Week 24: Embedding Impact—Assessment, Inclusion, and Questioning
The Big Goal: Moving beyond "busy work" to ensure every instructional decision is backed by evidence of pupil understanding and inclusive practice.
The Pulse: CCF Focus
Theme: Assessment (CCF6) & Questioning for Challenge (CCF4)
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The "Why": Assessment is the engine of progress. It prevents us from being over-influenced by "compliance"—how busy a pupil appears—and focuses instead on genuine understanding. By mastering questioning and wait-times, we turn passive listening into active knowledge development.
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Weekly Target: TS4 (m/n). Focus on including a range of question types to extend pupils and providing appropriate "wait time" (often longer than we think!) to allow for developed, thoughtful responses.
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Mentor Action: Assessment Talk-Through. Review the formative assessment methods the trainee has used this week. Discuss their engagement with self and peer assessment—were these activities effective in moving the learning forward, or did they miss the mark?
The Toolkit: Mentor Bites Podcast
The 3-Minute Takeaway:
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Avoid the "Busy" Trap: As Dylan Wiliams emphasizes, we must be clear about the decision an assessment supports before we use it. If it doesn't inform a decision, its value is lost.
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High-Quality Feedback: Whether verbal or written, feedback must be accurate, clear, and actionable. The goal is to support pupils in monitoring their own learning over time.
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DEI in the Room: Use Dr. Adam Brett’s DEI framework to identify "blank spots" in lesson resources. Inclusion isn't just a safety net; it's a bridge to greater diversity in classroom thinking.
Roadmap & Logistics: Teaching Allocations
We are currently in Phase 3: Embedding. Trainees should be maintaining a steady 40% load as they build confidence in their SE2 placement.
|
Weeks |
Phase |
Teaching Load |
50-min Lessons |
60-min Lessons |
100-min Lessons |
|
23-24 |
Embedding (SE2) |
40% of 5/4 days |
11 |
8 |
5-6 |
|
25-26 |
Embedding (SE2) |
60% of 5/4 days |
16 |
12 |
8 |
Training & Development
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Assessment for Learning (Part 5): Dylan Wiliams via NASBTT. Focus on embedding formative assessment to provide critical information on pupil needs. Access NASBTT Hub
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Dr. Adam Brett on creating safe and inclusive classrooms. Trainees should be planning opportunities to develop greater diversity in their practice. Access DEI Resources
The Expert Corner: Research & Observation
To support your trainee's development this week, encourage these specific actions:
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Subject Research: Trainees should return to the Ofsted Curriculum Research Review for their subject. (Note: DT and Business trainees should consult their Subject Association). Summarize findings in the Subject Knowledge log.
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Focused Observation: Observe how a teacher uses a range of different question types to extend and challenge pupils (4m).
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Deliberate Practice: Practice question delivery with a specific focus on Wait Time (4n). Use question stems to elicit different response types, moving from basic recall to justification and vocabulary modelling.
Have a productive week supporting our trainees as they refine these vital pedagogical skills.
Best regards,
Edwina
The GUTP Team
About The Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership (GUTP)
The Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership (GUTP) is a premier provider of ITT in Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, and South Leicestershire. We specialize in high-quality School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) and Teacher Apprenticeships, offering both primary and secondary pathways to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Stay updated with the latest in East Midlands teacher training by visiting our portal at www.gutp.co.uk.
