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' ...the very highest standards of classroom practice... '
Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) Scheme Explained
What is an Advanced Skills Teacher?
An Advanced Skills Teacher is an excellent teacher who achieves the very highest standards of classroom
practice and who is paid to share his or her skills and experience with other teachers.
A growing number of Advanced Skills Teachers are now working in schools around the country, helping established teachers as well as
those new to the profession.
The number of ASTs working in the East Riding of Yorkshire is contained in the document below:
Why do we need Advanced Skills Teachers?
We need to recognise and retain the best teachers.
Until recently, promotion into management has been the typical career route for many teachers.
The AST pathway offers teachers who want to stay in the classroom a new career route.
AST posts concentrate on good teaching and benefits the profession by helping to raise standards more widely, both within and beyond the
teacher's school.
Colleagues will have an opportunity to learn from best practices, build on strengths and look at areas for development.
With this new career pathway it is now possible for excellent classroom practitioners to progress as class teachers without having to take
on management responsibilities, and to be rewarded accordingly.
What are the signs of excellence?
- High level skills in teaching, classroom management and maintaining discipline;
- Quality of planning, assessment and evaluation;/li>
- Command of subject knowledge;
- Understanding of pupils;
- High expectations of themselves and their pupils;
- Excellent progress;
- Ability to give high quality advice and support to other teachers.
Who can become an Advanced Skills Teacher?
Answer: All teachers in maintained schools who want to stay as classroom practitioners and can meet AST assessment standards.
This includes part-time and peripatetic staff.
The key requirement is for excellent teaching practice and credibility with a wide range of colleagues inside and outside the school.
Teachers who become ASTs move to the AST pay spine.
What does being an AST involve?
The main duty of an AST is excellent classroom teaching. ASTs spend 80 per cent of their time teaching their own class(es).
The aim must always be to preserve the AST's commitment to their own teaching and high standards.
But they will also undertake a range of additional responsibilities to share their good practice with other teachers and support wider
professional development.
They provide this support not only in their own schools but also through outreach.
ASTs focus on helping colleagues to raise teaching and learning standards in their own and other schools.
Activities can include:
- leading professional learning groups;
- advising other teachers in classroom organisation and teaching methods;
- providing model lessons;
- spreading good practice based on educational research;
- producing high quality teaching materials;
- advising on professional development;
- establishing professional learning teams in schools;
- helping to support performance management of other teachers;
- supporting teachers experiencing difficulties;
- helping with the induction and mentoring of newly qualified teachers;
- participating in initial teacher training.
How does outreach work?
The Local Authority or other body supporting the AST post will have a key coordinating role, ensuring that outreach is planned, delivered, monitored and
assessed.
This ensures that the AST post supports the priorities identified in the Local Authority's Education Development Plan to raise standards in its schools.
What is the pay scale for ASTs?
From 1st September 2006 there is a separate pay scale for ASTs which mirrors the first 18 points of the Leadership Scale, from £34083 to
£51819.
Management allowances are not payable to ASTs, nor are allowances for recruitment and retention and special needs.
Governing bodies or LEAs will select a five-point pay range within the overall 18-point pay scale which will allow for appropriate
pay increases.
For example, an AST starting at point 5 on the AST pay spine has the opportunity to progress to point 9 on the AST pay spine.
Pay progression is based on sustained high quality performance against agreed performance criteria.
For more information about pay and conditions and the full pay spine see the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document.
What are the steps to becoming an AST?
The Local Authority agrees to fund an AST post through the Standards Fund (unless the school is to fund it from its own budget).
Candidates for the post then have to pass a national AST assessment procedure.
This is carried out by outside assessors who evaluate evidence that the candidate meets AST standards.
It involves looking at the candidate's application and portfolio, observing their work in the classroom and interviews in the school.
Contents of a portfolio
The purpose of a portfolio is to provide the best examples of evidence for each of the standards, in a form which is succinct and
easily accessible to the assessor.
Portfolios are arranged in different ways, but the most successful are arranged in sections, one for each standard.
Within each standard, there may be subheadings.
A clear index, allowing easy access to each section is also useful.
Portfolios work particularly well when the candidate has collected relevant documentation and recorded relevant activities over a
period of time.
Managing an AST's activities
The successful management of ASTs is dependent on establishing a good partnership between the Local Authority, the school and the AST.
Requests for AST assistance are channelled through the AST’s Line Manager (see the 'List of ASTs' in the section Information for Schools).
The Line Manager prioritises requests and can then discuss the proposed assignment with the relevant AST and Headteacher.
Agreement should then be reached between the AST, the Line Manager and the Headteacher of the school receiving outreach about what is
expected, and a Targeted School Action Plan should then be completed.
In the East Riding the AST scheme is co-ordinated by Cliff Stott and Lynda Burton who are line managed by:
Mike Furbank, Head of Improvement and Learning
Tel: (01482) 392402
E-mail: mike.furbank@eastriding.gov.uk
For more information about the work of, or about becoming an Advanced Skills Teacher, please contact:
Cliff Stott, AST Co-ordinator
Tel: (01964) 563137
E-mail: cliff@stott4.karoo.co.uk
Lynda Burton, AST Co-ordinator
Tel: (01964) 550050
E-mail: lyndaburton@btconnect.com
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