1. Briefing for the 2012-13 Observation of
Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Howard Browes
Head of Learning Innovation and Student Progress

2. Overview New Common Inspection Framework (September 2012)
Why have LCC made changes?
What are the changes?
Where to find information to explain the process
Top Tips - how to deliver an outstanding session
Final Points

3. Quality of learning, teaching and assessment
Inspectors will make a judgement on the quality of learning, teaching and assessment by evaluating the extent to which:
learners benefit from high expectations, engagement, care, support and motivation from staff
staff use their skills and expertise to plan and deliver teaching, learning and support to meet each learner’s needs
staff initially assess learners’ starting points and monitor their progress, set challenging tasks, and build on and extend learning for all learners
learners understand how to improve as a result of frequent, detailed and accurate feedback from staff following assessment of their learning
teaching and learning develop English, mathematics and functional skills, and support the achievement of learning goals and career aims
appropriate and timely information, advice and guidance support learning effectively
equality and diversity are promoted through teaching and learning.

4. Outstanding Learning, Teaching and Assessment
“Outstanding learning and teaching are characterised by highly skilled and enthusiastic teachers who use their extensive expertise to inspire a culture of learning and challenge.
Very effective planning leads to brisk, lively and imaginative teaching that ensures that learners’ differing needs are met.
Teachers’ expectations of their learners are high, checks on learning are frequent, questions are probing and work is appropriately challenging.
Learners are fully involved in evaluating and reflecting on their own learning and they learn quickly and make good progress.
Learners needing additional help are identified early and effective support is provided promptly.”
Ofsted Chief Inspectors’ Report P261

5. Why have we made changes at LCC?
May 2012 Ofsted Feedback
Focus professional development on those teachers and assessors who either are not yet planning learning activities that challenge and motivate all learners to reach their full potential, or are not promoting learners’ development of literacy and numeracy skills sufficiently.
Develop the quality assurance of teaching and learning to ensure it effectively informs improvement plans for those courses that are underperforming
Changes to the Ofsted CIF – September 2012
Reduced notice period – 2 days
More focus on learning, teaching and assessment – classroom practice
A focus on student ‘progress in learning’
The need for OLTA to be self-critical identifying and addressing any underperformance
Looking at OLTA grades in relation to the quality of student outcomes
Need for more rounded approach to reviewing and monitoring Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Monitoring of learning, teaching and assessment not just a single event
The need to identify emerging themes and address these throughout the academic year
To encourage staff to better share best practice
For staff to welcome other practitioners or observers into their sessions – classrooms without walls

6. What are the changes? Reduced notice period – 2 days
Practitioners will be notified on a Thursday by of a formal observation the following week.
Use of External – Ofsted trained observers
External specialist observers will be used for a sample of the observations. The internal moderation team will be moderated by the external specialists.
Observation Cycle
The observation cycle will take place between college week 15 (5th November 2012) and week 43 (24th May 2013).
Formal Observation
The grade from the formal observation will be the grade the practitioner receives for appraisal purposes.
Learning Walks
Learning Walks are short observations (10 minutes) where the observer will look at a key theme. Staff will be given 1 weeks notice that the themed learning walks are taking place.
Professional Practice Squares (PP²)
These are a form of peer review. Practitioners will work in a team of 4 to review and learn from each others practice.

7. What documentation do I need for OLTA?
Observers will ask to see information about the cohort of learners and evidence of planning. Evidence should include:
• Session register*
• Scheme of work; this is a requirement even though a formal session plan is not required
• Evidence of planning for the specific session in line with the stated learning outcomes
• Delivery resources; these can either be paper-based or electronic
• Cohort profile from/on WebSTaR (where relevant for the cohort)
• Evidence of learners’ progress on the course/programme/unit. This could include a portfolio, completed assessments, written work etc. If this is not available for the observed session, the observer may ask to see this prior to forming a judgement on the learning, assessment and learner progress
• Evidence of personalised learning – reference to ILPs
*If electronic registers are used, please print-off to evidence attendance patterns

8. Learner Starting Points
Know your learners
What individual needs do learners have?
Where are these recorded and monitored – ILP and tutorial/progress review records? Are they regularly reviewed? How can you demonstrate the distance individuals have travelled?
How does your delivery need to differentiate for these needs?
What are individual learners’ English & Maths needs? How are you developing and embedding these in your delivery?
If ALS is provided, how does the session accommodate and meet the needs of these learners?
Are there any sensitivities you are aware of? These will probably only be known to staff, but they may need sharing with an observer if an opportunity arises and you have the learner’s permission to share these.

