West MidlandsFinal Report April 2012 – September 2013 Anne Schofield

Final Report
April 2012 – September 2012
Regional Adviser – West Midlands
Anne Schofield

Geographical area

The West Midlands includes:

Herefordshire,

Worcestershire,

Shropshire,

Staffordshire,

Birmingham,

Coventry and

Warwickshire.

Areas of sector engaged

I have worked in the following sectors:

Universities and colleges Initial Teacher Training (ITT);

Work Based Learning (WBL);

Adult and Community Learning (ACL);

Further Education (FE);

6th Form Colleges;

West Midlands Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (WMCETT)

Organisations and networks supported

Hereford ACL

Warwickshire ACL

Academy – Stoke

Academy – Northants

University of Warwick

Walsall ACL

WMCETT

Coventry College

Walsall College

Types of delivery

Workshops – REfLECT/Professional Formation

Presentations - Professional Formation

1:1 email and telephone support

Types of support

The amount of remote support has increased. Members have been confused by the potential changes. Others have been keen to gain QTLS whilst it is being conferred by the IfL.

Support type April – September 2012

Content of activity / Approximate numbers / % of activity
Volunteer Connections / 1 / Less than 1%
General IfL information / 20 / 13%
Professional Formation advice / 130 / 82%
Other (updates, advice re: qualifications etc.) / 8 / Less than 1%

Volunteer Connections

Due to the uncertainty, there has been little Volunteer Connection activity. All were invited to a ‘Future of our Profession’ event. I received a reply from only one person who could not attend.

Responses of IfL in relation to suggestions and feedback given by Regional Adviser

Most queries have been responded to efficiently. There was some miscommunication around what events were to be organised by Regional Advisers. I think this may have occurred during the main holiday period.

Challenges

This has been a most challenging period. We have seen the introduction of voluntary membership. Teachers in the sector are generally confused and have needed guidance around the topic of Professional Formation.

The lateness of the Lingfield Report has made the giving of advice and guidance very difficult.

Because of the uncertainty, some organisations cancelled planned sessions.

Successes

Some Professional Formation sessions have been well-attended and I have supported many members by email and telephone.

The ‘Future of our Profession’ events in Birmingham indicated the need to support those who work in smaller organisations as opposed to large FE colleges.

Impact and value added

Although difficult to quantify, I feel that I have helped many members to gain QTLS.

Recommendations

It is difficult to make recommendations in these uncertain times. However, in the immediate future, I feel that a large number of members need to be supported to help them gain QTLS. I believe that over the coming weeks, members will realise that there are only 2 more occasions to express their interest to gain QTLS. The other driving force is the fact there is now parity between QTS and QTLS. There is a growing number of enquiries about this legislation.

I do think there is a role for the IfL to actively target members working in ‘under-represented’ sectors.

It is important for the IfL to recognise ‘gaps’ in CPD and where possible offer members value for money training. Many colleges appear to offer training that addresses the needs for Quality Assurance; what is often missing are training opportunities that would address the needs of Quality Assurance.

Anne Schofield

30/09/12

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