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Guidance for schools and colleges on the remote monitoring of practical endorsement for a-level science specifications during the 2021-22 academic year. It outlines the changes to practical endorsement monitoring, the minimum documentary requirements, and the review process in three steps: review of teachers’ records, review of student work, and discussions with staff.
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This resource gives schools/colleges guidance on the Practical Endorsement remote monitoring for A-level Science specifications that require monitoring during Cycle 4, Year 1 (2021-22).
Each UK Centre offering A Level Science has a regular monitoring visit from one of four awarding bodies (AQA, Eduqas, OCR and Pearson) to ascertain whether they are following the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) and understand the demands of the practical endorsement. This ensures that each candidate achieving a pass grade for the practical endorsement is assessed to the same standard.
The practical endorsement monitoring visit usually lasts half a school day and involves a review of teacher and student records of completed practical work and a discussion of planned practical work. The monitor also routinely observes a practical lesson to assess the centre’s application of the CPAC criteria.
For the 2021-22 academic year, all monitoring will take place remotely. The monitor will contact the centre to co-ordinate the review of work and additional discussions remotely. A practical lesson observation will not be required.
The assessment of the practical endorsement is undertaken by teachers as they directly observe students carrying out practical activities. The minimum documentary requirements that schools and colleges are required to maintain for review remains unchanged from the face-to-face monitoring visits. The monitor will still need to review this documentation.
This will be carried out in three steps. Step one requires the Centre to send teachers’ records of student assessment. In step two, the Monitor will request student work to review. In step three, the Monitor will discuss submitted evidence with a teacher at your Centre (usually the Lead teacher).
The format of teacher records will vary between teachers. Your Monitor will be happy to look at records in any format that show the relevant information. The documents that need to be seen in step one are:
A. Documented plans to carry out sufficient practical activities which meet the requirements of CPAC, incorporating skills and techniques detailed in appendix 5, over the course of the A level; B. Records of each practical activity undertaken and the date when this was completed; C. Records of student attendance; D. Records of which student met the criteria and which did not.
The Monitor will also need to see evidence that the Lead teacher has undertaken endorsement training. Choose
The Monitor will need to review a representative sample of student work that covers a range of CPAC assessments. This evidence will include learner records and reports of practical work they have undertaken. This will be completed after the Monitor has reviewed the Teacher Records.
The Monitor will ask the centre to collate evidence for specific CPAC strands that will be reviewed. The Monitor will discuss the best way to send this information securely. This may be through scanning and sending:
This evidence should be sent to the Monitor within one week of the request being sent to the school or college.
The Monitor will also need to discuss the evidence that the Centre has submitted. Discussions between teacher(s) and your Monitor could take place both before and after the electronic evidence has been submitted. Your Monitor will let you know when and how they would like this discussion to take place.
Please note your Monitor will not be giving feedback on the outcomes of the monitoring immediately.
Within two weeks of reviewing the sample of student and teacher records, your Monitor will provide a report which will be sent to both the Lead teacher and Headteacher. The record will state whether your Monitor agrees with your application of the CPAC or not. Should your Monitor not agree with your application of the CPAC, then guidance will be given as to what measures are required to bring your centre into line with the requirements. Follow-up remote monitoring will then be necessary, to quality assure any further work required.
Monitoring also took place remotely during academic year 2020-21. If
your centre received remote monitoring in Cycle 3, we will attempt to
ensure that you are not also monitored remotely for Cycle 4 although
this may not be possible depending on circumstances.