Preparing_to_Teach_in_the_Lifelong_Learning_Sector

Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector Level 4 Assignment 6 Justify the need for keeping records and describe the types of records you would maintain. Recommended word count: 400-600 words. Various records are kept in an institution such as South Essex College and for a number of reasons. Before examining what these are it may be useful to understand why these exist. The primary reason will be as evidence. This could be if there is any comeback or issues further down the line; but it could also be: to monitor progress and promote learning, for accountability purposes, for strategic planning and because we are human and forget things. Broadly speaking records kept will fall into the following categories: • Student personal details/learner information • Student attainment and progress • Awarding body requirements • Student Behaviour • Employer or university requirements A common requirement and necessity of all records are that they are authentic, reliable and usable. The BS ISO 15489 defines reliability as ‘ one whose content can be trusted as a full and accurate representation....’ Firstly there are records on student personal information. This will include everything from name and address to next of kin, any illnesses or medical conditions, any other social issues which may affect learning and exam results. It is imperative these are accessible e.g. in a case of emergency to be able to contact the next of kin or take the appropriate action to ensure the students well-being is addressed. If a student is unwell and is under 18 and therefore in ‘loci parentis’ there is a need to contact the parents before allowing the student to go off home on their own and so parent contact numbers are important. Of course it is key that such information is kept up to date otherwise not only is it useless but could be potentially damaging if different actions should be taken e.g. in the case of medical illness. For key skills proxies to be established, previous exam results are a necessary requirement and these should be retained in the student file as they will have been provided at enrolment stage. A vast array of records, are kept in relation to student attainment and progress and for various reasons. Records pertaining to assessment i.e. initial assessments, formative assessments and summative assessments are kept. Initial assessments are the starting point in many ways on the student journey as it sets out the start point and helps to establish the path. Formative assessments are key to the learner’s journey as well. They can help to motivate the student and tailor their path. Summative assessment is only important to the learner from an attainment point of view but these are key to other role-players such as the college management team and the awarding body – they need to understand what the success has been. Those involved with student learning will require access to these records and they need to be available be up to date and be accurate. All students progress is monitored through e.g. grade tracking. This information will need to be on the college system so management have access to it. I find this particularly useful as I cannot possibly remember where all my students are in their progress and this is a quick and easy way to check. In addition I find it useful to check the progress of my student with that of their other units with other tutors at the same time to establish if there is a common thread or any common issues. This information can be particularly useful for issues outside of progress such as a disciplinary for lateness, attendance, behaviour etc. as it helps to form a better picture of what is going on the action to be taken. I have had a student who does lots of part-time work is often late and has very poor attendance. A the disciplinary on e of the things that worked in their favour was that their wok was completely up to date and they had achieved Merits and Distinction’s that others with full attendance hadn’t, because they were very capable and got on with their work when they were there. Final results need to be recorded accurately and in the appropriate time frame and subsequently made available to the awarding body. Student behaviour can be an issue in the College environment. Any conversation with student at tutorials re behaviour should always be recorded as should any conversations with parents or communication with management on this subject. Late slips and attendance must be kept with any information on the action that was taken with students and the outcome – if any. If e.g. I request the withdrawal of a student l will need to provide evidence of what I and others did to help that student. Student behavioural issues can a further reason for keeping records. If there is an incident in class e.g. a student does or says anything to harm another student then the before, during and after report needs to be written and kept i.e. what were the events leading up to the incident, what actually happened and what you did about it. Again this is evidence which may be used at at later date for something else for if this is raised sometime later by any of these involved then the information is at hand. Finally, many of the records kept such as late slips, attendance statistics, progress and attainment reports are used and necessary when an employer requests a reference for a student. These are particularly beneficial as they are objective and factual. It is important to note that all records kept must be in keeping with the Data Protection Act 1998 i.e. data held about individual is processed and used by organisation properly. (www.ico.gov.uk) Bibliography www.ico.gov.uk www.teachernet.gov.uk