Primary School Partnership Opportunities

Roehampton's School of Education is renowned for its high-quality teaching and research, and is one of the principal teacher training providers in the UK. The primary teacher training courses at Roehampton have been rated as outstanding by Ofsted in 2023 - please find our report here. We offer a range of routes into teaching via our BA, PGCE, School Direct, Appreticeship and SCITT programmes. Furthermore, we provide a continuum of provision for teacher development, from support for early career teachers (ECTs), to on-going professional learning for experienced teachers and leaders in education. In this way, we are seeking to make a significant contribution to school improvement locally, regionally and nationally. 

 

School Partnership Monthly Newletters

To support communications within Roehampton's school partnership network the university produces a monthly newsletter. Please follow the links below to view newsletters from the last year:

 

 

Pupil progress lies at the very heart of what we do. As a partnership we aim to inspire and support the next generation of teachers, so that they may fulfil their potential and positively impact all of the children they work with throughout their career. This ambition can only be achieved through collaboration between partnership schools and the university.

The University of Roehampton Schools Partnership encompasses a range of different types of schools across London and the surrounding counties. These include: local authority schools; academies; free schools; faith schools; independent schools and special schools. The schools we work with also reflect the culturally and ethnically diverse community surrounding the University. Student teachers benefit enormously from such varied school experiences and it is a key strength of our partnership.

 

 

Partnership Expectations

The University of Roehampton Schools Partnership expects the following from partnership schools:

  • A positive school ethos where student teachers are accepted and welcomed as temporary colleagues.
  • Commitment to ITE partnership and to provision of a quality experience for student teachers.
  • Evidence of good practice developing throughout the school and effective role models who can share their expertise in the curriculum and related areas with student teachers.
  • Structured opportunities for student teachers to plan, teach and assess in accordance with the university’s Block School Experience Requirements.
  • Regular observations of student teachers and feedback (both written and oral) on their impact on pupils’ progress and support with target setting.

Benefits of Working in Partnership 

There are many benefits to working with the University of Roehampton Schools Partnership:

  • Supporting our student teachers is an excellent way to talent-spot high quality ECTs, through placements, posting on our online ECT jobs boards, and attending our annual ECT Recruitment Events.
  • ECTs starting their career in their placement school are already part of the school community, which is good for retention.
  • Student teachers can bring new energy and enthusiasm to a school, and can further support the development of high quality teaching through the implementation of innovative strategies and research-informed practice.
  • We offer mentor training for all class teachers who host a University of Roehampton student. The focus of this training is developing the essential skills of mentoring and coaching. School mentors also have access to a host of online resources to further develop their mentoring skills, and work directly with a Roehampton Mentor to support their own professional development.
  • All school colleagues will get access to our high quality Continuing Professional Development programme.
  • Teachers find having a trainee highly motivating. Feedback from our school partners indicates their staff find working as a mentor, and receiving training from us, an excellent form of professional development.

Primary School Partnership Priorities for 2023-2024
(Taken from our School Improvement Plan 2023)

Impact data

  • Ensure that students who have not completed in-year during 2022-2023 are supported to reach successful completion where appropriate. Overall completion to rise above 90%. 
  • Suuport student groups who are underachieving compared to their counterparts. This includes students from ethnic minority groups and students in the 45-54 age bracket. Use case studies of all students who have left the course before completion to analyse trends and learn lessons. 

Quality of Education and Training

  • Further develop mentor understanding of the taught course and our reflective questions resource, to promote overall coherence across courses. This will include via development of the subject specific videos and guidance.
  • Securing the use of high quality subject specific weekly targets on placement.
  • Developing student teacher confidence in teaching PE, including to pupils with SEND.
  • Consolidate support for FS/KS1 group in understanding the curriculum and how taught sessions are relevant in enhancing their learning.

Leadership and Management

  • Improve tracking of student teachers’ subject knowledge to better understand progress and additional support required.
  • Embed new Market Review initiatives, notably the Intensive Training and Practice trials in 2023-2024.
  • Develop new Mentor Curriculum as part of Market Review, ready for 2024-2025.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are an existing University of Roehampton Partnership school, you will receive an annual email with details of our placements in late Spring/early summer. Using the link in this email, you can register your school’s placement offers for the following academic year.

If you are not already working with us, but are interested in becoming a University of Roehampton Partnership school, please email: primarypartnerships@roehampton.ac.uk.

