clear understanding of the issues and application to practice where appropriate. There is some effective critical and analytical application of relevant research and reading.
60% - 69%
The work is very good, logically structured and presented to a high standard. Demonstrates a strong knowledge base with a clear understanding of the issues and application to practice where appropriate. There is some critical and analytical application of relevant research.
50% - 59%
The work is clearly presented and logically structured. It shows evidence of a sound understanding of the topic and addresses major issues. The work contains some discussion and interpretation of relevant perspectives although further development of the arguments presented would be beneficial. There are examples of critical reflection and evidence of application of theory to practice.
40% - 49%
Adequate presentation. The work displays basic knowledge and understanding of the topic but is largely descriptive. There is an attempt to bring together different ideas and concepts although this would have been strengthened by the inclusion of further key issues. The structure of the work requires attention to its coherence and logical development of content. The link between theory and practice, where appropriate, is somewhat tenuous and its development would enhance the work considerably.
30% - 39% Fail
The work is poorly presented and contains numerous errors, inconsistencies and omissions with limited use of source material. The work displays a weak knowledge base and a lack of sufficient understanding of the topic. There is limited evidence of the application of theory to practice where appropriate. It contains many unsupported statements with limited attempts to bring issues together and lacks critical analysis and reflection.
20% - 29% Fail
The work is very poorly presented and contains numerous serious errors, inconsistencies and omissions with little use of source material. The work displays a very weak knowledge base and a lack of sufficient understanding of the topic. There is very little evidence of the application of theory to practice where appropriate. It contains many unsupported statements with very little attempt to bring issues together and there is a complete lack of critical analysis and reflection. To obtain a mark of 20% the work must show evidence of a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and with the subject matter.
0% - 19% Fail
The work is extremely poorly structured and presented. It demonstrates no real knowledge or understanding of key concepts and principles. Much material is irrelevant, incorrect, inconsistent or omitted. No evidence of critical analysis and reflection. No effective use of supporting material. No application of theory to practice where appropriate. Not a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and/or subject matter.
70