Key messages from skein and example findings
- 1. SKEIN for FE: for securing depth in professional learning What can your college expect? “The further education and skills system requires a cultural shift to enable it to improve further the quality of teaching and learning” 157 Group Report “Leading learning and letting go” (2012)
- 2. Skein evaluations involve Evidence collected from a range of sources: A review of a range of existing college documents A short on-line staff survey A one day visit consisting of: • sampling staff views via short (20 minutes) interviews • lunch time or twilight focus groups • a group SLT interview Resulting in a diagnostic report reporting strengths and weaknesses for each benchmark
- 3. The rationale for Skein • Skein can help colleges rise to the challenge of making the quality of teaching and learning good or outstanding • It provides a robust external evaluation of your current CPDL provision against international benchmarks • Your Ofsted evidence can be enhanced by linking staff learning explicitly with student learning • Practical resources are signposted to help tackle areas of weakness in CPDL provision
- 4. The Benchmarks • Focus on what makes a difference for pupils and staff Collaboration as a professional learning strategy Use of expertise to ensure depth and accuracy Use of evidence to link staff and pupil learning Needs analysis for cumulative, personalised learning Leadership of professional learning • Identify efficient, effective next steps/strengths to build on • Build capacity and reduce dependency on external providers
- 5. Examples of strengths and development areas from previous reports
- 6. Collaboration as a professional learning strategy Example of strength: • The staff induction programme and ITE facilitate professional learning in a well supported environment of open collaboration, sharing and experimentation Example of development area: • Identify and use a range of tools and protocols to support professional dialogue about what is learnt from trying new approaches through, for example, action research or research lesson study.
- 7. Use of expertise to ensure depth and accuracy Example of strength: • Well established interest in and support for developing specialist expertise Example of development area: • Expand recognition of subject expertise and ways in which different subjects interact with different approaches to teaching and learning.
- 8. Use of evidence to link staff and pupil learning Example of strength: • The systematic use of specific and detailed evidence to underpin performance review and evaluating the impact of CPD for individual staff members Example of development area: • Use further action research to build on the existing wider evidence base, e.g. publish and share summaries of colleagues’ research.
- 9. Needs analysis for cumulative, personalised learning Example of strength: • Staff ownership of their professional development – identify own professional development needs and make informed choices from the many opportunities available Example of development area: • Use aspirations for specific groups of students to help colleagues make links between their own and their students’ learning processes.
- 10. Leadership of professional learning Example of strength: • The college’s strategic commitment to improving teaching and learning and the recognition of the major contribution professional development and learning makes to this Example of development area: • Greater and more visible participation in professional learning about teaching and learning by the college corporate leaders
- 11. Skein for CPDL • The review process also provides a valuable CPDL opportunity for the college