Mentor Handbook 2021-22 - Leeds Beckett University
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Mentor Handbook
2021-22
leedsbeckett.ac.uk
1
Contacts
University Contact Details
University Switch Board: 0113 812 0000
Academic Contacts
Dr. Steve Burton 101 Carnegie Hall
(Temporary Dean of School) S.J.Burton@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 23837
Dr Pinky Jain
(Head of Initial Teacher Education) Pinky.Jain@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Nick Mitchell 122 Carnegie Hall
(Partnership Manager) N.N.Mitchell@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
07585 795290
Sarah Hindmarsh S.L.Hindmarsh@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
(Course Leader BA (Hons) Primary Education leading to QTS 3 year route) 0113 812 7072
Peter Mellor 110 Carnegie Hall
(Secondary Lead School Direct) P.Mellor@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 812 4713
Louise Nelson 108 Carnegie Hall
(Primary Lead School Direct) L.Nelson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
(Course Leader PGCE Primary 5-11) 0113 812 3529
Paul Ogilvie 113 Carnegie Hall
(Course Leader PGCE with PE Primary 5-11) P.Ogilvie@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 22457
Suzanne Simpson 105 Carnegie Hall
(Course Leader PGCE Primary (Early Years 3-7) Suzanne.Simpson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 21775
Dr Carl Wilkinson 105 Carnegie Hall
(Secondary Course Leader) Carl.Wilkinson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 23798
Support Staff Contacts
Placement Office G01 Carnegie Hall carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
0113 81 21761
Course Administration G02/03 Carnegie Hall teachertraining@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
2
Training
We are very pleased to invite you to attend our free online Core Mentor training sessions.
If you would like more information or to book onto a session please contact the Placement Office.
By email: carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or telephone 0113 81 21761
You will be sent details about how to join the online meeting shortly before the training session.
Core Mentor Training:
Date Course Time Location
Tuesday 5th October 2021 Primary undergraduate 4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 6th October 2021 Primary postgraduate 4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 7th October 2021 Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 19th October 2021 Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 20th October 2021 Primary undergraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 21st October 2021 Primary postgraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 9th November 2021 Primary postgraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 10th November 2021 Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 11th November 2021 Primary undergraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 11th January 2022 Primary undergraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 12th January 2022 Primary postgraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 13th January 2022 Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 18th January 2022 Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 19th January 2022 Primary undergraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 20th January 2022 Primary postgraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 15th February Primary postgraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 16th February Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 17th February Primary undergraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 22nd March Primary undergraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 23rd March Primary postgraduate
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 24th March Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 26th April Secondary
4pm to 6pm Microsoft Teams
Thursday 28th April Primary postgraduate
3
In addition to this we offer a free Advanced Mentor Development Programme.
Although attendance is not compulsory we believe it will be of great benefit.
We will be running this as 2-hour twilight sessions throughout the year.
Advanced Mentor Training:
Term Session 1 Session 2 Time Location
Wednesday 15th December
Autumn Tuesday 16th November 2021 2022 4pm - 6pm TBC
Spring Wednesday 26th January 2022 Tuesday 1st March 2022 4pm - 6pm TBC
Summer Thursday 5th May 2022 Thursday 9th June 2022 4pm - 6pm TBC
4Our Vision for Partnership in Initial Teacher Training
The aim of the Leeds Beckett-Schools Teacher Education Partnership is to take shared
responsibility for progressing the learning and achievement of pupils of all abilities in schools
through the complementary resources and expertise of the partnership. In the Leeds Beckett
partnership, we expect all pupils taught by our trainees to make good or better progress.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Mentor
Schools working in the Leeds Beckett ITE partnership will have teachers who have been
trained as mentors in the Leeds Beckett partnership or the partnership of another ITT
provider. The mentor is a teacher with strong experience in the age phase of the trainee’s
course and, for secondary trainee teachers, the subject of the ITE training.
Mentors share responsibility with the university’s tutors for the trainee teacher’s overall
course and for ensuring the integration of the school-based and university-based elements
to create cohesive and integrated learning opportunities and experiences. The mentor
carries the main responsibility for the day-to-day learning and progress of the trainee
teacher when they are in school; the university tutors carry that responsibility when the
trainees are in the university.
