“Trainees are immensely well supported by knowledgeable and inspirational tutors and by highly skilled, committed mentors.”
Ofsted report 2024

At Edge Hill University, we believe professional practice mentors at schools and settings play a crucial role in developing the trainees’ knowledge, understanding and skills in teaching, as well as preparing them for their future careers in a variety of educational settings. Trainees at all phases are entitled to receiving clear, consistent and effective mentoring and regular structured feedback from their mentor.

Our mentor curriculum is underpinned by evidenced-based approaches, including the principles of instructional coaching (Kraft et al., 2018), research-informed principles in dialogic processes of teacher improvement (Knight, 2007), the importance of mentors making accurate judgements about trainees’ performance, providing frequent and appropriate opportunities to rehearse effective teaching habits (Sims et al., 2021) and instructional coaching (Sherrington & Caviliogli, 2021).

Working with definitions of the mentor from the National Standards for School-based ITT mentors and the CCF and ITT Requirements for 2024 our curriculum will develop knowledge, understanding and skills in:

1. The specific knowledge, personal attributes and skills needed in mentoring ITTs

2. The techniques of observation, deconstruction and feedback from a range of mentoring and coaching approaches

3. The intent and key design principles of the EHU trainee curriculum

4. The core evidence base of the CCF , School-based ITT mentor Standards, and the EHU curriculum

5. Subject/phase specific mentoring

Mentor Curriculum 2024-25

All mentors on allocation of a trainee will complete an Initial Mentor Development Audit form.

Please complete the form to generate an individual response to inform you of the mentor development DfE requirements for 2024-25 academic year.

Mentor Development Opportunities

All EHU mentors will complete the following, which will be recognised and recorded.

For schools in England these will be classed as hours for the DfE mentoring criteria:

Core Mentor Training Unit

This training is for all mentors across all phases.

NB If completed in 2023-24 this will not need to be repeated.

Phase Specific Briefing

Attend phase specific training online for your trainees’ phase or subject specific guidance. The online training will be delivered by the subject or mentoring team and will detail the professional practice expectations for your trainee.

Click here for times and dates and to register for your phase specific briefing(s)

QA checkpoints

Link Tutors will contact you to make arrangements for the QA 1-4 checkpoints.

Start here: Sign up and enrol

Core Mentor Training Unit
Click Here

Phase Specific Briefings
Click Here

Bite-sized Mentor Development Units

Mentors will be experienced classroom experts who draw on research-informed principles in dialogic processes of teacher improvement (Knight., 2007). Effective mentors will make accurate judgements about trainees’ performance, providing frequent and appropriate opportunities to rehearse effective teaching habits (Sims et al., 2021).

As part of the Mentor Development offer for 2024-25 we have the following online bite-sized mentor development units available:

Supporting Trainees’ Workload and wellbeing (1 notional hour)

Target setting and Feedback within the Weekly Development Summary (WDS) (1 notional hour)

An Introduction to the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) (1 notional hour)

Behaviour Management for Mentors (1 notional hour)

Assessing trainee progress (1 notional hour)

Supporting Inclusive Mentoring: with a choice of optional units ADHD, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, EDI (2 notional hours)

Intensive training and practice (1 notional hour)

DfE Funding for Schools

Funding guidance for schools based in England is here (Conditions of grant- initial teacher training reform funding) and gives school partners the information they will require for understanding the funding conditions and how to claim in Spring 2025. We are holding optional information briefings for school or placement leads to give updates on the DFE changes and reform funding. There are some online briefings to support colleagues who arrange professional practice.

Conditions of funding

Short briefing session update on mentor development for 2024-25 for those colleagues in Primary, Early Years or Secondary schools arranging professional practice placements in partner schools and settings in IoM, NI or Wales. This will include an overview of DFE compliancy and reform funding for 2024.

Undertake up to 20 hours of initial mentor training.
Mentor at least one trainee in the academic year.

A school cannot claim funding if a mentor completed their training but does not work with a trainee.

Payments

For each mentor that completes the full 20 hours of training:

The school can claim £876 (£43.80 per hour).
The school must submit their claims by the end of July 2025.
Payment will be paid in arrears from September 2025.

Mentor Development Update Briefings

Briefing for mentor development 2024-25 for colleagues in IoM, NI or Wales – Wednesday 25th September

Short briefing session update on mentor development for 2024-25 for those colleagues arranging professional practice placements in partner schools and settings in England.

Briefing for mentor development 2024-25 for colleagues in England Tuesday 10th September at 3pm and Monday 23rd September at 12.30

Further information on Mentoring can be found here if required Mentor Development – Mentor Space (edgehill.ac.uk)