Secondary partnerships

SOME CONTENT BEING UPDATED FOR 2022/23

Mentor CPD

In all our ITE programmes we offer a tiered approach to Mentoring Professional Development. Our aim is to offer you CPD which is relevant, developmental and useful.

Navigate the information on this page with these links:

• Core guidance
• Subject/Phase-Specific Development
• Secondary Mentor Training
• Subject Mentor Training
• Master's-Level Study
• Mentor Policy

Core guidance

Core guidance is provided through published documents on all course-specific Partnership webpages, such as our:

• BCU Secondary Mentor Handbook 2022/2023  (which is designed a developmental guide for all mentoring practice within an ITE setting)
• Termly Core and Subject Online CPD Events (which ensure that mentors are fully informed about their roles within School Based Training within each course for the term ahead)

All Partnership Mentors are asked to log their Mentor CPD  during the year. Subject Mentor CPD Log  

Attendance at Core CPD Online Events is monitored and Subject Tutors keep ongoing records of joint meeting - these records will be used to and guide Professional Mentors and Placement Link Tutors as they complete Quality Assurance reviews of mentoring across the partnership. 

Subject/Phase-Specific Development

In order to enhance the core ITE Curriculum we ensure that we offer additional support for mentors through subject / phase specific guidance. These include:

• Regular subject / phase specific communications with school mentors throughout each School Based Training module
• Opportunities to reflect on trainees' learning in BCU taught sessions and the clear signposting of strategies for mentors to implement to further support and develop aspects of associate teachers' practices
• Core and Subject CPD events with subject / phase leads to support our Mentors' working knowledge of the BCU ITE Curriculum in their subject specialism

Secondary Mentor Training 2022/23

Most Mentor CPD events offer alternative dates - we ask mentors to attend one live event aimed at their specific role i as outlined in the table below. All Partnership Mentors are required to log their attendance at all BCU Mentor Training events - this attendance should be verified by the Professional Mentor in the school at least every half term.

All mentor training will be held online via MS Teams - content here is a guide, but may be subject to change following ongoing Quality Assurance reviews.

Mentor Induction Briefing 2022

• This event was held 27 / 29 Sept  & 4 / 6 Oct 2022 on Teams
• Content included: New ways of working to deliver the BCU ITE Curriculum, Roles and Responsibilities within the ITE Partnership, BCU ITE Curriculum, The BCU ITE programmes and Secondary placement models
• View the recording of the Briefing.

Mentor CPD1 2022

• This event was held 17 October and 1 November 2022 on Teams

New Mentor Input

• The Information for New Mentors is here for reference:1 Nov - New Mentor Presentation  
• View the recording of the presentation to New Mentors.

Keynote presentation for all mentors

• The information for all mentors is here for reference:  1 Nov - Mentor Keynote Presentation  
• View the recording of the presentation.

Presentation to Professional Mentors:

• The information specifically for Professional Mentors is here for reference: 1 Nov - Professional Mentor Presentation  

Mentor CPD2 2023

• This event was held Monday 9 January and Wednesday 18 January 2023 on Teams

New Mentor Input

• The Information for New Mentors is here for reference: New Mentor Slides
• View the recording of the presentation

Keynote presentation for all mentors

• The information for all mentors is here for reference: Keynote presentations slides
• View the recording of the presentation

Presentation to Professional Mentors:

• The information specifically for Professional Mentors is here for reference: Professional mentor slides
• View the recording of the presentation

Presentation to Undergraduate Mentor :

• The information specifically for Professional Mentors is here for reference: Undergraduate mentor slides
•  View the recording of the presentation  

Mentor CPD PGCE new placement schools for school B only 

• The information specifically for new mentors for school B is here for reference: New mentor School B slides
• This event was held Wednesday 8 February 2023
•  View the recording of the presentation 

Subject Mentor information will be sent to you directly from your BCU Subject Lead

Subject Mentor Support

Developing teachers with secure subject and curriculum knowledge is a high priority across the BCU ITE Partnership. BCU secondary PGCE Associate Teachers start their study of Subject Pedagogy at the start of the PGCE year and submit their final assessment task towards the end of their training.  The development of Subject Knowledge is ongoing on the BA/ BSc (Hons) with QTS programmes.

At the start of the year - during CPD Event 1 - BCU Subject Leads present all subject mentors with a brief subject specific presentation. This presentation will review the BCU Subject Pedagogy Priorities for their subject and outline how the Subject Pedagogy module will operate to support each trainee's ongoing development. 

This first point of contact will initiate the beginning of a strong training partnership for Subject Mentors. Following Mentor CPD1 we continue to support and develop strategies to co-deliver th BCU ITE Curriculum in each specialist subject.

Master's-Level study

All mentors working in our Partner schools are offered the opportunity to enrol and complete a fully-funded Level 7 Module in Coaching and Mentoring. This module allows mentors to:

• Explore the role of mentoring within schools and wider policy landscape
• Engage with their BCU Mentor Audit and critically reflect on their current practice 
• Critically enquire into current research on mentoring in ITE contexts and explore how they could use academic recommendations to enhance their practice
• Appraise how research and practice can support a deeper understanding of professional practice in ITE mentoring

The module starts in January each year, with enrolment in the second half of the autumn term. Mentors access materials for self-study tasks online via a comprehensive Moodle page and have access to our online library services to use and reflect on wider research.

There are regular opportunities to interact online with our tutors to support progression through tasks and mentors submit a final 3,000 word assignment in October in the same year. Successful mentors will be awarded 20 credits at Level 7, which they can use both as evidence of Professional Development and as part of further study towards a Master's in Learning and Teaching with us. 

Apply for the Coaching and Mentoring module (you will need to create an account)

Further information about the Coaching and Mentoring module as well as other Level 7 study can be found on our MA Education course page.