Secondary partnerships

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.

The BCU Secondary Mentor Handbook provides a detailed overview of the expectations of your role and working in partnership with BCU. Across the year, our Mentor CPD events will ensure that BCU are supporting your own development as a mentor with lead events focused on all mentors and bespoke sessions with subject- and phase-specialists that support our mentors’ working knowledge of the BCU ITE Curriculum and its implementation within School-Based Training in the context of the subject/phase you are working in.

Download the Secondary Partnership handbook

Quick reference guides

Our guides will provide an overview of everything you need to know about your role and how the School-Based Training documentation supports the mentoring process:

Recent partner communications

PGCE Mentor Training

Option 1 - Thursday 26 September, 3.30 - 5.30pm - Join online

Option 2 - Monday 30 September, 4.30 - 6.30pm - Join online

Please only attend one. 

Placement 2

Option 1 - 6 February, 3.30 - 5.30pm 

Option 2 - 11 February, 4.30 - 6.30pm

Please only attend one.

QTS Sign-off Drop In

Option 1 - 1 May, 3.30 - 5.30pm 

Option 2 - 6 May, 4.30 - 6.30pm

Please only attend one. 

Undergrad Mentor Training
  • Year 1 - Subject Mentors - Tuesday 5 November or Thursday 14 November
  • Year 2 - Subject mentors - Tuesday 10 April or Thursday 1 May
  • Year 3 Subject mentors - Tuesday 10 December or Thursday 19 December 
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