Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

Teaching, learning and assessment in education and training

In this report I will analyse my own role and responsibilities as a teacher at City of Birmingham
School (COBS), relating this to aspects of the teaching and training cycle. I will analyse the
relationships and boundaries between the teaching role and other professional roles and also the
role and use of initial and diagnostic assessment. Finally I will describe the points of referral to meet
the needs of learners and include a summary of key aspects of legislation, requirements and codes
of practice, which relate to my own role and responsibilities at COBS. The uses of the internet, text
books and discussions with colleagues have all been a good source of information for my research.

(a) Analyse your own role and responsibilities in education and training.

As a teacher at COBS my main role is to “contribute to outstanding teaching and learning

experiences for pupils through the delivery of high quality lessons, thereby ensuring pupils have the
opportunity to make progress” (COBS, 2012).

There is so much more to teaching, than just delivering a lesson and assessing learners. One of my
main goals as a teacher is to motivate the pupils with whom I work, in order for them to develop
their ability and aspiration to learn. I want to inspire them so they can develop their personal, social
and professional skills to the best of their ability, whilst also encouraging them to take some
responsibility for their own academic and social development (L. Machin et al, 2016, Pg. 49).

In order for pupils to have a positive experience and to ensure they meet their goals, it is important
as a teacher to go through the teaching, learning and assessment cycle, (shown in Figure 1.1 below)
which is a systematic process. This process can begin at any stage, and it keeps on going, but in
order for learning to be effective all stages must take place.

Figure 1.1 Teacher Training Cycle

Identification of Need

As each pupil joins COBS, an initial interview takes place with both the pupil and parent or carer, this
interview is conducted by the Head of Centre (HOC). During the interview a discussion takes place
with the pupil and parent or carer around the reasons for permanent exclusion, the pupils’ likes and
dislikes, what they hope to achieve in the future and identifying any needs that they may have.
Following on from the initial interview, pupils participate in both an initial and a diagnostic
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

assessment, which is carried out by the Maths and English teacher and a Teaching Assistant (TA).
Through these initial and diagnostic assessments the pupils ‘working at levels’ are identified and any
further needs are also highlighted. I do not have direct involvement at this stage, but I do liaise with
the staff to obtain information, which helps in the planning of my lessons such as: their maths and
English levels, their likes and dislikes and preferred learning style. Once the pupils’ school file is
transferred to us, this is read by staff, as this may also indicate needs that the pupil may have, that
may have not been mentioned during the interview or highlighted during the initial and diagnostic
assessment, any need to know information is shared with staff.

Planning and designing

As a teacher at COBS, it is my responsibility to produce my own planning and preparation of work.

Using the information gained on the pupils at the ‘identification of need’ stage, I plan and produce
schemes of work and weekly planning. I ensure that I differentiate the lessons for the different
groups and abilities of the pupils that I teach, so that all pupils are able to access the lessons;
whether they are low ability, have English as a second Language (EAL) or have any other learning
difficulties; if there are pupils who are Gifted and Talented (G&T), then I plan and include
appropriate challenges into my planning and lessons. I carefully consider some of the topics that I
deliver, by addressing the topics that are most relevant for the pupils I am working with, for example
if there are a high number of pupils who are being influenced by drugs, then I will enhance my plan
to cover drugs education, in order to teach them the facts, dangers and consequences, I also
carefully consider when to deliver the topics that are more likely to arouse the pupils’ motivation
and interest.

Delivery

I teach PSHEE three times a week and Citizenship once a week, to three or four different groups of
pupils (dependent on the time of year). There are many approaches I use to deliver my subject such
as discussions, group work, paired activities, questions, independent learning and quizzes.

I am a teacher that uses PowerPoint quite substantially in the classroom; I create and show slides
which support the teaching and learning of pupils. When I use PowerPoint I carefully consider the
design, thinking about the text, colour and graphics, and animations and transitions that I use.

