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Quality of education inspection findings

19/11/2019

 
We created a document which aggregates the inspection findings for schools, colleges and training providers who have been through the EIF and have been judged 'Requires Improvement' or 'Inadequate' for their Quality of Education.
Quality of Education Inspection Findings.pdf
File Size: 167 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

There are some running themes with the findings with two key areas being sequencing and planning the content of delivery.

If education and training providers are looking for a system to support them with the development of their programme and curriculum plans then please contact us to see how Stedfast can support you.

Stedfast Update

10/10/2019

 
We have just updated Stedfast with some great new features that will support education and training providers with curriculum planning and quality assurance.

Procedure Management

We think that the new procedure visual editor is a great new addition to Stedfast. Users are able to create multiple procedures in Stedfast but now are also able to add flow diagrams.  
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CPD Management

We have added a few new features to the CPD management module too. Users can now filter their CPD activities by year. We have also added a new chart in the module so that CPD hours for each member of staff can be easily tracked.
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Curriculum planning templates

We have also enhanced the curriculum planning templates. When a user sets up a curriculum plan they are currently able to set up a template to provide titles for the learning, practice and assessment fields. We have just updated this so that titles can be added / edited in the actual fields when creating a curriculum activity.
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online demo

If you would like an online demo of Stedfast then please use the booking feature on the contact page.

STEDFAST UPDATES

13/9/2019

 
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latest stedfast updates

We are delighted to announce our latest updates in Stedfast. We have been working really hard on improving our curriculum planning tools as we know this is top of everyones agenda right now.
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Curriculum Planning Templates - users can now design their own templates for curriculum activities. They can have up to 6 fields each of the learning, practice and assessment areas.
 Resources - Users can now access a resource area that allows them to upload and share documents. This is a really great new feature that makes it easy to store and manage documents. 
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Outcomes Mapping - This feature lets users view the outcomes coverage in assessment plans. For instance, if users have mapped apprenticeship programme outcomes to functional skills outcomes, the outcome mapping will show all of outcomes mapped to this set. 
Policy and Procedure Section Re-Ordering - When creating sections in policies and procedures, users are now able to drag and drop the order of the sections.
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Risk Assessments - We have added new functionality to the Risk Assessment Module. User are now able to add supporting documents and can add text sections before adding risk areas.
​We have some new features planned for release in October which will include creating flow diagrammes when creating procedures and more CPD reporting tools.
Quality of Education Document - Schools
Quality of Education Document - FE

Curriculum Intent Examples

1/9/2019

 
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We have noticed on our Google Analytics reports that there has been a large increase in traffic to our website from the search term "curriculum intent examples" Our simple advice to anyone searching for curriculum intent examples is that you shouldn't be.

Curriculum intent is not a statement on a website or document. It is not what OfSTED are looking for in the new Education Inspection Framework. 

To understand the requirement start with OfSTED’s definition of a curriculum

“The curriculum is a framework for setting out the aims of a programme of education, including the knowledge and skills to be gained at each stage (intent); for translating that framework over time into a structure and narrative, within an institutional context (implementation) and for evaluating what knowledge and skills learners have gained against expectations (impact/achievement).”
Within this definition, education and training providers need to consider the curriculum intent as more than just a list of aims written on their website or on an overarching document.

Education and training provides then need to understand OfSTED's definition of curriculum intent:

"a framework for setting out the aims of a programme of education, including the knowledge and understanding gained at each stage”.

The key is in the word “framework”. A framework is not a bullet point list of aims. The curriculum intent framework is:
  • Collaborative planning and consensus about the knowledge and skills that learners need.
  • Objectives, outcomes, and apprenticeship standards are clear and define what needs to be achieved.
  • The curriculum endpoints are clear and measurable and staff know what learners need to know and be able to do to reach those endpoints.
  • There is a well-defined method to measure the effectiveness of your endpoint delivery.
  • The curriculum has been sequenced and it demonstrates how new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards its clearly defined endpoints.
  • The curriculum is aligned to other organisational objectives

Why are we interested?

We are interested because Stedfast has been designed to support education and training providers develop and manage curriculum plans. The system has been designed to develop and demonstrate their curriculum intent, implementation and impact.

