Your completed Account of Professional Practice needs to be supported by 2 independent Referee's Reports.

When you begin writing your Account of Professional Practice you need to think about finding two independent referees to support your application, and approach them to see if they are willing to write a report.

During the Senior Fellowship review process the two independent Referee’s Reports provided by the referees will be used to confirm that the submission presents a fair and accurate reflection of your Higher Education practice.

The function of the Referee’s Report:

The award of HEA Senior Fellowship is based on peer recognition of professional practice and as such your referees are being asked to support your application as a valued peer who has expertise in teaching and learning in Higher Education (HE). Your referees will have worked closely with you, have first-hand knowledge of your HE professional practice and will be in a position to comment on and substantiate your record of effectiveness within the context in which you teach and/or support learning. They should be able to confirm that you have represented your practice accurately and provide their opinion that you demonstrate the requirements of Descriptor 3 criteria of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF).

It is useful to send a few guidance notes to your referees. These are notes that I compiled for my own referees, plus 3 sample references and the template your referees should complete: