Probation process
If you are completing all or the majority of your probation in one school, your probationary service should follow a structured process.
If you are not able to complete your probation service in a structured way, you should still refer to the process outlined below to help you understand each element and how each is linked together.
It is important to gather your paperwork and record your information as you go along. This will give you a neat and succinct professional development portfolio, which will be a great help when you eventually come to complete your interim and final reports.
It is vital that you tell the headteacher of your school that you have a probationary period to complete. They may be able to make arrangements to have relevant support put in place for you.
Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)
If you are fortunate enough to have a supporter you should work together to set out some targets for the next stage of your teaching career. These should be drawn up in the Professional Development Action Plan, which forms part of your interim and final reports.
If you don't have a supporter, try to meet up with your departmental head or headteacher regularly to review your progress.
Teaching service
For teaching service of fewer than 20 days in one school, you should keep a record of these days on a Record of Teaching Service sheet.
For periods of teaching amounting to more than 20 days an interim report should be submitted either at the end of your teaching within the school or at the end of each term if you are employed on a contract.
CPD
Select areas identified in your PDAP as a focus for your CPD and record your progress.
Supporter meetings
If you are fortunate enough to have a supporter, then your meetings should have a focus directly linked to your development needs.
Observed teaching sessions
There should be observed teaching sessions with feedback recorded on your interim or final reports.
If you are undertaking short-term or supply work, you may find it difficult to arrange an observed teaching session. However, your headteacher will need feedback from at least one observed session in order to make a recommendation on your interim or final report.
Interim report
At the end of each tem, or after you have completed a period of short-term teaching service of more than 20 days you should arrange to have an interim report completed.
Final report
Information and evidence gathered since the submissions of your previous interim reports will form the basis of your final report.
Once you have completed your final report, you should keep a copy for your records and submit the original document to us. It is your responsibility to ensure these reports are completed and submitted.
Supporter meetings
Your supporter provides a link between the school and the local authority manager, they offer help in planning your development needs and experiences, and will discuss your progress with you.
If you don't have a dedicated supporter you should ensure that your headteacher is aware that you have a probationary period to complete. They may be able to make arrangements to have relevant support put in place.
If you are having difficulty receiving support, you should contact your local authority probation manager.
Purpose of supporter meetings
You should aim to have regular meetings with your supporter, approximately every week. They should have a limited, specific pre-arranged focus that is directly linked to you.
You should keep a record of all of your supporter meeting in your interim or final report.
Observed teaching sessions
Leading on from your supporter meetings, feedback and evaluation on your teaching practice is achieved through observed teaching sessions.
Being observed on a regular basis will help with the targets that you set yourself and the CPD you undertake.
Arranging sessions
If you are fortunate enough to undertake most of your teaching service in one school, you should try to arrange for your supporter to carry out an observed teaching session once every three weeks.
If you don't have a dedicated supporter, you should ensure that your headteacher is aware that you have a probationary period to complete. You should ask the headteacher or head of department if your teaching can be observed.
If you experience difficulty getting your teaching observed you should contact your local authority probation manager.
Before the session
Prior to the observation, in collaboration with the person observing you, you should identify:
- the focus of the observation
- an overview of the class including:
- details about the lesson
- how the work fits into short/long term plans
- an identification of learning outcomes
- how the session would be expected to unfold
- discussion of possible issues
- whether the observer will take an active part in the class or just take notes
During the session
There are a variety of ways to carry out observations. Ideally the observer should integrate into the lesson in a team-teaching type role, working alongside you and experiencing first-hand how you have delivered the lesson.
After the session
A post observation meeting should be arranged so you can received feedback. This meeting should include a detailed explanation of how the lesson progressed and met the set objectives. You should also have the opportunity to describe the session from your perspective and explain why you worked in a certain way. The meeting should also include the identification of development needs arising or recognition that a new area of development should be focused on.
Record this observed session in your interim or final report.