The mentor is responsible for securing the specific arrangements and programme of learning
and assessment for their mentee in their school. They liaise with the ITT Co-ordinator and
other mentors and host teachers and with the University Link Tutor and the trainee in setting
up the programme and in assessing the trainee teacher’s progress and achievements. The
programme arranged by mentors will vary according to the specific school-experience
placement that the trainee teacher is undertaking and additional guidance on specific
expectations and arrangements are provided in the detailed Course Handbooks to which
mentors and trainees should refer.
The mentor is responsible for advising, guiding and supervising trainee teachers in school.
They are expected to observe the trainee teacher’s classroom practice, and support and
critique the trainee’s planning and assessment of pupils. Mentors are expected to meet
weekly with the trainee teacher to provide critical feed-forward and feed-back on their
professional development and their professional performance and to set precise and
achievable targets for the trainee teacher’s self- improvement and development. Progress
against targets should be discussed, monitored and reviewed in the weekly meeting between
the trainee and their mentor and recorded on Pebble Pad.
The mentor will liaise with the university Link Tutor allocated to each trainee and the Link
Tutor and Mentor will be responsible for agreeing together if the trainee is making expected
progress.
5Whilst the programme organised by mentors will vary according to the requirements of
different placements, aspects of the mentor role that are common to all placements include
the provision of:
• Induction into the school and its policies, codes of practice, and other arrangements
and expectations, including dress and self-presentation of teaching staff and trainee
teachers.
• Access to relevant internal documentation and clear guidance on protocols and
limitations as to their use.
• A programme of structured observation, teaching, assessment, marking, and
parental engagement relevant to the stage of training and the placement phase.
• Opportunities to observe a wide range of formats and styles of teaching and learning,
and different teachers especially those with high expertise in specific aspects of
teaching, learning and management.
• Opportunities to engage with staff meetings, in-service training, meetings for
parents including meetings regarding pupil progress; transitional arrangements
across relevant key stages (e.g. KS2 to KS3).
• Weekly observation, feedback and target setting by the mentor (and or host
teachers), of the trainee teacher’s work and progress in school, using Blue Sky.
• A scheduled one hour weekly meeting with the trainee to discuss and monitor
progress, agree and set improvement targets.
• Fair, consistent and accurate assessment of their trainee/s, and discussion and
reporting of assessment judgements to all partners, including the trainee.
• It is expected that schools and mentors provide trainees with
The expectation is that, throughout their placement, students will be provided with a
range of experiences that enable them to meet the expected progress statements by the
end of each phase of training and to have met all aspects of the Teachers’ Standards
(DfE, 2013) by the end of their programme of study. The ITT Core Content Framework
(DfE, 2019) provides guidance for mentors and their mentees about the types of
activities that should be undertaken as part of their teaching practicum. Please see the
Leeds Beckett ITE Assessment Guides for 2021-22 for further details.
Pebble Pad
Leeds Beckett uses Pebble Pad to track the progress of trainees throughout their placements. In
connection with this platform the mentor will need to:
• Work with the trainee to identify and set weekly targets focused on improving the
quality of the trainee’s teaching
• Formally evaluate and record trainee progress at mid and end of placement points.
• Support trainees to evaluate the quality and impact of their teaching.
6The Mentor Role in Assessment
Assessment of trainees is a key part of the Mentor role. The following is a summary of the
principles underpinning assessment in our partnership. More detail can be found in the
Leeds Beckett ITE Assessment Guides 2021-22.
Trainees’ teaching over time should be assessed holistically focusing on the impact they
have on the quality of teaching and learning. These judgements will be applied as
appropriate to the context and content of trainees’ teaching, over sequences of lessons
with regard to the context in which a trainee is practising and consistent with what could
reasonably be expected of a trainee teacher at their stage of training.
When making judgements, the full range of evidence should be utilised, including
planning, discussions with trainees and pupils, pupils’ responses in lessons and in their
workbooks, the quality and impact of trainees’ marking and feedback, trainees’
assessment and planning records and evidence of their own progress and learning over
time.
The quality of teaching must be judged in relation to the expected progress statements
provided and not on individual lessons.
