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School perspectives: Benefits of mentoring for the school
‘As many ITT mentors have also been ITTs/ECTs with us, we have developed a group of strong mentors who follow a consistent approach to the role. As our mentors have all experienced what a strong mentor looks like, they are then able to continue this and maintain the same strong standards in school. As a result, mentors realise the importance of giving time to their trainees and supporting them, especially in the early weeks of a placement. By investing this time to support their trainees, mentors are then able to experience the dividends of this as trainees feel comfortable and supported.’
– Inner city, all-through school
‘It is important to not understate the value and opportunities that being a mentor brings to a more experienced teacher. Some of our mentors have been asked to be included on interview panels to help recruit new trainee teachers and they have spoken about how this CPD has been very useful in preparing them for a middle or senior leadership role within the school’
– Large, urban secondary school
‘Initial Teacher Training does not only have a positive impact from the perspective of the trainee, but it also offers a wide range of professional development opportunities for current members of staff wishing to advance their own careers. Experienced staff members can become mentors, support tutors, and even facilitate during the trainee’s professional studies days; opportunities that could be the difference between retaining that staff member or them moving onto another school for greater opportunities or even different sectors entirely.’
– Large primary school academy
‘Mentoring allows teachers the opportunity to pass on their expertise within the school, giving praise and building confidence around school, as well as giving clear, manageable areas of development with ‘next steps’.’
– Inner city, all-through school
‘Within the school, we look at utilising the strong training that ECTs have received [with external providers] and within school CPD to train ECTs at the end of their second induction year. By upskilling, investing and developing mentors from strong ECT 2s, it enables the school to continue to develop a cycle of strong mentors, middle leaders and the next generation of Senior Leaders.’
– Inner city, all-through school
‘We have not only welcomed trainee teachers but also provided continuous support and guidance to mentors who have been instrumental in nurturing these trainees over several years. Furthermore, our school recognizes the potential for career development among experienced teachers through ITT. These educators have taken on roles as mentors and have become experts in various elements of ITT. They work alongside trainees from different year groups, showcasing their expertise and leading trainee development. To guarantee mentors can effectively perform their roles, we allocate additional time outside of the classroom, often drawing from Planning, Preparation, and Assessment (PPA) time.’
– Urban/Inner city junior school
‘Because we value the experience of our ITT students, we ensure the mentor is carefully selected and given time to support the trainee. They access any training provided by the course providers and complete the paperwork/meetings with tutors etc.’
– 2-form entry, urban primary school
‘We have some members of staff, who are experienced in mentoring, and they enjoy supporting the development of others. It supports their own career development, and they say they learn things from others, so find new ways of teaching and adapting through the eyes of their students, too.’
– 2-form entry, urban primary school
‘Schools welcome the opportunity for mentors to visit their trainee whilst on their cross-phase second school experience. This supports trainees to reflect on what they have learned and are applying to their new school and enables the mentor to continue to see the trainee’s development outside of their own setting. Mentors frequently comment on how powerful this is, enabling them to be ‘context free’ and not entrenched in the knowledge of the class/cohort.’
–Initial Teacher Training Provider
‘The ITT Provider allows our teaching team to develop valuable mentoring experience and the training provided has been applied to working with other stakeholders. Having mentors able to visit other schools to see their trainees on placement has been invaluable; in Spring 2 a teacher is always telling me about a fantastic piece of practice they will be stealing from what they have observed!’
– Large primary school academy
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