Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Assessment whilst on placement
Assessment of progress
When considering your progress and the support you might need throughout the course, we take a holistic view of your development. To ensure that you are working at an optimum level, we use the indicators as shown in the diagram to enable you to have all that you need to gain the most from your training. It is key that you are fully aware of each of these and what they entail. To develop your understanding of these indicators, you will find detailed information in your sessions, course documentation and through discussions with your personal tutor in relation to how you might work with us to ensure that you are getting the best outcome.
We have many different people to support you throughout the course and ensure that you gain the best outcome for you, these being your Link Tutor, Personal Tutor, Module Tutor, and school Mentor. The course team will keep track of how you are doing in each of these areas and ensure that you are at the level you need to be to succeed. They will let you know when you are not on track and support you to develop. However, a key element to your success is of course you. So, look at each indicator and reflect on where your strengths and challenges lie. Work throughout your studies and in placement to ensure you have enhanced your progress in each of these areas.
We assess using our Core Areas which we have developed around the Core Content Framework and the Teachers’ Standards. We assess our students against the Teachers’ Standards at the end of their final placement.
We will only recommend the award of QTS where we are confident that you have met all the Teachers’ Standards. The accuracy and reliability of assessment in our Partnership rests on triangulation between the judgment of Mentors, moderated by Link Tutors and complemented by your self-assessment.
You are continually assessed through your placement using our expected progress statements.
Assessment calendar whilst on placement
| Stage of placement | Mentor | Student | Link tutor |
|---|---|---|---|
| From start of placement to the Progress Review | Meet weekly to review new implementation and progress, reflects on observations consider what to implement in the following week and set targets for the following week. Targets should be informed by the expected progress statements. Mentors should judge if the student is on course to meet expected progress statements by the end of the placement. Weekly meetings are recorded in PebblePad, including a Mentor comment. | Monitor PebblePad – are suitable targets being set, does the student seem on course? | |
| Assemble evidence of progress on PebblePad. | |||
| Progress Review | Complete Progress Review on PebblePad. | Contribute to the Progress Review on PebblePad and during the visit. | Visit the student in school to support and moderate. |
| Progress Review jointly agreed. If there is any doubt that a student will not reach expected progress in each category by the end of the placement an intervention should be put in place. The Progress Review is the last opportunity to do so. |
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| Between Progress Review and Final Review | Meet weekly to review new implementation and progress, reflect on observations, consider what to implement in the following week and set targets for the following week. Targets should be informed by the expected progress statements. Mentors should judge if the student is on course to meet expected progress statements by the end of the placement. Weekly meetings are recorded in PebblePad, including a Mentor comment. | Monitoring PebblePad – are suitable targets being set, is momentum from Progress Review being sustained? | |
| Assemble evidence of progress/Teachers’ Standards on PebblePad – needs to be complete by the end of placement. | |||
| Final Review | Completes Final Review on PebblePad. Mentor confirms that student has met expected progress statements. |
Contributes to the Final Review. Demonstrates evidence of having met expected progress statements. |
Virtual meeting held to moderate judgements. Mentor judgement moderated by Link Tutor. |
| Final placements | Mentor judges whether student has met Teachers’ Standards and hence should be recommended for QTS. | Demonstrates evidence of having met Teachers’ Standards. | Moderated and confirmed by Link Tutor. |
Assessment and progression
For each phase of placement, the Mentor will make a judgement on whether a student has made the progress described in the expected progress statements for that phase. The Mentor should make this judgement based on a holistic appreciation of the performance of the student over the whole period of the placement, in different subject areas etc. This judgement will be moderated by the Link Tutor who will have followed the progress of the student over the placement and will have had the opportunity to observe the student teaching alongside the Mentor and who will have supported the Mentor in their Progress Review and Final Review. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their PebblePad records are kept fully up to date. If there is a problem with the Mentor completing the necessary sections, the Link Tutor will provide support.
Students who have in these circumstances demonstrated expected progress will have shown that they are ready to progress to the next phase of their training or they will have shown that they have met all the Teachers’ Standards. The outcome of this assessment will be communicated clearly to the student through the Final Review and the University will confirm this outcome in writing to the student.
