Aberdare Teacher completes Chartered Teacher pilot programme
A comprehensive teacher from St John Baptist Church in Wales, Aberdare is one of only eight teachers in Wales to have undergone the first full trial of the accreditation route to Chartered Teacher status in Wales.
Fiona Bell has been curriculum leader for history at the school for 12 years, and was part of the trial of The Chartered Teacher accreditation route which is being developed by the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW). This programme will give experienced teachers in the middle of their careers the chance to receive professional recognition for their teaching achievements if they successfully meet the designated standard.
Commenting on her experiences, Ms Bell said: “I applied to take part in the Chartered Teacher Pilot as I was looking for a substantial professional development opportunity which the accreditation route provides. I was particularly interested in the critical reflection part of the course as this would allow me to think back on my practice to date and my career options for the future.
“The process of reflection, supported by educational literature, enabled me to think about my professional practice in a new light and has been of enormous benefit. I have obtained a greater theoretical understanding of my professional practice and it has been immensely satisfying to have been judged to have met the Chartered Teacher standards.“
Ms Bell completed a year long trial of the accreditation route, which enabled her to build a portfolio of evidence of her teaching career and experience.
She had to demonstrate that she could fulfil more than 28 Chartered Teacher standards across three key areas; professional knowledge and understanding, professional skills in practice and professional commitment.
“For me, the process of critical reflection was the most rewarding,” continued Ms Bell. “Some of the conclusions I reached surprised, yet, pleased me. Nonetheless, I have been able to reaffirm what is most important to me as a professional.
“I think it is good development for the teaching profession in Wales. It will provide a qualification for middle leaders and an important recognition of their professional competence.
“For some teachers, such as myself, it might also help to provide confirmation of their readiness to aspire to senior leadership. This has certainly been one of the outcomes for me and, in fact, I am in the process of applying for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).”
Talking about the pilot, Hayden Llewellyn, deputy chief executive of the GTCW, said: “There are clear national professional development arrangements for teachers at the beginning of their careers and for those going on to train for headship. However, there is nothing in place nationally for the vast majority of teachers in the midst of their careers. We hope that in time, Chartered Teacher will bridge this gap.
“The programme will be aimed at teachers with more than five years’ experience, who wish to develop their teaching and leadership skills, widen their professional knowledge and skills, and who show a commitment to excellence in the classroom.”
Hayden Llewellyn of the GTCW added: “We are currently reviewing all aspects of the Chartered Teacher pilot. Informal feedback on the accreditation route pilot has so far been extremely positive and we are looking forward to receiving the independent evaluation of the programme later this summer.”
Further pilot modules of the Chartered Teacher Taught programme are due to start in September. Modules in ‘Self Evaluation and Reflection’ will be run by jointly by UWIC and ESIS in south Wales, and jointly by the South West and Mid Wales Consortium and Trinity University College in west Wales. The University of Bangor and the North Wales Association of Special School Headteachers will coordinate a module on ‘Education for All’ in North Wales. Teachers interested in taking part, will receive full funding support from GTCW. For more information, please visit www.gtcw.org.uk or call 029 2046 0099