Although our assessment model is formative it does not mean that it is lacking in
rigour; all professional judgements made are informed by evidence and are quality
assured for accuracy and fairness across our ITE partnership.
In the Leeds Beckett ITE Partnership, recording and evaluation of trainee progress takes
place through Pebble Pad, an online platform. Mentors will be given access to their trainee’s
Pebble Pad workbook via a link generated by their trainee.
The system allows trainees and those who work with them to record and measure progress
against the expected progress statements for each phase. Lesson observations and trainee
generated evidence can be uploaded to workbooks, enabling trainees to build a
comprehensive evidence portfolio as they complete their course. School-based mentors
and teachers, link tutors and Leeds Beckett staff will be able to interact with trainees and
each other through Pebble Pad throughout the trainee’s placement.
7The Leeds Beckett Approach to Assessment for QTS
We have changed how we assess student teachers at Leeds Beckett by moving to a formative model
of assessment. The change has been influenced by research on teacher education, by changes to
the frameworks that govern teacher training, and by our extensive and collective experience as an
ITE partnership of what works best in terms of supporting and assessing students.
What will this formative assessment look like?
Our new system aims to formally record the developing dialogue between students and their mentors,
with much of this being captured through lesson observations and the targets that are set weekly by
the mentor and mentee. In addition, we have created two review forms to be completed by the student
and mentor at the mid and end points of the placement. The mid-placement review form is to be
completed by the student in consultation with their mentor, with a space for the mentor to record the
agreed judgements. The end-placement of placement review is to be completed and submitted by the
mentor during the final week of the trainee’s placement. This end-placement review will also provide a
summary of the formative learning activity that has taken place across the placement.
Our new assessment approach is designed to be supportive and is intended to assist mentors to
identify where students are not making sufficient progress, enabling them to call on appropriate
support and guidance from the university. Trainees will be assessed against a series of expected
progress statements at the end of each phase of their school-based training.
For more information, please refer to Leeds Beckett ITE Assessment Guides 2021-22.
8Lesson Observation – A Coaching Approach
At Leeds Beckett University, we view lesson observation as a developmental process, with
feedback being used by our students to create self-reflective and self-directed learners.
Lesson observation in itself does not improve teaching and learning, it is the quality of the
feedback and how it is used that are the fundamental factors needed to enable progress.
As a university, we have moved away from awarding a grade at the end of every lesson
observation. Providing summative snapshot judgements has been shown to be an
inaccurate way of assessing the quality of teaching. Additionally, a grade by itself does
little to help a student identify what they need to do to improve their practice.
As educators we know that the knowledge, skills and behaviours associated with good
quality teaching take time to develop. It is also very difficult for an observer to accurately
pinpoint or know when great teaching is happening, however, from The Sutton Trust report
‘What Makes Great Teaching?’ (Coe, Aloisi, Higgins and Major, 2014) we can see that good
quality teaching is likely to demonstrate a combination of six components or attributes, with
the very best teachers delivering lessons that demonstrate all of these components:
1. (Pedagogical) content knowledge
2. Quality of instruction
3. Classroom climate
4. Classroom management
5. Teacher beliefs
6. Professional behaviours
(Source: https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/What-Makes-Great-
TeachingREPORT.pdf )
Many studies suggest that a collaborative and collegiate approach to lesson observation is
an effective way of enabling practitioners to take ownership of their own learning and
development. Therefore, we believe that it is beneficial for students and mentors to work
together using a growth motivated model in order to reflect, analyse and evaluate their
teaching experiences, in order to learn from them. This approach leads to sustainable
development and improvement and helps ‘great teaching’ to happen.
The mentor has a crucial role to play in lesson observation, as they will use their expertise
to provide the necessary challenge and support needed to ensure that this process is
efficacious. This approach also links explicitly to David Kolb’s theory of ‘experiential
learning’.
9Reflection and Learning
In 1984 David Kolb published his theory about
how people learn. This theory is centred on the
principle that we learn from discovery and
experience and is commonly referred to as
‘Experiential Learning’.
It centralises the need for an individual to first have
a concrete experience, followed by a period of
reflective observation, where they detach
themselves from the task in order to review their
experience and explore it through a process of
critical thinking and questioning.
