WILTSHIRE COLLEGE TEACHING, LEARNING & ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
2015-16
MISSION STATEMENT: The core purpose of Wiltshire College is to provide high quality, flexible, exciting learning and training opportunities that enable our learners to succeed.
STRATEGIC AIM 1:
STRATEGIC AIM 2:
To provide outstanding education and training for our learners.
To ensure outstanding resources to support learning in our staff, our buildings and our learning technologies.
OUR CORE VALUES - WE WILL: PUT THE LEARNER FIRST We believe that our learners should achieve, enjoy and benefit from their experience at Wiltshire College and that their success leads to the success of the College.
DELIVER OUTSTANDING QUALITY AND INNOVATION We believe in improving the quality of learning and the student and customer experience.
RESPECT AND CELEBRATE DIVERSITY We believe in promoting positive attitudes to diversity whilst respecting the rights and beliefs of each other, regardless of gender, marital status, age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or position within the College.
EMPOWER STAFF TO MAXIMISE THEIR POTENTIAL We believe that everyone who works in the College contributes to the goals of the College. We will support their development and value and celebrate their achievements and successes.
PROVIDE AN OUTSTANDING AND RESPONSIVE SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYERS AND THE COMMUNITY We believe that the College should be the provider of choice for the customers, employers and communities we serve whilst actively promoting sustainability for the future.
WHOLE ORGANISATION APPROACH 15/16 VISION Wiltshire College is committed to providing the best possible learning opportunities and experiences for all students. The College’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy sets out the scope and ambitions of the College in terms of high standards of teaching, learning and assessment practice. Wiltshire College will continue to develop a wide range of learning and assessment methods for its students. Opportunities to exploit work experience, work related learning, realistic work environments, ILT and resource- based learning will be used to enhance vocational expertise. The College will ensure Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) themes and opportunities are strongly present. New methods of assessment will be introduced and carefully evaluated. Effective and efficient approaches will be sought to enhance the learning experience. Wiltshire College will help students to develop the broader skills required to progress, whether directly to employment, further study or into Higher Education. Learning will be inclusive, challenging and always aimed at developing and extending skills. Improving the quality of learning and the student experience is at the heart of observing teaching, learning and assessment. This strategy reflects a holistic approach to assessing learning by collating a breadth of information about teaching, learning and assessment practice, to include learning walks, capturing student feedback during observations of teaching, learning and assessment, student focus groups and (for example) staff and employer views and outcomes for learners.
AIMS The intention of the strategy is to develop all activities that support the continuous improvement towards excellent teaching, learning and assessment. The aims are to: 1. Ensure a consistent, high-quality learning experience across the College through the promotion of inspirational, innovative teaching, learning and assessment practice enabling all students to achieve their full potential. 2. Develop a consistent approach to high-quality assessment practices to enable students to improve their work as a result of rigorous assessment for learning and tutor feedback. 3. Raise teachers’ awareness and confidence to exploit spontaneously occurring opportunities to address equality and diversity issues and use these opportunities to enhance the learning experience. 4. Ensure differentiated teaching strategies and in-class support effectively meets all students’ individual needs. 5. Develop teachers’ ability to promote and embed English, mathematics and equality and diversity and thereby support student progression to worthwhile outcomes such as further study, Higher Education or related employment. 6. Increase the capacity of staff to exploit opportunities afforded by learning technology through support, training and development.
COMMITMENTS TO IMPROVING TEACHING, LEARNING & ASSESSMENT Wiltshire College is committed to providing opportunities for all teachers to develop excellence in their teaching practice. We are wholly dedicated to ensuring the best possible experience for all of our students and believe this is achieved by outstanding teaching, learning and assessment practice.
COMMITMENT TO: High standards of delivery Vision
Anticipated Impact
A culture where all members of staff are committed to delivering the highest possible standard of teaching, learning and assessment both within and beyond formal sessions (including in the workplace, directed self-study, resource- based learning, and out of class learning, the virtual learning environment).
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Teachers effectively plan sessions which place emphasis on learning, set challenging tasks, enthuse and inspire students and extend learning for all students.