Please see our School Partnerships Contacts page here.

Cohort Placement Dates Expectation of student teachers
BA Year 1

6 weeks

Monday 11th December - Friday 15th December 2023; Monday 8th January 2024 - Friday 9th February 2024

 

Support Teacher

Students work towards planning, teaching and evaluating 6-8 group activities and between 2-4 whole class or large group activities per week.  Full participation in the life of the class and school.
BA Year 2

8 weeks

Part 1: Monday 13th November - Friday 8th December 2023

Phonics day on Friday 12th January 2024 and Assessment Wednesdays on 20th & 27th March 2024

Part 2: Monday 15th April - Friday 10th May 2024

Sharing Teacher

Students initially focus on observing and working with groups, as a support teacher, and build up to leading whole class/group lessons.

Students work towards managing the class for 3.5 days in the final week as a sharing teacher, taking responsibility for the day-to-day management of the class and planning, teaching and assessing the children's learning.

Students return to the school for one day in January 2024 to focus on Phonics, and two days in March 2024 to focus on assessment and to prepare for Part 2.  There is no teaching expectation of the student on these three days.

 

BA Year 3

11 weeks

Monday 8th January - Thursday 28th March 2024

Lead Teacher

Students begin by teaching whole class lessons in the role of sharing teacher. As they step into the role of lead teacher, they work towards managing the planning, teaching and assessment of the whole class for 4 days a week, from week 5 until the end of the placement.

PGCE

BSE 1

7 weeks

Initial visit days:
12th & 13th October 2023

Main placement:
Monday 30th October - Friday 15th December 2023

Assessment days:
19th-21st February 2024

The aim of the visit days is for students to meet their teacher and class to prepare for the main placement.

Students initially focus on observing and working with groups, as a support teacher, and build up to leading whole class lessons. They work towards managing the class for 3.5 days in the final week as a sharing teacher.

Students return to the school for three days in February 2024 to focus on pupil progress and assessment. This involves focussed observations of the class teacher and children (including children’s work). There is no teaching expectation of the student on these two days.

PGCE

BSE 2

14 weeks

Initial visit days:  22nd & 23rd February 2024

Main placement: Wednesday 6th March - Thursday 4th July 2024

The aim of the visit days is for students to meet their teacher and class to prepare for the main placement.

Students begin by teaching whole class lessons in the role of sharing teacher.  As they step into the role of lead teacher, they work towards managing the planning, teaching and assessment of the whole class for 4 days a week, from week 8 until the end of the placement.

The payment packages for 2023/24 are: 

Cohort

Payment

BA Year 1

£175

BA Year 2

£250

BA Year 3

£400

PGCE Placement 1

£250

PGCE Placement 2

£400

Training for school mentors will run throughout the academic year, delivered via Teams. Dates are shared directly with partner schools when placements are confirmed.

Yes. All students have a full, enhanced DBS disclosure and complete a thorough child protection/safeguarding course before going into school.

 

Feedback from Partnership Schools on their experience working with us

"I have found the Roehampton training programme really well organised and easy to use. Throughout the placements I have appreciated the weekly updates, and the training opportunities for mentors have supported me immensely. Having hosted many students in the past, I found Roehampton the most supportive for mentors, as I have known exactly what to do each step of the way."

Angela Oldroyd
Class Teacher Mentor, Lyon Park Primary

"This was our first year as training partners with Roehampton. We had 14 first year trainees who were well supported, were having outstanding training, were highly motivated and just fun to have around. They have made a significant positive impact on our academy."

Tim Mills
Headteacher, Angel Oak Academy

"We are very proud of our strong links with Roehampton. We have many PGCE and BA students who are always very well prepared and very knowledgeable about current issues in education, including their Safeguarding responsibilities. We are always very well supported and look forward to continuing to build an even stronger partnership in the future."

Kieran Gorman
Deputy Headteacher, St John's Walham Green Primary School

"Our mutually beneficial partnership with the University of Roehampton continues to go from strength to strength. We have supported a number of students, who gain an excellent grounding in the profession from their ITE experience at Roehampton. Roehampton's rigorous training ensures students are thoroughly prepared for life in school, which gives them the best possible opportunity to succeed in their careers. Additionally, our school staff have benefitted enormously from working alongside Roehampton staff and we are excited by the opportunities brought about by working with such an exceptional institution."

Jonathan Smith
Deputy Headteacher, Ridgeway Primary School