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development, contribute to the workforce reform agenda and begin developing
leadership qualities. Naturally, these qualities are not present in every NQT to the same
extent at the same time and require nurturing if they are to mature over the months and
years as experience is gained in the job.
National standards for new teachers are not dissimilar to those for qualified teacher
status. Thus, a new teacher needs to be able to demonstrate competence in planning,
teaching, class management, monitoring, assessing, recording and reporting. A vital
element of demonstrating this competence is for the teacher to take close account of the
needs of individual children and ensure that every one is offered the best chance to be
exposed to the full curriculum. There are also demands made of new teachers with
regard to deploying and working with other adults (including parents), implementing
school policies (such as dealing with bullying and racial harassment) and taking
responsibility for their own professional development.
As part of a new teacher s development, a fellow staff member is allocated as mentor
(officially known as the induction tutor). In a larger primary school the induction tutor is
likely to be a senior teacher; in a smaller school it may be the deputy head or head
teacher. In addition to offering general advice and encouragement, the tutor encourages
the new teacher to contribute to working parties and visit other local schools to enhance
his or her experience of primary education. The induction tutor is also available to offer
advice about diverse aspects of school life, such as time management, handling
paperwork, dealing with troublesome children, relating to parents and maintaining a
reasonable work/home balance. By the end of their induction year, all new teachers must
have demonstrated that they can teach on a consistent and sustained basis, with the direct
and personal responsibility and accountability for pupil performance that accompanies
it. They must also show that they have made progress in key areas such as managing
pupil behaviour and contributing to pupils learning, and to planning and attaining the
school s performance targets.
NQTs will not normally be expected to endure excessive demands by (say) having to
take a very large class or a group of particularly difficult pupils. They should only teach
for only about 90% of the time to give them opportunity to gain wider experience by
working alongside colleagues, observing successful teachers at work and attending
courses to enhance their knowledge and understanding of primary education issues and
practices.
Further reading
Bubb, S. (2003) The Insider s Guide for New Teachers, London: Kogan Page.
Department for Education and Employment (1999a) The Induction Period for Newly Qualified
Teachers, Sudbury: DfEE Publications.
Hayes, D. (2000) The Handbook for NQTs (Primary), London: David Fulton.
Simco, N. (2003) Succeeding in the Induction Year, 2nd edn, Exeter: Learning Matters.
Primary education 86
INSPECTION
Inspection is a formal procedure, funded by the government, to determine the value for
money of schools and colleges (including pre-school and nursery units). The quality of
teaching, leadership, management and partnership with parents is graded according to
set criteria and a report is provided for the school governors/school board and
subsequently made available to the general public. In England, the Office for Standards
in Education (OFSTED) is officially the Office of Her Majesty s Chief Inspector of
Schools. It is a non-ministerial government department set up in 1992, principally for the
management of the independent system of inspection of all schools that are wholly or
state funded. A similar system of inspection applies to all institutions in receipt of public
funding providing education for children under 4 years old. Similar bodies exist in Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland, though the criteria used by inspectors differ slightly from
country to country. All inspections involve observations of teachers while they are
teaching, scrutiny of documentation, a discussion with parents, and interviews with
governors, staff and head teacher. Older pupils may also be asked to offer a perspective
on school life, though this practice has been criticised by some teacher unions as
potentially divisive.
Inspectors are looking for schools that are well led, creatively follow the prescribed
curriculum and possess a strong sense of purpose to achieve high academic standards
and inculcate positive qualities in children. Head teachers and subject leaders are
questioned to ensure that there is whole-staff agreement about issues as diverse as
resources, teaching approach, assessment procedures, and ways of recording pupils
achievements and progress systematically.
The announcement of a coming inspection has a dramatic impact on school staff and
during this period of time head teachers have a crucial role in maintaining stability and
providing leadership. Inspections have an impact on teachers professional relationships
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