• Increased learner engagement and attendance. • Learner feedback on teaching and learning reflects higher satisfaction and meeting of individual needs at all levels, including more able learners. • Increased number of high grades and value added. • Increased numbers of learners who internally progress to higher levels of learning.
Improved learner experience and satisfaction. Increased success rates and course performance. Narrowing of performance differences between curriculum areas. Teaching and learning observations reflect a higher grade profile. Increased value added. Increased progression and career opportunities and choice. Learners develop a range of employability skills. More independent learning and increased use of technology and online resources enhances learning.
Vision
Anticipated Impact
There is effective use of learner information to plan appropriate support where necessary and to inform differentiation within teaching, ensuring all students are working at the appropriate level and are stretched and challenged.
• Lesson planning reflects excellent use of differentiation and how learner needs are met and extended. • Ambitious but realistic target setting for individual learners uses the information from the learner course profile and initial and diagnostic assessment methods. • An increased number of learners progress onto higher level qualifications or into qualification related meaningful work. •
Teaching, learning and assessment continually fosters increasing confidence, independence and autonomy for students.
• Learners take charge of their own learning and work collaboratively with each other to enhance and extend skills and knowledge.
Teaching, learning and assessment develop higher order thinking skills as appropriate to the level of the programmes and the needs of the individual.
• Learners are challenged by the teaching learning & assessment they receive. • Learners recognise that when they have progressed to a higher level of study, there is an increased expectation and skill level required to fulfill the requirements of the course. • Learners are stretched and challenged by well-planned and resourced course content and activity delivered to a high standard. This will enable learners to be competent and confident to progress to further study and develop excellent employability skills.
COMMITMENT TO: High Standards of Delivery (continued) Vision
Anticipated Impact
Students are aware of their progress and clearly understand how to improve their performance as a result of constructive tutor feedback
• Learners are able to improve and increase their grades and achievements. • Learners demonstrate a higher level of skill development in practical activities and are confidently able to recognise and recall what they have done differently due to effective feedback from their tutor. • Increased amount of high grades and value added ensures learners meet and exceed where applicable targets set. • Pro-Monitor is well used to support student development and understanding of what is required to improve.
Students’ English and mathematics s skills continue to be improved.
• Increased success rates for English and mathematics including high grades. • Learners demonstrate competence in using English and mathematics through well planned learning. • English and mathematics is embedded in daily teaching, learning and assessment. • Learners are signposted to ensure they recognise the use of English and mathematics skills in their learning.
Every student feels safe, valued and respected as a member of the College community. The College meets all its responsibilities in relation to Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity issues.
• The learner voice reflects positive feedback on the learner experience in all aspects of College life. • All learners have equality of opportunity and feel supported to reach their potential. • Diversity is celebrated.
COMMITMENT TO: Staff Development Vision
Anticipated Impact
There is a comprehensive programme of staff development activities to support the development of teaching, learning and assessment practice. This includes the development of English and maths skills, equality and diversity, ICT skills and industry standards, setting targets and using assessment for learning.
• Staff feel confident to develop their own practice and to try new, different approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. • The learner voice reflects positively on teaching, learning and assessment and the range of well-planned and varying activities. • Lesson planning, learning walks and lesson observation findings reflect embedding of English and maths. Opportunities to enhance learning through the use of technology and embracement of equality and diversity into practice. • Learners have received teaching and learning that ensure they are suitably prepared to be successful when progressing into employment.
Teaching, learning and assessment training programmes are developed that focus on national and College initiatives and areas for improvement identified through the observation process.
• Staff continue to focus on preparation for employment and further study, equipping learners with the practical, theory and study skills required. • Where industry and local needs are changing, staff will be trained and supported to deliver new requirements to a high standard. • Lesson observations reflect the impact of training and evidence of support to increase good or better Teaching, Learning and Assessment. • Learners benefit from high quality target setting.
There is a peer observation scheme that sets an expectation to peer observe within tiers and across College.
• Staff will share and be reflective of own and others’ practice which will subsequently enrich own practice and make valuable links across teaching areas. • The PDR process will review the impact on individual’s practice and development throughout the year.
