Information for Primary Students, Schools and Settings
On this page, you will find the most up to date policies, guidance and forms relating to the Primary Partnership.
Student: Placement Forms and Supporting Documentation
Students, these pages contain your placement documents that will allow you to document your development throughout your QTS journey. All the relevant documents are accessible to download.
Placement Handbook, SPAR Folder and Subject Knowledge
Placement Handbook
This handbook serves as a reference document to support school placements for all QTS primary courses in the university. It contains generic guidance for placement activities and requirements. The handbook should be used in conjunction with the specific supplements for Beginning, Developing and Extending phases Handbook
SPAR Folder
This record comprises all of the documentation that is completed during the placement phase of initial teacher education. The record belongs to the student teacher and, for the duration of the placement, should be kept in the front of the student’s file for the student, associate tutor and partnership tutor to refer to and use as relevant. Original versions of all of the forms in the record should be returned to it so that the student retains a comprehensive record of their ‘assessed journey’ whilst on placement.
SPAR Example and Supporting Documents including Placement Supplements
An example SPAR folder can be viewed here. Please do not use this example for submission. Individual documents that make up the SPAR Document, including Placement Supplements can be downloaded as a .zipfolder by clicking Download all forms.
Subject Knowledge
All our University of Cumbria ITT programmes ensure that students are prepared to teach the full range of National Curriculum Subjects. The amount of time allocated to teaching a particular subject is weighted to reflect the time spent teaching these subjects in the classroom. All programmes spend a higher proportion of time supporting students developing knowledge and understanding of English, Phonics and Maths. The university is very proud of the success of its Cumbria Teaching of Reading programme. All programmes have tracked subject teaching through their programmes and programme handbooks are available to show where and when this learning happens.
Tracking Pupil Progress (TPP) and Lesson Proformas
Guidance for Pupil Profiling and Tracking
Planning for children’s learning is an active process. It is an activity that involves discussion and collaboration with other adults responsible for the progress of the children. To support this process a number of documents must be completed to document how you successfully planned and tracked pupil progress whilst on placement.
Download the: Planning for Learning and Tracking Pupil Progress - Primary
Download the: Planning for Learning and Tracking Pupil Progress - Early Years
Students can view an exemplar of a tracking pupil progress here
Tracking Pupil Progress Documents Including Lesson Proformas
Individual documents that make up the Tracking Pupil Progress (TPP) folder including Lesson Proformas can be downloaded as a .zipfolder by clicking Here
Placement Support Material
The Common Assessment Framework
The Common Framework is intended to enable all school and university trainers and Cumbria Trainee Teachers to discuss and track progress over time against the Teachers’ Standards and provide a formal recording mechanism for Cumbria Trainee Teachers’ progress and the impact of their teaching on pupil progress. For our Common Assessment Framework tutorial, please click here
Understanding Placement Supplements
The placement supplements provides a summary of each of the three placement phases (beginning, developing and extending) the supplements provide students with the placement expectations whilst putting into context placement progression. For our Placement Supplement tutorial, please click here
Planning For Trainee Teachers
To view our guide to Planning for Trainee Teachers, please click here
Tracking Pupil Progress
Planning for children’s learning is an active process. It is an activity that involves discussion and collaboration with other adults responsible for the progress of the children. To support this process a number of documents must be completed to document how you successfully planned and tracked pupil progress whilst on placement. For our Tracking Pupil progress tutorial, please click here
Placement Briefing Material
A navigable document containing formal student briefings for Beginning, Developing and Extending placements with nine additional support sessions offering useful pedagogical advice for placement.
Download: Placement Briefings and Support Sessions
Effective Target Setting for ITE Trainees
Central to our trainees’ progress and success is their achievement of developmental targets. It is important that targets specifically address improving the quality of the trainees’ teaching and pupils’ learning over time.
Cumbria Teacher of Reading
Download: Cumbria Teacher of Reading 2019/20
School/ Mentor: Placement Forms and Supporting Documentation
Placements are an integral part of the learning experience that enables our students to apply theory to practice and develop core competencies and transferable skills. On these pages, and through the support of qualified Mentors, you will find our placement documentation that will help our students successfully develop. All the relevant documents are accessible to download and we advise that documents are not saved to desktop / storage devices as these are often subject to annual review.
Programme Structures
Programme Structures:
Download: BA Hons Primary Education with QTS (3 -11) / Year 3 Orientation Placement
Download: BA (Hons) Primary Education: Inclusion with SEND (with QTS)
Download: PGCE Lower Primary with QTS (3-7 Years) and PGCE General Primary with QTS (5-11 Years)
Placement Handbook and Subject Knowledge
Placement Handbook
This handbook serves as a reference document to support school placements for all QTS primary courses in the university. It contains generic guidance for placement activities and requirements. The handbook should be used in conjunction with the specific supplements for Beginning, Developing and Extending phases (which provide placement-specific information), and the Red Book, which provides placement assessment guidance and support.