9. Evidence of Planning Planning
Although a formal extensive documented session plan is not mandatory, practitioners need to be able to evidence that planning has taken place.
Example Session Plans are provided in the Supporting Documents, but it is up to the practitioner as to what they want to use and show as evidence that planning has taken place.
There are four general considerations that you must take into account when selecting the method of teaching and the structure for your teaching session:
the learning outcomes of the teaching session - use Bloom
the characteristics of the learners
practical requirements
the interactions between the practitioner and learners - and amongst the cohort as a whole

10. What happens following an observation?
Verbal feedback will be given privately as soon as possible after the observation
Written feedback will be given within 5 working days of the observation
You will get a written report with suggested actions
Draft copy comes to you electronically for your comments
An indicative grade will be given (subject to moderation)
Grade 1 or grade 2 lessons mean no specific further action required

11. Grade 3 (requires improvement) and Grade 4 (inadequate)
A member of teaching staff who receives a grade 3 or 4 for an observation is allocated the support of an Advanced Practitioner who will provide intensive support around the areas identified for improvement and/or actions identified in the action plan.
Re-observation will take place within 4 weeks from the date of the first support session unless the teacher, guided by the Advanced Practitioner, requests the observation to be carried out within a shorter period. The re- observation will be a full formal observation but will pay specific attention to the areas for improvement previously identified. If that re-observation produces another grade 3 or 4 then the teacher will continue to be supported to improve and will be re-observed again within 4 weeks. If a third grade 3 or 4 is observed then HR performance capability procedures could be invoked following a comprehensive teaching and learning performance review.

12. Unhappy with the grade?
Discuss with the observer in the first instance
If not resolved then appeal to the VP Quality Assurance within 10 working days
The appellant will be required to submit compelling evidence as to why they believe the observation grade should not be upheld.
If the outcome of the appeal is that a further observation should take place, then that observation will be undertaken by an independent observer and the outcome at this stage will be final.

13. Where to find information to explain the process
Staff Intranet
Quality Page
Leeds City College Vision for Learning Blog
Support Documents:
1. Example Session Plan 1
2. Example Session Plan 2
3. Example Scheme of Work
4. Observation Tutor Questions
5. Observation Learner Questions
6. Learning Walks
7. Professional Practice Squares
8. The Perfect Session
9. Guidance on the Observation of Technology Enhanced Learning
10. Guidance on the Observation of English and Maths
11. Guidance on the Observation of Health and Safety and Safeguarding
12. Guidance on the Observation of Equality and Diversity
13. Bloom’s Taxonomy Teacher Planning Kit
14. Revised Bloom for 21st Century Learning Skills
15. Cohort profile, learner starting points and progress-in-learning
FAQs – will be regularly updated

14. Top Tips – General: It’s all about you!
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ (Mary Angelou)
A few tips to help things run smoothly!
Look like you are enjoying the lesson
Love yourself and others – yes that means the learners!
Make your voice strong, loud and authoritative – but full of warmth and sincerity
Calm the class, praise the class and explain the objectives and tasks
Move around the class with confidence
Regularly sweep every corner of the room to check what is going on and keep everyone on task
Open, confident body language
Praise effort more than you praise outcome
Have zero tolerance for disrespect for the (lack of) achievement of others
Make sure you use your any additional support (staff) properly in your session and planning for the session.
Jackie Berre, 2012

15. Final points…
OLTA is not an overly judgemental process that looks for faults in learning, teaching and assessment
OLTA, Learning Walks and PP²s are a supportive process that aim to provide the opportunity and climate for staff to improve their professional practice
OLTA and the new Ofsted CIF are as much (and perhaps more) about learning as teaching
The Ofsted report stated students confirmed:
lessons that have a variety of activities that are interesting and enjoyable
up-to-date teachers and assessors who are enthusiastic, care about them and want them to do well
But we know we need to ‘raise the bar’, if we are to be an outstanding and exceptional college.

16. You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.
Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life.
Clay P. Bedford – Engineer & Industrialist
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
Alvin Toffler – Writer and Futurist
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward - Writer
Any questions?