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Key relationships

Your tutor

A good working relationship between the NQT and his or her tutor is vital for a successful induction.

Under the Induction Regulations, there is a clear responsibility placed on schools to provide NQTs with support from an induction tutor.

The role of induction tutor has specific and distinct responsibilities, which are defined in the Induction Regulations. Some schools may use the term ‘mentor’ interchangeably with ‘induction tutor’ or to describe an additional teacher assigned to help you. For this reason you should make sure you know exactly who is acting as your induction tutor. 

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You should make sure you know exactly who is acting as your induction tutor.
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The induction tutor should be a suitably experienced teacher who has considerable contact with you, for example, your line manager or a senior member of staff. 

The induction tutor should:

  • be fully aware of the requirements of the induction period
  • provide or coordinate guidance and effective support for your professional development
  • most importantly, have the necessary skills, expertise and knowledge to work effectively in the role; in particular to make rigorous and fair judgements about your progress in relation to the requirements for completing induction satisfactorily.       

The induction tutor is expected to:

  • provide day-to-day monitoring and support; if the support function is allocated to another teacher this should be clearly specified at the beginning of induction
  • usually undertake most of the observations of your teaching, and provide constructive feedback
  • be the person you meet for the professional reviews of your progress every half-term, and with whom you review and revise your objectives in the CEDP and who makes the written record of the progress towards your objectives
  • provide your summative assessment, which will be a judgement as to whether you have successfully reached the standards relevant to that stage of your induction, in the termly assessment meetings at the end of each of the first two terms
  • keep dated copies of reports of all observations, review meetings and objectives and make sure you receive copies too
  • usually be involved in the final summative assessment at the end of the induction period
  • evaluate your progress towards and against the standards, and provide constructive feedback and professional development opportunities in such a way that you are able to improve your performance and to reach the standards.       

This is obviously an important role, and the quality and personality of your induction tutor will be a big factor in your induction. Equally important are the induction tutor's evaluative skills which he or she will need in making a fair assessment of you. Schools should take this into account when identifying induction tutors, and preparing and training them.

Many teachers make superb induction tutors and take on these additional assessment responsibilities considerately and conscientiously, having been fully involved in planning induction as part of the way the school supports its staff. However, some schools may be:

  • less well organised
  • less aware of their responsibilities 
  • unclear about the training, preparation and expertise required
  • less conscientious in ensuring that NQTs receive the high-quality support demanded from the school by the Regulations.       

If you have any concerns at all about the quality of your induction programme or the support from your induction tutor, you can contact ATL for advice if you are a member.

Splitting the role of the induction tutor

The government’s guidance recognises that the support and assessment functions may be split between two or more teachers where this suits the structures and systems of the school. If this is the case in your school, it should be made clear to you how these responsibilities are split at the beginning of your induction. Arrangements should also be made to ensure that monitoring and assessment are based on, and informed by, your teaching and professional development.

The separation of responsibilities is particularly likely where a headteacher acts as the induction tutor but finds that he or she does not have the time to fulfil all of the day-to-day responsibilities).

What role does a ‘mentor’ have?

Some schools may decide to allocate a mentor to you, who acts on an informal and voluntary basis solely to provide you with additional personal support. This could be a recently qualified teacher who is closer to you in understanding the challenges you will experience. 

It is possible that you may be asked to choose a colleague to mentor you. The reason for this - a key factor in a supportive professional relationship - is that both of you feel there is a good personal relationship between you. 

A mentor may then be asked to undertake one or more of your professional reviews, which form part of your monitoring and support programme, in place of your induction tutor. This is sometimes advocated on the grounds that it is difficult to maintain a trusting, open and self-critical relationship with a colleague who will ultimately carry out your assessment. 

However, if the support and assessment functions of induction are separated in your school, it is important that the mentor providing support receives adequate training in the requirements of induction. This is to make sure that accurate evaluative information can be passed from the mentor undertaking the professional review to the induction tutor who will undertake your assessment.

The headteacher as induction tutor

Your headteacher may act as your induction tutor. However, ATL advises against it wherever possible (it is a more common occurrence in primary schools in Northern Ireland). The particular relationship between a teacher and headteacher, when continued employment is the issue, can put a greater strain on the role of providing day-to-day support. It also adds complications when the headteacher splits the role of induction tutor with another colleague. 

