Primary and Early Years partnerships

Changes to mentoring 2024-25 - June update

Here is a further brief outline of the new expectations about mentor training. Please note these expectations only apply to mentors who host trainees who start their training in the academic year, 2024/2025 – these are PGCE and BA Year 1 Associate Teachers (ATs). Mentors working with BA Year 2 and BA Year 3 Associate Teachers will have access to the training but will be guided to attend relevant Mentor CPD by their Lead Mentor (formerly University Tutor). 

To access content shared at the Headteacher/ITE Mentor drop-in session held on Wednesday 26 June use the relevant link below. The session included information about: BCU Mentor CPD, Mentor Training Calendar 2024-25 Intensive Training and Practice (ITaPs) and DfE Funding.  

BCU has worked with the West Midlands ITT Partnership and other Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the region to agree a consistent approach across the region. Roles have changed (see below):-

Mentor guidance and Calendars 2024-25

• Trainees are entitled to 1.5 hours of mentor support per week, this can include: the weekly meeting, a lesson observation and feedback, PPA, formal and informal feedback on planning, pupil progress discussions. Mentors are already providing more than 1.5 hours per week of support. 
• Mentors are required to complete up to 20 hours training so that they understand the ITT curriculum and their role in implementing it – some of this training will already be very familiar to you as mentors as it will include school briefings, curriculum overviews, UT (Lead Mentor) visits. Relevant prior learning, including experience as a BCU trained mentor can contribute towards this.
• Some of the training will be new, for example Intensive Training and Practice (ITaPs) will be available asynchronously.

• Brightspace is our new enhanced mentoring CPD training platform. Mentors will each receive a personalised login to access Brightspace. Please click on the link Brightspace promotional video to learn more.  Headteachers will need to complete your registration via the registration link Once this has been completed, BCU staff will  create a personal Brightspace account using your preferred name and email and email you directly once registered.  

• Mentor Training Calendars and Mentoring Overview 2024-25
• Click to access  PGCE Mentor Training Calendar 2024-25 (includes ITaPs) 
• Click to access BAQTS (Hons) Mentor Training Calendar 2024-25 
• Click to access BA Year 1 Mentor Training Calendar 2024-25 (Includes ITaPs)
• Click on the link Mentoring and Mentor Overview 2024-25 to access a general overview of what this will entail. 

• BCU has worked with the West Midlands ITT Partnership and other HEIs in the region to ensure that the mentor training offered across the region will be accepted by all ITT providers. This part of the training is also eligible for accreditation of prior learning and training hours for mentors will be reduced accordingly.
• Please be reassured that our documentation will not change significantly, the Primary Partnership Website will still be the place to go to for all placement information and access to Brightspace. 
• Lead Mentors (formerly UTs) will be supporting you as normal. 
• DfE funding is available, and schools can claim £876 for each mentor that completes 20 hours, fewer hours are calculated at £43.80 per hour. 

Funding

• To reflect the changes brought about by the new ITT requirements and recognise the additional contributions of expert colleagues in schools to the ITaP element, placement payments have been increased accordingly.
• BCU will pay schools the amounts listed on table below. This payment is a contribution to the school for the mentor support for the ITaPs and the weekly mentoring support. This applies to all BCU Associate Teachers.
• We have found that it is advantageous to Associate Teachers to place them in pairs in a class, for example a pair of PGCE or BA1 Associate Teachers or a BA3 and a BA1 in a class. It is also very supportive for Associate Teachers to be placed in the same school in different classes.
• Payments will be made in the term after the school-based training is completed.