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About the role, longitudinal supervision and meetings

Definining the educational supervisor

The General Medical Council (GMC) defines an educational supervisor (ES) as "a trainer who is selected and appropriately trained to be responsible for the overall supervision and management of a specified trainee’s educational progress during a clinical training placement or series of placements." The ES is responsible for the trainee's Educational Agreement.

The GMC publishes information about trainers on the medical register, including doctors who have been recognised as named postgraduate clinical supervisor and names postgraduate educational supervisor.

The Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans of the United Kingdom (COPMeD) has created overarching principles to promote an excellent, supportive offer to trainees particularly in the final years of training. COPMeD expects the principles to underpin a strong, ongoing supportive approach for trainees in the longer term. We recommend all supervisors adhere to the principles which can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Doctors who hold either of these roles have a note on the medical register entry to says, "This doctor is a trainer recognised by the GMC".

Differences between educational supervisors and clinical supervisors

To continue to be recognised as a supervisor, trainers will be required to document evidence from the GMC's standards, which are listed below.

Standards	Clinical Supervisor role?	Educational Supervisor role?
1. Ensuring safe and effective patient care	Yes	Yes
2. Establishing and maintaining an environment for learning	Yes	Yes
3. Teaching and facilitating learning	Yes	Yes
4. Enhancing learning through assessment	Yes	Yes
5. Supporting and monitoring educational progress	No	Yes
6. Guiding personal and professional development	No	Yes
7. Continuing professional development as an educator	Yes	Yes

About longitudinal supervision

We set out 11 principles for high-quality paediatric training in Paediatrician of the Future, and Principle 8 is that educational supervision is of high quality and provides consistency. Longitudinal supervision is therefore ideal; it allows for longer-term support, on career planning and developmental goals. Where possible, trainees should have the same ES throughout core training and a consistent ES through sub-specialty training. 

For some schools, longitudinal supervision has been working well for many years, and so likely have practices in place that don’t need to change. For other schools, longitudinal supervision is new and will take some time to get used to. There are some differences in the role of the ES and CS depending on a trainee's posts and requirements. 

Read and watch one trainee's rewarding experience of longitudinal supervision

Read Paediatrician of the Future

Suggested frequency and content of supervision meetings

The below summary shows show the different meeting requirements of a CS and ES across a six-month training post, along with suggested discussion topics.

Please be aware that this may differ for trainees who are staying in clinical posts for a longer timeframe and across some local paediatric schools. If you have any questions regarding supervision meeting requirements, please discuss this at a local level with your College Tutor or TPD.

	Clinical Supervisor meetings	Educational Supervisor meetings
Start of post	Induction Meeting  Trainee led Clinical Supervisor induction meeting  Discussion around clinical post Aims in the post   Supporting practical aspects in the post	Induction Meeting  Trainee led ES induction meeting  Start of new placement  Review of PDP Curriculum/ logs  Career Development  Trainer reports/ ARCP outcomes  Review any trainee support/ adaptations
3 Months	Mid-point Review (To be completed before ES mid-point review)  Trainee-led mid-point meeting Assess how they are settling into the department  Any clinical concerns/issues  Gather information from colleagues  Feed into ES Report	Mid-point Review  (To be completed after CS mid-point review) Trainee led mid-point meeting Catch up to assess progress in developmental logs, assessments and curriculum  Progress with PDPs Check clinical progress via CS Report
6 Months	End of Placement (To be completed before ES end of placement meeting)  Trainee led Clinical Supervisor Trainer Report (required before ES report)  Review of clinical progress  Any ongoing requirements  Gather information from colleagues	End of Placement (To be completed after CS end of placement meeting) Trainee led ESTR if needed for ARCP, otherwise placement reflection discussion (not for ARCP)  Review CS Report  Review of progress including review of curriculum/PDP  Requirements for the next post  Thinking about the next PDP

ePortfolio guidance for supervisors

Â鶹ӰԺ ePortfolio is on the Risr/advance platform (formerly Kaizen). It's the online tool for you and your trainees to review activities and monitor progress through the curriculum and stores everything trainees do in their timeline.

