Education Placements Team

The education placements team are here to help support everyone involved in placements in the Sheffield Institute of Education. If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQ’s below, please do get in touch:

General placement enquiries

School Direct enquiries

Telephone: 0114 225 5990

Hours of operation

Monday – Thursday: 8:45am - 5:15pm

Friday: 8:45am - 4:45pm

Contact List

The Education Placements Team, as pictured below, is here to support you throughout your placement experience. You can contact individual members of the team depending on their lead area.

Students on placement

Students are advised that they must always follow their placement provider’s policies and guidelines while on placement.

Emergency Contact

If you have a genuine emergency outside normal university working hours, you can use the emergency central number on +44 (0)114 225 2888.

Education Placement FAQs

Please note that these FAQs are for Core trainees only. This does not include School Direct.

How will you allocate my placement?

We ask students and applicants to complete a student information form. This enables us to ensure we arrange a suitable placement for you that is in line with your specific requirements. To do this we consider:

• Your term time location
• Your mode of transport
• Any special circumstances such as a disability or childcare
• Course requirements such as being placed in a specific subject or key stage
• Any personal or family links (we avoid placing you in these settings)
• If circumstances dictate, we may also consider professional connections with settings
• Previous placements (we are required to provide a contrast in placement setting)
• Any other appropriate circumstances which you or academic staff notify us of

How will I travel to placement?

We will allocate your placement based on your term time address and method of transport. Our travel policy is a journey of up to two hours one way, however we do everything we can to keep this under 90 minutes for the general cohort, and 45 minutes for those with specific needs e.g., disabilities, childcare, etc.

Travel Policy ITT+ Education and Childhood Courses

Travel Policy School Direct

Where will my placement be?

We work with placement providers (infant, primary, secondary, sixth form, colleges as well as non-traditional settings e.g., charities, homeless projects, the prison service, etc) across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Humberside, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.

When will I find out about my placement?

Wherever possible, we aim to notify you three weeks prior to your placement start date, however if this is not possible you will be updated and notified of your allocation at the earliest opportunity.

How will I find out about my placement?

Details of your allocation can be accessed on the Placement Portal/Trainee Development Space (TDS), and you will be notified via email when this is published.

How do I access the Placement Portal/TDS?

Log in to the Placement Portal/TDS to access information

What if I have an issue with my placement allocation?

Your allocation will have been carefully selected and approved by your academic lead, however if you have concerns about the suitability of the placement you will be invited to attend a drop-in session where you will be able to speak to a member of the placement team.

What if my placement is withdrawn late?

Occasionally for various reasons (long term sickness, maternity leave) placements are withdrawn just before they are due to start. In these situations, we have various contingencies in place. You and your academic lead will be informed, and we will make it a priority to allocate you to another placement or secure one specifically for you. You will be kept informed at every stage of the process and will be supported by your academic tutor.

Can I organise my own placement?

If you are studying on an Initial Teacher Training course, then no you can’t. We work closely with our partner schools and have a range of criteria we must consider when allocating your placement. If you are on an Education or Childhood course, then you do have the option to self-organise in certain circumstances. This will be explained in full at your placement induction, there are certain procedures that must be followed. We ask students not to approach potential placement providers before first consulting with someone from the Education Placements team and getting approval, this is so that we can manage the amount of contact providers receive, it can also jeopardise placements already agreed.

How do I report an absence from placement?

All placement absences must be logged on the Placement Portal/TDS and you must also phone your placement provider as early as possible, following their absence reporting procedure.

How do I claim travel expenses?

You can claim towards your travel costs via the Placement Portal/TDS. Please see the Travel Policy document for further information. This is available on the Placement Portal/TDS.

How do I invite my mentor to the placement portal?

Log in to the Placement Portal/TDS. On the timeline, select 'Invite Participants' from the right-hand side of the page.

Click 'Add Invitation'. From the drop down, select the role of the participant you are adding. For example, mentor, additional mentor, or teacher.

Select the role, placement, and mentor's name (if listed). If your mentor is not listed, enter their details, and click 'next'.

Select the date they will be able to view your TDS to. Select 'Send Invitation'. The participant will receive an email with a link and instructions. Let your mentor know you have sent the invitation as the link will expire after 48 hours.