Assessment

Due to the personal nature of PSHEE, the subject cannot be assessed in the same way as most other
subjects, PSHE is not a subject where there is simply a ‘pass’ or a ‘fail’. However, the PSHE
Association state that “it is possible to recognise and evidence progress and attainment in the
knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes PSHE strives to develop (PSHE Association, 2016).

The model of assessment that I use at the beginning of a new topic, is by asking pupils to carry out
an activity, this then gauges pupils’ starting points, this activity may be in the form of a spider
diagram, taking part in a discussion or quiz, or completing a ‘what do I already know’ worksheet. It
is this information that enables me to plan effectively for the rest of that topic. At the end of the
topic I carry out a further activity which allows the pupils to demonstrate their progress since
completing the baseline activity. This may be pupils being asked to create a final piece of work such
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

as a poster for someone their own age, on that topic, which notifies them of the dangers, or it may
be re-visiting the spider diagram which was created at the beginning of the topic and adding more
information to this in a different coloured pen. This demonstrates the progress that they have made
and I also use this to measure attainment against the ‘end of key stage’ criteria.

Evaluation

Evaluation is a key part in the teacher training cycle, as it is this that helps and aids improvement for
the future. The way in which I evaluate can range from being a very informal process, such as
reflecting on the journey home and having an informal conversation with colleagues, to a more
formal process, such as a discussion with my line manager after a formal observation and through
my performance management. Post session evaluation is to be considered an essential part of
teaching, whether formally or informally as you never stop learning and developing teaching (L.
Wilson, 2014).

Although passing on and developing the knowledge or skills of pupils, is the main activity in which I
am involved, there is a proportion of my working day that is spent carrying out other roles, which I
have shown in Figure 1.2 below. There are many various sub- roles in teaching, which can
sometimes feel quite overwhelming, but we can place all of these roles into discrete categories such
as: Teaching related role, administrative roles, institutional roles and pastoral roles, and by doing
this the sub-roles can then be prioritised, making them more manageable (Gould & Barensten, 2014,
pg. 3)

Figure 1.2 Roles at COBS

By being aware of all the many different roles that are required, it allows the ability to identify
which aspects of the role we may feel less confident about; this then makes the planning of
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities a much easier process (Gould &
Barensten, 2014, pg. 5).
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

(b) Analyse the relationships and boundaries between the teaching role and other
professional roles.

The Education and Training Foundation, 2014 (ETF) standards are what informs all aspects of my
professional practice. When I am forming relationships with learners, teachers, other
professionals and stakeholders my behaviour, values and attributes take into account the
standards that are specified in the ETF standards, such as honesty, integrity and respect (L.
Machin et al, 2016).

Relationships with learners starts by building a rapport and this also has the potential to impact
on so many different areas of teaching such as classroom management, difficult learners,
motivation, independence and academic progress. Many of the pupils at COBS have built very
high and strong walls around themselves for protection, due to previous experiences or their
current or past life situations, therefore building a rapport with our type of learners is essential,
as a teacher at COBS I am part of team that helps to try and minimise this barrier, I try to draw
the pupils to me using my personality, humour and charisma to try and get pupils to want to be
around me and for them to take an interest in who I am. When pupils like and trust you and in
turn you like and believe in them, a bond is formed and this then can have a significant positive
impact, upon behaviour in the classroom (Smart Classroom Management, 2016).

It is not just the pupils I come in to contact with at COBS, there are many professionals with
whom I work with and liaise with, such as administration staff, caretakers, cleaners, teaching
assistants, police, social workers, training providers and staff from other schools just to name a
few. It is important that I take the time to find out about these people and what their job
entails, how they may be able to support me and how I may be able to support them. However,
it is important that I do not over support them, as this would then mean I am blurring the
boundary between my own professional role and theirs (Gravells & Simpson, 2014 pg. 56).

