Advanced Skills Teachers (AST)
An Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) is an excellent teacher who achieves the very highest standards of classroom practice and who is paid on a higher scale to share his or her skills and experience with other teachers. The AST pathway offers teachers who want to stay in the classroom an alternative career route. AST posts concentrate on good teaching. This benefits the profession by helping raise standards both within and beyond the teacher’s school. Colleagues have the opportunity to learn from best practices, build on strengths and look for areas for development. With this career pathway it is possible for excellent classroom teachers to progress without taking on management responsibilities and to be rewarded accordingly.

The Croydon LEA 'Strategy for Partnership with Advanced Skills Teachers' (AST) 2003 can be downloaded here.

The key requirement is for excellent teaching practice and credibility with a wide range of colleagues inside and outside the school. The AST grade will not normally be compatible with an existing management post as it is not intended for those with responsibilities for staff and resources.

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 induction and mentoring newly qualified teachers
• participating in initial teacher training

The AST must show a commitment to ‘outreach’ work not only in their own school but beyond in the wider educational community. They are expected to spend 20% of their time working with other teachers. Normally an AST will spend the equivalent of four days a week working in their own school and one day working with teachers from another school or schools. Initially, some of the 20% might be spent working with teachers in the AST’s own school but in time there is an expectation for ASTs to be spending the whole of this time working with teachers from other schools.

The steps to becoming an AST are –

• AST posts are created by schools who believe that a teacher with excellent classroom teaching skills can not only raise levels of achievement of their own pupils but those of their colleagues and the school itself
• schools are encouraged to advertise AST posts externally to ensure a wide selection of candidates but potential ASTs can be identified by internal selection
• the LEA agrees to fund the post through its contribution to The Standards Fund - funds are limited are limited by budget and schools may fund ASTs themselves
• candidates for the post then have to pass a national AST assessment procedure. This is carried out by outside assessors who evaluate evidence of how the candidate meets AST standards. This involves looking at the candidate’s application and portfolio, observing their work in the classroom and interviews at the school.

For more information locally on the AST scheme and funding possibilities contact

Michael Jolley, Professional Development Consultant
020 8726 7783 ex 15356
email: michael.jolley@croydon.gov.uk

Guidance materials and information packs are available from DfES Publication

Ref DfES 0755/2001
0845 6022260
dfes@prolog.uk.com

For more detailed national information point your browser at:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/ast
visit site

The following Croydon schools currently have ASTs

School	Specialism
Nursery
Purley Nursery	Nursery
Primary
Byron Primary School	Literacy (KS1)
	Support Staff
David Livingstone Primary School	Literacy/English/Drama
	Music
Downsview Primary School	Early Years
Fairchildes Primary School	ICT/Science
Parish Church Nursery & Infant School	KS 1
Park Hill Junior School	Music
Ridgeway Primary School	Primary/ICT (KS2)
	Early Years
	KS1
	Nursery
Roke Primary School	ICT
	MFL
St James The Great Primary School	ICT (KS2)
	Maths/PSHE (KS2)
	PE (KS2)
Woodside Infant School	Arts/Creativity
	KS1/Inclusion
Secondary
Bensham Manor School	Citizenship
Coloma Convent	Music
Edenham High School	Support Staff
Selhurst High School	Humanities
	ICT
	PE
Thomas More High School	Citizenship
ISS (SENSS)	Support Staff

For more information about the Music ASTs contact

Helen Bretherick
Primary Music Consultant
020 8681 0909
email: helenbretherick@croydonmuiscservice.co.uk

OR

Graeme Smith
Director
Croydon Music Service
020 8681 0909
email: graeme.smith@croydon.gov.uk

The Standards Fund allocation for Croydon in the financial year 2004/5 is currently fully committed.

However, headteachers may express an interest in appointing further ASTs in future by contacting

Michael Jolley at Croydon QDI Tel:  020 8726 7783 Ext 15356