Stedfast allows:
  • Collaborative curriculum planning 
  • Users can define objectives, outcomes and what needs to be achieved.
  • Set curriculum measurable endpoints 
  • Methods to measure the effectiveness of endpoint delivery.
  • Curriculum sequencing. 
  • Curriculum is mapping
Book an online demo and let us show you how Stedfast supports the Quality of Education.

Apprenticeship Curriculum Planning Checklist

18/6/2019

 
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Apprenticeship Curriculum Planning Checklist

We have just created a simple and free to use apprenticeship curriculum planning checklist. This has been designed to support education and training providers who developing their curriculum plans.
VIEW FREE CHECKLIST
From September 2019 all apprenticeship providers will need to have curriculum plans in place to meet the Quality of Education judgement that is now a major introduction in OfSTED's new Education Inspection Framework.

Apprenticeship providers will need to consider how the demonstrate:
  • Curriculum Intent
  • Curriculum Implementation
  • Curriculum Impact
We hope that you find the apprenticeship curriculum planning checklist helpful. 

Curriculum Intent

13/6/2019

 
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Curriculum Intent

We have spoken to a number of education and training providers about the new OfSTED Education Inspection Framework and one underlying theme is the need to understand in more detail what is "curriculum intent".

First of all, let's remind ourselves of what is OfSTED's working definition of a curriculum:
​“The curriculum is a framework for setting out the aims of a programme of education, including the knowledge and skills to be gained at each stage (intent); for translating that framework over time into a structure and narrative, within an institutional context (implementation) and for evaluating what knowledge and skills pupils have gained against expectations (impact/achievement).”
OfSTED has also set out that curriculum intent is "a framework for setting out the aims of a programme of education, including the knowledge and understanding gained at each stage". So we have to ask a few questions about the state of your current curriculum intent:
  • Do you know what the objectives are for the programme you are delivering? 
  • What are the learning outcomes or apprenticeship standards that need to be achieved?
  • What do you want your learners to know or be able to do by the end of the learning / apprenticeship programme?
  • How are you going to measure the effectiveness of your delivery?
  • How are you going to set out the sequence of your curriculum?
  • Have you aligned your curriculum to other frameworks / objectives?

We have already written about how OfSTED is going to inspect the curriculum and education and training providers need to be very clear that the Quality of Education judgement is going to be a core area of "discovery" during inspections.

Stedfast Curriculum Intent

Stedfast has been designed to support education and training providers in developing delivery programmes and curriculum planning. Organisations can easily show their curriculum intent, implementation and impact. Let's take a look at how this is done.

Curriculum Intent Example

In this very basic example, we will use a Year 4 Maths programme. The first step is to create the assessment plan. This ensures that the objectives and outcomes are identified. 
identify learning outcomes
Users then set out what learning or assessment activity will be delivered and measured. This is where the user can start to plan to measure the success of delivery.

It sets out what learners should know or be able to do by the end of the learning / apprenticeship programme?
add learning outcomes measures
In the curriculum planning module users can now start curriculum activities and sequence the delivery.
curriculum planning activities
Users can the also see how the curriculum has been mapped and ensure that all outcomes have been covered by curriculum activities.
curriculum mapping
This is just a very basic example of creating a curriculum plan and showing curriculum intent. Let us show you Stedfast and talk you through the system and how it supports your curriculum development.

Curriculum Planning Explained

This short 5 minute video gives an overview of curriculum planning with Stedfast

OfSTED Inspecting the Curriculum

6/6/2019

 
Inspecting the curriculum

Inspecting the Curriculum

OfSTED has just released a new document which sets out the inspection methodology for the ‘quality of education’ judgement. This is a very helpful and timely publication as a we are not far away from the time of year when people jet off for their summer holidays and this year will be faced with an entirely new OfSTED inspection framework when they return.

Interestingly, we are having conversations with education and training providers who have yet to grasp the full extent of what is going on with the Quality of Education judgement. It is vital that this area is looked at, sooner rather than later, as for many organisations it is going to involve a large amount of work. As we write this in June 2019, education and training providers have less than three months to develop curriculum plans before the new inspection framework takes effect.

