Module Two

In Step Two we:

Consider: quality assurance processes across your setting 

Consider: assessment, making a final judgement on trainee progress

1. Quality Assurance

How can you systematically monitor the training and mentoring that your setting provides? 

Reviewing the quality of mentoring - Perspective quality assurance form 

Using the samples provided and having watched the video clip, discuss your approach to quality assurance.

     Reviewing the quality of mentoring across your setting - written feedback

    Read a selection of the documents below including lesson observation feedback, weekly mentoring feedback and final review documentation.

   Analyse the feedback provided by the mentors and consider the effect and impact of this feedback. How might you further develop the mentors skills? 

Assessment of School Experience 

Our vision is to create Hope Teacher professionals that are recognised for their emerging expertise in teaching, learning and research. They will be able to demonstrate ambitious expectations for their pupils , the teaching profession and for their own professional development. 

To recognise these qualities the Liverpool Hope Partnership has developed a robust assessment process, which incorporates teaching learning and wider professional contributions. All final placement trainees are assessed against the Teachers’ Standards using the Liverpool Hope University Grade Descriptors adapted from the OfSTED, UCET, NASBTT and Northwest Consortia. 

The grade descriptors have an essential role in ensuring and monitoring the accuracy and consistency of judgements of trainees’ progress, achievement and final attainment and provide a shared language to discuss trainee progress through their training programme and into their early career. 

Final Assessment of Professional Placement

Assessing trainees' progress should draw upon a range of evidence. 

This evidence might include:

• Lesson observations

• Talking to the trainee teacher

• Reviewing the trainee teacher’s planning and evaluations

• Talking to pupils

• Reviewing the quality of marking and how pupils respond to marking and feedback

• Undertaking a work scrutiny

• Reviewing the trainee teacher’s tracking and assessment records

• A review of the trainee teacher’s evidence base

Assessment of a final professional placement is on a Pass (Recommending for QTS) / Fail (Not recommending for QTS) basis. In order to pass, a trainee must meet the Teachers’ Standards both Part 1 and Part 2. 

Both Professional Learning Co-ordinators, Mentors and Professional Placement Tutors are involved in recommending the outcome of a given professional placement. Final decisions about assessment are made by the Progression and Award Board (PAB) of the university in the light of the recommendations. 

In addition, trainees undertaking any school experience will also be tracked against ‘assessment descriptors’ aligned to the Teacher’s Standards: These descriptors describe what might be expected of trainees at that particular point in their training . Mentors and Tutors should use the descriptors as a focus for discussion when agreeing the outcome of the school experience and decide upon a ‘best fit’ judgement. 

The decision about the outcome of a school placement experience should be made towards the end of the school experience and will be recorded on Perspectives using the Final Review Form. External examiners will moderate a sample of trainees on their final placement including any trainee that is not making expected progress. 

It is expected that trainees for whom a FAIL( Not recommending for QTS) or NOT on track grade is awarded for their professional placement will normally have been alerted to this as a possible outcome at interim reviews or quality assurance visits completed by the Professional Placement Tutor. This will be because they have provided Insufficient Evidence of meeting the placement expectations consistently in their professional practice. 

All trainees have a Hope Teacher Portfolio. This portfolio allows them to reflect on their professional development and collate evidence against the Teachers’ Standards. The evidence is collated towards the end of the school experience and demonstrates their progress toward the Teachers Standards.