 Job
Title:
- Gifted & Talented Mentor
- Manager of the Distance Learning provision/Link
Teacher
- Learning Mentor
- Learning Support Assistant (Behaviour Unit)
- Publicity Officer
- Development Officer
-
- Job Proportions:
- 20% - Gifted & Talented Mentor/Manager
of the Distance Learning provision/Link Teacher
- 20% - Learning Mentor
- 40% - Learning Support Assistant (Behaviour
Unit)
- 10% - Public Relations Officer
- 10% - Development Officer
-
 Background:
- Excellence in Cities (EiC) is a targeted
programme to bring additional resources to address the needs
of core urban areas. It brings a new approach that increases
the diversity of provision for pupils but at the same time encourages
schools to cooperate to raise standards and extend learning opportunities
for pupils of all abilities. This starts with the needs of the
individual pupil and the challenges they face. Excellence in
Cities is designed to remedy successive failures and to address
the educational problems of the major cities where standards
have been low. The programme is implemented through local partnerships
crossing traditional Local Education Authority boundaries, focusing
on the needs and aspirations of individual pupils and their parents.
Excellence in Cities resulted in standards rising in the first
EiC areas faster than in schools nationally with an increase
in those getting five good GSCEs or their equivalent in 2001
was 2.3 percent compared with 1.3 percent for other areas. The
biggest increases have been made in the most deprived schools:
those with over half their pupils entitled to free school meals.
The numbers of pupils leaving school with no qualifications has
also fallen more quickly in the first EiC areas than in other
schools, by 1 percent compared to half that rate in other schools.
The Excellence Challenge is a new initiative designed to address
the under-representation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds
in post 16 and higher education and will build on the success
of the EiC programme in secondary schools. It provides additional
support for young people in EiC areas who have the ability to
enter higher education; gifted and talented programmes were extended
to the post 16 age group through sixth forms and further education
institutions and new widening participation programmes will support
all those aged 13 to 19 increase funding to higher education
institutions to reach out to more young people from disadvantaged
backgrounds provide clearer information and better marketing
routes to higher education, with particular focus on reaching
those communities who do not have a tradition of higher education
participation pilot new forms of financial help for bright young
people through Opportunity Bursaries.
-
- Gifted & Talented Mentor:
- A Government initiative funded through "Excellence
in Cities" programme, the Gifted and Talented Mentor had
overall responsibility for implementing the identification of
a gifted and talented pupil cohort comprising 5 to 10 percent
of pupils in each year group. At least two thirds of the cohort
comprises pupils with academic ability (defined as ability in
one or more subjects in the statutory curriculum other than art,
music and PE) and up to one third are talented pupils (defined
as those with ability in art, music, PE, or any sport or creative
art). Aim was to identify individual learning needs of pupils
in the gifted and talented pupil cohort, focusing on their strengths
and areas for further development - this typically involves using
curricular flexibility and a range of organisational approaches
to open up learning opportunities and provide a complementary
out-of-school-hours study support programme (including master
classes, summer schools and mentoring opportunities). Post-16
Provision was accounted for in the Excellence Challenge which
extends the gifted and talented strand to 16 to 19 students in
maintained post-16 institutions and introduces a complementary
package to support higher education entry for 13 to 19 year old
pupils who are underachieving, or who are at risk of underachieving.
Working guidance on using the national curriculum with gifted
and talented pupils was implemented.
-
 Manager
of the Distance Learning provision/Link Teacher
- Moorhouse Black is the UK's leading provider
of distance learning courses for schools and colleges.
They use video conferencing technology to deliver interactive
courses at AS, A2 and GCSE level across the UK. The advent of
desktop video conferencing has made possible radical advances
in curriculum delivery. Tutors and Students can now be
hundreds of miles apart yet communicate via a video screen.
Images and sounds are digitised and transmitted down an ISDN2
line. As in a traditional classroom the lesson is genuinely two
way. The approach used is supported self-study. Students receive
prepared units of work, weekly video conferenced tutorials and
regular visits from their tutor. Some subjects are also supported
by computer software to help students review their work.
Regular revision conferences give students the opportunity to
meet outside specialists in their field of study. Over 160 schools
in the UK, some 3000 students per week, using this method.
-
- Moorhouse-Black Ltd offered distance learning
courses to enable schools to extend their AS/A2 level and GCSE
options. The courses had been previously tried and tested and
achieve satisfactory to excellent results. Courses were divided
into a number of topics which corresponded to the substantive
areas of the chosen syllabus. Each topic was divided into manageable
units and accompanied by appropriate assignments. Courses were
best described as 'supported self-study' whereby students received
regular tutoring. Individual courses were 'wrapped around' carefully
selected texts and as students worked through their units, they
were expected to respond to a number of activities and questions.