Subject Knowledge
All our University of Cumbria ITT programmes ensure that students are prepared to teach the full range of National Curriculum Subjects. The amount of time allocated to teaching a particular subject is weighted to reflect the time spent teaching these subjects in the classroom. All programmes spend a higher proportion of time supporting students developing knowledge and understanding of English, Phonics and Maths. The university is very proud of the success of its Cumbria Teaching of Reading programme. All programmes have tracked subject teaching through their programmes and programme handbooks are available to show where and when this learning happens.
Effective Target Setting for ITE Trainees
Central to our trainees’ progress and success is their achievement of developmental targets. It is important that targets specifically address improving the quality of the trainees’ teaching and pupils’ learning over time.
Placement Forms, SPAR and Supplements
Placement Forms
Download End of Placement Report (all students)
Download Cause for Concern Guidance and Forms
Download Moving to Good or Better Guidance and Forms
Download Termination of Placement
Download Lesson Observation Pro Forma
Supplements
Download Beginning Supplement
Download Developing Supplement
Download Extending Supplement
SPAR Example and Supporting Documents
An example of a student SPAR folder can be viewed here. Individual documents that make up the SPAR folder can be downloaded as a .zipfolder by clicking Student Completion Forms.
Quality Assurance Recording
Download QA visit of Student Form
Download Mentor QA Form
Working In Partnership and Placement Offers
Placements are an integral part of the learning experience that enables students to apply theory to practice and develop core competencies and transferable skills. Through the support of qualified Mentors in a variety of placement settings across the North West of England and beyond. For more information about our Partnership, and Placement offers please visit our Working In Partnership Page
Mentor and Further Training
Mentor Training
There are three versions of our Mentor Training Provision:
- Initial Mentor Training - full day (or equivalent) for new mentors
- Update Mentor Training - for trained mentors with three or more years’ experience or
- The Experienced Mentor Online training programme for trained mentors with three or more years’ experience. For further information please email Linda Muir from your school/workplace email account and include your full name.
Further details of all the university’s training, including online update, can be found in the Mentor Training Booklet
Dates and a booking form for university-based sessions can be found Here.
If you would like to discuss local training, please contact your University Partnership Tutor (UPT) or Linda Muir (Primary Mentor Training Administrator) on 01524 385697 or linda.muir@cumbria.ac.uk.
University of Cumbria
Placement Unit
Bowerham Road
Lancaster
LA1 3JD
Mentor Qualifications at the University of Cumbria
Based on the DfE’s National Standards for school-based Initial Teacher Training Mentors the University of Cumbria are offering two levels of Qualification - Qualified Mentor Status (QMS) and Qualified Lead Mentor Status (QLMS). Further details can be obtained here
National Award for SEN Coordination
National Award for SEN Coordination | University of Cumbria This masters-level programme (60 credits) enables new and experienced SENCOs to enhance provision and outcomes for all children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disability, and develop themselves as a leader of change within their setting. Since 2009, all newly appointed SENCOs must attain this qualification within three years of appointment. Schools can obtain more information by visiting our SENCO Page
School, Mentor and Student Policies and Guidance
Confidentiality Statement
Statement regarding the confidentiality of material and information gathered and/or used by Institute of Education students whilst engaged in placement learning.
For attention:
- students following programmes with placement learning
- placement providers for such programmes
- tutors on such programmes
Students
It is understandably and rightly the case that students engaged in professional placements as a part of Institute of Education programmes (eg. ITE and Teaching Assistant programmes) will need to collect material that might be categorised as specific to individuals or relating to the activities of identifiable organisations and workplaces. Such organisations and workplaces might typically include early-years settings, schools, colleges and other educational settings.
For students in the Institute of Education it is expressly the case that materials such as class lists, case notes on pupils, pupil case study notes and similar information should not leave the school premises or be copied without the formal agreement of the professional managing the placement (in any case of uncertainty, the headteacher/ setting manager) – and only then if the student can guarantee security of the information and its ultimate return or destruction.
Work produced by learners in schools etc, may be incorporated in professional files and assignments only with the express permission of the placement setting and students must ensure the security of such material at all times.
Where a student needs to cite or refer to individuals or to the activities of organisations and workplaces in academic work, the student must anonymise references or seek the written permission of the relevant headteacher/ setting manager as appropriate.
Placement Providers
By entering into partnership with the university, placement providers recognise the need for students to professionally engage with material that might be categorised as specific to individuals or relating to the activities of identifiable organisations and workplaces. This is often essential to enable appropriate training and assessment to take place. Placement providers have the right to expect that such material is kept secure and that only the student and those professionally engaged in the student’s training and assessment (eg. tutors and External Assessors / Examiners) will have sight of it. At all occasions such material / information will be kept secure and will ultimately be returned to the placement setting or destroyed.
DBS and Safeguarding
Please also note that we will send you all DBS numbers via a secure email before the commencement of a student's placement. This can then be added to your Single Central Record.
Partnership Agreement and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Partneraship Agreement
Read our Partnership Agreement for information on becoming one of our education partners.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Details regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can be obtained Here
Student Placement and Travel Policy
Please visit our Placement and Travel Policy page for more information.