Pathway Group Internal Quality Assurance Strategy
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The document outlines the internal quality assurance (IQA) strategy of Pathway Group. It details the roles and responsibilities in the IQA process, including the Quality Improvement Manager who monitors the verification procedure. The strategy involves sampling assessments at interim and summative stages to check the quality of assessors' judgements and ensure national standards are met. Internal verifiers must sample different units and methods of assessment for each assessor according to risk-based sampling plans and rates.
Pathway Group Internal Quality Assurance Strategy
- 1. Internal Quality Pathway Groupputting you first Assurance (IQA) Strategy Pathway Collegeputting you first
- 2. FOREWORD Quality assurance is the key to learner achievement and our company’s continued success. ThisdocumentsetsoutthePathwayGroupstrategyandprocedureforinternalquality assurance (IQA). It is led and monitored by the Quality Improvement Manager (QIM) and ensures that the verification procedure is standardised across the Group. Signed Safaraz Ali Director 19 November 2013 1.
- 3. Purpose: To document the principles, process and procedure used for the Internal Verification and Quality Assurance of QCF qualifications. The Quality Assurance process aims to ensure that the Centre maintains high quality, efficient and effective assessments which meets the quality standards within the Qualifications and Credit Framework Requirements for Approved Centres and awarding organisation requirements. Pathways Internal Verification and Quality Assurance practices are based upon principles and guidelines provided by and set out in awarding organisation guidance documents including; The Qualifications and Credit Framework Requirements for Approved Centres, Edexcel Accredited QCF, SVQs and Competence-based Qualifications – Delivery Requirements and Quality Assurance Guidance, LLUK NOS for Learning and Development and the Joint Awarding Body Guidance on Internal Verification and Quality Assurance of NVQs. Internal Verification Framework Pathway Group is committed to assuring the quality of its training provision through a standardised assessment and internal verification strategy. Internal verifiers (IQA) will ensure that there is standardisation of assessment activity across all locations, all qualifications and by all assessors/IQAs. The process applies to: • all learners • all assessors • all methods of assessment • all elements of the qualification • all vocational qualification programme areas • all levels of vocational qualifications • all assessment locations 2.
- 4. 3. Roles: Quality and Performance Manager The Quality and Performance Manager is responsible for ensuring consistency and coherency within the Quality Assurance and Internal Verification team. In addition they form the company’s main link with the awarding organisation external and standards verifiers and the Centre Coordinator. The Quality and Performance Manager is responsible for ensuring that appropriate documentation is used within the team, that verification decisions are consistent and meet the external and internal quality controls required. Internal Quality Assurance - Internal Verifier The IQA/Internal Verifier role is to ensure all claims for certification by the Centre are authentic and that risk to the integrity of any award is managed. In every completed Learner portfolio and in order to confirm that compliance and authenticity checks have been made, the IQA/Internal Verifier will complete the Unit Summary of Achievement Record. Risk to the integrity of the award is managed by the structured and documented Sampling Strategy and sampling regime applied to each Assessor/Tutor. The Sampling Strategy should be applied and documented with relevant Sampling Plans and Sampling Reports compiled into Individual Assessor Sampling Files. This system enables a transparent and auditable system demonstrating that all Assessor/Tutorshavebeensampledacrossallqualificationsandunitstheydeliverand all methods they use to reach assessment decisions based upon individual support requirements. Assessor Assessors will have a portfolio of learners who they will be responsible for. Fromadevelopmentpointofview;theywilldelivertrainingandconductassessments both formative and summative in line with the organisations and the respective Awarding body guidelines. Learners Undergo a qualification for which they generate evidence in the form of a portfolio which is regularly assessed by their allocated assessor. These assessments can be both formative or summative.
- 5. 4. Sampling: Sampling assessments should involve reviewing the quality of Assessors’judgements at both interim and summative stages. The “acid test” is whether or not the sample presents a sufficiently accurate picture of the quality of assessment in the Centre to be confident that those decisions not sampled also meet national standard. Interim sampling: It is important that the Internal Verifier/IQA “dips into” the assessment process undertaken with the Learner at different stages in the journey. This includes reviewing candidate work both before decisions have been made on any unit and looking at portfolios with some completed units. Interim verification will enable the Internal Verifier to pick up problems at an early stage and so avoid the situation of turning down final decisions. It will also highlight individual Assessor needs for support or training. Summative sampling: Correct summative sampling should entail reviewing the quality of the assessment decision by evaluating how the Assessor has reached that decision. The Internal Verifier/IQA must be able to follow an audit trail which clearly demonstrates that the Assessor has checked that the evijvdence presented is: Valid - Relevant to the Learner Outcomes and Assessment Criteria for which competence is claimed. Authentic - Produced by the Learner. Current - It is relevent to current practises Sufficent - Meets in full ALL the requirements of the Learner outcomes and Assessment Criteria. The above guidance is based upon extracts from the Joint Awarding Body Guidance on Internal Verification. Sampling Strategy: Every effort will be made by the internal verifiers to visit all locations to observe the assessment process; interview learners and secure feedback from employers;
- 6. 5. not withstanding the difficulties encountered where an assessor has a relatively few learners dispersed amongst a number of different locations. A Sampling Strategy document will be created for each Assessor/Tutor. This strategy will include a Sampling Rationale that will define the rate of sampling to be conducted. The rate of sampling will be a reflection of risk to the integrity of the award and support required by the individual Assessor/Tutor. The rate of sampling will be defined by taking into account the skills, experience, length of time assessing the specific qualification, quality and historic performance of each Assessor/Tutor, any changes to qualification specifications and portfolio documentation. This strategy document will be in place for a specified period of 12 months. However, it can be reviewed at any stage to take into account factors that would have an effect on the sampling rate. Sampling Rate: Risk Rating – Support Level • Red – High Support – 100% sampling of every portfolio.To be applied to Assessors who are new to the Centre, newly qualified, inexperienced or whose assessment decisions have been found not to be to the required standard • Amber – Medium Support - Sampling of 1 in every 2 of their submitted portfolios. To be applied to Assessors who have demonstrated satisfactory performance and progression from Red or High support requirement • Green - Sampling of 1 in every 4 of their submitted portfolios (minimum of two units) The sampling rate and support level should be applied in a sequential and logical manner; there should be progression from Red to Amber to Green. An Assessor should not be attributed with a Green risk rating immediately from a Red risk rating.
