The Leeds Beckett Schools Teacher Education Partnership

We have a variety of students looking for placements in nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools (3-7, 5-11 and 11-18) including undergraduates training as teachers on a 3-year route with QTS and PGCE trainees who follow a one-year full time course with QTS. Our trainees develop their theoretical knowledge at our School on Headingley Campus, which offers a superb learning environment, modern facilities and excellent resources. Their learning is informed by the very latest research and the expertise of our supportive teaching staff.

Supporting a trainee in your setting means:

  • We pay organisations for hosting trainees via BACS. We send the payment confirmation form for you to complete towards the end of each phase
  • New perspectives from the trainee to innovate and enrich the classroom experience
  • An additional resource allowing time for staff to observe trainee and reflect on own practice
  • Excellent recruitment prospects for graduates or NQTs
  • The opportunity to develop mentoring skills and share good practice
  • Evidence of a commitment to improving standards
  • Our PebblePad placement system reduces administration for mentors and makes all our documentation easier to access
  • Access to training, conferences, courses and other professional development opportunities
  • Opportunities for mentor development leading to a university award

We organise regular Mentor training sessions at Headingley Campus. If you are unable to attend we also provide bespoke training in your organisation. For more information please contact the Placement Office.

The Carnegie School of Education offer a number of professional development opportunities for your staff.

Partnership agreement

The aim of the Partnership is to take shared responsibility for progressing the learning and achievement of pupils of all abilities in schools through the complementary resources and expertise of the partnership. We expect all pupils taught by our trainees to make good or better progress.

Organisations accommodating trainees on placement are part of a Partnership which has been developed over many years and represents an established relationship with the university.

Paired placements

We have indicated placement phases where the paired placement model works really well. The benefit of a paired placement is that any training such as support with planning or assessment can be delivered to trainees together. If trainees are team teaching then one lesson observation can be done and elements of Mentor sessions may be done with the pair if appropriate.

Each trainee on a paired placement is required to teach a minimum of 30% of the timetable individually. Alternatively, the trainees’ team teach for up to 50% of the timetable.

Our school had two first year trainees, on a paired placement, in our EYFS classroom. I was worried having two trainees in a class of only 20 pupils as I was not sure it would really benefit the students. However, it has been a very worthwhile experience. The students have had a chance to discuss their daily experience with a meaningful dialogue. The children have also benefited from having additional adult support in the classroom and this can never be underestimated. I think it is a brilliant way to introduce students to their training and the subsequent demands of teaching.

Feedback from placement setting

PebblePad

PebblePad is an online tool facilitating the broad and secure assessment of trainees, taking into account lesson observations, pupil assessment data and scrutiny of pupil work. The system allows trainees and those who work with them to record and measure progress through the Teacher Standards while trainees also build an online evidence portfolio.

To find out more information about PebblePad, including what a student workbook is and what you need to do to access their work, and what the process of sharing a student's work with you is, and how you can get support if you need it, please visit the Mentor Information: PebblePad on Placement web pages.