Rationale

A report (Ofsted, 2011) stated that ‘the initial assessment of learners’ … skills was no better than satisfactory in 19 of the 35 providers of full-time vocational provision visited. The weaker providers either did not assess all their learners effectively, or tutors did not use the results of the assessments in sufficient detail to plan learning.’ The South Tyneside Council project team were concerned that the situation had not improved since 2011 and partners reported that the assessment practices they were contracted to carry out by the council were leading to disengagement in learning.

Local quality assurance work also indicated that many learners were not being effectively assessed in order to sufficiently plan learning. The project, therefore, aimed to improve the quality and consistency of initial and diagnostic assessments made by BES-commissioned providers. It was hoped that this would lead to more effective personalised learning, better outcomes and a more positive learning experience for students.

Project Activities and Outputs

Approach and Methdology

All teaching and support staff from the two community partners were involved in the project, with their management teams working closely with the council’s BES manager to coordinate and validate project activities. Providers participated in a self-assessment and peer review of their current practice against national effective practice guidelines (EPGs) for assessment and tracking (Education and Training Foundation, 2017), as well as research with learners about the impact of assessment practices on them.

Providers used six focus groups with different groups of young people and adult learners. The results were distilled into an impact document which evidenced particularly the mostly negative effects of the process; e.g. re-enforcing a sense of failure, ‘it’s a test’, etc. Staff additionally attended a CPD event focussing on the EPGs and completed their own ‘exit ticket’. This event made staff particularly aware of EPG 7 (assess for self-belief and motivation) which has subsequently been incorporated into provider processes.

The two providers and staff met regularly to share good practice for the benefit of learners. Centre managers for the two providers have promoted their research and outcomes at local training provider network meetings. Each provider is now implementing changes to their process which will be in turn subject to practitioner and peer review.

Professional Learning

Evidence of changes in teaching, learning and assessment practices.

Organisational changes are now being piloted that will enable practitioners to better understand the starting points of learners. These changes will support the creation of an inclusive culture which enables all learners to fully participate in the learning process and achieve their full potential.

From the starting point of considering initial and diagnostic assessment, the project team members soon learned that they needed to focus on the impact of the process of assessment on learners. In addition, they needed to make better use of assessment outcomes, particularly within the embedding of maths and English in vocational subjects (Hunter & Brown, 2018).

Evidence of improved collaboration and changes in organisational practices

Providers are now in the process of implementing changes which include much wider assessment of the learner as a whole e.g. their emotional and social needs and mind sets. Such factors influence the way feedback is best given to individual learners, their group skills development and how these will be transferred to work. This information is contained with detailed group profiles. Through the widening of assessment, learners have much more individualised targets, linked to all aspects of themselves, not just their academic goals.

As a result of lesson study ideas introduced by the OTLA team, alongside action research approaches, project team members are now involved in peer observations in a more structured way.

Tutor reviews/appraisals in the first term of the project were based fully around the 2014 Professional Standards self-assessment questionnaire introduced by the OTLA team. This then informed the action plan for all tutors. Due to raised awareness of these standards, all tutors identified keeping up to date with research as an area they all realised they needed to develop. The group is now considering how to manage its future, particularly in relation to reflective practice and how to ensure sustainability of further shared research. Providers have indicated support for the development of a wider Community of Practice for South Tyneside. This includes, participation in the regional Professional Exchange networks and embedding the use of the 2014 professional standards in their own quality assurance procedures.