Quality Assurance processes explained
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About quality assurance processes
The quality assurance processes within Northamptonshire Adult Learning allows for staff to be supported in the delivery of good quality learning and for all learners to be supported and challenged to achieve and progress. It aims to identify good practice, allow for support to be given where required and identify common areas for development.
The majority of courses delivered by ALS are funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and therefore both accredited and non-accredited provision is regulated and inspected by Ofsted.
The quality standards set by the service take into account the four key judgements in the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF) published in May 2019:
Quality of Education.
Behaviours and Attitudes.
Personal Development.
Leadership and Management.
Managers continually monitor all ALS policies to ensure they meet the requirements of the new EIF and they are updated as appropriate and at least annually. Staff will be kept informed of any changes to policies and quality assurance with regard to the EIF via the staff bulletin and team meetings. All policies and strategies are stored on Moodle and those relevant to teaching, learning and assessment will be referred to in this guide.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy
This policy makes clear the high expectations the service has of its teaching staff and underpins all quality assurance. If tutors have any concerns or questions about this policy they should contact their line manager in the first instance.
The policy makes clear that tutors are required:
To ensure that the curriculum for each learner will be characterised by the principles and practices of good teaching and learning
To ensure that Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) which supports learning and progression are appropriate, timely and well integrated into the course
To ensure that non-accredited courses embed the six stage RARPA process • To embed blended learning if appropriate on their courses
To ensure that the curriculum actively promotes equality, opportunity and diversity, tackles discrimination and is inclusive and accessible
To ensure that the curriculum actively promotes well being
To take up opportunities to promote the development of skills in English and Mathematics, as appropriate to the subject
To ensure that learners feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe in class and online.
The Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy has four sections:
Section 1 - Quality monitoring visits of teaching, learning and assessment in the learning space.
Section 2 – Recognising and Recording Progression and Achievement
Section 3 – Deep Curriculum Reviews
Section 4 - Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teaching and non teaching staff.
Quality Monitoring Visits of Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Managers and coordinators carry out quality monitoring visits in order to support tutors, provide relevant CPD and to provide statistical data for the annual Self-Assessment Report (SAR). Policies and procedures for carrying out monitoring of provision are in all relevant policies on Moodle.
Observation of Teaching, Learning and Assessment (OTLA)
Participation in the observation process is obligatory
Tutors are notified, via their work email, one week before the observation is due to take place.
Tutors will also be emailed a copy of the OTLA policy reporting form, the appeal form and the guidance notes for observers.
All new tutors are observed within three months of starting work for the service but will receive a Learning Walk before their formal observation visit.
Learning Walks
Learning Walks are designed to provide information for both the coordinator visiting the class and the tutor on how the course is going and to help the tutor prepare for the formal observation visit.
All new tutors will receive a Learning Walk before they are observed
Learning Walks are no notice visits and the aim of these visits for new and experienced tutors is to provide very “light touch” feedback and to enable observers to increase their knowledge and understanding of a tutor’s class in a less formal way.
For online courses, a tutor may get up to 1 day notice of a learning walk visit to ensure that the visitor can be admitted to the virtual platform smoothly if the person conducting the learning walk is not known to the tutor.
RARPA Sampling
Tutors’ adherence to RARPA standards is monitored in a number of ways including observations, team meetings, learning walks and informal drop-ins to classes, one to one meetings and also through sampling and moderating completed course folders.
The procedure for sampling course folders is:
Teams select a number of folders from various curriculum areas for a termly sampling and moderation exercise where managers and coordinators will moderate and internally quality assure the RARPA six stage process as evidenced in a course folder.
If a tutor’s folder is to be sampled the tutor will be emailed three weeks before the end of the course, in order to prepare their folder for collection by their manager.
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Tutors are to liaise with their coordinator or manager sampling the folder to negotiate delivery of the folder. Some RARPA sampling may take place as a class visit. Course paperwork may be shared electronically or as a physical folder.
The sampler will feedback the comments about the folder and any subsequent actions to the tutor.
Deep Curriculum Reviews
Deep Curriculum Reviews are designed to:
- To identify areas of good practice within identified area.
- To enable support to be provided for areas that need development.
- To build confidence in staff around Ofsted Deep Dive inspection process.
The Deep Curriculum Reviews will focus on an area of provision and are planned to analyse all of the aspects involved.
The Deep Curriculum Reviews will normally be conducted over 1 – 3 days and will involve various activities to gather evidence, including discussions with managers, CCs, tutors and learners, reviewing paperwork, including ILPs and visits to classes.
Further information on Deep Curriculum Reviews can be found in the Teaching Learning and Assessment (TLA) Policy.
Benchmarking Judgements: Retention, Success and Attendance
The service has set benchmarks and these will be printed on registers in order for all tutors to be aware of how retention, success and attendance are judged by the service.
Benchmarks have been set for multi-session courses that are more than seven hours in duration.
The benchmarks for retention and attendance on all community learning programmes are identical but targeted programmes, the success benchmarks are slightly lower. The Benchmarks are based on trend data which demonstrated learners on targeted programmes may find it slightly harder to achieve their outcome than those on universal programmes, owing to factors beyond the classroom.
Managers will regularly monitor data reports on all programmes and will pay particular attention to those courses where retention, success and attendance require improvement.
In order to achieve on a Community Learning course a learner needs to achieve at least 75% of their group outcomes.
The definition of success is the percentage of learners who achieve at the end of the course out of all those who started the course.
The definition of retention is the number of learners who finish a course who started irrespective of whether they achieved or not.
Success rates include learners who withdraw during the course which is why it is important to monitor retention as well as success.
Attendance rates include the number of sessions learners attend compared to the total number of sessions in the course. Attendance on courses will also be monitored closely in order to support those learners who may be considering withdrawing from the course.
Summary of Benchmark Judgements
Judgements
Retention
benchmarks for all Community
Learning
Programmes
Attendance
benchmarks for all
Community
Learning
Programmes
Success
benchmark for universal
Community Learning
Programmes
Success
benchmark for targeted
Community Learning
Programmes (FL, L4WW and L2B)
Outstanding 90% and above 90% and above 90% and above 88% and above
Good 80- 89% 80 - 89% 80 - 89% 78 - 87%
Requires
Improvement 72-79% 72-79% 72-79% 70-77% Inadequate 71% or less 71% or less 71% or less 69% or less
If you have any questions about the content of this guide please contact your coordinator in the first instance. You are also welcome to contact the Performance and Quality manager directly for further discussion or clarification. It should be noted this document provides a general overview and managers are able to provide tutors with far more detailed information about all aspects of quality assurance.