- 7. 6.6. However, should the submitted assessment decisions or assessment practice demonstrate the requirement for support or represent a risk to the integrity of the award, then an Assessor on a Green rating may have their support level changed to either an Amber or Red rating. The Sampling Strategy should be reviewed, amended or replaced should a risk rating or required support level change. Sample Plans: The Internal Verifier/IQA will be responsible for creating and completing Sampling Plans for each award taught and assessed by each individual Assessor/Tutor. These plans should have provision for: • All of the units within each qualification • All of the methods of assessment used • Allow for the recording of interim, summative and observation of teaching and learning Sampling Reports: The findings of and feedback from both Interim and Summative sampling should be recorded on IQA Sampling Reports. Feedback from the report should ideally be given in person and away from other assessors or the learner. In cases where it is impractical to provide face to face feedback, all attempts should be made to give verbal feedback via telephone or other electronic media and a copy of the relevent report should be given to the assessor either in electronic format or hard copy. Duringscheduledmeetingswiththeassessorallcopiesoffeedbackshouldbesigned and dated where necessary. These sampling reports should be given individual and sequential numbers. Feedback should always be constructive and positive. The report Numbers and relevant detail should be recorded onto the relevant Sampling Plan. The reports should be printed and placed within the Individual Assessor Sampling file.
- 8. 7. The individual Assessor Sampling File should be held as part of the overall Centre file system. Observation of Teaching and Learning (OTL) should be recorded on the designated OTL form in line with the Centre OTL Policy. A copy of the OTL report should become part of the overall Assessor Sampling file and be recorded on the individual Sampling plans. A copy of the report should be given to the Assessor. Standardisation: A single unit will be identified by the Internal Verifiers/IQA to sample across all assessors. This will form part of the Assessment teams’ standardisation process. Internal Verifiers/IQA must ensure this unit is included in their sampling. Each internal verifier (IQA) is responsible for their occupational area working within the agreed sampling plan. Internal Verifiers (IQA) must check with the Quality Improvement Manager if unclear about the procedures and/or recording requirements. Internal Verifiers are reminded that when using the minimum internal verification processes allowable, the activities must be carried out throughout the period of assessment. Under no circumstances must internal verification only take place towards or, at the end of assessment. Each Assessor observation will be graded in line with OFSTED grading scale 1 – 4: Grade 1: Outstanding Grade 2: Good Grade 3: Requires Improvement Grade 4: Inadequate Internal verifiers (IQA) may increase the extent of the sampling if there are concerns about assessment practice. Any serious concerns or hint of malpractice should be reported immediately to the Quality Improvement Manager (QIM).
- 9. 8.8. The internal verification sampling plan and record ensures that all aspects of the assessment process; evidence gathering methods; observation requirements for a single identified unit and the full range of units are sampled for each and all assessors andareevidencedontherecords.ThiswillallowtheInternalVerifier(IQA),thesecond line internal verifier (IQA) (where applicable), the QIM and external verifier to ensure that the agreed process is being applied. Where it is necessary to vary from the sampling plan, the reasons should be recorded and the variations added to the internal verification sampling plan and record. It is expected that Internal Verifiers will sample some units at the start of the learner journey. This is expected to be at twelve weeks from enrolment, some at about half way towards completion of portfolio; this is expected to be about eighteen to twenty four weeks from enrolment, and have covered all critical unit(s) when the portfolio is completed and handed over Internal Verifiers (IQA) must ensure that the sampling includes optional units. Internal Verifiers (IQA) must sample Interim (i.e. formative) as well as summative assessment decisions. NB: Internal verifiers are reminded that they must sign off all the units on the ‘Unit Summary of Achievement Record’ form. It is advisable to sign sampled units and assessment in an alternative colour (red), clearly indicating that sampling has taken place. Countersigning Arrangements All decisions made by unqualified staff who are working towards the required qualification will be carried out in line with Awarding Organisation requirement. Assessor/Tutors who are working towards their assessment qualification will be nominated a “mentor” Assessor/Tutor who will provide additional support to that providedbytheInternalVerifier/IQA.ThementorwillinsurethatallLearnerportfolios are countersigned by an occupationally competent and qualified Assessor/Tutor. InternalVerifier/IQAs who are working towards their verification qualification will be mentoredbyanominatedInternalVerifier/IQA.Alldecisionsmadewillbescrutinised and accepted decisions will be signed and dated on the relevant sampling report and also on the Internal Verifier/IQA section Unit Summary of Achievement Record. No documentation will be signed until any disagreements have been resolved and documented advice and guidance provided to the Learner.
- 16. Pathway Group Fairgate house, 205 Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham B11 2AA Tel: 0800 955 0870 / 0121 707 0550 Email: info@pathwaygroup.co.uk Web: www.pathwaygroup.co.uk