INSPECTION
Briefing Paper 3
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
As we know teaching, learning and assessment are at the heart of the inspection framework. The reason for this is good teaching and learning on a day to day basis leads to high student success and outcomes.
Inspectors will observe learning in a range of contexts including workshops, classrooms, labs, The Shop, The Kitchen, Learning Zones, the Library, Moodle, Google etc. Tutorials will be observed in the same way as the pace of learning and progress are judged in subject lessons.
When observing any session, inspectors will of course focus their attention on the students learning rather than what the teacher is doing. Inspectors will talk to students about their learning experience and review the quality of their work and quality of feedback.
The focus of this briefing is to provide teachers with simple tips and suggestions of how best to prepare for inspection and show case their best practice.
Planning your week - Top Ten Tips
1. Start to collect a list of activities which have worked well in engaging students. Remember inspectors are not really interested in you, but the impact you have on your students' learning, so you might consider delaying your solo Oscar winning performance to the following week.
2. Use the Learning Cycle framework for all of your sessions, theory or practical. It is a formula which students should now be used to and trained to respond to. You can repeat some of your favourite activities in different classes so you manage your lesson planning time.
3. Ensure you integrate English and maths and equality and diversity at some point in the session.
4. Don't try to cram in too much.
5. Consider what students will bring to the lessons which shows they have been doing work in advance - flip learning. They must be seen to be working hard, not just you.
6. Don't forget tutorials. You will have been working through the Edge which is the tutorial framework for all full time students. Make things easier for yourself by using the materials from the Edge site in these sessions. Gill Davidson is happy to provide any assistance you might need with accessing The Edge.
7. Inspectors will be asking students what their targets are and looking at their Pro-monitor records. It would be a good idea to ask a colleague to have that conversation with some of your students and give you some feedback and you can do the same for them. Let's eliminate as many surprises as we can.
8. We have had some clear feedback from students about things they want to see changed. As long as we have responded to it, then that is a real positive.
9. Some of you are using technology and communication in as innovative a way as will be seen in any college in the country. Show this in your sessions - but have a contingency in case the network is having an off day.
10. You could have your skeleton lesson plans for the week prepared ready to drop in the content from your scheme of work.
This isn't just for Ofsted. being planned in this way enables you to focus more on the individual needs of students and involve them in the planning and delivery of their own learning.
Below is a video scribe oulining what inspectors will be looking for.
Have you got all your planning documents in place?
We have had a focus on getting schemes of learning, group profiles, assessment plans and the learning environment sorted. You could sit with a colleague for half an hour and check these out together. If you are still unsure, contact one of the 'Pass It On' team - Hannah Tyreman, Scott Reilly or Liz Anderson for advice.
Below are images of all the documents you need in order to be well prepared. When an inspector enters the room, hand all these documents to the inspector in a plastic wallet. Don't assume they will ask for them. A good tip is to have them placed on a chair near the door so as the inspector enters the room they pick them up and have a suitable place to sit.
You can access all these and the lesson plan videos on the 'Pass It On' website/ Planning for Learning/ Learning Plans and SOL's. Click on the link below.
The Learners' Cycle provides the framework for all lessons
Cycle lesson plan using the learning cycle
Scheme of learning including skills flags
Group profile with individual stretch targets
Detailed Assessment Plan
Course Handbook
What about your students marked work?
You will also need a selection of marked student work. Inspectors will be looking for the quality and frequency of feedback students are receiving. Feedback needs to be specific, detailed and enables students to improve. All work must also be marked for SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and where appropriate maths as well.
For some good practice ideas on providing 'feedback with bite' to your students, visit the Planning for Assessment part of the 'Pass It On' website or click on the link below.
Other Ways of Showcasing Your Students Learning
In your lesson and in talking to students, inspectors will want to know how your students learning is extended through the college VLE - Moodle, or Google Communities or websites. Consider how interactive your resources are on the these sites. Below are some good examples of how this is being done across college.