Priority Area Final Reports
March 2008
[Insert name]
Jill Hardman and Susie Knight
[Insert Priority Area] Priority Area Facilitators
1. With reference to the Year 1 Business Plan, please provide a
summary of work/activities undertaken since joining WMCETT.
Main Topic areas of work carried out
Business plan reference
WMCETT: organisational planning and
development (including HEI network)
Objectives 1 and 2
Mentoring project
Objective 2
Action research and development projects
Objective 6 but also relevant
to priority areas 1,2 & 3
[objectives 2, 3 & 4]
As above
QIA ‘Professionalising the workforce’ projects
Summary of work under the above headings
WMCETT: organisational planning and development
 Ongoing support for PACs plus attendance all PADC meetings
 Support and regular meetings with the Director in relation to the
ongoing planning and development of CETT activities
 Support for development of WM HEI network and
attendance/contributions.
Mentoring project
 Development of draft framework for mentoring and trainee support role
and guidance for trainees
 Proposals and support for development of the mentoring project and
role of coordinator
 Successful bid for additional £25k to develop mentoring in the context
of ITT & CPD
 Design of mentoring survey (on-line questionnaire)
 Attendance/contribution to QIA national mentoring sub-group [3
meetings]
 Proposal for development of 15 credit Mentoring Award
Action research and development projects
 Framework for action research and development projects,
 Ongoing support for 3 successful projects undertaken by partners,
completed March 2008:
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
To standardise assessment practices among ESOL tutors using the
RARPA - through a process of peer mentoring, in order to improve
outcomes for learners. [Priority area 1 and 3]

To encourage independent training providers to embed continual
professional development for their staff and establish a support for
individuals in raising their level of qualification and experience.[Priority
area 2]

To develop an infra-structure to support the continuing professional
development of tutors in the adult voluntary and community learning
sector in Shropshire. [Priority area 3]
QIA ‘Professionalising the workforce’ projects

Successful project proposal for £50k - QIA Professionalising the Workforce
Case studies
i) Teacher educators’ cross- sector development project
ii) Comparative, cross sector case studies: Evaluation and impact of PTLLS
on trainees, teacher educators and employing organisations across the sector
iii) Tutor and teacher educator networks to support ITT and CPD in the wider
lifelong learning sector

Support and development of the PTLLS evaluation case studies
Other
 Observation training for tutor-observers in WBL and ACL to support PTLLS+
 Development draft Observation Tool Kit
 CETT representation
o LLUK HEI forum
o LLUK The development needs of teacher educators expert group:
[Objective 2 priority area 1]
2. Identify any activities listed above which have been particularly
successful and explain why you think this occurred.
HEI network
Contribution to the HEI network –first meeting held at Warwick University Dec
2007.This brings together all of the HEI ITT providers in the West Midlands for
the first time and is a valuable forum for disseminating effective practice,
developing cooperation and sharing information/ ideas.
AR&D projects
Outcomes of 3 AR&D projects focussed on workforce professionalisation:
support for CPD and improving qualification levels in WBL and ACL
Eg
i) Initial research and needs analysis carried out to progress development of
tutor and teacher educator networks in North Shropshire ACL. This has
successfully paved the way for phase 2 developments supported by an
additional bid for funding under the QIA Professionalising the Workforce Case
studies project.
There are now proposals for 2 further networks to support AV&CL tutors in the
region.
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ii) Successful project to initiate the embedding of CPD and ITT qualifications
led by the HWSTPA through the development and delivery of generic and
specialist (14-16) PTLLS+, together with the training and deployment of
critical friends in the role of tutor observers. Highly positive evaluations by
employers, programme participants and observers.
iii) A process of peer coaching was used to develop skills of ESOL tutors and
disseminate effective practice in the use of RARPA in ACL. This has been
positively evaluated by participants. A final evaluation in terms of the impact
on learner achievement is due May 2008.
Cross-sector evaluation of PTLLS case studies.
The original proposal to evaluate the PTLLS+ programmes has been
significantly developed so that the outcomes can contribute to the QIA
Professionalising the Workforce Case Studies project. This is due to be
completed in June 2008. The WMCETT case studies are presented in 10
‘clusters’ which pull together the experience of the tutor, participants and an
employer.
Mentoring project
The survey of mentoring practice in partner organisations was successful in
terms of gathering a good response from FE partners, largely due to the
energy of the researcher [Sajida Perween].
The survey findings have been used to inform a scoping study commissioned
by LLUK of current developments in coaching and mentoring in the sector.
This was carried out by ourselves in partnership with the Director of the
Westminster Partnership CETT.
3. Identify any activities listed above which have been particularly
difficult to undertake, or targets which have proven difficult to
reach, and discuss why.
The teacher educators’ cross- sector development proposal outlined in the
QIA Professionalising the workforce project bid has proved difficult to organise
within the original timeframe (Dec-March). The idea is being taken forward as
part of a more substantial teacher educators’ CPD project, in year 2.
Workshops aimed at disseminating effective practice and ‘toolkits’ to support
developmental aims such as mentoring and teaching observation have not
fully materialised. This is partly due to the prioritisation of facilitators’ time
which has been used to design and initiate projects and to carry out research
and development work in the relatively dispersed and underdeveloped
contexts of WBL and AV&C learning.
ITT and CPD accredited framework: The development of awards that
constitute CPD pathways for all priority areas is beginning now, with a 2-part,
30 credit, coaching and mentoring award prepared for validation.
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