Secondary School Partnership Opportunities

The School of Education is renowned for its high-quality teaching and research and is one of the principal teacher training providers in the UK. As one of the largest providers of Initial Teacher Education courses in London and the South East, many students have become teachers through our Secondary PGCE, School Direct and SCITT programmes. We provide a continuum of provision for teacher development, from Initial Teacher Education to support for early career teachers and on-going professional learning for experienced teachers and leaders in education. In offering this continuum of provision, we are seeking to make a significant contribution to school improvement locally, regionally and nationally.

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.

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, special schools, and schools in challenging circumstances. The schools we work with reflect the diverse communities surrounding the University. Our students benefit enormously from their varied school experiences provided by partnership schools.

 

Our Secondary Partnership Priorities

The aim of the Secondary School Partnership at the University of Roehampton is to deliver high quality, consistent school experiences for all students through a co- designed and co-delivered programme, which results in the highest possible outcomes for our Newly Qualified Teachers.
To achieve this, we are focusing on the following:

  • Improve the quality and consistency of mentoring in line with the ‘National Mentor standards for ITE’ and further implement and build upon the co-designed on-line Mentor training programme with all partners to ensure highest possible outcomes for our NQTs.
  • Work with all partners via mentor training, to add higher quality data to Abyasa, and make effective use of data regarding student progress at each assessment point.
  • Improve two-way communication with all partners especially regarding Quality Assurance (QA) of the programme and feedback on formal evaluations of all school- based training.
  • Increase our commitment to working with other local providers within ITE with a focus on exploring innovative approaches to mentor training.
  • Increase partnership involvement in rigorous recruitment and selection process.
  • Continue working with the Strategic Management Board (SMB) School Direct (SD) and School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) partners to ensure that all share in the vision and improvement planning process.
  • Develop the partnership, including working closely with the School Partnership Office in order to track NQTs and improve communication with schools, especially those new to the partnership.
  • To work with all partners to ensure that students’ workload is not burdensome and therefore does not support their development to become outstanding NQTs.
  • To work with all partners to implement the new Early Career Framework to ensure the success of all our graduates as NQTs.

Secondary School Partnership opportunities

You can work with us on the PGCE Secondary provider programme in a number of ways. These include:

Placements: providing up to 120 days in school with a subject mentor to support and develop the trainee. We are seeking two placements for each trainee: a 6-week Foundation placement in the autumn term, and or a 12 week Developmental and Consolidation placement in the Spring and Summer terms. Many of our highly skilled students go on to work in our partner schools so this can be an excellent recruitment opportunity for your school.

Professional Studies (PS) hub schools: Your school can be paid to provide a PS hub where students can observe excellent practice related to key themes in professional development. Hosting a PS hub can also promote recruitment of students as NQTs.

Learning Rounds: Your school can be paid to provide Learning Rounds for Subject groups. In a learning round, a group of students in a specialist Subject works with successful departments who can model excellent teaching and involve students in innovative practice. If your school needs to recruit in particular subjects, learning rounds can also introduce students to your school and inspire them to work with you. View the subjects we specialise in.

School Direct partnerships and SCITTs: We are always keen to work with School Direct partnerships and SCITTs. We can help you set up your own School Direct alliance or SCITT. We can also work with you on fine-tuning an existing programme from recruitment through to preparation for the NQT year.

