Teacher Tutor

The current Early Career Teacher programme has been in place since 1996 when it was outlined in the paper, ‘Arrangements for Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland from 1 September 1996.’ The paper set out 5 areas of competence which underpinned the 3 stages of teacher education from the start of the 1996/97 academic year. The Induction stage was introduced at the start of the 1997/98 academic year and the arrangements for Early Professional Development (EPD) commenced at the start of the 1998/99 academic year.

In 2007, the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) revised the teacher competences and published them in ‘Teaching: the Reflective Profession’. These competences now underpin the Early Career Teacher Programme and the Continuing Teacher Education Programme in Northern Ireland.

Learning Leaders: A strategy for teacher professional learning was published by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland in 2016 setting out a strategy where every teacher is a learning leader from beginning teacher throughout their career.

The Department of Education (NI) publishes an online Teacher Education Partnership Handbook a guidance document for teacher-tutors and university tutors, as well as student teachers and early career teachers, and all those involved in the early years of teacher professional learning. 

The 3 main stages of Teacher Education are:

• Initial Teacher Education
• Induction - the first year of teaching
• Early Professional Development
  • EPD Year 1 (normally the second year of teaching)
  • EPD Year 2 (normally the third year of teaching)

The integrated approach to Teacher Education aims to provide Early Career Teachers with a more holistic experience in order that they may continue to develop as critical reflective practitioners, improve their teaching and the quality of pupil learning, and may see their ongoing professional development as part of a lifelong learning process. The integrated approach also enhances the collaborative partnership between the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the Education Authority and the schools. The GTCNI competences which underpin all three stages are framed to encourage teachers to focus appropriately on aspects of their practice through the key stages of their career.

A professional partnership exists between the schools, the ECT team of the Education Authority, the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and, where appropriate, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), the Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC), the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) and Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (CnaG). All partners contribute in a flexible and collaborative way to the provision of an integrated programme of teacher education with the aim of providing professional support to Early Career Teachers. While all partners are involved at each of the 3 stages

• the HEIs are the lead body at the Initial Teacher Education stage
• the ECT team of the Education Authority is the lead body at the Induction stage
• the schools are the lead body at the EPD stage.

The teacher competence model, described in the GTCNI’s publication, ‘Teaching: The Reflective Profession’, underpins all 3 stages of teacher education and career-long professional development (CLPD). This document sets out the competences, which student teachers and qualified teachers develop throughout their careers, under 5 areas of professional practice:

1. Professional Values & Practices
2. Professional Knowledge and Understanding
3. Professional Skills and Application in Planning & Leading
4. Professional Skills and Application in Teaching & Learning
5. Professional Skills and Application in Assessment

A Career Entry Profile (CEP), or GB equivalent, is a professional document profiling the strengths and developmental needs of the graduating teacher and involves:

• identifying needs
• selecting goals
• setting targets which will help to meet goals
• agreeing action
• reviewing action
• recording progress and achievement.

The CEP, or equivalent, serves to encourage Early Career Teachers to develop a reflective approach to their professional development as well as act as a bridging document from Initial Teacher Training to Induction. The process of reflective professional learning is the beginning of Career Long Professional Development (CLPD). The Principal, and/or the Teacher Tutor, will require access to the CEP in order to guide the Early Career Teacher. The CEP does not form part of the appointment process.

If a teacher does not have a CEP, the teacher should source the equivalent documentation profiling the strengths and developmental needs of the graduating teacher. A professional discussion with the teacher tutor in the school the ECT is working in, should be arranged, to be used as a basis for discussion and implementation of the first action plan and aligning thinking for the induction portfolio.

Professional development is also available to new Teacher Tutors. Online resources are available from the Education Authority’s website. Teacher Tutors should register on the EA website each academic year when they are supporting Early Career Teachers.

The role of the Teacher Tutor is to guide and support the Early Career Teacher through successful completion of the Induction and EPD stages and to coordinate the Early Career Teacher programme within school. The Teacher Tutor role is set out in the Teacher Education Partnership Handbook on the Department of Education’s website and also further explained, with supporting resources, in the Education Authority’s ‘Teacher Tutor Resource Book’ which is available from the Education Authority’s website.

Teacher Tutors should register on the EA website each academic year when they are supporting Early Career Teachers.

If the school deems that sufficient progress is not being made, the areas of concern will be highlighted in the ongoing Principal and Teacher Tutor reports. The school will recommend a further period of Induction with support. If no improvement is evident, the Early Career Teacher (as for any teacher) should be advised in writing by the Principal that the procedure for ‘Promoting Effective Teaching’ (DE TNC Circular 2013-14) is being initiated by the school governors.