Getting trainer status on the GMC register

Before we add someone to RCPCH ePortfolio as an educational supervisor, they will need to meet these requirements:

• Be on the General Medical Council (GMC) specialist register OR have approved recognised trainer status on the GMC List of Registered Medical Practitioners (LRMP)
• Be working in the UK. Medical schools and postgraduate training organisations must maintain their list of approved and recognised trainers through the GMC Connect portal. Once the details are submitted, the doctor's record on the medical register will be updated the next working day.

If you are a registered doctor, and your record on the medical register does not show your trainer role, please contact your medical school or postgraduate training organisation to ask that they submit your details on GMC Connect.

About the ePortfolio

Practically everything on RCPCH ePortfolio is trainee-led. This means that trainees start the forms. All necessary supervision forms for your trainees are contained in the event Progress+  Supervision Report (all options), which offers:

Induction forms

• Induction meeting and personal development plan with Educational Supervisor
• Clinical supervisor induction meeting

Midpoint review

The other forms trainees should start are:

• CSAC progression forms for sub-specialty trainees
• Supervisor and training post - this is very important as this ensures we have an accurate picture of training grades for trainees

Workplace based assessments - once completed the trainee can send the forms to be verified by an assessor

Supervision report forms

• Clinical supervisor trainer report
• Educational supervisor report - known as "ESTR" this is the important one before ARCP and goes into full detail about the trainee’s progression.
• Placement reflection discussion – A less in-depth end-of-placement form. The ESTR is needed at the end of any post with educational supervision prior to ARCP, however, with longitudinal supervision the placement reflection discussion can be more appropriate if ARCP is not imminent.

Video guide: We have created a handy video guide to demonstrate the different supervision forms and how to fill them in.

Find users

Your trainees will be listed in the dashboard in the My Trainees widget.

• Click the name of the person you are linked to for their details (if not there, they need to add you).
• Click Create new event to start a new form, for example, an assessment or additional supervisor meeting form.
• You can also quickly identify those trainees who may have non-standard ARCP outcomes and need additional support from you.

If you cannot find a trainee this will indicate that they have not yet added you as a supervisor from their own account. Alternatively, you may have expired as their supervisor and will require an extension from the College.

Video guide: This explains your dashboard as a supervisor, and how to navigate to your trainee's profile.

Review a user's ePortfolio

When you click on your linked user, you will see how they have progressed with their mandatory elements for their overall level.

If you want to see all the items in a user's timeline, click Timeline in the blue banded area at the top. This will offer shortcuts to certain categorised events or forms, or you can select the whole timeline and use the search function.

Video guide: How to review your trainees progression through their dashboard and key capability evidence reports.

Review and sign off a trainee's capabilities

Trainees only need to be signed off at the end of a level of training to progress to the next level:

• the end of Core level, going into Specialty level or
• the end of specialty level prior to CCT.

This is done in the Educational Supervision Trainers Report (ESTR), by reviewing the evidence that is pulled into the form and making the declaration that you are happy for the trainee to progress.

We ask trainees to showcase the highlights of their evidence rather than expect supervisors to try and review everything. So, you no longer see numbers populating next to learning outcomes. Instead, you see the dates and titles of the events a trainee has tagged to each key capability and can preview each piece of evidence.

For more detail:

• ePortfolio for supervisors - full guidance - download below
• Judging outcomes at ARCP under Progress+ - download below
• Additional guidance for ST4 or ST5(C4) trainees moving to Progress+ Core level - when they have already been signed off at Level 1 on Progress or have entered at ST4.
• View the first video under 'About the ePortfolio' ,above, where the supervision forms are mentioned. The video also covers signing of trainee's capabilities.

Review a trainee's PDP

The PDP section on ePortfolio is updated for a more focused and goal-driven targeted approach. This video explains more.

Online roadshows 2026-27

We deliver three ES virtual roadshows each year. We invite all ESs to join these free events, which feature speakers and cover varied aspects of your role. 