For schools, it simply won't do to have a curriculum plan that sets out that Henry VIII will be taught in the autumn term, History of Medicine in the spring term and the summer will be spent tackling the Treaty of Versailles. For apprenticeship providers it won't be enough to set out that month 3 there will be a block course and the same in month 5 and 8. All education and training providers are going to have to show detail. This detail has to set out your:
  • Curriculum Intent
  • Curriculum Implementation
  • Curriculum Impact
  • Curriculum Schedule

OfSTED Curriclum Definition

​At the heart of the EIF is the new ‘quality of education’ judgement, the purpose of which is to put a single conversation about education at the centre of inspection. This conversation draws together curriculum, teaching, assessment and standards. In doing this, we draw heavily on the working definition of the curriculum that Ofsted has used over the last couple of years. This definition uses the concepts of ‘intent’, ‘implementation’ and ‘impact’ to recognise that the curriculum passes through different states: it is conceived, taught and experienced. Leaders and teachers design, structure and sequence a curriculum, which is then implemented through classroom teaching. The end result of a good, well-taught curriculum is that pupils know more and are able to do more. The positive results of pupils’ learning can then be seen in the standards they achieve.2 The EIF starts from the understanding that all of these steps are connected. 

Judging Quality of Education

Inspectors are going to implement a 3 level review process when judging the Quality of Education:

Top Level Review

In the top level review, inspectors are going to take an overall view of the curriculum. They will look at what is being offered in the curriculum, who it is directed at and when the elements of the curriculum are being delivered.

In this part of the inspection process, inspectors will expect to understand the curriculum intent and the curriculum schedule.

Deep Dive Review

The second step in the process will involve inspectors taking a deep dive into the curriculum. They will expect to see evidence of curriculum intent, how the curriculum has been implemented and will sample teaching and learning material. They will also discuss the curriculum with leaders, staff and learners.
"The intent of the deep dive is to seek to interrogate and establish a coherent evidence base on quality of education".  

Bringing Together

Once the deep dive has been completed, the inspectors will then bring all of their evidence together.

Inspectors will "test whether any issues identified during the deep dives are systemic. This will usually lead to school leaders bringing forward further evidence and inspectors gathering additional evidence".
The deep dive includes the following elements:

- evaluation of senior leaders’ intent for the curriculum in this subject or area, and their understanding of its implementation and impact
- evaluation of curriculum leaders’ long- and medium-term thinking and planning, including the rationale for content choices and curriculum sequencing
-visits to a deliberately and explicitly connected sample of lessons
- work scrutiny of books or other kinds of work produced by pupils who are part of classes that have also been (or will also be) observed by inspectors
- discussion with teachers to understand how the curriculum informs their choices about content and sequencing to support effective learning
- discussions with a group of pupils from the lessons observed. 

Stedfast Curriculum Planning

Since the publication of the draft Education Inspection Framework in Jan 2019 we have been working really hard to complete the curriculum planning module in Stedfast. Education and training providers can now use Stedfast to plan and manage all of their curriculum activities.

We have just completed the curriculum scheduling tools which have now been released. We aren't stopping, we have more exciting features in the pipeline and will have these released before the implementation of the new inspection framework in September 2019.

If you would like an online demo of Stedfast then please contact us and we will schedule a suitable time.
BOOK DEMO

Preparing Curriculum Sequencing

15/5/2019

 
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Preparing Curriculum Sequence

We think it is fair to say that most education and training providers are now aware that there is a new OfSTED Inspection Framework that will be implemented from September 2019. A lot has been written about the Quality of Education judgement and how OfSTED will expect to see that all education and training providers have robust curriculum plans in place that demonstrate curriculum intent, implementation and impact.

One area though that has still received little attentions are curriculum sequencing. In fact, if you Google "curriculum sequence" the return is really quite sparse. There are examples of curriculum sequence but actually very few articles about this.

In the Quality of Education judgement, OfSTED will look at:
​the content, sequencing and progression in the subject is appropriate and secured and whether it demands enough of pupils
OfSTED Video on curriculum sequencing

Curriculum Sequencing in Stedfast

We have built a curriculum planning sequence into Stedfast.

When users create a curriculum activity they are able to set when during the programme it will be sequenced to take place. 

