Relationships with children and young people

Extract from Guidance to accompany the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) TDA, 2007

Rationale

Education is part of the process through which people acquire values and learn to apply those values in the attitudes they adopt and the ways they behave. Teachers recognise the role they play in this process, and demonstrate appropriate values, including a professional commitment to raising the educational achievement of all learners. Children and young people are more likely to thrive if they feel that they are valued and are confident that their teachers and their peers will support them. They are more likely to behave in a positive and constructive manner, and adopt appropriate values and attitudes, when they encounter such behaviours, values and attitudes in their teachers

Scope

This standard requires trainees to demonstrate that they can help learners to achieve by establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive professional relationships with them, and by maintaining high expectations. They will need to demonstrate that they can create a purposeful and safe atmosphere characterised by respect and cooperation.

Questions to consider

• Has the trainee planned work at a suitably high level in relation to age and ability and to external benchmarks such as National Curriculum level descriptors?
• Has the trainee planned to meet diverse needs?
• Can the trainee encourage learners to contribute views, and to reflect on, evaluate and learn from their mistakes?
• Can the trainee resolve conflicts and individual learners’ problems sensitively to protect their self-esteem?
• Does the trainee succeed in teaching learners to cooperate, to collaborate and to listen to others?

• Is the trainee able to build learners’ confidence?
• Do learners show respect and sensitivity in their relationships with one another and in their responses to the trainee?

Cross references

Evidence for this standard may be linked to evidence for assessment against the following standards:

• Q4, Q5 (Communicating and working with others)
• Q10 (Teaching and learning)
• Q15 (Subjects and curriculum)
• Q18, Q19, Q20 (Achievement and diversity)
• Q21(b) (Health and well-being).
• Q25(a), Q25(b), Q25(c), Q25(d) (Teaching)
• Q26(b), Q27, Q28 (Assessing, monitoring and giving feedback)
• Q29 (Reviewing teaching and learning)
• Q30, Q31 (Learning environment).

ITT Requirement R1.5 stipulates that all entrants to ITT programmes must ‘possess the appropriate qualities, attitudes and values expected of a teacher’.

Sources of evidence

Evidence about trainee teachers’ commitment, attitudes, behaviour and expectations of learners’ achievement are likely to emerge from most aspects of their professional practice including the ways they conduct themselves throughout the school and in the wider learning environment. Trainees’ planning will demonstrate how they aim to develop specific values, attitudes and behaviour in children and young people.