Your Primary School-based Experience

This book is an essential companion for all primary trainee teachers, whatever their training route. It focuses on the school-based experience and provides both practical strategies and opportunities for reflection, so trainees are challenged to critically evaluate their learning in order to improve attainment and ultimately succeed while in their school settings. The book reflects current educational policy and embraces key national priority areas including behaviour, inclusion and the teaching of phonics and early mathematics. Other chapters look at professional partnerships, planning and assessment, employability and, crucially, how to move from good to outstanding teaching. Case studies enliven the text and present a range of perspectives for consideration, while critical questions engage the reader and promote a deeper understanding of the text. This second edition of Primary School Placements has been fully revised throughout and in particular provides an increased focus on evidence-based practice and is referenced to the latest national curriculum.

Branwen Bingle is a Senior Lecturer in primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) at the University of Worcester. Always a committed mentor of students in the classroom, Branwen moved from primary teaching into ITE in 2008. She has been a supply teacher and support assistant for Service Children’s Education; a basic skills tutor working with adults in the military; a private day nursery teacher working with 3 & 4 year olds; a Secondary English teacher working across KS3 and 4, including the teaching of GCSE; and a subject leader for Literacy in two middle schools. In addition to supporting undergraduate and PG trainees, she is currently working on doctoral research into children’s literature and its potential influence on professional identity construction/aspiration.

Catriona Robinson is a principal lecturer in primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) at the University of Worcester. As a tutor she has supported both undergraduate and PGCE trainees and has worked in placement settings with them. In addition she has developed training programmes for school mentors, been the Primary Partnership Manager and Acting Head of Primary Strategic Partnerships investigating new and more creative placements for trainees. She has recently taken on the role of Assessment Only Route Lead for Primary and Secondary.

Colin Howard is a senior primary lecturer in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) at the University of Worcester. He has been involved in primary education for over 24 years of which 14 years has been as a successful head teacher in both small village and large primary school settings. He has been involved in inspecting schools for the Diocese of Hereford as a S48 SIAS Inspector and has a strong research interest in the influence that school buildings have upon their stakeholders.