Core standards – newly qualified teacher guidance

Theme 1: Developing professional and constructive relationships

Rationale

The education and well-being of children and young people increasingly involves groups of teachers, support staff and other professionals working in schools and across a range of children’s services to support learners to fulfil their educational potential, develop positive values and attitudes and become confident, contributing members of society. The learning and development needs of all children and young people are better met when teachers develop constructive, respectful relationships with colleagues, learners and their parents or carers, founded on effective and considered communication, collaboration and high expectations of all.

Standards

C1	Have high expectations of children and young people including a commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with them.
C2	Hold positive values and attitudes and adopt high standards of behaviour in their professional role.
C4	(a) Communicate effectively with children, young people and colleagues. (b) Communicate effectively with parents and carers, conveying timely and relevant information about attainment, objectives, progress and well-being. (c) Recognise that communication is a two-way process and encourage parents and carers to participate in discussions about the progress, development and well-being of children and young people.
C6	Have a commitment to collaboration and co-operative working where appropriate.
C38	(a) Manage learners’ behaviour constructively by establishing and maintaining a clear and positive framework for discipline, in line with the school’s behaviour policy. (b) Use a range of behaviour management techniques and strategies, adapting them as necessary to promote the self-control and independence of learners.
C39	Promote learners’ self-control, independence and cooperation through developing their social, emotional and behavioural skills.
C40	Work as a team member and identify opportunities for working with colleagues, managing their work where appropriate and sharing the development of effective practice with them.
C41	Ensure that colleagues working with them are appropriately involved in supporting learning and understand the roles they are expected to fulfil.

Scope

Education involves a multifaceted partnership between schools, the workforce, parents, carers and other agencies working within and beyond school. These standards are about developing and building professional relationships and how effective communication is used in these relationships to support teachers’ work.

For example, aspects of practice covered by these standards might include:

• using a variety of techniques and strategies to develop learners’ confidence and trust
• developing activities that promote and develop learners’ social, emotional and behavioural skills
• using different strategies of communication (informal and formal) appropriate to the audience that take account of culture, context and linguistic differences
• taking opportunities to communicate with parents and colleagues, in and out of the classroom, and to establish relationships with them which encourage discussions about common issues relating to learners and provide relevant and concise information about their progress, development and well-being
• implementing working protocols and engaging in collaborative working such as team teaching, linking with specialist teachers who work with children with special educational needs or disabilities, or with those involved in implementing the Every Child Matters agenda, both in and beyond school
• developing your knowledge about when and how to refer issues about learners’ behaviour to others within the school
• planning and implementing aspects of support work, guiding and/or directing the work of others.

Questions

Prompt questions that can be used for discussion with your induction tutor:

• What support and guidance have you received in developing constructive relationships with learners, parents and colleagues?
• What opportunities have you had to develop and promote positive behaviour, attitudes and values through your teaching?
• To what extent have your colleagues involved you in the planning of parents’ evenings?
• What guidance and/or opportunities have you been offered in your school to help you work collaboratively with other professionals?
• What additional support or guidance do you feel you need to ensure your planning takes account of the roles of colleagues?