In addition, under the Induction Regulations, the headteacher's role, on many occasions, is to provide a second opinion. For example, when the headteacher is not the induction tutor, he or she is required to observe the teaching of any NQT at risk of failing the induction period and to review the evidence. 

The government’s guidance is clear that ensuring impartiality is important. It advises that, where the headteacher is the induction tutor and he or she has undertaken all your observations, consideration should be given to ways in which a third party might be involved in giving evidence. This is so the headteacher (and others) are confident that the assessment can be shown to be fair. 

The government’s guidance also states that, if your headteacher is the induction tutor and you are considered not to be making satisfactory progress, a third party should review the evidence and observe your teaching. Should this happen, and if your headteacher is your induction tutor, it is reasonable for you to ask who may act as a third party; ATL would expect that person to be from outside the school. 

If, during your induction year, it appears that no one other than your headteacher is to observe you, or if you feel that you are at a disadvantage because your headteacher is your induction tutor, you should contact ATL for advice if you are a member. Where feasible, consideration should be given to allocating the role to another colleague, or to clarifying roles and responsibilities. 

If you have concerns about your induction tutor

The vast majority of induction tutors take their responsibilities seriously and offer excellent support and advice. However, if you have any concerns at all about the support you are receiving from your induction tutor, it is important to raise them as soon as possible. 

Although it can be very difficult to broach your concerns but remember that you have a right to clear, consistent, harmonious and fair arrangements for your induction. It is in everybody’s interests that you make a critical assessment of what you are being offered. 

You should never hesitate to seek advice if you feel that:

  • the responsibilities of your induction tutor and other colleagues are not clear
  • you are not confident of their experience, especially in supporting you and assessing you against the standards
  • you are not getting constructive feedback on your lessons and in your professional reviews against the standards.       

In the first instance you should raise the issue through the school's internal procedures for raising professional concerns, which includes the governing body. If you are an ATL member you can also talk things over with your ATL representative, local branch secretary or one of ATL’s member advisers. 

What if you just don’t get on with your tutor? Elizabeth Holmes, author of ATL’s publication Apply yourself!, offers the following advice.

This isn't an ideal situation. The relationship that you have with your induction tutor needs to be as constructive as possible for you to get the maximum benefit from your induction. 

Your next move should ideally be a general discussion with your induction tutor about how things are going. Aim to work into this discussion a question about whether there is anything that you could be doing to improve your experience of induction. This will get the point across that your experience isn't the best it could be right now and that you're prepared to make any necessary changes. 

If this still doesn't lead the discussion in the direction you need it to go, you can talk to the person within your LA (or ELB in Northern Ireland) with responsibilities for NQTs to see if they have any local advice and knowledge that will ease things for you. If you feel comlortable approaching your head teacher you can do this too.

Be careful not to make any accusations; one way of avoiding this is to take the line of wanting to find out how you can improve the situation. I know that ultimately, your induction tutor should be able to create a working relationship with you that is as positive as possible, but sometimes, for a variety of reasons, this doesn't happen. 

It would also be a good idea to keep a written record of each problem or issue as it arises, and to seek the advice of your union. Don't let this slide. It needs to be addressed and sorted out sooner rather than later. You really don't want relationship issues to impact your induction period.

This text is taken from page 62 of Elizabeth Holmes’ book FAQs for NQTs: Practical advice and working solutions for newly qualified teachers. (2006) Routledge. Hardback ISBN: 0415367956; price £65 Paperback ISBN 0415367964; price £16.99. 

 Download ATL's publication, Induction: making it work for you, full of further advice on how to get thoe most of your first year in teaching.

Help and support 
For further advice on this issue, ATL members can speak to their school rep, their branch secretary or their regional official. They can also call the London (020 7930 6441), Cardiff (029 2046 5000) or Belfast office (02890 327 990) or email info@atl.org.uk.

For out of hours enquiries, call the out of office hours helpline on 020 7782 1612 (Monday-Friday, 5-8pm during term time). Don’t forget that ATL also offers a Crisis Line for members who have suffered assaults or trauma either at work or in their private lives (08705 234 838).

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