PRIMARY PHASE
Whether you are an experienced teacher or an NQT, joining HLC Primary Phase you can be assured that you will receive high quality professional development that will support you to achieve your best, become a high quality practitioner and develop your leadership potential. HLC has an excellent reputation for staff development and as a large primary school can offer a wide range of experiences and opportunities.
We have two classes of 30 for each year group across the primary phase. Year group partner teachers work collaboratively together to plan for their classes and are supported by a team leader who has responsibility for a number of year groups. Every class has a full time teaching assistant who supports groups with learning, provides individual support and administration tasks under the supervision of the class teacher.
As an NQT....... you can expect a comprehensive support package with a named mentor along with support from a partner teacher, a Team Leader, subject leaders and other staff. Additionally you will have a full time teaching assistant permanently attached to your class. You will receive regular feedback on your progress and the quality of teaching and will have opportunities to watch and work alongside other teachers in school. As part of your support package you will have a chance to visit to other local schools and network with other NQTs. You will be able to attend the Annual NQT Conference provided by the Local Authority. HLC has an excellent reputation for supporting and developing staff new to the teaching profession. As an acknowledgement of the high quality support delivered by the school our Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher were invited to deliver a presentation to the new cohort of NQTs in Telford and Wrekin at the beginning of the 2010 academic year sharing the good practice of the school.
Joining HLC as an experienced teacher....... you can expect to receive a range of opportunities for your continued development. Your career development is important to us. You will receive regular feedback on the quality of your teaching and the progress made by the children in your class. You will have the support of a partner teacher and a permanent teaching assistant attached to your class. You will work within a team of staff led by a Team Leader who will support and direct the work of the team. Once you have settled into life at HLC, you will be given an opportunity to develop your leadership skills by leading a subject area or an aspect of development within the school. You can expect an opportunity to be part of a Middle Leadership Project which runs every other year at HLC. This project ran for the first time last year and was a resounding success. Involving five members of staff, the Middle Leadership Group designed and led a significant management project within the school. As part of their work they visited schools in another authority. Two members of the group went on to secure management positions and a further member of the group was invited to join a Local Authority development initiative.
Erica Aston
Headteacher
The views of the current teachers.......
"I joined HLC Primary Phase as an NQT in Sept 2006. I was well supported by my formal mentor and additionally by other staff and in particular my Team Leader. I received high quality feedback on all aspects of my teaching allowing me to develop confidently into a good teacher. In my second year I was given an opportunity to lead Science and through this experience I learned how to support other staff and started to develop my leadership skills. I have since taken on additional responsibility for PE. In my fourth year of teaching I was privileged to be invited to take part in a Developing Middle Leadership initiative which was organised by my Headteacher for a group of staff in their fourth and fifth years of teaching. The project helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses as a potential leader. Working as part of a group of five we designed a leadership project to develop ourselves as leaders whilst leading a new and important initiative within school. We were given time, trust, encouragement and support to implement the vision of our project throughout the primary phase. As a result of my developing skills I was appointed to a temporary management post within school. I am now in my fifth year of teaching and have secured a permanent post on the school Management Team as a Team Leader. HLC Primary is a school that is genuinely supportive of staff aspiration but gives you the opportunity to develop at your own pace."
Eva Wallis,Team Leader. March 2011.
"I am currently in my third year of teaching at HLC Primary Phase, I joined as an NQT, where I was offered a very supportive package by my mentor and all the other staff. The feedback I received was manageable and I was set realistic targets for me to improve as a teacher. HLC Primary Phase is a two-class intake school which allows me the opportunity to work alongside skilled and experienced teachers, who are very supportive and are always there for you. As an NQT having a partner teacher to talk through your planning ideas and ask for help and clarification with everyday life in a school was of a massive benefit to me. Through shared planning we have been able to incorporate both of our ideas and experiences to benefit the children greatly. There is a wide variety of expertise on site, which allows for my continual professional development to occur on a daily basis. I also get opportunities to work alongside secondary specialist teachers which really has helped to build on my subject knowledge. Last year myself and two other NQTs from HLC Primary Phase were privileged enough to be asked to present our experiences as a NQT in Telford and Wrekin at the NQT conference. Here we were able to showcase our fantastic package at HLC Primary Phase with other NQTs, offer them the support we had from our mentor and give ideas with how best to organise their NQT time. My intentions for my future career are to be a part of a successful forward moving team where I am able to progress as a teacher which is exactly what HLC Primary Phase offers."
