The Training Model
The ITT ECF framework sets out the entitlement of every trainee and early career teacher (ECT) to the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and to the mentoring and support from expert colleagues they should receive throughout the initial years of their career. The design of the ITT ECF ensures that ECTs purposefully revisit the elements of teaching introduced in ITT to deepen their knowledge and understanding. The ITT ECF is designed to equip all trainees and ECTs with a shared body of knowledge and skills, irrespective of subject or phase.
Kingsbridge, as a provider of ITT, have translated the ITT ECF framework into a carefully sequenced curriculum of training
‘Learn that…’ statements are informed by the best available educational research. Our Kingsbridge curriculum highlights the robust evidence base that underpins our programme. In addition, the ‘Learn how to…’ statements draw upon a wider evidence base combining academic research with expert guidance from practitioners through practice activities and mentor interactions on school-based placements. Trainees will develop their knowledge and practice in line with the ‘learn how to…’ statements through a range of activities including:
- Observation of expert colleagues and practice
- Deconstruction of expert practice involving discussion and analysis with an expert colleague (mentor) to identify what makes the approach particularly successful
- Opportunities to engage in planning activities including scripting, co-planning and low stake rehearsal outside the classroom
- Receiving clear, consistent feedback through effective mentoring to guide trainees to refine and develop their practice
- Receiving appropriate challenge and critique from expert colleagues to probe the trainee to take the lead in their own development.
Our curriculum is underpinned by five core areas:
| 1. Behaviour and Expectations | 2. How Pupils Learn and Effective Teaching | 3. Subject and Curriculum Knowledge | 4. Assessment | 5. Professional Behaviours |
The curriculum taught sessions link to each of these five core areas. Each core area is revisited throughout the training year as part of a spiral curriculum where trainees are encouraged to master the basics before moving on to more complex content. This supports trainee teachers to remember and apply content effectively as they make their transition from a novice to a more expert teacher.
Within each of the five core areas, trainees explore key content that underpins their understanding of classroom practice and the pedagogical choices they make to improve outcomes for pupils. The content, covered as a minimum but not limited to this, is listed below for reference:
| CORE AREA | CONTENT COVERED WITHIN |
| Behaviour & Expectations |
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| How Pupils Learn & Effective Teaching |
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| Subject & Curriculum Knowledge |
Note: These areas are revisited through different subject specific lens through Kingsbridge’s subject knowledge curriculum sessions. |
| Assessment |
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| Professional Behaviours |
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Throughout their training year, trainees access a combination of core sessions – developing understanding of pedagogical skills such as questioning and modelling – and subject knowledge sessions – developing their understanding of the concepts within a subject. Opportunities are taken to revisit pedagogical knowledge as a golden thread through subject knowledge sessions to ensure purposeful integration. For example, trainees would explore how the science of learning applies in English by exploring small steps in the subject and what extraneous cognitive load may look like within this specific subject area.
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Curriculum Input The training model structure is cyclical. It allows you to engage with curriculum input from Kingsbridge, whether this be a subject knowledge or core pedagogy focus. You will learn new content during the training sessions.
Practice and Application When you return to school, you will then enter the practice and apply phase of our Kingsbridge programme design. You will work collaboratively with your mentor to build on your training through engaging with outlined practice tasks and activities to help you to cover the ‘learn how to’ statements from the ITTECF.
Impact on Teaching and Learning This integration of evidence informed CPD from your Kingsbridge sessions into classroom practice will lead to positive impact on teaching and learning and ultimately outcomes for the pupils you teach. Short observations that help you reflect on your practice with your mentor will help you to consider your impact and continually commit to improving practice through precise action steps. |
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