Guiding Principles of Delivery for Accredited Courses
Guiding Principles of delivery for Accredited Courses.
The delivery of qualifications to learners enabling them to progress in work and life is one of the priorities of the Adult Learning and Skills Service (ALS). The quality of delivery is a key focus, not only for ALS, but also Ofsted and the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
When delivering qualifications you need to ensure that appropriate high quality teaching and processes are in place to facilitate learners to achieve a positive outcome.
In this document you will find guiding principles that need to be followed for accredited delivery.
Delivery staffStaff that support learners to achieve qualifications need to hold a recognised teaching qualification at a minimum of level 3, plus have the relevant occupational competency in the curriculum area of delivery. Occupational competency translates to the qualification held by the staff member and their knowledge of the subject area. Staff responsible for accredited delivery also need to ensure they complete regular continuing professional development (CPD) such as standardisation, training courses, research and reading to keep themselves current with the national curriculum and changes to assessment criteria.
Fundable qualifications
The Adult Education Budget (AEB) supports the delivery of qualifications and components of these (units), up to Level 2. This is called ‘local flexibility’.
Local flexibility provision is either fully or co-funded, depending on the learners prior attainment and circumstances. Please refer to the ESFA Funding rules for more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sfa-funding-rules
You can search for fundable qualifications and their funding rates under Local Flexibility on The Hub here:
Recruitment and promotion of qualification
Learners should only be enrolled onto a qualification if they meet the ESFA eligibility for funding criteria for the appropriate year, and demonstrate through an initial assessment and diagnostic process that they have a learning need for the qualification.
We recommend that learners complete a ‘taster’ of the subject via Community/Targeted Learning funding in order to assess the learners commitment and suitability prior to enrolment on qualification courses.
Additionally, upon recruitment, learners need to be made aware that they are being enrolled onto a programme which leads to a nationally recognised qualification, which they will be formally assessed for.
Charges and Fees
You must not make compulsory charges relating to the direct costs of delivering a learning aim to learners we fully fund, including those with a statutory entitlement to be fully funded for their learning. Direct costs include any essential activities or materials without which the learner could not complete and achieve their learning.
Charges can be made to those learners who are co-funded. Please refer to the ESFA Funding rules for further clarification.
Initial Assessment and Diagnostic
Before learners are enrolled onto a funded course that links to a qualification they are required to complete an initial assessment and diagnostic that assesses them directly against the criteria of the qualification.
The purpose of the initial assessment is to establish the learners level of confidence in the programme. Good practice in initial assessment is to have a good mix of task-based (or practical) and test-based assessment tasks, so ensuring that the learners level of functionality or ability to apply skills in different circumstances is assessed. At the end of the initial assessment it is important to recognise the ‘level’ the learner is at. There is no set tool or activity that should be used for the initial assessment, however it does need to be appropriate to assess the confidence, commitment and level of the learner.
The purpose of the diagnostic is to assess the learner further to ensure the learner demonstrates a need for the qualification, and that they are entered on to the appropriate level of qualification. The diagnostic is a longer process assessing the learner directly against the assessment criteria of the qualification that they are being enrolled onto. The outcome of the diagnostic is to be used to help plan the learners programme, with support to progress to the next level i.e: if a learner is currently working at Level 1, learning should be planned to enable achievement at Level 2. As before there is no set diagnostic tool that is to be used, but there has to be confidence that the tool can fully assess the learner against the assessment criteria of the qualification, and that it provides clear results of the learners starting point.
For both the initial assessment and diagnostic, the outcomes are to be fully documented on the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and retained with the course file. The outcomes of both the initial assessment and diagnostic are used to evidence that the learner is eligible for funding.
The appropriateness of the initial assessment and diagnostic tool used will be reviewed at contract monitoring meetings.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Before enrolment you must apply an assessment method that considers whether a learner can demonstrate that they can meet the outcomes for a qualification or a component of a qualification through knowledge, understanding or skills they already have and so do not need to undertake a course of learning for that component or qualification.
A learner could have prior learning that has been previously accredited by an awarding organisation or could be formally recognised and count towards a qualification. If this is the case you must:
- reduce the funding amount claimed for the learning aim by the percentage of learning and assessment the learner does not need
- follow the policies and procedures set by the awarding organisation for delivery and assessment of the qualification
- not claim funding if the prior learning meets the full requirements of the awarding organisation to achieve the learning aim
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learning-records-service-the-plr-for-learners-and-parents
Planning learning and covering assessment criteria
It is the tutors responsibility to completely familiarise themselves with the assessment criteria for the qualification being delivered by each awarding body used.
Assessment criteria guides are to be used to plan the learning and reflect in the course objectives on the Scheme of Work. When planning the course and session length, the recommended Guided Learning Hours of the qualification also need to be factored into the planning.
Once the course is planned each learner’s diagnostic results are to be used to focus sessions on meeting the learning needs of the group.
Guided Learning Hours
Courses should be planned to cover the minimum guided learning hours published in the Hub.
As defined by Ofqual: ‘The activity of the learner in being taught or instructed by – otherwise participating in education or training under the immediate guidance or supervision or – a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training’.
For these purposes the activity of ‘participating in education and training’ shall be treated as including the activity of being assessed if the assessment takes place under the immediate guidance or supervision of a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training.”
You can find more information in the Ofqual General Conditions of Recognition September 2016.
Learner attendance and commitment
At the time of recruitment, learners need to be made aware of the commitment to their learning. Regular attendance is a must and poor attendance is to be managed appropriately. Learners should be informed that missing classes can affect their outcome, and ultimately risk them not being fully prepared for the qualification assessment. Additionally as stated in the ESFA funding rules, if a learner is a non-attender for four consecutive weeks, then they are to be withdrawn from the course.
Preparation and Assessment
Within the planning of the course, the use of assessment preparation materials need to be factored. The use of practice assessments are to be used to regularly review the learners progress and understanding of the assessment criteria, and prepare learners for the final assessment.
As the tutor of an accredited course, the course plan also needs to include activities around exam techniques.
Registration and Certification
As stated in the funding rules learners who are funded and working towards a qualification are required to be registered onto the qualification within 4 weeks of the programme start date.
If using the ALS exam centre, registration will be completed and appropriate evidence kept on receipt of the appropriate paperwork. There is a requirement to return all required paperwork to the ALS Exam Team with in 15 working days of course start date to enable registration to be completed in a timely manner.
If using your own exam centre, the timeframe for registration must be adhered to and evidence of registration must be retained in the course file which will be checked at contract monitoring.
Achievement of a course linked to a qualification can only be claimed on receipt of certificate for the qualification undertaken. Evidence of certification must be retained in the course file, along with evidence that the learner was issued the certificate.
Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR) for qualifications are monitored by Ofsted and the minimum standards must be met. More details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/qualification-achievement-rates-and-minimum-standards
Destination and Progression
This data is collected via the register to demonstrate how the FE sector is contributing to the future success of learners. Destination and Progression outcomes for a learner include gaining employment or going on to further study.
ALS commission an organisation called J2Research to follow up all learners following completion of their learning. However providers should also ensure that a full exit review is completed following completion of the programme.
Use of Exam Centres
To use ALS Exam Centre this must be requested on the application form when applying for funding.
If using ALS Exam Centre you will be required to follow and adhere to all the policies and processes stated in handbook.
If using your own Exam Centre then appropriate evidence will need to be submitted to provide proof of accreditation and direct claim status with the awarding body.