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Key skills: what might inspectors be looking
for?
The shape and focus of inspection will be influenced by information
contained in the school’s:
- Self-evaluation form (SEF)
- Performance and assessment report (PANDA)
- Previous inspection report.
This information will influence the extent to which key skills is looked
at. Shorter inspections mean that inspectors will investigate ‘themes’.
One such theme could be the extent to which the literacy and numeracy
skills of learners are supported across the curriculum. Key skills would
then become part of this investigation.
If inspected, key skills will therefore be looked at within the curriculum
and through the five key questions found in the Common Inspection Framework.
If you click on each of the questions listed below you can see the type
of key skills evidence that inspectors may look for in order to come to
a judgement about the overall quality of key skills provision in a centre.
Each question contains a useful checklist that you may want to print off
and use with staff or with departmental teams so that they can devise
a way forward.
- How well do learners achieve?
- How effective are teaching, training and learning?
- How well do programmes and activities meet the needs
and interests of learners?
- How well are learners guided and supported?
- How effective are leadership and management in raising
achievement and supporting all learners?
How well do learners achieve?
In answering this question inspectors will rely heavily on key skills
data. They will consider: the opportunities provided for learners to study
and gain accreditation; levels of attendance; and completion and achievement
rates. In addition, inspectors will scrutinise learners’ work to
ensure that it meets the level required by the key skills standards.
Inspection also focuses on the opportunities provided for learners to
develop workplace skills which link closely to the work based learning/employer
agenda in schools. The key skills qualifications, particularly the wider
key skills, if delivered in conjunction with these requirements, provide
evidence of both the development and assessment of such skills.
Table 1: How well do learners achieve?
| Possible sources of evidence to evaluate key skills provision |
Yes |
No |
Working towards |
Action required |
| Attendance figures |
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| Entries and pass rates |
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| Progression |
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| Learners reaching appropriate levels in key skills |
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| Examples
of key skills work confirming learners’ attainment in key
skills |
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| Year on year improvement in relation to individual learner achievement |
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How effective are teaching, training and learning?
Inspectors will be looking for a coherent key skills policy that is
consistently applied across the school. There is an expectation that key
skills teaching will be closely linked to learners’ main programmes
so that they can see the relevance and purpose of what they are being
asked to do. The focus is on how key skills enhance the ability of learners
to achieve in their main programmes.
Table 2: How effective are teaching, training and learning?
| Possible sources of evidence to evaluate key skills provision |
Yes |
No |
Working towards |
Action required |
| Differentiated units/schemes of work that include key skills |
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| Examples of ILPs which contain clear key skills targets that have been reviewed |
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| Tutorial/learner support arrangements that track progress made with key skills |
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| Formative feedback on key skills work |
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| Access to appropriate resources |
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| Views of learners |
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| Lesson observation and/or evidence of monitoring the quality of key skills provision |
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| Records and reports that refer to the progress of individuals in relation to their key skills development |
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| Key
skills assessment information for learners/parents/staff found,
for example, in course literature, staff handbooks, assignment briefs,
handouts |
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| Internal verification documentation |
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How well do programmes and activities meet the needs and interests
of learners?
Inspectors will be making judgements about how well prior attainment,
aspirations and potential are matched with the programmes learners embark
on. In key skills terms this will include looking at how well the key
skills qualifications and the levels offered to learners match the needs
of the individual and the courses they are taking.
Inspectors will also be looking at the way that schools meet the five
outcomes identified in ‘Every Child Matters’. (insert link
here to ‘Every Child Matters’. The extent to which learners
‘achieve and enjoy’ could be particularly relevant to this.
Table 3: How well do the programmes and activities meet the needs and
interests of learners?
| Possible sources of evidence to evaluate key skills provision |
Yes |
No |
Working towards |
Action required |
| Schemes of work with key skills integrated |
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| Range of programmes and content of curriculum that ensures there is equal opportunity for all learners to develop their key skills |
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| Timetabling arrangements (Are they enabling rather than restrictive?) |
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| Use of extra-curricular activities to enhance skills development |
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| Course documentation |
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| Analysis of data on attendance, retention, completion and progression for different groups of learners |
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| Analysis of data on the destination of learners |
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How well are learners guided and supported?
Inspectors will judge how well the key skills needs of individuals are
diagnosed and supported. They may explore the quality of the advice the
learner receives in relation to key skills as well as the effectiveness
of target setting, review and action planning.
Table 4: How well are learners guided and supported?
| Possible sources of evidence to evaluate key skills provision |
Yes |
No |
Working towards |
Action required |
| Publicity materials that clearly explain the key skills qualifications and how they will be delivered within the centre |
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| Induction arrangements |
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| Processes that are implemented to ensure that learners are placed on appropriate key skills levels |
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| Tutorial information/content
of tutorial programmes to include supporting and reviewing key skills
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| Use of the wider
key skills within programmes -. PSHE for example |
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| Guidance given to tutors on key skills |
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| Arrangements for additional support for learners, including such options as workshops, supervised study periods and one to one sessions |
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How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and
supporting all learners?
Under this question inspectors will be looking to see that there is
a clear key skills policy that applies to all programmes and to all learners.
They will assess whether the strategy for implementing the policy ensures
a coordinated approach that is understood and supported by senior managers.
A cycle for monitoring the effectiveness of key skills provision should
be in place and should feed into the overall quality assurance procedures
of the school. The outcomes of this process should in turn inform the
self-evaluation form (SEF) for the schools.
Table 5: How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement
and supporting all learners?
| Possible sources of evidence to evaluate key skills provision |
Yes |
No |
Working towards |
Action required |
| An explicit and active key skills policy |
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| Strategic and operational plans that clearly target the development of key skills provision within the centre |
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| Organisation
and management structures that support the delivery of key skills
-. opportunities for staff to share good practice, for example |
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| Analysis of performance against targets |
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Resource allocation; costing in relation to income; and the ability to provide best value including:
- qualifications and experience of staff delivering key skills
- staff training/development plans
- arrangements for performance management and staff review
that include key skills
- equipment and resources
- access to and utilisation of learning resources including
ICT
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be looking for?
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Summary of this section