January 2024

In this session we want participants to build on their understanding of the ECT programme so that, by the end of the session, participants feel confident about the purpose of the programme, how it will support their learning over the course of the two years and what they are expected to do as participants on this programme. Participants will also develop their understanding of how pupils learn and explore why it is important to apply this knowledge to their teaching practice, including how to consider planning for long-lasting learning. It is advised that participants bring an upcoming lesson plan or unit of work to support their thinking, as there will be an opportunity for action planning in the final session.

Please bring the clinic workbook (we will email you the workbooks in advance of the session)

How can teachers prevent and respond to low level disruption to create a positive, predictable and safe learning environment?

Early Career Teachers (ECTs) will: 

• Consider the importance of high expectations and their impact upon pupils

• Consider what effective practice around maintaining high expectations might look like

• Understand the process of using underlying features (components that can be applied across all subjects, phases or settings, and are a guide for what good practice is likely to look like) to analyse effective classroom practice which maintains high expectations

• Gain a deeper understanding of how the underlying features might apply across different classroom scenarios

• Use the underlying features to reflect on their current practice around maintaining high expectations

Please bring the clinic workbook (we will email you the workbooks in advance of the session) & a resource for an upcoming lesson which includes a whole class discussion, or group or paired activity.

How can teachers support all pupils to think hard during whole class, group and paired discussions?

This clinic focuses on how teachers can support their pupils to think hard through establishing and maintaining culture, considering purpose and timing, planning and scaffolding and monitoring to adapt. 

The scenarios in this clinic will all address the following teaching problem:

How can teachers support all pupils to think hard during whole class, group and paired discussions?

Please bring the clinic workbook (we will email you the workbooks in advance of the session) & a resource for an upcoming lesson in which you will be giving some form of feedback.

How can teachers give timely and effective feedback that supports pupils progress and is considerate of workload?

Early Career Teachers (ECTs) will: 

• Understand the underlying features of effective feedback

• Understand how effective feedback can support adaptive teaching

• Know how different forms of feedback can look in a classroom context

Participants will understand: 

• What Year 2 of the programme entails.  

• How the programme supports you to develop your expertise.  

• The importance of protecting time for rest and recovery in order to manage your wellbeing.  

Participants will reflect on: 

• How developing your practice can support your wellbeing in the longer term. 

Please bring the clinic workbook (we will email you the workbooks in advance of the session) 

How can teachers hold effective conversations with a range of people to support pupil wellbeing, motivation and progress?

• To understand the components of an effective professional conversation

• To know how effective conversations look in a range of contexts

• To reflect on current practice when holding conversations with others

Please bring the clinic workbook (we will email you the workbooks in advance of the session) & a resource for an upcoming lesson which has a reading, writing or speaking and/or listening component.

How can teachers meaningfully support all pupils to develop high levels of literacy?

• To understand the components of literacy

• To understand the underlying features of effective literacy teaching

• To understand what literacy teaching looks like for ECTs in a range of contexts

• To reflect on current practice around teaching literacy

Please bring the clinic workbook (we will email you the workbooks in advance of the session).

How can teachers make effective, long-lasting change to their practice?

This conference sets mentors up with the fundamentals that will underpin your success and the success of your teachers on this programme including what the ECF is and how Ambition Institute’s programme is structured.  The session covers the underlying evidence base for the programme, including the science of learning and why instructional coaching is a ‘best bet’ for teacher improvement.  The session will explain the instructional coaching model and provide a step by step ‘walk through’ of each stage of the instructional coaching cycle. Each stage will provide an overview of what the stage involves, when and how it should be done, as well as underlying features, a model and an opportunity to practise.

Option A: Planning a model

In option A, participants will look at the process of contextualisation when planning a model. It is important that models are both rooted in the success criteria and consider the factors impacting the way a step will be enacted in an ECT’s specific context. 

The section will start with an example of the model planning process in action, exemplifying a fictional mentor’s approach in practice. The facilitator will introduce mentors to a mentor-specific step for development and a set of success criteria for effectively planning a model. The facilitator will then analyse how these criteria are met in the example.

