Learning & Skills Conference

Improving teaching, learning and

assessment

Overview
To identify common problems and the key challenges
To explore strategies to improve teaching, learning and
assessment in your organisation
To consider five achievable steps that you can take in the next
three months to improve teaching, learning and assessment
in your organisation

| 2

Sir Michael Wilshaw..

We

have made the link between outstanding

providers and outstanding teaching unequivocal
in the revised Common Inspection Framework.
We do not expect every lesson observed to be
outstanding, but we do believe that the
cumulative impact of high quality teaching and
learning drives up learners progress and
achievement.

Findings from inspections

Positive features of learning sessions

Enthusiastic and motivated staff:

have high expectations of learners

help learners to work collaboratively with other learners

plan to meet all learners needs

focus on learners vocational and subject expertise

engage learners in stimulating and challenging learning activities
using relevant & innovative resources
use information learning technology successfully to help learners
become more independent in their learning
Intermesh on-and off-the-job learning activities - set relevant work to
be completed on-the-job to support off-the-job learning

The impact of this is

Learners:

develop strong communication skills

gain a detailed understanding of their work, can explain ideas well,

answer questions and confidently meet their customers needs

produce work of a high standard, including work products,

coursework and in examinations

develop high levels of independence and can complete tasks set

effectively

Weak aspects of teaching and learning

Poor attendance and punctuality.

Lack of support for those who are struggling.

Weak classroom management - not dealing with behaviour issues.

Poor assessment that is not timely.

Learners are not clear what they are meant to be doing, or the
outcomes aimed for.
Insufficient challenge for the most able.
Weak teacher questioning too superficial, not covering all learners,
not extending and developing learning.
Learners spend too long listening to the teacher/trainer and those
who are not participating are not picked up.

Weak aspects of teaching and learning

Learning is not individualised with superficial planning.

Feedback is insufficiently detailed and poor grammar and spelling is

not always corrected.

Provider lesson observation grades are often overgenerous because

observers focus too often on teaching rather than learning.

Performance management of teachers/trainers is weak and does not

secure consistency in the quality of teaching and learning.

The pace of learning is often too slow and learners are not
challenged sufficiently in sessions or work or through target setting
to realise their full potential.

Key challenges and

opportunities facing us

What do you do?

How can you rapidly improve teaching, learning and assessment in

your organisation?

Do your teachers/trainers/assessors
outstanding?

Do you focus extra resources to improve the quality of teaching,

learning and assessment when success rates and other outcomes
measures are below the provider target?

Are you focusing on the right things?

know

what

is

good

and

How are you using performance management to bring about rapid

improvement in teaching, learning and assessment?

Do you know:

How good the teaching is in every session?

What progress learners are making and whether their progress is

monitored properly?

If learning interventions and coaching are good?

How good the teaching is in maths and communication?
If the assessment strategy is effective to improve the pace of
achievement for each learner?

Critical and
uncompromising
evaluation of teaching,
learning and
assessment

Instilling a culture of
quality improvement
with a clear focus on
teaching learning
and assessment

Towards good and outstanding teaching and learning

Firm performance
management to bring
about rapid
improvements in
teaching learning and
assessment

Targeted, high priority

training initiatives for
underperforming staff

Think about your own self assessment, action plan on

teaching, learning & assessment
Do these features of strong action planning appear in your plan?
Having success criteria and measurable objectives that ensure good
practice (at least) and which staff can be held accountable for.
Setting a reasonable and appropriate timescale, given your capacity.

Having actions in a sequence that reflects the reality of the provision.

Having clear milestones by which to monitor progress.

Identifying who has the skills and is accountable for delivering, monitoring
and evaluating and shares out the responsibilities.
Clearly indicating roles of external agencies, the board of directors or
governors and others.

Performance management and professional development

are both crucial in supporting improvement

Robust performance
management with clear
and measurable targets
for all staff

Targeted professional
development, evaluated
against impact on
achievement

So what priorities have you set

for continuous professional
development?

Think about your own planning and identify what it

means for the development of teachers/trainers.

How providers successfully improve teaching, learning &

assessment

Skilled senior managers ensure that all middle managers are also effective at
leading and monitoring teaching
Frequent and rigorous diagnostic monitoring of teaching and learning
Use evidence and engage staff in developing improvement plans
Make use of identified best practice within the provision, for example, coaching
Use other providers to share best practice and provide a vision of outstanding
Deliver high quality professional development
Monitor the delivery and impact of initiatives achieve consistency
Targeted support and robust performance management where staff do not
respond to change

Successful actions to improve teaching,

learning and assessment

Accurate self-assessment and clear action plan

Accurate & honest feedback to teachers and trainers

Effective monitoring of learning in sessions

Robust monitoring of the quality of learners work to set
high standards
Identification and sharing of good practice
Clear identification of actions for improvement
Outstanding training for staff
Effective use of data
Strong focus on learning

Having a vision is it good enough?

Good is the stepping

stone to outstanding

What would need to

change at your provision
to achieve this?

www.ofsted.gov.uk