Frequently Asked Questions>  Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs)

• What exactly is 'outreach'?
   

• What sort of work is undertaken as part of 'outreach'?
   

• How should an AST gather evidence of their work?
   

• What training can an AST expect to receive?
   

• How is the work of an AST monitored and evaluated?

Q:  What exactly is 'outreach'?

A: Outreach work represents 20% of ASTs time.  The LA has a key coordinating role ensuring that outreach is planned, delivered, monitored and assessed.  This ensures that the AST post supports the priorities identified by the LA to raise standards in is schools.

Outreach is not a requirement if the AST is employed in a school subject to special measures or designated as having serious weaknesses.  In this case in inreach work will be related to the school's or LA plans for removing the school from this category.  However some outreach work is recommended in order to extend and develop the AST's skills and confidence.

Where a school is funding the AST post from its own budget outreach is encouraged but it is not a requirement.

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Q:  What sort of work is undertaken as part of 'outreach'?

A:  The main duty of an AST is to provide excellent classroom teaching.  In normal circumstances ASTs work 80% of their time as classroom teachers and 20% of their time on outreach.  This will usually involve sharing their skills and expertise with teachers from other school.  Inreach work will normally be carried out within the additional time ASTs can access because they are not subject to teachers' working time conditions, however, within South Gloucestershire ASTs may use 6 days of their outreach days for inreach work.

A variety of activities can be undertaken by ASTs during their Outreach time.  Some of these can also be represented in Inreach activities.  An AST can reasonably be expected to undertake any of the following activities:

• Targeted support to schools experiencing difficulties

• Coordinated activity to raise achievement across schools in an area

• Work with the LA to support induction of newly qualified teachers across the authority

• Matching teaching approaches to pupil learning styles

• Producing high quality teaching materials

• Supporting a subject leader with updating existing schemes of work, policies or management skills and supporting their induction

• Leading the introduction of new technologies, such as video conferencing, whiteboard technology

• Developing resource packs to support existing teaching

• Disseminating materials relating to best practice and educational research

• Providing model lessons to a whole class, or a group of pupils, with staff observing

• Observing lessons and advising other teachers, including those experiencing difficulties, on classroom organisation, lesson planning and teaching methods

• Helping teachers who are experiencing difficulties by providing a structured programme of advice and support

• Mentoring of NQTs

• Leading professional learning groups

• Supporting professional development

• Providing targeted support for disaffected or more able pupils

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Q:  How should an AST gather evidence of their work?

A:  It is expected that the AST maintains a log of their inreach and outreach activities.  This should be forwarded electronically to the AST coordinator fully completed by the end of term (six times in the year).  If the focus for any AST for any term has been on inreach work then a brief report should be made of all such work and submitted to the AST coordinator in arrears.  At the beginning of each academic year the AST will be requested to inform the AST coordinator of their normal outreach day, days for which inreach work will be carried out and a brief outline of the nature of inreach work.

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Q:  What training can an AST expect to receive?

A:  Whilst ASTs should expect to receive induction training or development from their LA, once established in the role, they should discuss any on-going requirements with their Headteacher, their LA School Improvement Adviser or the LA AST coordinator as part of theire continuing professional development.

The LA will provide regular opportunities for ASTs to network and share experience with other ASTs.  It is expected that ASTs will attend a termly meeting with the AST coordinator at the Severnside Professional Development Centre, dates for which will be set a year in advance.

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Q:  How is the work of an AST monitored and evaluated?

A:  Following the completion of an intervention within a school, or in the case of long-term support a significant piece of the work, the school completes an evaluation form and returns it to the AST coordinator.  The AST coordinator copies this report to the AST concerned and enters the data into the evaluation database.

This information is used to provide a summary of the total interventions and evaluations of the work or individual ASTs to be available as part of their performance management.  It is also used to produce reports for both internal and external bodies summarising the work of all the ASTs in South Gloucestershire.

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Liz.Townend@southglos.gov.uk

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