Abstract conceptualisation is the next stage, where
the person spends time interpreting the experience
and
their reflections, using what they already know to try and make sense of what’s happened
and learn from it.
Planning how they will put their learning into practice is the final stage of the cycle. This is
period is termed active experimentation; it’s where a learner will hone and modify the actions
that need to be taken to execute a task, or problem-solve, more effectively.
Dialogue
There are many frameworks that could be used by a mentor and mentee to facilitate this
learning process. Some models are particularly useful as they help to scaffold and focus the
conversation following an observation e.g. the GROW model devised by Sir John Whitmore
(1992).
A simple solution-focused approach to reflection, goal setting and action planning is used
in Gerard Egan’s ‘Helping Model’, first published in The Skilled Helper in 1975. This
model could also be used to structure weekly mentor-student meetings, helping students
to set - and take ownership of - meaningful and achievable targets.
With the concrete experience being the teaching of a lesson, the mentor will facilitate the
students’ learning process, providing challenge and supporting them to:
• Explore and set appropriate goals/targets and
• Devise a suitable action plan to achieve these goals.
10Questions and Prompts
There are so many questions that could be asked, it would be impossible to list them all here,
however, some examples are given below:
“Start by talking me through your lesson…”
“Can you tell me more about …?” / “Tell me about your decision making in that moment …”
“What did you want the children to learn?”
“How do you know?” / “How did it feel to …?” / “Did it go the way you planned it?”
“What are some of the things you noticed that told you the lesson was going well?”
“What would you change?” / “What might happen if…?”
“So based on your evaluation of the lesson, what will you do to move forward?”
“What do you want to achieve?”
“What are the possibilities?” / “How do you think the children would respond if …?”
“What can you do to achieve this?” / “What might stop you?” / “How will you address this?”
“When will you do it?” / “What will your plan look like?” / “What will success look like?”
11Suggested Approaches
Try to
• Closed questions tend to typically elicit “yes” or “no” responses and close conversations
down. If you’re using these then try to follow with something like “Tell me more”. Use open
questions with an open mind, don’t expect a specific response that reflects your view/opinion.
“Why?” questions can sound confrontational and may lead to a defensive response e.g.
“What made you …?” rather than “Why did you …?” Try to use “what” or “how” rather than
“why”.
• Try to avoid the temptation to fill ‘empty’ spaces or gaps. If you’ve asked a question it will
take time for your mentee to think and reflect, so it’s important that you give them the space
to do this. Conversely, if you feel that they need an additional prompt then do so, as
prolonged silences serve little purpose and can be intimidating. Paraphrasing and
summarising what your mentee has shared so far may be an effective strategy to use here.
• Asking lots of questions or questions with many parts can lead to confusion. Try to ask one
question at a time.
Metacognition
• Socratic questioning is an extremely useful way of uncovering assumptions, analysing
ideas/concepts and challenging your mentee to explore their thinking.
• Your mentee may also have questions that can be drawn upon and used as part of the
inquiry process in order to help them to gain an awareness and develop a deeper
understanding of their own thought processes and learning.
Scoring
• You may find that some issues or problems may need further unpacking. A scoring
approach may help your mentee to better visualise what they need to do to come up with
a solution e.g.
“If you were to rate the behaviour of students in the lesson and 0 was the worst
score and 10 was best, where would you score it? “
➔ “What has led you to give it a ...?”
➔ “Would pupils give it a …?” “Tell me more”
➔ “What would a 10 look like?”
Space
• Don’t forget about the physical environment. It’s important that your mentee is
comfortable and that they feel they’re able to openly share their reflections and thinking
with you.
12Feed-forward
The outcomes and learning from the can be used by the student to construct and set
meaningful and manageable targets during the weekly meeting with their mentor.
Targets will be recorded by the student on Pebble Pad and progress towards meeting
these targets can be discussed and monitored during the weekly mentor-student
meeting.
The mentor and/or observer can complete a lesson observation form - available on
Pebble Pad - prior to this dialogue.
Extra
Peer or Co-coaching can be used by students to further support their learning and development.
The use of video technology could be a way for students to review and explore their
practice. Although please do be aware of the ethical, practical and legal implications of
using this approach.
