Partnership aims and criteria

Partnering with schools, colleges, training providers, and other agencies, we're pushing up standards of training, and developing classroom practice
Colored pencils on white background by goir, courtesy of Shutterstock
We want to make sure all Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes are structured to develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding that student teachers need to meet the qualified teacher status (QTS) standards. We also want to incorporate opportunities to assess students' demonstration of these.
That's why we partner with schools, colleges, training providers, and other agencies. As well as supporting and developing classroom practice, all our partners are committed to the improvement of training programmes through a systematic cycle of review and development.
Training through partnership brings a wealth of expertise and skills to student teachers. It also provides rich opportunities for joint professional development and the exchange of ideas and practice.
Partnership aims
Training partnership between the Plymouth Institute of Education and schools, colleges, training providers, and other agencies, aims to:
  • facilitate the provision of high quality initial teacher education
  • make full use of the range of complementary expertise available in schools, colleges, training providers, and other agencies, and the Plymouth Institute of Education in initial training programmes
  • maximise the benefits of setting-based experience for all student teachers in initial teacher education and the learners they teach
  • promote the continued professional development of Plymouth Institute of Education staff and the staff of partnership schools, colleges, training providers, and other agencies, through joint professional activities.
Partnership criteria
Our partners are on the basis of a combination of the following selection criteria.
  • Quality of teaching and learning (as evidenced, for example, through the school’s most recent OfSTED report or SEF).
  • Clear understanding of the professional standards for teachers (in particular Q) and the requirements for ITE.
  • Provision of suitable models of professional practice for student teachers.
  • Commitment to safeguarding - an appropriate safeguarding policy for children, young people, or vulnerable adults must be in place.
  • Operation of safer recruitment procedures to ensure that all appropriate checks are carried out on staff, volunteers, and student teachers who work with children, young people, or vulnerable adults.
  • Effective procedures policies for avoiding discrimination and promoting equal opportunities, including racial equality.
  • Clear whole school policies on the management of behaviour.
  • Commitment to the development of others through team work and collaboration, demonstrated by members of the whole school workforce.
  • Support of setting-based tutors/mentors through release for working with student teachers and for other forms of associated professional development.
  • Effective policy for special educational needs which meets the requirements of the Code of Practice.
  • Willingness to sign the partnership agreement in recognition of the procedures and requirements set out in the appropriate partnership documentation.
  • Commitment to professional development that includes provision for on-going training for the whole school workforce.
  • Demonstration of good practice in curriculum development.
  • Provision of excellent models of teaching through staff working within the training programmes.
  • Comprehensive policy on teaching and learning, which includes specific provision for children/students with special educational needs.
  • ICT and other specialist resources that will be accessible to students to meet the demands placed on them within the professional standards.
  • Provision of information required by the partnership office.
Full details about working in partnership are available in handbooks provided for students and schools, colleges, training providers, and other agencies, during each period of settings-based work.

Initial Teacher Training Partnership Agreement