In the second section of the session, mentors will then have the opportunity to apply this strategy in practice. After taking some time to plan a model, participants will take it in turns to share their model and receive feedback against the success criteria of the mentor-specific step. 

Option B: Sharing a model

In option B, participants will look at the process of contextualisation when delivering a model. When sharing a model, it is important to highlight not only where and how it meets the success criteria for the step, but also how these success criteria relate to the ECT’s specific context.

The section will start with an example of a mentor sharing a model with their ECT, considering both the success criteria and the ECT’s specific context. The example is a fictional mentor’s approach, designed to model best practice. The facilitator will introduce mentors to a mentor-specific step for development and a set of success criteria for effectively delivering a model. The facilitator will then analyse how these criteria are met in the example.

In the second section of the session, mentors will then have the opportunity to apply this strategy in practice. After taking some time to plan a script to use when sharing a model with their ECT, participants will take it in turns to share their scripting and receive feedback against the success criteria of the mentor-specific step.

Mentor conference 2 supports mentors to develop your instructional coaching skills further to adapt the coaching model to meet the increasing expertise of an ECT. The session covers the importance of the second year of the Early Career Teacher Programme as well as the similarities and differences between the first and second years. Participants will explore the role of the mentor within the programme in year 2 and how to adapt instructional coaching as early career teachers develop expertise.

Coaching for mentors is a training offer exclusively aimed at mentors on the ECT programme.

Structure & Content 

The basic structure of CFM is a 1:1, 45 minutes to 1 hour long coaching meeting between a mentor and a coach arranged at a time that is convenient to the mentor.

The session aims to support and develop the mentor's ability to coach their ECT in their weekly/fortnightly feedback meetings. Ambition Institute have prepared resources for these 1:1 sessions which related to the developmental steps we have created for mentors. These steps relate to the following areas of instructional coaching: 

• Selecting appropriate steps

 • Sharing the model 

• Sharing the step 

• Deliberate practice 

• Analysing the gap

Coaching for mentors is an ‘optional’ strand of the ECT programme.

2A) Analysing the gap

In option A, participants will look at how questioning can be used to encourage ECTs to reflect on their current and target practice, supporting ECTs to analyse the gap between the two and build the knowledge needed to move towards the latter.

The section will start with an introduction to the strategy, followed by an I do model exemplifying a fictional mentor’s use of the strategy in practice. The facilitator will introduce mentors to a set of success criteria underpinning the successful implementation of the strategy and analyse how these criteria are met in the model.

In the second section of the session, mentors will then have the opportunity to apply this strategy in practice. In groups of three, they will take it in turns to play the roles of mentor, ECT and coach. Each mentor will complete 3 rounds of practice and receive feedback from their coach after each one.

2B) Selecting challenging steps

In option B, participants will look at how the three layers of challenge built into each step can be used to move ECTs forward in each area of practice. 

The section will start with an introduction to the strategy, including an exploration of the considerations that need to be in place when considering which level of challenge to select. Participants will then read a model exemplifying a fictional mentor’s thought process when selecting a challenging step and the scripting the mentor uses when introducing this step choice to her ECT. The facilitator will introduce mentors to a set of success criteria underpinning the successful selection of a challenging step and analyse how these criteria are met in the model

In the second section of the session, mentors will then have the opportunity to apply this strategy in practice. In pairs, they will take it in turns to play the roles of mentor and ECT. Each mentor will complete 2 rounds of practice and receive feedback from their partner (in role as ECT) after each one.

Coaching for mentors is a training offer exclusively aimed at mentors on the ECT programme.

Structure & Content 

The basic structure of CFM is a 1:1, 45 minutes to 1 hour long coaching meeting between a mentor and a coach arranged at a time that is convenient to the mentor.

The session aims to support and develop the mentor's ability to coach their ECT in their weekly/fortnightly feedback meetings. Ambition Institute have prepared resources for these 1:1 sessions which related to the developmental steps we have created for mentors. These steps relate to the following areas of instructional coaching: 

• Selecting appropriate steps

 • Sharing the model 

• Sharing the step 

• Deliberate practice 

• Analysing the gap

Coaching for mentors is an ‘optional’ strand of the ECT programme.