The National Framework for Mentoring and Coaching, published by CUREE in 2005, provides
some useful definitions and comparisons:
13Working with the University Link Tutor
All trainees will have a link tutor assigned to them and typically schools will have one link
tutor for all their trainees. We will also try where practical to keep the link tutor assignments
as stable as possible, allowing schools to build up a relationship with their link tutor over a
number of years. Leeds Beckett link tutors are chosen for their experience and expertise in
ITE and receive regular training throughout their time working with the University. Link tutors
are there to provide support, assistance and training for mentors: part of their role is to
ensure that mentors understand the latest University processes and procedures. Link tutors
are act as a means of gathering feedback about our partnership as well as quality assuring
each placement.
Responding to Covid-19
The work Link Tutors will undertake during 2021-22 may be different to previous
years. Although we are planning for school visits as normal, we do not know for
certain that this will be the case. For example, it could be that Link Tutors will
continue to meet school-based mentors and trainees remotely if national and/or
local restrictions are in place at any time during 2021-22.
A summary of the Link Tutor role and responsibilities is outlined below (please see the
Leeds Beckett Link Tutor Handbook 2021-22 for further details):
A Link Tutor will be assigned to each trainee for the duration of their placement.
The Link Tutor will:
• provide support for the trainee and mentor during the placement.
• arrange virtual mid and end of placement review meetings.
• quality assure any judgements made by the mentor at formal assessment
points, offering guidance and support where necessary.
If a period of national and/or local lockdown is called, then during each placement, the
Link Tutor will ‘check-in’ with the trainee on a fortnightly basis to support their wellbeing
during this challenging time. Contact with trainee and mentor will be via email and/or
telephone calls and meetings at mid and end of placement points will be held via MS
Teams.
At the end of Phase 1, 2 and 3 placements, the Link Tutor will contact the mentor and
discuss and agree a time and date for the end of placement review. This review will be
accessed through Pebble Pad and when complete will include a section to be completed
by the Link Tutor to confirm formative judgements made and provide a comment on the
nature of the targets to be carried forward to the next placement.
14Quality Assurance
The Link Tutor plays a crucial role in our quality assurance processes at Leeds Beckett,
helping us to:
• Verify that judgements are accurate and fair across the ITE partnership.
• Ensure that partnership procedures are being followed, providing us with an
opportunity to evaluate their effectiveness.
• Continually improve our provision, ensuring that it is of the highest possible quality for
all of our trainees, mentors and partners.
The Link Tutor will also provide support and guidance for mentors and ITE Coordinators in
regard to meeting and demonstrating they are meeting the National ITT Mentor standards
(DfE, 2016). Please see National Standards for school-based initial teacher training (ITT)
mentors
Intervention
Occasionally a trainee’s teaching performance may not match the appropriate standards. If
this situation is left unchecked, it can have negative consequences for the trainee and the
placement provider. Should a mentor be concerned about the standard of a trainee’s
performance (including professionalism), they should make this very clear to the trainee and
inform the link tutor as a matter of priority at the earliest opportunity.
Intervention 1
The school-based mentor, in discussion with the ITE co-ordinator or a senior manager in the
placement setting, may feel that further support is required in the form of a focused intervention
to enable a trainee to make the progress expected for their phase of training. In such cases, the
university Link Tutor should be contacted as early as possible. Under their guidance and
with consultation, an ‘Intervention Target’ will need to be set. This will then need to be
recorded on the trainee’s Intervention Plan, a copy of which can be found under the
‘Guidance and Information’ section on Pebble Pad.
Intervention 1 is normally considered in the early to middle stages of a trainee’s placement
although one may be put in place at any stage of a placement. For a short placement, the
time allowed for this intervention should be two to three days at most. This is the first step
to support improved teaching that has to be formally recognised in order to proceed with the
ITE placement.
After the time set for demonstrating improvement, a judgement will be made and progress
recorded on the trainee’s weekly meeting record in Pebble Pad. If sufficient progress has
been made, then the trainee will follow the scheduled placement. If the outcome of the
judgement is that insufficient progress has been made, then an Intervention 2 will be put in
place for the trainee.
