Raising the Game: Lessons Learnt from Observing Learning Support Staff

Beaumont College

Beaumont College is an independent specialist college, founded in 1977 in Lancaster and offers both residential and day programmes to Learners aged between 18 and 25 with a broad range of physical and learning disabilities.

There are currently 19 members of Learning Support staff, supporting the teaching and learning of the College Curriculum.

Who are we?Beaumont College

The curriculum offers a range of opportunities for learners to achieve internally recognised certification and acquire externally accredited qualifications that we provide by nationally recognised awarding bodies and are part of foundation learning.

We deliver accredited qualifications in

•Functional Skills English, Maths and ICT

•Certificate in Effective Augmentative and Alternative Communication

•Personal and Social Development

•Conservation

•Arts Award

Beaumont CollegeThe Curriculum

We adopt a ‘Whole Organisational Approach’ to teaching and learning

Having a ‘Whole Organisation Approach’ means that staff are also encouraged and enabled to raise their own standards, making us a highly competent workforce for supporting our Learners in every aspect of their College career.

Whole Organisational ApproachBeaumont College

…….

12 are qualified teachers

12 have degrees

5 have other subject specialist qualifications

2 have a Learning Support Certificate

An exemplary Learning Support workforceBeaumont College

As a Learning Support team, we are exemplary practitioners.

This is evident in our statistics of how many staff members hold real and relevant qualifications which go beyond the realms of our job description and requirements.

Of 19 members of Learning Support, looking at their highest level qualification….

How we responded:

The College SMT worked collaboratively with other Independent Specialist Colleges from the North West to draw up an OTL (Observation of Teaching and Learning) grid to use when observing members of the Learning Support team.

Observation of Teaching and Learning: Learning Support Workers

Beaumont College

said in our most recent inspection (December 2009):

“Teachers provide very clear guidance for learning support workers and direct their work well. Most learning support is highly effective and appropriate. However, a minority of support workers do not adequately follow the directions provided for them.”

Performance Criteria:

1.Time Management and Planning

2. Health and Safety

3. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

4. Knowledge of Learner

5. Independence

6. Professional Response

7. Communication

8. Management of Behaviour

9. Recording and Reflection

Observation of Teaching and Learning: Learning Support Workers

Beaumont College

The session was observed in conjunction with

•The OTL Timeline Narrative (as witnessed by two impartial observers)

•OTL Evaluation Grid

•Session Plan (as planned by the session Tutor)

•Scheme of Work (for the course)

Beaumont CollegeObservation of Teaching and Learning: Learning Support Workers

Performance Criteria Best Practi (Grade 1) Good Practi (Grade 2) Satisfactory Practi (Grade 3) Unsatisfactory Practi (Grade 4)

Time Management and

Planning▪ Staff/Learner ▪ Management of own time

You manage your own time and the learners’ time highly effectively. You are fully prepared in advan of the activity. Where possible, you support the Learners to manage their own time and planning independently.

You manage your own time and the learners’ time effectively. You arrive in good time, completely ready to take part in the activity.

You manage your own time and the learners’ time reasonably well. You arrive in time, but you are not completely ready to take part in the activity.

You demonstrate poor management of your own and the learners’ time by being late and not ready for the activity, without any reasonable justification.

Health and Safety▪ Following all produres ▪ Safeguarding, ▪ Safe practis ▪ Risk assessments ▪ Protocols ▪ Learner awareness and responsibility

You fully plan for and implement safe practis in relation to individual learners’ needs, a particular context or environment and your own and other people’s safety. You proactively support learners to develop a personal sense of responsibility for their own and other people’s safety.

You demonstrate, in any situation that arises, thorough implementation of safe practis in relation to individual learners’ needs, a particular context or environment and your own and other people’s safety. You actively encourage the learner to take some responsibility to ensure their own and others safety

You demonstrate general implementation of safe practis in relation to individual learners’ needs, a particular context or environment and your own and other people’s safety.

Either through inappropriate action or failure to take appropriate action (generally or in a specific situation that arises) you demonstrate a failure to recognise a significant hazard or a failure to Implement safe practis.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion▪ Gender ▪ Race ▪ Religion▪ Disability ▪ Culture ▪ Age▪ Sexual orientation

By your highly positive attitude, use of language (including body language), and how you handle any situations that arise, you demonstrate your exemplary understanding that all people are equal and should be included. In a natural, unford way, you are proactive in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion.

By your positive attitude, use of language (including body language), and how you handle any situations that arise, you demonstrate your understanding that all people are equal and should be included.

Your attitude and use of language (including body language), demonstrate your understanding that all people are equal and should be included. If a situation (relating to E,D & I) has arisen, you have disregarded it, not handled it well, or not notid it at all.

