Advice for NQT Regional Meeting Organisers

Practical issues
Schools choose a suitably located centre for their NQT(s) to attend and enter their choice on the registration form. Regional meeting organisers will be sent lists and labels for the NQTs allocated to their centres in mid-October together with these guidance notes. On receipt of these lists, you are asked to write to the NQTs with the details of the autumn term meeting. In addition:

  • When you write to NQTs, include a map of how to reach the venue, or direct participants to the relevant page of your school's website
  • The meeting should start at a time that allows participants time to reach you after having left home at a reasonable hour
  • Badges giving the NQT's name, subject, level (primary/secondary) and school are useful to hand to all NQTs on arrival
  • A good lunch followed by some informal time for networking is valued by participants
  • Evaluation forms must be completed by attendees before they leave each meeting. These are then sent to the Professional Officer

Timing
The meeting in the autumn term should not take place any earlier than 1st November. This allows late-registered NQTs to be allocated to a network centre and for network schools to know about these NQTs. In addition:

  • It is equally helpful for NQTs if this meeting takes place as soon as possible after 1st November as the material covered is likely to be of practical value during that term. This is particularly true if the training material on dealing with parents is used
  • Dates for the following year's meetings should be notified to ISCtip by the end of the summer term at the very latest

Attendees
Provision must be made for secondary and primary groups to meet independently of each other for at least some of the meeting. In addition:

  • There is an increasing number of mature/second career/GTP entrants. Consider putting them together for at least one session in the course of the year's meetings
  • Be alert for loners and ensure they are included in group activities

Content & Activities
If using the material provided by ISCtip, relations with parents should be dealt with in the first term, and classroom management in the second term. The NQT groups should choose the topic for the third (summer term) meeting. In addition:

  • Allow sufficient time during the day for informal networking; it is not necessary for every minute of the day to be filled with structured activities
  • Make efforts to arrange sessions that do not repeat core content of the PGCE year
  • Lectures and role plays have proved to be of limited value
  • Make most sessions interactive and give the participants tasks to complete and time to discuss questions
  • Small group discussions or problem solving exercises have been found to work well
  • Consider inviting 3 or 4 parents to answer NQTs' questions about their perceptions and expectations of young teachers
  • Some NQTs value different or even controversial approaches to topics such as hyperactive children
  • Input from NQTs who completed the induction within the previous year or two has been particularly valued