PGCE Mentoring and School Experience 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'target setting' in PGCE mentoring involve?
- Setting a grade target for the trainee's university assignments
- Identifying specific, actionable areas for improvement in teaching practice, linked to the Teachers' Standards (Correct answer)
- Predicting the attainment grades of pupils in the trainee's classes
- Setting deadlines for submitting lesson plan templates
Correct answer: Identifying specific, actionable areas for improvement in teaching practice, linked to the Teachers' Standards
Effective target-setting in ITT identifies precise, prioritised development areas in teaching practice and sets clear, time-bound goals aligned to the Teachers' Standards.
Good targets in PGCE mentoring are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) and linked to evidence from lesson observations. For example: 'Increase wait time after questions to at least 5 seconds - to be evidenced in observation on [date]'. Targets should focus on one or two priorities at a time to avoid overload, and progress should be reviewed weekly.
Question 2: What is a 'professional learning community' (PLC) and how might a PGCE trainee benefit from one?
- A closed online forum for qualified teachers only, not accessible to trainees
- A collaborative group of educators who share practice, reflect together, and support each other professional development (Correct answer)
- A formal professional body, like the Chartered College of Teaching, that trainees can join for a fee
- A weekly school briefing led by the headteacher
Correct answer: A collaborative group of educators who share practice, reflect together, and support each other professional development
A PLC is a group of practitioners who collaborate to improve their practice through shared reflection and inquiry, offering trainees collegial support, models of practice, and professional dialogue.
Professional learning communities (Dufour and Eaker, 1998) are characterised by: shared values and vision; collective responsibility for pupil learning; collaborative inquiry; and a focus on results. For PGCE trainees, participating in departmental meetings, team-teaching, peer observation, and school improvement groups offers exposure to collaborative professional culture beyond the individual classroom.
Question 3: What is meant by 'professional conduct' expectations in the Teachers' Standards Part Two?
- Requirements relating to lesson planning quality and assessment practices
- Standards governing teachers personal and professional conduct, including safeguarding, honesty, tolerance and not undermining fundamental British values (Correct answer)
- A code of dress and appearance for teachers in maintained schools
- Requirements about how teachers communicate with Ofsted inspectors
Correct answer: Standards governing teachers personal and professional conduct, including safeguarding, honesty, tolerance and not undermining fundamental British values
Part Two of the Teachers' Standards covers professional conduct: treating pupils with dignity; observing safeguarding duties; not undermining British values; maintaining appropriate boundaries; and being honest and trustworthy.
Part Two standards state that teachers must: treat pupils with dignity and build safe environments; not undermine fundamental British values (democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance); maintain appropriate and professional relationships; observe proper safeguarding procedures; be honest about their conduct; and not behave in ways that would call into question their fitness to teach.
Question 4: What is 'Teach First' and how does it differ from a traditional university-led PGCE?
- Teach First is the same as a university PGCE but delivered in summer schools
- Teach First is a school-based employment programme where trainees teach from day one in challenging schools while qualifying, rather than a pre-service university-based programme (Correct answer)
- Teach First is a government programme for retraining experienced teachers in new subjects
- Teach First refers to a pedagogy approach of teaching the most important content in the first lesson
Correct answer: Teach First is a school-based employment programme where trainees teach from day one in challenging schools while qualifying, rather than a pre-service university-based programme
Teach First is a school-based employment route where graduates teach full-time from the start in schools serving disadvantaged communities, earning a salary while qualifying.
Teach First (launched 2003) recruits high-achieving graduates to teach in schools in challenging circumstances. Trainees are employed as salaried teachers from September, complete an intensive summer institute, and are supported by school mentors and university partners while teaching full-time. They work towards QTS and a PGCE. It differs from traditional PGCE routes in that trainees are employees, not students, from the start.
Question 5: What is the 'Early Career Framework' (ECF) and how does it relate to PGCE training?
- A document setting out expectations for EYFS and Key Stage 1 teachers only
- A statutory entitlement to structured support, mentoring and professional development for newly qualified teachers in their first two years (Correct answer)
- The curriculum framework for PGCE university coursework and assignments
- A framework for identifying teachers at risk of failing their performance management review
Correct answer: A statutory entitlement to structured support, mentoring and professional development for newly qualified teachers in their first two years
The ECF (2019) guarantees all Early Career Teachers (ECTs, formerly NQTs) a structured two-year induction with a dedicated mentor, reduced timetable, and access to evidence-based CPD - a continuation of PGCE professional development.
The Early Career Framework (DfE, 2019) was introduced to reduce early-career attrition. It provides: a 10% timetable reduction in year 1 and 5% in year 2; a dedicated ECT mentor distinct from line management; structured evidence-based CPD aligned to five core areas (behaviour, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, professional development); and regular review. It is delivered by government-approved providers.
Question 6: How should a PGCE trainee respond constructively to critical feedback from their mentor?
- Explain why the lesson went the way it did and defend every decision made
- Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, identify specific next steps, and reflect on how to incorporate the feedback into future practice (Correct answer)
- Accept all feedback without question, regardless of whether it aligns with the university's guidance
- Wait until the next observation to show improvement without discussing the feedback with the mentor
Correct answer: Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, identify specific next steps, and reflect on how to incorporate the feedback into future practice
Constructive response to critical feedback involves active listening, reflection, professional dialogue and incorporating specific actions into future teaching - a key professional learning habit.
Receiving feedback productively is a professional skill: listen without becoming defensive; ask clarifying questions; take notes; acknowledge specific points; and identify concrete actions. Research on novice teacher development (Berliner's five stages) shows early career teachers who actively seek and use feedback progress faster. Defensiveness blocks development; openness to critique is one of the clearest markers of high-potential trainees.
PGCE Mentoring and School Experience 2
What does 'target setting' in PGCE mentoring involve?