Assessment of students’ performance should be a cumulative process where student and Mentor are aware at each stage of progress against the relevant statements: these should underpin the dialogue in weekly meetings and form the basis for target setting. If a student is judged not on track by their Mentor, there is a process for addressing this (see intervention) which should be followed. There should be no sudden surprises in the assessment of students: a student that is judged to be making expected progress at the Progress Review should pass the placement in all but exceptional circumstances. Mentors should therefore be objective at all stages in their assessment of students, strongly consider the need for an intervention should a student not be making expected progress at the Progress Review and importantly let the Link Tutor know rapidly if there is any reason for concern that arises in the second half of the placement.
Termination of placement
Undergraduate students will have 3 assessed placements, postgraduate students will have 2 assessed placements. Each placement needs to be completed successfully to progress onto the next phase, i.e., to progress from a phase 1 placement to the next stage of training students need to have met all the expected progress requirements for that phase by the end of the placement. To pass a QTS course and to be recommended for QTS, students must meet all the Teachers’ Standards by the end of their final placement. These judgements are made by school-based Professional / Associated Mentors, moderated by university Link Tutors and standardised by internal and external moderation. If you are not successful in passing a placement, you will have one opportunity to repeat the placement in that academic year. If you are again unsuccessful in the repeat placement, you will be supported to transfer to a different course or to take a contained (non-QTS) award in which case you will have the opportunity to undertake a further non-QTS assessed placement.
Students who have been judged not to have made expected progress on their placements will have one opportunity to re-sit that year’s placement within the same academic year. We will ensure that students re-sitting their placement will do so fully supported and will have the best possible opportunity to complete the repeat placement successfully. The host school where the student is placed will be made aware that this is a re-sit, will be briefed as to the reason for the re-sit and will be supported by a Link Tutor working closely with the student.
The Partnership Team will find suitable re-sit placements for students who require them, and you will be informed as early as possible about the details and timing of your re-sit placement. The timing of re-sit placements is set out in the Carnegie School of Education Calendar. Re-sits will be the same standard duration as all placements for the course and phase. For all re-sits, Placement Readiness Engagement Planner (PREP) will be completed with a Link Tutor working in collaboration with the Course Director / Leader. Re-sit placements will not begin without a PREP in place.
The purpose of a PREP is to help the re-sit placement Mentor and student to focus the early stages of a re-sit placement on addressing the areas of concern from the previous unsuccessful placement. With the help of their Link Tutor, students will ensure that their Mentor is aware of the PREP and builds this into target setting in the early stages of the re-sit placement.
The PREP should be shared with the Partnership Team so they can ensure the student is ready for the re-sit placement before they release placement details. The PREP will be uploaded to Pebblepad in the relevant phase which the student is re-sitting.
Placement Readiness Engagement Planner (PREP)
Note – this PREP plan is in line with the University Engagement Plan and is to be used for students on Initial Teacher Education courses.
Student details
Student Name:
Student ID:
Course:
Year/Level:
Personal tutor:
Course director:
Date of meeting:
| Area of concern | Action required | Review date and how will I show this? | Reviewer comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes and details of any agreed additional support | |||
I agree to improve my academic and professional engagement in my studies as described above. I realise that a failure to improve my academic engagement may lead to my not being ready for placement and my possible withdrawal from Leeds Beckett University.
Student signature:
Date:
Personal tutor / Level lead signature:
Date:
What constitutes a failed placement?
The following could result in a failed placement:
- Not making expected progress in line with the expected progress statements for the phase of placement will result in the Link Tutor instigating the intervention procedure (see below). If the student does not make sufficient progress in line with the support plan within a week, the Link Tutor will terminate the placement, and it will be deemed a failed placement. The University’s decision on the placement result is final.
- If you do not evidence your progress on PebblePad by keeping all sections up to date.
- A decision from a Placement Review Panel including Course Directors regarding misconduct or insubstantial progress.
- If a Placement School withdraws their support for a student during placement.
- Not meeting Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards which requires your professional conduct and responsibilities and attendance.
- Student refusal to attend placement or withdrawing themself from a placement without due cause.
- Failure to meet all of the Teachers' Standards at the end of their final placement.
Pathways to achieving recommendation for QTS
- If a student makes the required progress in their placement they move on to the next phase or are recommended for QTS at the end of their final placement.
- If a student does not make the required progress in their placement, they have one opportunity to re-sit that placement in the same academic year.
- If a student does not successfully pass a re-sit placement their options are:
- Re-sit the academic year; student will only be able to do this once
- Transfer to a non-QTS course (first year undergraduates only)
- Take a non-QTS contained award which gives credit for academic achievement (all other students)