COMMITMENT TO: A Supportive Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programme Vision
Anticipated Impact
There is a developing ethos of reflective practice, continuous improvements and a culture whereby staff feel confident to ask for support and guidance.
• Increased number of staff engaging in learning coach support through self-referral and allocation of support. • Sharing of good practice events involve all staff including business support. • Peer observations increase, allowing for an open door culture for informal development across College.
Supporting teaching staff in the delivery of inspiring and innovative learning which encourages staff to try new ideas and collaborate with peers.
• A more creative approach to trying new ideas is evidenced through learning walks and lesson observations. • Learner feedback on lessons captures learning through new and varied means. • Learner punctuality and attendance is good. • More consistency in standards of teaching with staff feeling empowered to be creative and share practice.
There are increasing opportunities to share outstanding practice from members of staff who gain a Grade 1 during lesson observations.
• We celebrate and recognise where practice is outstanding and provide teachers with new ideas. • We further involve outstanding teachers in the promotion of excellence in teaching, learning and assessment across College particularly around key themes. • We use outstanding teachers to support a College wide understanding of what outstanding teaching, learning & assessment looks like. • We support a focus on moving ‘good’ teaching grades to outstanding and increasing the number of sessions observed and graded •
COMMITMENT TO: A consistent, robust and rigorous approach to the observation of teaching, learning and assessment across all campuses and programmes including work based learning and HE. Vision
Anticipated Impact
We assess and evaluate the quality of the learning experience for all students and identify best practice and key areas for improvement.
• Lesson observation profiles across curriculum areas increase to a higher level. • Curriculum areas are able to highlight good practice and excellence in staff. They are able to openly share this, whilst collectively working to ensure any areas of improvement are targeted and supported. • Increased recruitment to courses; retention and attendance will improve. • Success rates will show an increasingly positive and stable improvement year on year. • Learner progression will increase as learners stay on and continue their studying at the College.
We plan and provide appropriate support and training at individual, team and cross College levels.
• Bespoke support and training that meets individual and team needs through staff development and learning coach support increases good or better teaching. • Cross campus sharing of same curriculum areas ensures a more consistent learner experience regardless of location.
We encourage a culture of openness in which staff work together to improve the learning experience of all our students.
• Curriculum areas will encourage peer observations on a frequent and informal basis. • Staff are responsive to gathering and embracing learner feedback on teaching, learning and assessment, recognising where changes can be made to improve the learner experience.
We develop best practice in Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding, Prevent, tutorial and the development of personal, social and employability skills.
• Every member of staff at the College takes responsibility for promoting Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding, prevent and the tutorial development of personal, social and employability skills that make a difference. • Where there is excellence recognised through observations, staff are encouraged to share locally across the College during staff development and training.
We support managers to continually assess the standard of teaching, learning and assessment through learning walks, discussions with students, monitoring assessments and feedback from employers.
• Commitment to the learning walk process will regularly give feedback on the learner experience. • The learner voice becomes more prominent in feedback on teaching, learning and assessment and the impact of this is reflected in positive changes made by teaching staff. • Employers observe and inform change to ensure learners receive the most up to date teaching, learning and assessment to meet industry standards. • Staff are responsive to feedback and address change due to employer feedback.
COMMITMENT TO: Create a Professional and Responsive Workforce Vision
Anticipated Impact
The College has a holistic and coherent approach to recruitment, appraisal, support, training and performance management ensuring staff have the skills and knowledge to provide high-quality teaching, learning and assessment.
• The quality of the learner experience will be improved due to the recruitment of excellent practitioners. • Learners will benefit from industry experienced and vocationally passionate staff who can inspire and motivate learners. • Teaching performance will be effectively managed and celebrated through support for teaching learning and assessment and performance management.
Evaluations of teaching, learning and assessment are aligned to the Professional Development Review (PDR) process and support effective performance management and recognition of excellence.
• Staff will receive regular feedback and opportunities to discuss performance. • All staff will be able to access support for teaching learning and assessment. • Staff will have high expectations of teaching learning and assessment • Opportunities to recognise and celebrate staff’ members’ performance will be regular and valued at all levels.