• Autumn: Tuesday 8 September 2026, 14:00-16:00
  • How to assess evidence as a supervisor within the curriculum (Dr Lizzie Starkey) 
  • Supporting PGDiT applying to sub-specialty: updates for Educational Supervisors (Eloise Rodgers) 
  • Differential attainment and supporting IMGs (Dr Vasanta Nanduri)
• Spring: Tuesday 23 February 2027, 14:00-16:00
  • Programme content TBC
• Summer: Wednesday 9 June 2027, 14:00-16:00 
  • Programme content TBC
• Autumn: Thursday 16 September 2027, 14:00-16:00
  • Programme content TBC

Resources on supporting training

Courses

We offer our Effective Educational Supervision course throughout the year. 

See upcoming EES courses

Capability-based progression 

The Progress+ training curriculum is based on trainees meeting capabilities, rather than being time-based. Dr Cathryn Chadwick, then VP for Training and Assessment, wrote guidance for trainees, supervisors and Heads of School to outline when progression through the next gateway of training is appropriate.

Read Cathryn's guidance on capability progression 

Preparing for ARCPs

Our guidance, Preparing for ARCPs with RCPCH Progress+: Judging achievement of Learning Outcomes to support progression decisions - A practical guide for Trainees, Supervisors and ARCP panels, helps you establish what progress trainees are making towards achieving their capabilities in preparation for their ARCP (Annual Review of Competence of Progression. 

This can be helpful in identifying potential learning gaps and development areas and can support you in framing progression conversations with trainees.

Download Preparing for ARCPs with Progress+ 

Pregnancy loss and fertility issues in the workplace

We offer advice and support for those people in the workplace experiencing pregnancy loss and/or fertility issues as well as advice and guidance for their supervisors and managers about how to support them. (This has also been published by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.)

See pregnancy loss and fertility issues guidance and related resources 

Supporting LTFT trainees

We provide statutory and RCPCH guidance for supporting less than full time trainings, including contacts for LTFT trainees.

See guidance on supporting LTFT trainees

Supporting neurodiversity

Our guidance highlights how to support neurodivergent individuals and leverage their strengths to create a neuro-inclusive and equitable environment. 

See guidance on supporting neurodiversity

Thrive Paediatrics resource hub

Our Thrive Paediatrics programme aims to help members create positive change at work. Our resource hub offers evidence, examples of good practice and stories from paediatricians' lived experience to help you improve both your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues.

Tips on improving feedback

• Focus on specific tasks (eg gathering patient history) to provide immediate, actionable feedback. ​
• Re-examine learning approaches and modify strategies for broader application (eg improving history-taking across various cases). ​
• Sequence and link feedback episodes to support longitudinal development. ​
• Clarify expected standards for performance and encourage self-assessment and peer feedback. ​
• Create a safe space where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. ​
• Foster a growth mindset and build trusting teacher-learner relationships. ​
• Use templates like Ask-Tell-Ask-Add or SCORE (Strengths, Challenges, Options, Responses, Effectiveness analysis) for feedback discussions. ​
• Incorporate R2C2 (Rapport, Reactions, Content, Coach) to engage learners in reflective feedback. ​
• Encourage learners to reflect on feedback, identify themes, and create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) action plans. ​

Supporting with the sub-specialty recruitment process

As an Educational Supervisor (ES), you should be discussing career options and aspirations with your Post Graduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) on a regular basis. Ideally this should be at least annually, (ideally around ARCP time) from ST2 onwards, so they will be suitably prepared for transition to Specialty Training in ST5-ST7 and any sub-specialty applications they may make.

Confirmation of Eligibility (CoE) 

For PGDiTs planning to apply in the autumn, discussions should begin by April of that year, if not before. If you are both in agreement that a sub-specialty application is appropriate to realise their career goals and that it is the right time for them to apply, you will need to support them with completing their Confirmation of Eligibility (CoE) form on Risr (ePortfolio).

For a PGDiT to be able to apply, their ES needs to confirm that they meet the minimum requirements in five training areas, by discussing and verifying their examples and subsequently filling out section 2 of the Risr CoE form.

Sub-specialty guidance

Our Medical Workforc and Recruitment Team have collated some helpful guidance to assist you, in your role as an Educational Supervisor to support trainees with the sub-specialty recruitment process. The guidance focuses on discussing trainees’ suitability to apply for sub-specialty training and provides additional guidance for filling out the Confirmation of Eligibility form. Please refer to the downloads section below. 

Download RCPCH sub-specialty guidance for educational supervisors