15Intervention 2
If it is judged that further action is required following an Intervention 1, the mentor should
with consult with the University link tutor to set up an Intervention 2. This second intervention
is appropriate where it is felt that a trainee is at risk of failing a placement. In exceptional
circumstances where mentors judge that the learning and progress or safety of children is at
risk, trainees may be placed on an Intervention 2 without passing through a previous
Intervention 1.
Likewise, a trainee could repeat the Intervention 1 stage if a mentor were to judge that
their performance was below expected but not such as to risk a failed placement.
The procedure is as follows:
• The mentors should contact the link tutor and inform them that they feel an
Intervention 2 is required
• The mentor should also inform the Carnegie Placement Office, who will then
inform the Partnership Managers
• The link tutor and/or Partnership Manager will support the mentor in drawing up an
Intervention 2 Target, including time scale and evidence required, to help the
trainee address the specific areas for development
• The trainee should be made aware that there is a real possibility of them failing
the placement at this stage
For 2021-22, the Partnership Managers will arrange to carry out an observation of the
trainee at earliest possible opportunity with a view to coming to a common judgement on
the trainee’s progress and performance. Ideally, this observation will be a joint observation
with the trainee’s mentor.
If at this stage, the trainee is judged not to have made adequate progress a final
decision on terminating the placement will be made following an observation and formal
meeting with a university academic member of staff
Should insufficient progress have been demonstrated by the trainee as judged by the
academic staff member and the Mentor, the trainee will be deemed to have not met the
expectations and requirements of placement and will be no longer supported in the
placement setting. The trainee therefore must contact their Course Academic to discuss their
future direction.
16Footnote
In the unlikely event that Trainee demonstrates consistently high levels of unprofessional
conduct and / or lack of commitment and enthusiasm during the placement, the Placement
Provider is within their rights to withdraw the offer of placement with immediate effect.
The grounds for asking a trainee to leave the placement setting would be
either for unprofessional conduct or having a negative impact on pupils’
learning.
If a trainee is asked to leave a placement setting it is deemed as a failed placement
and the trainee must contact their Course Academic to discuss their future direction.
17Intervention Flow Chart
N.B. For 2021-22 under ‘Intervention 2’ this should read ‘Partnership Manager visit arranged’.
18The Mentor Standards and Mentor Development
As we recognise the pivotal role a mentor plays in both trainee progress and development,
a comprehensive development programme is provided for all mentors of Leeds Beckett
trainees. This programme is directly linked to the National Standards for ITE Mentors (DfE,
2016) and has been designed to help mentors to further develop their own practice, in order
provide the best possible support for our trainees.
All mentors will need to undertake core mentor development and attend a face-to-face
session at the university. This core development session will cover roles and
responsibilities, assessment, observation, monitoring, and the knowledge, skills and
behaviours that mentors require to perform their role effectively.
In addition, we offer the opportunity for mentors to undertake the CollectivED Advanced
Mentor Development Programme for School-based Teacher Educators. This self-directed
programme is suitable for all mentors and is not dependent on level of experience; it has
been designed to help mentors grow and apply their skills in a school-based context.
Participants who have successfully completed the programme will be awarded a certificate
by the university and will be encouraged to share their learning and their journey with other
mentors across the partnership.
Reflective practice is strongly recommended and mentors are encouraged to undertake
regular self-reviews, the findings of which can be used to identify the next steps they will
need to take to improve their practice. Link Tutors are also available to provide support and
advice for school- based mentors, alongside their role of quality assuring the mentoring
provision in a school or across a partnership.
In terms of further development, the university has established a teacher development hub
- ‘CollectivED’ - that provides a plethora of useful resources for school-based mentors to
access. This resource is geared towards supporting mentors to share ideas and enrich
their pedagogy and practice.
19National Standards for school-based initial teacher training
(ITT) mentors
A mentor is a suitably experienced teacher who has formal responsibility to work collaboratively
within the ITT partnership to help ensure the trainee receives the highest quality training.
Mentors have a crucial role to play in supporting teacher trainees during their ITT through to
successful teacher accreditation and beyond the early stages of their careers.
An effective mentor sets high expectations for pupil achievement, models high-quality teaching,
and acts as an ambassador for the profession.
