East Ayrshire Council PLTA Professional Learning Site
Planning, Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Moderation
Visit the Moderation Hub on Glow for information on a Digital Approach to Moderation in the BGE using Microsoft Teams and OneNote. The step by step process and moderation template aims to support collaboration of planning learning, teaching and assessment and review of learner evidence in the BGE.
Education Scotland have published the following guidance building upon Assessment within BGE 2020/21 (June 2020). The guidance has been updated to reflect considerations for approaches to assessment in the current context as children and young people return to in-person learning.
Assessment within BGE 2020-21 (Update)
The following papers have been produced to provide an overview of assessment in Numeracy and Maths and Literacy and English for the BGE.
These documents are intended to provide an overview of the different types of assessment you may wish to consider when measuring progress in numeracy and literacy.
The NIF Team is hosting sessions for practitioners to hear a short input from Education Scotland relating to the Planning Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Moderation Cycle; Assessment in the BGE 2020/21 guidance and Assessment within the BGE: a thematic inspection. *
These sessions will also include practitioners from across Scotland sharing current approaches to planning learning, teaching and assessment in their establishments.
These include a focus on:
Early level – numeracy and STEM and play-based literacy skills
First Level – learner voice and a school’s journey following inspection
Second level – planning across the four contexts and novel studies to develop higher order reading skills
Third level/Fourth Level – rubrics for providing feedback to learners
The second part of the session will provide opportunities for reflection and allow participants to share practice in smaller breakout discussions.
These sessions will take place via Microsoft Teams on Glow. Once participants sign up, they will automatically get an email sent to them with the Teams joining code.
Early Level 18th January 2021 4-5.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/early-level-supporting-collaboration-planning-learningteachingassessment-tickets-130373732343
First Level 21st January 2021 4-5.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/first-level-supporting-collaboration-planning-learningteachingassessment-tickets-130374099441
Second Level 25th January 2021 4-5.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/second-level-supporting-collaboration-planning-learningteachingassessment-tickets-130374161627
Secondary BGE 28th January 2021 4-5.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/second-level-supporting-collaboration-planning-teachingassessment-in-bge-tickets-130374835643
The sessions are open to any practitioner – including existing QAMSOs. To apply, click on the appropriate link and book a space on Eventbrite. Spaces are limited to 150 per session. This is open to practitioners across Scotland.
Please feel free to share with colleagues.
Documents mentioned:
Assessment in the broad general education 2020/21 | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub
This guidance has was published by Education Scotland in June 2020 with an aim of supporting practitioners as they consider how they will approach assessment in the broad general education (BGE) as part of their learning and teaching during the period of blended learning beginning in August 2020.
Link to ‘Assessment in the Broad General Education’
Assessment in the Broad General Education Webinar
Education Scotland have also published ‘Assessment – what is working well’. This paper gives an overview of what they are identifying as working well, drawn from the emerging practice over the first six weeks of remote learning. They aim to review the main points of guidance as they learn more about what is working well and at the end of term 4 they will update and add to the practice examples and related research links provided here:
Link to ‘Assessment – what is working well’
This session sets out the key messages from the Scottish Government and Education Scotland in relation to the Planning for Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Moderation cycle. This session also provides an overview of the tools available to support planning, learning, teaching, assessment and moderation in East Ayrshire.
The Session 1 Powerpoint will open as a video. The video will play best if you click on full screen mode
Key Documents
National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan: 2020
A Statement for Practitioners from HM Chief Inspector of Education
East Ayrshire Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks
Education Scotland Moderation Hub
East Ayrshire Planning, Assessment, Moderation and Reporting Framework
This session provides more detail in relation to each element of the Planning, Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Moderation Cycle and the use of East Ayrshire documentation to support planning, learning, teaching, assessment and moderation activity.
Session 2a – Learners and Planning Using the Experiences and Outcomes
(Click in the box below to play the video)
Session 2b – Learning Intentions and Success Criteria and Learning, Teaching and Assessment
(Click in the box below to play the video)
Session 2c – Key Features of High Quality Learning, Teaching and Assessment
(Click in the box below to play the video)
This session provides support in the development of High Quality Assessments (previously referred to as Holistic Assessment)
Session 3a –
High Quality Assessments
Session 3b – Examples of High Quality Assessments
Session 3c – On-going Assessment Approaches
This session provides support in gathering evidence, evaluating learning and using the Four Stages of Progress to support teacher judgement
This section outlines the supports available at school, education group and authority level in relation to planning, learning, teaching, assessment and moderation.
Gail Elder (Literacy Education Manager) and Robert McCallum (Numeracy Education Manager) are the Assessment Coordinators for East Ayrshire and are members of the South-West Educational Improvement Collaborative (SWEIC) BGE workstream and regularly attend national assessment coordinator meetings organised by the National Improvement Framework Team. The role of the assessment coordinator is to share key national and regional key messages and form local authority policy and facilitate and deliver and facilitate local, regional and national professional development in relation to the Planning, Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Moderation Cycle. It is also the role of the Assessment Coordinator to support the work of the Quality Assurance and Moderation Support Officer (QAMSO) network.
Within the local authority we have extended the QAMSO network across each of the education groups. The QAMSO Map provides details of the QAMSOs working in each of the education groups. The QAMSOs role is to support individual schools and work collaboratively across their education group to support practitioners in all aspects of the Planning, Learning, Teaching, Assessment (PLTA) and Moderation Cycle by:
• providing ongoing support to schools/Education Groups in moderation as appropriate
• promoting and supporting the work of the QAMSO team across their Education Groups and the authority
• providing regular updates to Head Teachers on QAMSO work
• Updating local resources in line with national publications
A number of East Ayrshire QAMSOs have volunteered to be part of a SWEIC team working on developing a consistent BGE moderation programme across the authorities. East Ayrshire continues to be well represented in this team providing support for colleagues across the SWEIC.
Each school and education group will plan moderation activities in relation to their improvement priorities. The QAMSO network is there to support any related moderation activity and in some cases may lead activities. Each Education Group should agree time and a focus for moderation activities. A minimum of two opportunities throughout the school year would be helpful. Education Group Moderation priorities (link to EG plans will be added soon) were derived from the February 2019 inset day for session 2019-20 and discussion with the QAMSO team and Assessment Co-ordinators.
Teachers who are taking part in Education Group moderation are expected to bring plans and appropriate evidence, based on their EG focus and to be prepared to discuss them. These should have been moderated within the school already and will then be moderated at education group level to confirm teacher judgement within an establishment. It is recommended that teachers present their own moderation evidence. Accompanying moderation paperwork will be provided at the Education Group events.
Education Scotland currently advise teachers to submit for moderation of progress, or achievement of a level, evidence from one learner. The professional dialogue around such samples is to support the verification of teacher judgement.
Through providing opportunities for practitioner collaboration at school, education group, local authority and national level we aim to increase opportunities for all practitioners to engage in moderation activity across all themes in the PLTA cycle . By embedding collaborative approaches to the planning, learning, teaching, assessment and moderation cycle we aim to increase the confidence and reliability in our assessment judgements.
