Video introduction

• Watch the video.
• The video outlines what you will cover in this Block.

Video transcript

It is a fact that high-quality teaching has a long-term positive effect on pupils’ life chances; the progress you have made as an effective teacher, and continue to make, will support your pupils long after they leave your classroom. Some of your pupils have very specific needs such as special educational needs, others need additional support to overcome disadvantage; all should be treated as individuals who will learn and can achieve success if they are given the right support. Teachers can support all pupils to experience success; we can influence pupils’ resilience and their beliefs about their own ability. This can be done by seeking opportunities to engage parents and carers, and by working with families and colleagues to better understand pupils’ individual circumstances. How we as teachers work with other people is a really important part of our roles.

This Block will help you develop your work with other professionals to achieve the best outcomes for children. It will look at how a culture of mutual trust and respect supports you to build effective relationships with parents, carers and families and help you to understand how these relationships can be used to improve pupils’ motivation, behaviour and academic success.

Schools are unique communities that offer a wide range of opportunities for pupils and staff. You may be starting to feel an integrated member of the school community, with your own networks of colleagues and classes who you have come to know well. Now is a good time to think about how you can contribute further and benefit from taking part in more aspects of school life. It is also the perfect time to reflect on how you might further develop strategies next year to manage your workload and wellbeing and think about who else you might want to build relationships with to support this goal.

This Block builds on everything you have learned so far about effective classroom practice, subject knowledge, assessment and feedback, curriculum planning and adaptive teaching. Throughout this year you have been seeking to understand pupils’ differences, including their different levels of prior knowledge and potential barriers to learning, as an essential part of teaching. Have you done this effectively? What impact has it had? Have you used the knowledge of other people involved in each pupil’s learning, including parents?

Now is a time to look back at your first year and reflect on the interactions you have had, and the relationships you have built with pupils, with families and with other professionals, such as your SENCO and Teaching Assistants. How have these interactions helped pupils’ learning? This might have been through supporting you to improve your pedagogical and subject knowledge, or through adapting your teaching to pupils’ individual needs. It is also a good opportunity to look forward to how you will continue to build these relationships to support your practice and improve pupil learning.

You will be supported to develop your knowledge and understanding of these key areas through the self-directed study material you find here on the portal. You will also have opportunities to discuss key ideas and deepen your understanding with colleagues and peers. Finally, you will work with your mentor to integrate your learning from theory into practice.