PGDE (Secondary) School Placements

All of the documents below can be printed out using File/Print. In the case of Word forms these are designed to be saved to your local file space using File/Save as and then completed on-screen before saving again.

Placement Handbook

Placement 1: Guidance for Students and Supporting Teachers in Schools

A1. Weekly Review

A2.Classroom Teacher Formative Obs Feedback

A3. Pre-Midway Review Formative Observation Form

A4. Midway Review Form 1

A5. Blank Joint Observation Formative Report Form

A6. QMU PGDE Final Report Form

A7. Guidance on Completion

A8. Notification of Cause for Concern

A9. Cause for Concern Action Plan Form

Formative Observation Class Teacher

General Health and Safety Checklist

Lesson Plan Template

Student Emergency Contact Form

The following is an overview of our shared assessment practices during school placements:

• We will offer a Microsoft Teams meeting for all School staff involved in supporting our students.
• Teams will provide a regular virtual meeting space for School-Based Educators (i.e. SBEs/Mentors) to liaise with University staff.
• Students will be invited to regular group meetings on Teams with their University-Based Educator (UBE) to discuss professional progress.
• Students will record and retain all evidence of their progress in their Digital Professional Development Portfolios, known as their ‘PebblePad’ workbook. University staff will have access to these and will monitor them closely.
• Students have been provided with an SPR tracking document called 'My SPR Focus' which sits within PebblePad to use for self-evaluation tracking purposes of their progress against the GTCS Standard.
• Students will use a Weekly Review Form (a tool for dialogue with their Mentor) to set weekly targets and review progress. These can be shared electronically through the PebblePad App with the supporting teachers and the student will be responsible for uploading signed copies of these to the Digital PDPs each week.
• Weekly Reviews will inform professional progress at the Mid-Way Review stage. The Mid-Way Review Form will be completed by the Student, with targets agreed with the School Mentor. The student will send a copy of the Mid Way Review Form to their UBE and upload it into PebblePad.
• Joint Observation Lesson will then take place within the last 3 weeks of the Placement. The School-Based Educator (Mentor) and the University-Based Educator (Lecturer) will use the SPR criteria as Benchmarks for assessment purposes. Using their 'professional judgement' they will assess the student's performance which includes taking into account evidence 'beyond the observed lesson'. As set out by the Scottish Council of Deans in Education they will take account of:

1. 1. The observed lesson
   2. The student's post-lesson testimony which may include evidence not immediately observable in the lesson such as an attempt at the application of theory or wider school contributions.
   3. The SBE's wider knowledge of the student's performance on the placement and their contribution to wider school activities and
   4. The UBE's assessment of the PebblePad PDP demonstrating the student's evidence of regular self-evaluation.

• The Joint Observation Report will offer feedback to the student on all 8 of the GTCS SPR criteria and will be written up by the University Based Educator (UBE) and shared with the SBE for signature.  The Student will also sign and upload to the University Dropbox.
• Summative Placement Report – this will be completed by the School Mentor, in consultation with the University Lecturer, on the penultimate day of placement 1b and no later than Week 9 of Placement 2b. This will be discussed with the student, signed by all parties and the Student will be responsible for uploading this to the University’s Drop Box.

Guidance on how to complete the Summative Report in line with the GTCS (SPR) is available in the School Experience Resources section.

QMU has established partnerships with the following local authorities Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders and Fife.  Educational representatives from these authorities have been closely involved in the design and development of the new Education programmes. From 2019-20 QMU’s partnership with these authorities will form part of the wider Edinburgh Early Phase Partnership along with Napier University and Moray House. 

Whilst each university will retain its distinctive Programme partnership elements, the wider partnership will enable all stakeholders to meet regularly to discuss school experience and partnership related developments including the sharing of good practice with local authority partners.