www.le.ac.uk

University of LeicesterStudents in Classrooms

Jean Baxter and Lucy Croucher

Training session 1

2

Training Outline

• Schemes

• Benefits

• Working with schools and colleges

• Professionalism

• Raising aspirations to further study

• Evidencing your experience

Schemes

• Students in Classrooms

– Modules placements (including Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme UAS)

– Tomorrow’s Teachers

• Volunteering/CONTACT

Benefits

• Schools

• Students

• Pupils

• University

Number crunching• 6,000

• 20,000

•35,000• Over 60,000 interventions if each one of

you has contact with just one class on each day of your placement

• That’s 60,000 opportunities to raise aspirations and attainment and change someone’s future

Working with schools and colleges

• Overview of the city and county schools

• University engagement with schools

• Social exclusion agenda (Widening Participation)

City Schools/Colleges

• City secondary schools are mainly 11-16

• supported by FE colleges delivering post-16 qualifications

• Four of the city schools have retained a sixth form

County Schools• County structure is Primary-High- Community

College/Academy (Upper School)

• Transition from Primary to High at the start of years 6 or 7

• Transition from High to Community College/Academy (Upper School) start of year 10

• High schools therefore offer experience of top end of primary and pre-GCSE secondary (11-14)

• Many County schools are now Academies -‘independent state schools’. Free from Local Authority control.

University engagement with schools • Cross sector, including primary

• Students in Classrooms, ITT placements, CULN

• HEI Collaboration (Aimhigher ended July 2011)

• Departmental relationships

• Work placements on campus (70 last year)

• Projects (GENIE, Botanic Garden, Medreach)

• Realising Opportunities Compact scheme

Social Exclusion Agenda

• Widening Participation – targeting pupils in state schools for interventions designed to raise aspirations and attainment

• Strong focus for all University school and college engagement

• New HEI collaboration (post Aimhigher)

• Students in Classrooms is a lynchpin of this plan

Widening Participation

• Education is a powerful transformational experience which promotes:

• Social justice

• Economic strength (individual and national)

• Physical and mental well-being

WP – target groups

• NS-SEC social groups 4-7– National Statistics Socio-economic Classification– occupationally based classification

• IMD – Index of Multiple Deprivation– measures relative deprivation across the country

• Disability

• Certain Ethnic groups

• Looked After status

• No family history of HE

• Low income (Free School Meals)

What this means in schools

Achievement at GCSE - % of pupils attaining 5 GCSEs A*-C including Maths + English:

• 98-100% - Independent and ‘best’ State schools

• 58.6% - the national average

• 68% - highest for Leicester City (only 6 schools above nat av)

• 21% - lowest for Leicester City

• 31% - celebrated level of achievement in one city school coming out of special measures.

• 12.8% - national rate of achievement for LAC

What this means for individuals

• Achievement depends on where you live rather than your ability

• Failure at GCSE at 16 impacts on life chances

• Low aspirations at home and in school

• Poor progression advice (Russell Group statement)

• Failure to progress to FE – NEET population

• HE not on even on the menu for many

Professionalism

•What is professionalism?

Professionalism

• Behaviour

• Dress

• Address

• Timekeeping and reliability

• Communications

• Child Protection

Placement Induction – first visit– Introduction to Link Teacher/identify key staff

– Discuss your placement content – exchange of ideas

– Special project/requirements – go with ideas but be flexible

– Policy: Health and Safety/Emergency/Bullying/Equal Opportunities/Discipline and Behaviour/Child Protection

– Appropriate dress and how to address colleagues

– Refreshments/staff room rules/toilets

– Where resources are kept

– Schemes of work for relevant year groups

– If there is something you don’t know, ASK!

Skills Development/Project Management• This is a project and should be managed as

such

• Recording and evidencing your work – make sure you are clear on academic requirements

• Skills development

• Recording observations – how does Module Leader want you to do this? Check!

• Timesheets to evidence your attendance

Project Management• Your input in school is negotiable with your

link teacher

• Engage with a free flow of ideas

• Be clear of module requirements

• Think creatively

• Be organised

• Planning/research/development/delivery process

• All key employability skills

Recording your experience

• Enables project management

• Keep a record of work done in schools and at home timesheets, daily log

• Check your Module Handbook for specific requirements

• State your aims and measure outcomes

• Plan and cost your resources

• Written report giving an overview of your time in school

• Aim for clarity of language and presentation

Skills and Experience Log

• A framework for thinking objectively and subjectively about your experience in school

• Good practice for any working situation

• Allows you to verbalise/contextualise reflective thinking

• Encourages personal development planning

• Journal/Diary

What to completeCHECK YOUR MODULE SPECIFICATION!

On completion of placement, hand in to your Dept:

• Written report or essay + any specific requirements listed in the module specification i.e. Special Project

• Experience Log/Journal/diary

Hand in to us:

• Timesheet (original, signed by link teacher)

• Travel receipts/mileage claim

• We will send you a student evaluation to complete later

Teacher evaluations

• We send and receive back all teacher evaluations from the schools on behalf of Departments

Good luck out there!