Some were self-assessed, others discussed with the tutor. After
every two units students completed a written assignment which
was marked by the tutor.
-
- Nominated as the Link Teacher, with overall
responsibility for monitoring the progress of the distance learning
students and for acting as a link between the school and the
tutor. The Link Teacher was also the person to whom students
turned if they need to contact the tutor or Moorhouse-Black Ltd.
The Link Teacher was also the first point of contact for the
tutor and ensured assignments were sent to the tutor and distributed
on their return.
-
- Link teachers roles:
- Familiarisation with the demands of distance
learning
- Know about strengths and weaknesses of the
delivery technology
- Ensured students understand the demands of
the method:
- Initiated a frank discussion to set the rules
- Introduced the 'Student Contract'
- Established procedures
-
- In addition:
- Made sure that the VC room was properly equipped
and accessible
- Ensured course textbooks were ordered and
available for the start of the course
- Was available for student questions and concerns
- Had GCSE mean scores available for our tutors
- Ensured that tutors were aware of the school
calendar
- Distributed/collected assignments
- Acted on Student Referral Forms when received
- Liaised with management if
- Problems arose with a tutor
- Tutorial times needed to be changed
- Information was required about courses
- Liaise with tutors regarding
- Individual student progress
- Student Referral Forms
- Examinations - intemal/external
- Reporting
- Visits
- Informed tutors and Moorhouse-Black Ltd of
term dates, report deadlines, work experience, parents' evenings,
school INSET days etc.
- Agreed upon a time for a tutorial period
with Moorhouse-Black Ltd.
- Timetabled private study slots for students
to ensure they completed their assignments and spend sufficient
time working on their course
- Nominated a technically competent member
of staff who was familiar with the school's video conferencing
system to provide technical support.
- Ensured course text books were available
to students at the start of the course
- Ensured recommended resource books or publications
for the school library were available as soon as possible after
the start of the course.
- Registered with awarding bodies and ensure
students are entered for the relevant examinations.
-
- Managed distance learning courses in:
- Sociology (A/S Level)
- Law (A/S Level)
- Accounting (A/S Level)
- Latin (GCSE Level)
- Sociology (A2 Level)
- Law (A2 Level)
- Accounting (A2 Level)
-
- Other tasks completed:
- Wrote reports for Parents Evening
- Met Parents for discussions about students
progress at Parents Evening
- Interviewed by Ofsted to discusss Distance-Learning
- Consulted on revised version of Link Teacher
package
- Gave presentation to Moorhouse-Black Roadshow,
London
- Collaborated on Press Release about Distance
Learning at Raine's Foundation School with Moorhouse Black
- Collaborated on Case Study about Distance
Learning at Raine's Foundation School with Moorhouse Black (www.moorhouseblack.com/case.htm)
-
- Comments in a Post-16 review from OFSTED
(November, 2002):
- "There is an innovative approach
towards broadening the curriculum through a productive distance-learning
project. Some 55 students are following interactive projects
after normal school hours in A-level accounting, law and sociology,
and GCSE Latin. These courses can draw on some exceptionally
well-organised teaching and resources from the course tutors;
students progress is closely monitored by the course co-ordinator."
-
- Learning Support Assistant (Behaviour Unit):
- A Government initiative funded through "Excellence
in Cities" to improve attainment and attendance and reduce
exclusions (permanent and fixed term) of pupils from school.
Prioritised work with Key Stage 3 (11-14 year old pupils) and
Key Stage 4 (14-16 year old pupils) pupils who have reached a
particular level of behavioural problems and were referred to
the Learning Support Unit for placement. Background information
was collated, sometimes liaising with external authorities, parents
and Heads of Year, and was presented for placement consideration.
Placement could be from 2-10 weeks and could be full or part
time, according to need and written permission from parents.
Set targets were negotiated and agreed, with work programmes
set. The Learning Support Unit operated a different working day
to the rest of the school which allowed different entry and departure
times. This minimised potential difficulties, allowed more parental
contact and shorter break times. The majority of work was provided
by subject staff with supplementary work given which addressed
social skills, study skills or individual behaviour issues. Learning
Support Unit staff liaised with subject staff and returned work
to school for marking. Subject staff were encouraged to visit
students in the Learning Support Unit to maintain contact with
students. Personal, Health and Social Education (PHSE) work was
also done, paying particular attention to relationships, raising
self esteem, anger management, citizenship and other issues as
they arose. Parents were contacted regularly and were encouraged
to contribute to target setting and to negotiate out of school
rewards. Learning Support Unit staff accompanied parents and
students to their consultation day meetings and were able to
contribute information. Parents were also involved in planning
for the reintegration of pupils to the mainstream school which
was usually on a part time basis initially, and focused on student
strengths. Students returned to school with the support of a
teacher or Learning Support Assistant, wherever possible, and
a were under report with clearly identified targets to achieve.