School Placements

In our FAQs section you'll find information on school experience dates, funding available to your school, taking a trainee during an Ofsted Inspection, what your school is required to do, mentor training, and what our trainees do on placement. We always welcome your thoughts and queries on our school placements, so please don't hesitate to get in touch at secondaryplacements@roehampton.ac.uk

Benefits of working in Partnership

  • Trainee teachers bring energy and enthusiasm to a school and can demonstrate new learning materials and strategies for teaching effectively, for example in areas where we lead in innovative practice
  • Funding for development - Roehampton students bring £1,350 (£450 per term) of additional funding per trainee over the course of the training year
  • We offer mentor training for schools against the new National Standards for School-based Initial Teacher Training mentors. This is a transferable skill and helps mentors develop their mentoring and coaching skills and can be used throughout the school at all levels. Mentors have access to face-to-face training, an online bank of resources, videos and exemplars and direct support from Roehampton tutors
  • Schools can save on recruitment by talent-spotting good students during the training year and this is an excellent way to recruit high quality NQTs
  • NQTs who start their career in a school where they were on placement are already part of the school community, this is good for retention
  • Teachers find having a trainee highly motivating. In a recent survey, 100% of mentors said that working as a mentor and receiving training from us was a good or very good form of professional development for them

 

FAQs

Registration is easy: 

If you are an existing University of Roehampton Secondary Partnership school, you should receive an online link (via email) in the Spring term, where you can register placement offers for the following year.

If you are interested in becoming a University of Roehampton Secondary Partnership school Then please contact a member of the Academic Services Partnership Team at: secondaryplacements@roehampton.ac.uk 

Autumn Foundation placements run from September - December; Developmental and Consolidation placements run from January - June with Wednesday currently reserved as a training date throughout the programme. Please see our calendar of school experience dates, to be published on this page shortly.

  • Art and Design 
  • Computing
  • Design and Technology
  • Drama
  • English
  • Geography
  • History 
  • Mathematics
  • Modern Foreign Languages
  • Music
  • Physical Education
  • Religious Education
  • Science with Biology, Chemistry and Physics
  • Foundation Placement: Autumn term c. 6 weeks - £450
  • Developmental and Consolidation placement: Spring and Summer terms c. 12 weeks. Total 18 weeks 120 days - £1,350

Yes we do, as follows:

  • Learning rounds: subject specific observation and participation £600 per day
  • Professional Studies hubs: generic sessions £600 per day

We would normally expect a trainee to be observed teaching a class during inspection and always in an ITE inspection. They can be a highly skilled and motivated person who can work as a TA to support the learning of specific children.

In the run up to your Inspection students could:

  • Take intervention groups in examination classes to raise attainment or free the class teacher to take intervention groups.
  • Work with identified underachieving groups to raise attainment

When the notification of an inspection visit comes:

  • Students should continue teaching whilst colleagues attend to necessary priorities.
  • Students must make sure work is marked properly and up to date.
  • Students must make sure their data records are up to date and accurate.
  • Target specific work for example enhancing the learning environment e.g. the refreshing of classroom/corridor displays.
  • Contribute to work on the schools identified priorities to ensure the best possible presentation.

Mentors carry out formal observations of the students in their school, meet weekly to set targets and liaise regularly with the University subject tutor. Mentors contribute to the assessment of students whilst on placement at the interim points and at the end of each term summatively in the Profile document.

We provide training on how best to support the student, integrate them within your school and how to use our Roehampton database – Abyasa.

Mentoring skills are transferable for staff to use within their own schools with certification at both Entry and Mastery Levels. This CPD is invaluable and can be used for performance management.

Yes - all students have a full-enhanced DBS disclosure and complete a thorough, all-encompassing child protection/safe guarding course before going into school.

Mentor training runs in July for School Direct Mentors and throughout September and October in twilight sessions for Foundation Placements and January for Developmental and Consolidation Placements. 

You can either attend mentor training at Roehampton or at one of our satellite Partnership Schools. For further information and dates for training please contact: secondaryplacements@roehampton.ac.uk

Teach 33% of a qualified teacher’s timetable (pro rata as only four days spent in school) in the autumn term, and  up to 66% in subsequent terms. They need to teach across two key stages in most subjects, and across three in English and History. They also need to see colleagues teach and work as a TA or team teach where appropriate to meet the Teacher’s Standards. Students are out of school on Wednesdays for University sessions across the year apart from in May when they have an embedded phase in school.