There may be times when I may not always get along with other people with whom I work with,
as this is a part of life. However, I always ensure that I am polite, respectful and professional. It
was Wallace, 2011 that stated “Establishing a good working relationship with colleagues is
important, not just for your own piece of mind but for the student, too. We may not approve of
the way a colleague does things, but we can still behave towards him or her with appropriate
social skills of politeness and professional co-operation” (Gravells & Simpson, 2014 pg. 56). Link
Centre is a very small place with roughly thirteen to fourteen members of staff, a way we try to
teach our pupils is by the use of modelling, on a day-to-day basis, the essential social skills they
need to develop, therefore it is vital that we all, as a team, show politeness and professional co-
operation to each other at all times.

There are many different responsibilities in teaching and eventually they become second nature.
However, it is extremely important that as teachers we know the limits and boundaries of
practice. Teaching is classed as a caring and supportive role and just like many other jobs that
involve this, it is considered important to preserve a degree of ‘professional distance’. Therefore
in my role as a teacher I ensure that I remain objective, remembering what I am aiming to
achieve and act accordingly when I need to.
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

Another aspect of boundaries is the limits of our expertise as teachers. Many of the pupils with
whom I work with have very complex lives, emotions and behaviour, this makes the teaching
responsibility extremely difficult at times, as learning is not always at the forefront of their
minds. I, like many others that work with these more complex pupils have the desire to be very
supportive, encouraging and as helpful as possible; sometimes the pupils feel that they can only
come to us for help and advice about particular issues they may be facing. However, I am also
aware that I do not have the necessary expertise to deal with the root causes to some of these
problems, such as: bereavement, depression and family problems; I therefore ensure that I refer
pupils to the necessary members of staff, such as our Family Support Worker (FSW) or Additional
Needs Lead Teacher (ANLT) who in-turn can sign post on to the necessary external agencies such
as Think Family, The School Nurse, Forward Thinking Birmingham, SENDIASS (The special
educational needs and disability advice and support service), Pupil School Support (PSS) and
Barnardos just to name a few, such agencies are more equipped to help, support and meet the
pupils needs. Through the PSHEE lessons that I deliver, I also ensure that I highlight and educate
pupils about external agencies such as: Childline, NHS Choices, Umbrella, and young minds,
sharing with them telephone numbers and websites (Gould & Roffey-Barensten, 2014 pg. 24).

Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice

relating to own role and responsibilities

There are legislations that are in place which also impact upon my role and responsibilities of a
teacher. Legislation is defined by an act of parliament, below are a summary of just some of the
key legislations and regulatory bodies which directly relate to my role as a teacher and which I
have to take into account and be aware of how they affect my professional practice:

The Equality and Humans Rights Commission (EHRC): Equality Act 2010: The EHRC is a
statutory body which incorporates many essential acts and legislative requirements that, as a
teacher I need to adhere to and be aware of. These acts include the Equality Act 2010 whose
aim is to protect human rights and the SEND code of practice: 0-25 years that provide essential
education-specific guidance for schools and colleges (L. Machin et al, 2016 pg 53).

The Health and Safety Executive: Health and Safety at work Act 1974: This is the national
independent regulator for work-related health, safety and illness (HSE, 2015). Part of my
professional practice is take health and safety concerns seriously, not just for myself but also for
any learners for whom I am responsible for (L. Machin et al, 2016 pg 53). COBS have a Health
and Safety Policy, which is derived from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the
associated Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This policy outlines my
obligations as an employee of COBS and as a class teacher.

Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998: This act enables me to raise any concerns I may have about
professional practice of others, this is also known as ‘Whistleblowing’. COBS have a
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

‘whistleblowing policy’, 2015 which outlines how I can raise concerns without suffering
workplace victimisation (L. Machin et al, 2016 pg 53).

