History PGCE Subject Development Panel

Jan 2015

Feedback from Chief External Examiner 2013/14

KEY STRENGTHS:1. Highly efficient and effective communication across partners.

Schools follow all laid-down procedures with exemplary consistency.

2. Commitment, passion and loyalty of all partners. 3. In some subjects, very strong connection with up-to-date academic

discourse about subject education, including the use of research publications authored by classroom subject teachers, enabling trainees to be in touch with problem-solving by other subject teachers in other parts of the nation's community of teachers.

4. Extremely thorough training in behaviour management, valued highly by trainees.

Feedback from History External Examiner 2013/14

KEY STRENGTHS:1. Attainment – the quality of trainees’ thinking has

increased in recent years, very secure understanding of historical concepts, thoughtful blending of theory and practice.

2. Assignments – reflect this high quality thinking and the EPS research assignment cleverly combines the generic demands of the module with a subject specific focus.

3. School based staff – History PSTs were singled out as being particularly impressive.

ADVICE TO MOVE FORWARD:Ensure that trainees' lesson evaluations always avoid the kind of language that suggests a mere effort to show compliance with Standards and instead focus on analysing WHAT pupils learned, how the trainees KNOW that pupils have learned these things

What forms of evidence and analysis could trainees use to demonstrate this?

ADVICE TO MOVE FORWARD:1. Develop the knowledge of subject pedagogy, subject

thinking and curricular thinking of the PSTs, so that PSTs know exactly what happens in university subject sessions and are able to continue it and extend it in school. Focusing on the Standards can detract from this.

2. Model ways of driving trainee's subject-specific pedagogic thinking (e.g. on assessment or planning) for them more directly.

How do PSTs currently model pedagogic thinking and what ideas can the panel share to improve this? What can University tutors do to help?

http://www.teachers-media.com/videos/gifted-and-talented-history-causal-reasoning-ww1#video_title_bar

http://www.teachers-media.com/videos/lesson-1-esther-arnott-uncut#video_title_bar

Changes to documentation

1. TRAINEE SUPPORT PLAN2. FRAP - what counts as evidence?3. COMBINED CHECKLISTS (QAR)

Changes to documentation

TRAINEE SUPPORT PLAN• The Trainee Support Plan is for trainees who need

a little extra support to make expected progress• The intention is to be supportive and to help the

trainee to get back on track.• If there are a significant number of targets, or if it

is anticipated that it will take more than two weeks to meet them, then a Cause for Concern letter should be used instead of the TSP.

Programme Priorities for 2014-2015

• ‘Unseen Children’/Closing the gap - impact on trainees’ classroom practice

• Offering and supporting trainees in contrasting placements• Preparing trainees to teach BME/EAL pupils• Preparing trainees to record, report and use data on pupils’

progress, and to communicate with parents• Preparing trainees to access, critically analyse and use

educational research in their practice• BME/Male/Over-25 trainee achievement and completion• Preparation for employment and support during Induction

– working with NQTs

History Priorities for 2014-2015

• Continue to strengthen EAL provision and how well prepared trainees are to work with support staff.

• Renewed focus on assessment practices post-levels.• Seek opportunities to increase trainees’ experience

of working in schools in challenging socio-economic circumstances.

• Seek ways to secure greater PST involvement in design and development of the course.

Working with NQTs

We need to find ways of engaging with schools in supporting our NQTs. Key questions are:• How well do you feel our NQTs are prepared?• Are there things they would like to see us do

to prepare trainees for employment?

Using Data

Our trainees would appreciate more support in how they can assess learning and use data in their teaching. • In your subject, how are you approaching data

post-levels? • How can PSTs support trainees with this

aspect of learning to teach? (sharing good examples)

Unseen Children/Closing the Gap/RI-CC Schools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74_zNi9bkPw

Raise trainee’s awareness of the Unseen Children report and provide opportunities for them to consider how this report might impact on their classroom practice and their ability to:• challenge and motivate pupils and learners in settings where attainment in

low • use effective strategies to support learning and progress of pupils and

learners from underperforming groups• use effective strategies to support the learning and progress of pupils

eligible for the pupil premium• develop strategies to promote and manage good behaviour and tackle

bullying

New Ofsted Framework for ITE

• Inspection involves two visits – summer term to observe trainees near end of training, and then autumn term to observe as NQTs

• Maintained focus on judging teaching by impact on learning

• Requirement for RI/Challenging Socioeconomic circumstances school experience

• Stronger focus on behaviour management, discipline, professional conduct.