The curriculum sequence report is designed to show chronological sequencing. There are other versions of sequencing such as skills development but having a curriculum sequenced by events is a simple way to demonstrate that this has been covered.
curriculum sequence

Stedfast Curriculum Planning 

Stedfast is a unique curriculum planning tool that has been designed to support education and training providers with their course planning and development and curriculum planning activities. Organisations are able to identify learning outcomes or apprenticeship standards and determine how knowledge and skills will be delivered and how delivery is measured. These outcomes then form the curriculum plan and users can create activities which cover all of the teaching or training necessary. 
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If you would like an online demo of Stedfast then please get in touch and we will schedule this with you
BOOK DEMO

OfSTED Education Inspection Framework

14/5/2019

 
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New Inspection Framework Released

The new OfSTED Education Inspection Framework has been released and not surprisingly there is very little change from the previously published drafts that had been released for consultation. 

Quality of Education

This inspection framework will see a distinctive shift from outcomes / data led inspection to a more rigorous view of what is being delivered to learners and how it benefits them – this is the new “Quality of Education” judgement
The proposed ‘quality of education’ judgement therefore brings together the essential ingredients of education: the curriculum; the teaching, and the assessment that provides the feedback loop; and the resulting outcomes. This judgement is intended to restore curriculum – largely ‘missing in action’ from inspection for more than a decade – to its proper place, as an important component of the quality of education. [Amanda Spielman]

Importance of Curriculum Planning

The new inspection framework has made it very clear how important curriculum planning is. Education and training providers will now need to set out their curriculum intent, implementation and impact.

Curriculum plans will need to be created for all programmes and need to clearly set out what learners can expect during a programme. There is also a need to schedule activities within a curriculum plan and OfSTED will expect education and training providers to justify when activities are delivered.
Curriculum Schedule
Curriculum plans can be created for all programmes delivered by schools, colleges and apprenticeship training providers
If you would like to know more about Stedfast and how it can support your curriculum scheduling then please contact us and we will schedule an online demo with you.

Primary School Curriculum Planning

30/4/2019

 
primary school curriculum planning

Primary School Curriculum Planning

We have been asked by a number of schools if Stedfast can be used for primary school curriculum planning. We thought it might be helpful to show how simply this can be done. In this example we have created a Year 4 Maths curriculum.

Step 1 - Create an Assessment Plan

The first step in the process is to create the curriculum plan for Year 4 Maths. 

Assessment plans are the foundation of all delivery planning. They allow organisations to add the outcomes that are to be achieved. 

When setting up an assessment plan users will be able to add their own choice of plan grading.

Users can also map outcomes with other outcome sets which helps to demonstrate cross curriculum links.
curriculum assessment plan

Step 2 - Define the measures

The assessment plan owner is then able to define the measures for each outcome.

Measures set out what will be delivered or tested, they type of measure that will be used and also what the expected target or benchmark is going to be to determine successful delivery.

We will look later at how to set up review cycles and add findings and actions.
measure learning outcomes

Step 3 - Create the curriculum plan

Once a basic assessment plan has been completed, users are then able to set up the curriculum plan.

The first step in any curriculum plan is to align it to the assessment plan as this links the learning outcomes.

Users will have different ways to break down their curriculum plan. In this example we have created a curriculum plan that covers delivery on a weekly basis.
primary school curriculum plan

Step 4 - Adding activities

1. Details

Adding activities is a 3 step process.

User begin by adding basic information, a title, what timeframe it will be delivered in and then, whether or not the activity involves Leaning, Practice and/or assessment.
curriculum activities

2. Outcomes

User then select the outcomes that will be covered by the activity
curriculum outcomes

3. Delivery

Users can then start to add the curriculum activity detail.
curriculum delivery

Step 5 - Check Curriculum Mapping

Users can then check the coverage of delivery by looking at the curriculum mapping report.
curriculum mapping

Step 6 - Check the scheduling

One of the new features of OfSTED's Education Inspection Framework is that under the Quality of Education judgement, schools, colleges and training providers will be expected to demonstrate their curriculum scheduling.

This can be easily demonstrated with Stedfast.
curriculum schedule

Finally...

This is just a very simple and brief example if the assessment and curriculum planning tools in Stedfast. There are many more features that make up these two modules. If you would like an online demo of Stedfast then please contact us.
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