Megan Stephenson, Associate Professor (Professional Practice) in the School of Education at Leeds Trinity University, has co-edited a new ‘cover-all’ book to meet the training needs of primary Initial Teacher Training (ITT) students and support academic tutors and school-based mentors. 

Amid an overhaul of the ITT provision, changes have been made to the way trainees and early career teachers (ECT) are assessed in relation to the Teachers’ Standards, delivery of the Core Content Framework (CCF) and Early Career Framework. 

Published by Learning Matters, an imprint of SAGE and leading publisher of books for professional and vocational courses in education, Training to be a Primary School Teacher: The CCF and Beyond has been designed to support trainees with their learning and help them navigate through the changes. It provides them with a clear understanding of what a high-quality and evidence-informed primary ITT curriculum looks like and a comprehensive guide to follow throughout their course so they can get the most out of their training experience. 

The book draws upon the expertise of academic colleagues and school partners, with the most current theory explained in accessible, short chapters, with reference to current evidence informed material. Trainees are provided with opportunities to put this theory into practice with reflective action learning tasks aimed to be completed both at the training centre and in schools. 

The book also acts as a useful guide for school mentors, where knowledge of the CCF and the ITT curriculum is a requirement for anyone taking on mentoring and coaching of trainees and ECTs. 11 of Megan’s colleagues from the School of Education have contributed to the book, along with academic tutors at the University of Durham and staff from Leeds Trinity’s partnership schools, all of whom have provided expert subject and age phase specialism content. 

Megan Stephenson said: “This is a crucial book for students entering the primary teacher training phase. The format of the book and chapters have been carefully planned to provide a depth of knowledge and understanding across all aspects of training. The key to excellent initial teacher education is students being taught by true experts in their field and mentored by excellently trained, knowledgeable and dedicated mentors.  Being able to identify and understand the ‘golden thread’ between what they are learning at university and how this is practised in schools is essential.  

“Only when trainees recognise the coherence and connectivity across their training and education can they truly reap the benefits of our combined efforts between university and school experience. We work excellently with our regional and national partners and this book demonstrates how well such a model of ITT can work.” 

“I am so pleased that we have provided many of our academic tutors and school colleagues with an opportunity to share their expertise and develop their publishing profiles. It has been a true collegiate and positive process for all.” 

Dr Aimee Quickfall, Head of School of Teacher Education at Leeds Trinity University, said: “Becoming a teacher is a complex, sometimes confusing process; it is a common experience to feel like you are on a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows. Resources that help trainees negotiate that rollercoaster, that support them in enjoying the ride, are worth hunting for. This book does exactly that and offers a lot of friendly support and advice – not just on the big-ticket items of planning, subject knowledge and assessment, but also on the aspects of teacher training that sometimes get missed out of the advice. 

“Any project Megan is a part of is bound to be thoughtful and emotionally intelligent - as that's what it is like to work with her. Megan should be extremely proud of this book, which I’m sure will be helpful for many generations of teachers to come.” 

The book is now available to be pre-ordered online. A book launch will be held at Leeds Trinity University’s Main Campus in Horsforth later this year, with details to be confirmed in due course. 

For more information on Teaching degrees at Leeds Trinity University, visit the website.