The information Commissioner’s Office: Data Protection Act 1998: The way in which COBS use
and store data is controlled by the Data Protection Act (DPA). This means that I have a legal
responsibility to ensure I use and share information appropriately. Due to the nature of the
pupils with whom I work with I do have access to and use information data that is very sensitive
which informs part of my planning, teaching and assessment strategies. The DPA 1998 has eight
fundamental principles relating to how information is distributed, used and stored these being:
use fairly and lawfully; used for limited, specifically stated purposes; used in a way that is
adequate, relevant and not excessive; it is accurate; kept for no longer than is absolutely
necessary; handled accordingly to people’s data protection rights; kept safe and secure and not
transferred outside the UK without adequate protection (L. Machin et al, 2016 pg 55). COBS
have a ‘Data Protection Policy 2015’, which is in place to ensure that any information is dealt
with correctly, securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1988. It is my
responsibility to ensure I comply with the principles of the Data Protection Act by complying
with COBS’ Data Protection policy (COBS, 2015).

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: This Act makes provision in connection with the
protection of children and vulnerable adults (legislation.gov.uk, 2006). It is this Act that has
ensured that any member of staff that enters into employment within education will have to
undergo a DBS check to ensure employers are making safe recruitment decisions by preventing
unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups. COBS carries out a DBS check on all of
its employees and may request further requests throughout their employees employment, all
and employees are legally obliged to immediately inform them of any changes to our records or
any other issues which may have an impact on our employment (L. Machin et al, 2016 pg 55-56).

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016: This is statutory guidance from the Department for
Education (DFE) which all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out duties to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children (DFE, 2016). COBS have a safeguarding policy
which aims to contribute to safeguarding, promoting welfare, supporting and protecting the
pupils with whom we work with. As an employee of COBS I am obliged to be familiar with the
safeguarding policy; be subject to safer recruitment process and checks; be involved in the
implementation of Individual Educational plans (IEP’s), integrated Support Plans, child in need
plans and interagency child protection plans; be alert to signs of and indicators of possible
abuse; record concerns and give the record to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL); deal with
disclosure of abuse from a child in line with the safeguarding policy, by informing the DSL
immediately and providing a written account as soon as possible. As an employee of COBS I
must also carry out my level one basic training on safeguarding every two years.

COBS has a ‘Code of Conduct’, which interprets the Teachers’ Standards, it sets out guidelines
and boundaries that I have as a teacher at COBS, this policy outlines ‘general principles’ and
‘general expectations’. Throughout my employment with COBS I am expected to be familiar
with the code of conduct and meet the expected requirements (Code of Conduct, COBS, 2015).
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

The Society for Education and Training (SET) is the professional membership service of the
Education and Training Foundation (ETF) for practitioners working in the post-16 education and
training system (Society for Education and Training, 2017). SET have a code of practice which
sets out professional behaviour and conduct, which is expected of its members, these include
mandatory requirements which must be complied with in order to remain a member (SET,
2017).

(c) Analyse the role and use of initial and diagnostic assessment in agreeing individual
learning goals.

Initial assessment plays a significant part in any learner’s journey. It provides information on the
learner’s starting point and it is the benchmark from which learner’s progress and achievement
can be measured.

According to Green M (2003) When carrying out an initial assessment “it is important that it is
‘carried out with’ the learner’s rather than ‘being done to them’ and it should benefit the
learner, helping them to feel positive about themselves and their potential to learn” (Initial
assessment resources for Tutors, 2017).

The aims of an initial assessment is to: identify learner motivations, aspirations and skills,
identify reasonable adjustments for supporting identified Special Educational Needs and
Disability (SEND), to inform learners of their current ability, development needs and pathway to
achieving their aspirations and to inform planning in terms of the group and individual ability (L.
Machin et al, 2016 pg 65).

Initial assessment goes together with diagnostic assessment. However, diagnostic assessment is
a more formal process that diagnoses literacy, numeracy and pre-existing skills (L Wilson, 2014
pg 61).