Students were monitored closely following reintegration. Failure
to make a positive return to school would normally result in
a managed move, PRU placement, a college links course, work experience
or permanent exclusion.
-
- Learning Mentor:
- The mentoring programme was a government
initiative funded through "Excellence in Cities" to
support schools in raising standards, specifically in raising
pupils attainment, improving attendance and reducing permanent
and fixed term exclusions. Learning mentors identify and support
children who need additional help at school, leaving teachers
more free time to teach. One-to-one, early intervention in schools
has been shown to help improve children's learning. The Learning
Mentor helped schools to take a more individualised approach
to teaching and learning, focused upon the individual student.
As part of a team of 4 Mentors working with Key Stage 3 (11-14
years old) pupils, potential mentees were proposed by Head of
Years. Mentors collated information regarding attendance and
punctuality, Cognitive Ability Tasks (CATs) and Standard Assesment
Tasks (SATs) scores, information from subject staff and behaviour
problems. Learning Mentors also observed students in class. Learning
mentors work with teaching and pastoral staff, parents, community
and business mentors to help pupils overcome problems inside
and outside of school. The role includes: smoothing the transition
from primary to secondary school by speeding up the efficient
transfer of pupil information; contributing to assessment of
pupils entering or returning to school, and of all children at
the end of Years 7 and 9, to help identify those needing extra
help drawing up and implementing action plans for children needing
extra support keeping in regular contact with families and carers
of children needing support; and encouraging families to be involved
in children's learning acting as a point of contact for specialist
support and building up knowledge of support services available
to children liaising with post-16 personal advisors to identify
and support pupils at risk of dropping out and to ensure they
go on to further training and education linking with voluntary,
community and business mentors working with pupils. Pupils were
referred for reasons such as needing support, underachievement,
lack of participation in school based activities, poor motivation,
poor attendance / punctuality, risk of exclusion or were new
entrants to school. Agreement was sought from parents and arrangements
were made to meet their mentees regularly, usually once or twice
a week in lesson times. They were observed and then supported
in lessons. Meetings took place in specially refurbished rooms
and students were withdrawn from lessons, with subject teachers'
prior knowledge and agreement. Targets were set and progress
discussed. Mentoring continued until all felt confident that
the student had made progressed and no longer required support.
Parents were contacted regularly and were encouraged to contribute
to target setting and to negotiate out of school rewards. Some
students were on a positive report, where parents were able to
see progress and staff comments on a daily basis. Mentors accompanied
parents to consultation day meetings and were able to contribute
information. Mentors met regularly with each other to discuss
individuals and shared concerns and good practice. Mentoring
sessions would be gradually reduced and parents consulted before
support would cease. The initiative had an impact on permanent
exclusions and fixed term exclusions.
-
- Publicity Officer:
- Arranged press releases, interviews and contacts
with local, regional and national media regarding school academic
achievements, sporting accomplishments, community service, individual/team
participation, charity work and curriculum. Arranged a noticeboard
display of latest news articles and WWW publication of press
releases and articles.
-
- For Press Releases for Raine's Foundation
School:
- www.davidaspencer.com/rainesfoundation/pressreleases.html
- For News Articles about Raine's Foundation
School:
- www.davidaspencer.com/rainesfoundation/inthenews.html
-
- A column in the Raine's Foundation School
Weekly Bulletin called "Newswatch" informed the staff
of the newspaper articles as they came out.
-
- Development Officer:
- Sought external funding for Raine's Foundation
School's application for "Science Specialist College Status".
The application, to the Department for Education and Skills,
involves the raising of £50,000 from local relevant businesses
in financial and management support. The pledge would be matched
by an initial Capital Grant of £100,000 from the Department
for Education and Skills. This would then be further supported
by an annual grant over 3 (possibly 4) years of £123,000
from the Department for Education and Skills, reflecting the
costs of implementing the development plan. Thus, a total income
of £494,000 (£617,000) will be available to Raine's
Foundation School. Targeted a specific local company for pledge
support which resulted in a positive result of £25,000
being raised. A further £25,000 was raised from the Cass
Foundation by the Headteacher.
-
- General:
- Attended Staff meetings, Departmental (Learning
Support) Meeting, Learning Mentor Meetings, Sixth Form Teacher
meetings. Numerous discussions with Headteacher regarding the
Publicity and Development of the school. Inset course attendance.
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