Partnership
Introduction | Levels of Partnership | Mentor Training
Edge Hill University is the largest provider of secondary ITT and the second-largest provider of primary ITT in the country and takes trainees from all over the UK. Trainees follow a number of routes to QTS. These include full-time and part-time QTS courses for secondary, primary and early years, a KS2/3 course and full-time and flexible primary, secondary and PCET PGCE courses.
The University is also part of the North West and Lancashire Consortium for the Graduate and Registered Teaching Programme, as well as operating the TDA’s Student Associate Scheme, designed to promote teaching as a career for students on non- ITT courses. The faculty’s main base is in a new, state-of-the-art building on the main campus in Ormskirk, Lancashire, although it also maintains a number of satellite centres.
It follows that such a large number of trainees require a large number of placements in schools. For many years, this university has operated a partnership arrangement with a significant number of schools for ITT, to enhance the quality of provision for trainees, to keep abreast of the needs, wishes and requirements of the schools in which they are placed and to encourage the involvement of school-based colleagues in the construction and delivery of the courses. Partnership agreements with schools and colleges are personalised which aims to maximise the benefit of collaboration.
For example we can support:
- Professional Development for the whole workforce
- INSET
- Teacher secondments
- Use of facilities and resources
- Subject support
- Provide network support
- Mentor Training, Development and Enhancement
Initially, this partnership was forged with schools in close proximity to the university’s main campus. Increasingly, that sphere of influence has spread as schools have wished to become involved and as numbers have increased. Indeed, the high quality of the partnership arrangements was noted by Ofsted, who commented that, “The quality of the training is outstanding,” and referred to, “the well managed and highly effective links with partnership schools that is enhanced by high quality programme and partnership documentation.”
Acknowledging that every setting’s commitment is to its learners, we believe that our partnership arrangement is a positive collaboration, which reflects the best interests of all stakeholders and enhances provision in the classroom, whilst nurturing the professionals of the future.
Levels of Partnership
We operate two levels of Partnership; Full Partnership and Associate Partnership. We would strongly encourage Associate schools to look towards becoming Full Partner schools where staff are trained as school/college-based mentors. To this end, we are able to provide mentor training at no cost to the school and support schools during the transition of status.
Full Partnership
School-based Mentors work together with Edge Hill to share judgements about trainee progress towards the recommendation for the award of QTS by providing induction, advising, signing off directed tasks and planning, completing lesson/session observations, providing feedback to trainees on their progress and assessing and reporting on progress at the interim and summative points. Judgements made by school/ college colleagues are supported and moderated by tutors from Edge Hill University. Resources are transferred to schools to enable mentors to support trainees. We provide an inclusive package of mentor training to suit each teacher and school/ college’s needs.
Associate Partnership
Judgements on progress towards the recommendation for the award of QTS are made by a Tutor from Edge Hill University in the absence of a trained curriculum mentor.
Training Centres
We have a number of schools and colleges who have Edge Hill University Training Centre status. This is an enhanced full partnership collaboration which enables both parties to maximise the mutual benefits of working together. We have a 3 year strategy in place to increase the number of training centres in out partnership.
Contact
For more information please contact Louise May , Head of ITT Partnership.
Mentor Training
At Edge Hill University we endeavour to provide comprehensive training opportunities that fulfil each school/ college’s individual requirements for ITT Partnership.
In order to achieve this goal we will:
- Maintain an ongoing updated audit of each partner school/ college’s mentors to ensure that all have engaged in training.
- Consult schools/ colleges each academic term on immediate and future mentor training requirements.
- Ensure that we regularly communicate the mentor training programme via termly mailings and via the EH website.
Ensure that we provide accessible mentor training and react to need; we will:
- consult with and listen to partner school/college staff at each training event
- Provide daytime and twilight provision
- Provide training at Edge Hill University campus, Edge Hill University out -reach centres and partner venues
- Provide Initial, stage 1 on line mentor training and support
- Provide partner school/college on site mentor training and occasional 1:1 sessions
- Provide supportive documentation
We will reimburse attendees' time or provide supply cover
- Half Day – £90
- Full Day – £180
- Twilight – £60 per 2.5 hour session
We will use the following definitions to describe school/ college mentors
| Primary/Early Years Mentor | M |
| Primary/Early Years Senior Mentor ( this may be the Headteacher) | SM |
| Secondary/ College Curriculum Mentor | CM |
| Secondary/ College Professional Mentor | PM |
We will provide different types of training according to need and professional development. We define training under 3 categories.
| Training Stage | Target Audience | Objectivess |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 – Initial Mentor Training | All new mentors | All mentors must engage with this training to:
|
| Stage 2 - Mentor update and development | All mentors who have engaged with stage 1 and continue to support trainees | All mentors should engage with this training to:
|
| Stage 3 – Mentor Enhancement | All mentors who wish to engage with specific aspects of mentoring | All mentors can engage with this training that:
|