Headteachers and providers have a key role to play in the selection, monitoring and ongoing
support and training for mentors.
The Standards below set out the minimum expectations for those working as school-based ITT
mentor.
Standard 1 - Personal qualities
Establish trusting relationships, modelling high standards of practice, and understand
how to support a trainee through initial teacher training
The mentor should:
• Be approachable, make time for the trainee, and prioritise meetings and discussions with
them;
• Use a range of effective interpersonal skills to respond to the needs of the trainee;
• Offer support with integrity, honesty and respect;
• Use appropriate challenge to encourage the trainee to reflect on their practice; and
• Support the improvement of a trainee’s teaching by modelling exemplary practice in planning,
teaching and assessment.
Standard 2 – Teaching
Support trainees to develop their teaching practice in order to set high expectations of all
pupils and to meet their needs
The mentor should:
• Support the trainee in forming good relationships with pupils, and in developing effective
behaviour and classroom management strategies;
• Support the trainee in developing effective approaches to planning, teaching and
assessment;
• Support the trainee with marking and assessment of pupil work through moderation or
double marking;
• Give constructive, clear and timely feedback on lesson observations;
• Broker opportunities to observe best practice;
• Support the trainee in accessing expert subject and pedagogical knowledge;
• Resolve in-school issues on the trainee’s behalf where they lack the confidence or
experience to do so themselves;
• Enable and encourage the trainee to evaluate and improve their teaching; and
• Enable the trainee to access, utilise and interpret robust educational research to inform
their teaching.
20Standard 3 – Professionalism Set high expectations and induct the trainee to understand
their role and responsibilities as a teacher
The mentor should:
• Encourage the trainee to participate in the life of the school and understand its role within
the wider community;
• Support the trainee in developing the highest standards of professional and personal
conduct;
• Support the trainee in promoting equality and diversity;
• Ensure the trainee understands and complies with relevant legislation, including that
related to the safeguarding of children; and
• Support the trainee to develop skills to manage time effectively.
Standard 4 – Self-development and working in partnership
Continue to develop their own professional knowledge, skills and understanding and
invest time in developing a good working relationship within relevant ITT partnerships.
The mentor should:
• Ensure consistency by working with other mentors and partners to moderate judgements;
and
• Continue to develop their own mentoring practice and subject and pedagogical expertise
by accessing appropriate professional development and engaging with robust research.
Department for Education, © Crown copyright 2016
21School Placement Guidance on Covid-19
School placements are a critical part of any QTS teacher training course. For prospective
teachers, school placements are periods of profound self-development where trainees learn how
to work closely with children and other adults over a sustained period of time and demonstrate to
themselves and others their ability to meet the teacher standards for QTS. In the process, our
trainees make a substantial contribution to schools and their pupils. We expect that the present
academic year will be no different however schools’ routines are affected by Covid-19 but it is
important that we do what we can to ensure the safety of our trainees, as well as those working in
or attending schools.
We expect trainees to attend school during their placements: our partner schools have agreed
to take students and should have carried out the necessary risk assessments to ensure they are
providing a safe experience. Attendance on placement is important and trainees missing school for
whatever reason should inform the Placement Office as soon as possible.
We will also be asking our placement schools to monitor trainees’ attendance.
Should trainees not be able to attend placement at any stage either because a school is
unable to host them, or because they have to self-isolate, they will not be disadvantaged in
respect of their course assessment. Arrangements will be made for those trainees to continue
their studies through a virtual module and tutorial support will be provided.
Trainees should familiarise themselves with any health and safety arrangements in place
including those in respect of Covid-19 before attending placement. Schools will have social
distancing and hygiene measures in place which trainees will be required to respect throughout
their placement. Trainees using public transport should also ensure they comply with
any requirements. Trainees making arrangements for their placement directly with the school
should confirm with their prospective host school any Covid-19 specific arrangements with which
they have to comply.
If a trainee is unclear about any aspects of the arrangements for their placement or has
concerns about their health and safety in a particular placement school, they should
contact the Placement Office (carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk).
More University guidance about Covid-19 can be found at www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/covid-19/.
Government guidance on keeping safe in schools can be
found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/guidance-for-schools-coronavirus-covid-19
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