Physiotherapy

Documentation is regularly updated throughout the year so please use the documents below rather than the hard copies in student folders that may be out of date.

The fully completed pdf copy of the Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF) should be emailed by the educator to the student by the last day of placement following their final appraisal. Students are required to submit the CPAF electronically via the UWE student intranet (Blackboard) by the specified deadline.

If the student has failed the placement, educators should email physioplacements@uwe.ac.uk to confirm this.

If the student has passed the placement, no further action or verification is required by the educator.

It is advisable for both the educator and the student to keep a copy for their records; educators may be contacted at a later date to verify the details of submitted CPAFs.

• Educator handbook 2023/24 (PDF)

Absence reporting whilst on placement

If a student is unable to attend their placement as planned, they should call the Absence Reporting Line on +44 (0)117 32 83283 and leave a message. The call will not be returned but the absence will be noted. Students should also contact their practice educator to advise them of absence in a manner appropriate for the particular placement.

For further support, or to report other issues whilst on placement, students should contact the confidential practice support line on +44 (0)117 32 81152 or email hscpsl@uwe.ac.uk.

First years (level 4) observation placement (three days)

• Observation placement outline (PDF)
• Observation placement workbook – acute (DOC)
• Observation placement workbook – non acute (DOC)

Assessment (for all main placements)

• using the new Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF) – all CPAFs and information on CSP website
• Summary of CPAF Learning Outcomes (PDF)
• CPAF Marking Quick Guide (PDF)

Please note:

• Placement 1 use the Level 4 CPAF; Placement 2a and 2b use Level 5; Placement 3a and 3b use Level 6.
• The pass mark for all placements on the UWE Bristol BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme is 40%.
• Students should be provided with a final marks for each learning domain, and an overall mark at the end of the placement, rather than grade boundaries.
• Always tick ‘Graded’ not ‘Pass/Fail’ on page one for all placements, even though some do not contribute towards the degree classification.
• We recommend that students are given up to the equivalent of a half day per week for self-directed (SDL) learning whilst on placement. This may be given as one half-day or spread throughout the week as suits the student, educator and service. Further details can be found in the self-directed learning guidance (PDF). Please note, placements that are fully or partly non-clinical (eg research, leadership, project) may have significantly more SDL as part of the normal placement expectations.

• Physiotherapy Programme specification (PDF)

Practice Educator training sessions

• Practice educator training session dates and booking form Sept 2023 to June 2024 (DOC)
• Recommended development pathway for practice educators (DOC)

Practice educator virtual drop-in sessions

The sessions are for educators to access if they have any last-minute questions or need support ahead of the next placement if they are supporting students. Each session starts at 12:00 and lasts 30 minutes. No booking is required and can be accessed via the links below.

• Drop in on Wednesday 6 September 2023 at 12:00 for placement 3a (starting 11 September 2023)
• Drop in on Wednesday 1 November 2023 at 12:00 for placement 2a (starting 6 November 2023)
• Drop in on Wednesday 13 December 2023 at 12:00 for placement 3b (starting 9 January 2024)
• Drop in on Wednesday 1 May 2024 at 12:00 for placement 2b (starting 6 May 2024)
• Drop in on Wednesday 12 June 2024 at 12:00 for placement 1 (starting 17 June 2024)

Grading in Practice Quiz

The Grading In Practice Quiz has been created to ensure that practice educators are aware of how to support and assess students on physiotherapy placements, and forms part of our quality assurance processes. Successful completion by practice educators is required because some of the placements undertaken by students count towards their overall degree classification, and we wish to ensure that practice educators are consistent in how they provide feedback and mark students they support. Its completion is compulsory for practice educators supporting students on their 2b, 3a, or 3b placement, although it is useful for all practice educators to do.

For all enquiries about educator training sessions, please email HSCPracticeSupport@uwe.ac.uk

Also see information about the Supporting Students in Practice, and the Practice Learning and Student Support professional courses. These are not physiotherapy specific but may be of interest.

Additional information for supporting students

• Ramadan factsheet (DOC)
• Supervision:
  • Health Education England (HEE) Guide to Practice-Based Learning (PBL) for neurodivergent students
  • UWE Bristol neurodiversity and specific learning differences placement guidance for students and practice educators (PDF)
  • Student supervision – information for patients/service users (PDF)
  • Example of a student weekly supervision notes template, provided by a practice partner (DOC)
• Reflective practice:
  • Useful questions to prompt reflection (DOC)
• Peer review and feedback examples (optional):
  • Peer review form (DOC)
  • Selection of feedback record sheets (DOC)
  • Student observation and appraisal sheet (DOC)

External resources

The CSP website has a range of resources related to practice placements.

Below are the physiotherapy placement dates for all cohorts.

All placements can be in any speciality or setting despite being linked to a specific academic module.

Dates for re-sit/delayed placements are subject to availability (e.g. a similar speciality), so dates can only be confirmed nearer the time and may not be during the period stated.

Academic year 2023/24

• Monday 11 September to Friday 20 October 2023: Placement 3a (third year/cohort 2021)
• Monday 6 November to Friday 15 December 2023: Placement 2a (second year/cohort 2022)
• Monday 8 January to Friday 16 February 2024: Placement 3b (third year/cohort 2021)
• Tuesday 27 February to Thursday 29 February 2024: Observation days (first year/cohort 2023)
• Tuesday 7 May to Friday 14 June 2024: Placement 2b (second year/cohort 2022)
• Monday 17 June to Friday 19 July 2024: Placement 1 (first year/cohort 2023).
• Trailing placements (delayed or resits, between three and six depending on situation with): Anytime from June to mid-September 2024, with third years prioritised where possible.

Academic year 2024/25

• Monday 9 September to Friday 18 October 2024: Placement 3a (third year/cohort 2022)
• Monday 4 November to Friday 13 December 2024: Placement 2a (second year/cohort 2023)
• Monday 13 January to Friday 21 February 2025: Placement 3b (third year/cohort 2022)
• Tuesday 25 February to Thursday 27 February 2025: Observation days (first year/cohort 2024)
• Tuesday 6 May to Friday 13 June 2025: Placement 2b (second year/cohort 2023)
• Monday 16 June to Friday 18 July 2025: Placement 1 (first year/cohort 2024).
• Trailing placements (delayed or resits, between three and six weeks depending on situation): Anytime from June to mid-September 2025, with third years prioritised where possible.

If you have any queries or questions about the Physiotherapy programme or require support, please contact a member of the programme team.

Programme team

Placements Coordinators 

Kate Stancombe, Robyn Osborne, Amy Belisario

• Team Email: physioplacements@uwe.ac.uk

Programme leader

Louise Robbins

• Email: louise3.robbins@uwe.ac.uk
• Tel: +44 (0)117 32 8862

Placements Team 

• Email: ppoallocations@uwe.ac.uk

Find out more about supporting, supervising and assessing students in practice.