At COBS pupils participate in an initial and diagnostic assessment, which is carried out by the
Maths and English teacher and a Teaching Assistant (TA). These assessments include a variety of
numeracy and literacy tests both written and screening tests, a ‘Pupil Assessment of School and
Self’ (PASS) and a learning styles questionnaire. I personally do not have direct involvement at
this stage, but I do liaise with the staff to obtain information, which helps in the planning and
developing of my lessons and schemes of work such as: their numeracy and literacy levels, any
special educational needs, their likes and dislikes, their motivation for learning, their previous
learning experiences and preferred learning style.

The information gained from the pupils’ initial assessment forms the first stage of creating
Individual Educational Plans (IEPs). These IEP’s serve many purposes within COBS such as
negotiating goals, planning learning, recording achievements and tracking learner progress. It is
Martinez (2001) that argues that when individual learning plans are negotiated between teacher
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

and learner, they are a powerful tool for on-going assessment and motivation. Martinez (2001)
also advises ILP discussions with parents of those younger learners as this promotes parental
engagement with education, which is a factor that plays a part a part in increasing achievement
(L. Machin et al, 2016 pg 67). At COBS we include parents in the process of writing, planning and
reviewing the IEP’s, by inviting them to regular meetings every half term. We ensure that the
IEP’s are written in a language that is appropriate to the pupil and understandable for the
parent; copies are then given to the parent and pupil to take away with them to help aid in
personal reflection.

When becoming a teacher it is important to remember that there is so much more to the role
than just ‘teaching’. This can be extremely overwhelming for new teachers, therefore
development of your own organisations skills may be required and not forgetting asking for help
and support from colleagues, which can be very beneficial. As a teacher you must be aware of
the boundaries within your role and responsibilities, to ensure you are not taking on or carrying
out other professional’s responsibilities and referring learners’ to the necessary professionals in
order for them to gain the appropriate help and support. Finally the initial and diagnostic
assessment is fundamental to the learning journey and I feel these processes should be
constantly reviewed by all in order for learners’ to achieve and progress.

Word Count: 3, 659

Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

References

City of Birmingham School (2015) Code of conduct. City of Birmingham School policy document. City
of Birmingham School.

City of Birmingham School (2015) Data Protection Policy. City of Birmingham School policy
document. City of Birmingham School.

City of Birmingham School (2012) Job Description. City of Birmingham School policy document. City
of Birmingham School.

City of Birmingham School (2016) Safeguarding Policy. City of Birmingham School document. City of
Birmingham School.

Gould. J & Roffey-Barensten. J (2014). Achieving your diploma in Education and Training. London:
Sage

Gravells, A & Simpson, S ( ) The Certificate in Education and Training.

Machin. L et al (2016). A complete guide to the level 5 in education and training. 2nd edition.
Northwich.

Wilson, L. (2014). Practical Teaching: A Guide to Teaching in the Education and Training Sector.
Andover, UK: Cengage Learning Publishing.

Internet Sources

Department for Education. Keeping children safe in education 2016. [Online] available from:
https//www.gov.uk [accessed 2nd January 2017]

Hampshire City Council. Initial Assessment – Establishing your learner’s starting points. [Online]
available from: https://www3.hants.gov.uk accessed [2nd January 2017]

Legislation.gov.uk. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups 2006 [online] available from:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk accessed [2nd January 2017]
Maxine Bird Level 5 Education and Training Assignment 426 Task A

PSHE Association. Curriculum [Online] available from: https://www.pshe-

association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/curriculum accessed [5th December 2016].

Smart Classroom Management. Ways to build a rapport in the classroom [Online] available from:
https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2012/01/14/building-rapport-with-students/
accessed [22nd December 2106).

Society for Education and Training Foundation. About us. [online]available from: https://et-
foundation.co.uk accessed [2nd January 2017]

Illustrations

Figure 1.1 The Training Cycle. [Diagram] at: http://www.gillpayne.com/2014/01/guide-

understanding-the-training-cycle/ (accessed on 21.11.16)