Your demonstrated attitude and/or use of language (including body language) indicate that your practi is not sufficiently based on the principle that all people are equal and should be included.

Knowledge of Learner▪ Interests and needs ▪ Learning style and specialist resours ▪ Links in learning (learners’ long term goals and across curriculum) ▪ Barriers to learning

You demonstrate exemplary in-depth knowledge of the learners. You are exptionally responsive in using what you know to adapt approaches, activities or resours very effectively to maximise learning. You demonstrate that you know what really is new learning or achievement for individual learner/s

You demonstrate good knowledge of the learner. You are proactive in using what you know to extend learning opportunities by adapting approaches, activities or resours. You demonstrate that you know what really is new learning or achievement for the learner/s.

You demonstrate knowledge of the learner sufficient to support the planned learning. You demonstrate some initiative in applying what you know to extend that learning. Because you do not really know what the learner has or has not achieved previously, you do not recognise or acknowledge some moments of unplanned new achievement or learning.

You demonstrate that, without reasonable justification, you do not know enough about the learner to provide useful support of his/her learning. Because of this, learning opportunities are missed, the learner may become disengaged from the activity, or another colleague at times has to interrupt their own work in order to support you or your learner. You do not recognise or acknowledge unplanned new achievements or learning.

▪ Maximising learners’ independen ▪ Choi making ▪ Self advocacy ▪ Enabling through challenge

You demonstrate exemplary awareness that learner independen is ntral. You use every opportunity to promote learner voi and safe risk taking. You respond constructively and encouragingly when the learner makes mistakes. At appropriate moments, you effectively withdraw your support in order to maximise learner independen and development. At all times you actively monitor learner engagement in the activity. You recognise and acknowledge any unplanned learning or progress.

You actively promote learner voi and safe risk taking. You respond positively when the learner makes mistakes. You demonstrate awareness of the need to withdraw support, at times, in order to maximise learner independen and development. At all times you actively monitor learner engagement in the activity. You recognise and acknowledge any unplanned learning or progress.

You provide limited opportunities for learners to make real chois or to direct and develop skills independently. This could be because, with good intentions, you are sometimes over supporting. You do not monitor learner engagement fully attentively, so some moments of unplanned achievement or learning are not recognised or acknowledged. You disregard any mistakes the learner makes.

Either you generally over support the learner, leaving no opportunity at all for learner initiative or self-directed activity or interaction; or you do not sufficiently focus your attention on the learner. Because of this you are not aware when to provide prompts or other support essential to empower and encourage the learner to achieve more. You disregard any mistakes the learner makes or you respond negatively.

Beaumont CollegeObservation of Teaching and Learning: Learning Support Workers

Performance Criteria Best Practi (Grade 1) Good Practi (Grade 2) Satisfactory Practi (Grade 3) Unsatisfactory Practi (Grade 4)

Professional Response▪ Following instructions and directions ▪ Presentation of self (appearan, personal hygiene, safety) ▪ Being an appropriate role model

You are calm and learner-focused in all situations, for which you are also appropriately dressed and equipped. You are clearly a highly effective and responsive team player. You acpt, and positively work with, direction from the activity leader. You make sure, in a tactful, non-confrontational way, that you have a clear briefing from the leader. Whilst maintaining exemplary focus on your own responsibilities, you discreetly support and encourage your colleagues as necessary.

You are calm and learner-focused in all situations, for which you are also appropriately dressed and equipped. You acpt, and positively work with, direction from the activity leader. You make sure, in a tactful, non-confrontational way, that you have a detailed briefing from the leader. You are clearly an effective and responsive team player

You are generally calm and learner- focused. You are generally appropriately dressed and equipped. You demonstrate partial understanding of what you are meant to be doing, perhaps because you have not requested clarification from the activity leader. Your communications with any of your colleagues are perhaps not as supportive as they should be. Your focus on your work may be inconsistent. You miss opportunities to contribute to team effectiveness or you contribute at the expense of your focus on your own responsibilities.

Without reasonable justification, you are not sufficiently engaged in your work or some aspect of your approach indicates an unprofessional attitude. You disregard your instructions or communicate with the activity leader or any other colleague or learner in a non-supportive or confrontational way. Some aspect of your appearan or personal hygiene creates a distraction or safety issue, impairing the quality of your support of learning.

Communication ▪ Knowledge of learner-specific communication guidan▪ Practical competen in a range of approaches (e.g. signing, Intensive Interaction, support including high tech devis and low tech such as symbols and objects of referen, sensory support, multisensory practi)

Through highly effective practical application (that is, by doing it), you demonstrate exemplary in-depth knowledge of learner-specific communication methods, needs and resours. This includes providing, confidently and encouragingly, additional time and opportunities for learners to make a response or initiate an interaction. You are highly responsive to learner voi, however subtle, and you are proactive in promoting interactions, especially if learner-initiated.

Through consistent practical application (that is, by doing it), you demonstrate effective knowledge of learner-specific communication methods, needs and resours. This includes providing, confidently and encouragingly, additional time and opportunities for learners to make a response or initiate an interaction. You are responsive to learner voi, however subtle, and you promote interactions, especially if learner-initiated.

Through practical application (that is, by doing it), you demonstrate a basic knowledge of learner-specific communication methods and needs, sufficient to support planned learning. You possibly do not allow enough additional time and/or opportunities for learners to make a response or initiate an interaction. Sometimes you don’t noti or don’t acknowledge some genuine learner responses or initiations, whether natural voi, AAC use, gesture, eye-contact or other subtle indicators (like change in facial expression, vocalisation, or breathing rhythm).

You demonstrate that, without reasonable justification, you do not have sufficient basic knowledge of learner-specific communication methods and needs to support learning. This includes not allowing enough time for learners to make a response or initiate an interaction. You generally don’t noti or don’t acknowledge most genuine learner responses or initiations, whether natural voi, use, gesture, eye-contact or other subtle indicators (like change in facial expression, vocalisation, or breathing rhythm).

Management of Behaviour ▪ Understanding and following individual strategies and guidan▪ Prevention ▪ Intervention▪ Positive promotion of behaviour management

You use your knowledge of learners highly effectively to pre-empt potential causes of behaviour, including in relation to environmental factors, learner-specific sensory needs and changes in routine. You demonstrate highly effective understanding and application of learner behaviour profile and any strategies in pla. You are highly responsive to, and effective in resolving, all situations calmly, quickly and safely.

You clearly demonstrate a good understanding of learner behaviour profile and management strategies. You are attentive to low level behaviours, including learner withdrawal from engagement. You effectively respond to and manage behaviour observed, following strategies appropriately, effectively and safely.

You demonstrate a basic understanding of learner behaviour profile and management strategies. Your application of strategies when behaviour is observed is adequate. You demonstrate some awareness and identification of low level behaviour, but your response is reactive rather than proactive. (You don’t take action to prevent the behaviour escalating.) The quality and sucss of the learning activity is impaired.

You demonstrate an inappropriate response to behaviour. (This could include no response at all.) You do not follow the strategies in pla or you use ineffective or unauthorised techniques. The safety of the learner/s and other colleagues is put at risk as a result. The quality of the learning activity is significantly impaired.

Recording and

Reflection ▪ Reflective Practi ▪ Learning is recorded ▪ Records are completed and accurate

You demonstrate that your practi includes thorough reflective evaluation of learning activities and outcomes. When possible, you are a major contributor to team reflection. As required, you complete, promptly and accurately, evaluative records detailing learner progress, planned and unplanned. You make sure that every opportunity is taken to involve the learners in evaluating and recording their own progress.

You demonstrate that your practi includes some reflective evaluation of learning activities and outcomes. When possible, you contribute to team reflection. As required, you complete, promptly and accurately, evaluative records detailing learner progress, planned and unplanned. You actively support the learners in genuine evaluation and recording of their own progress.

Any reflection you have about the learning activities and outcomes is unstructured and has no impact on your future practi. As required, you complete records detailing learner progress, planned and unplanned. Your records tend to be descriptive, rather than evaluative, with some genuine learner involvement. Some opportunities to recognise and record unplanned learning are missed.

There is no eviden that you reflect on your practi. You do not complete the records required of you, or they are completed late or inadequately. (The recording is wholly descriptive with little or no learner involvement.)

15 observations were undertaken in June 2010 and of those 13 (87%) were good.

Many of these also contained outstanding practice.

2 (13%)  were outstanding.

Results

Learning Support workers felt equal to tutors. They were being given feedback about their practice

Problems were flagged up

Exemplary practice was highlighted

Tutors felt supported

Learning Support Workers asked for more frequent observations, alongside Tutors

Learning Support were able to give feedback to their observers about how it felt to be observed

Learning Support colleagues felt valued

Having access to a grid which outlines Best Practice was proving vital to colleagues who wanted to be able to map their standards.

Results

Observation of Teaching and Learning will soon be rolled out to all members of the support team.

Documentary evidence will be collated and used in appraisals, supervision meetings and where necessary during job interviews.

Where flagged, staff training will continue, strengthening the workforce.

Where do we go from here?

The College now has two Specialist roles: Literacy and Numeracy, which are extension of the current Learning Support role. This has solidified and enhanced the Skills for Life team, raised awareness of embedding Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum whilst offering support to learners and colleagues alike.

Thank you