9 replies to this topic

[juliesheard]

Hiya all

Its been a while. I finished my level 3 last year, have relocated and now want to go for my assessors award. I am currently employed by the PLA who have commited themselves to finding me 2 candidates to assess. I am wondering though why my assessor was A1/D63 assessor and my college info says A1 award. Also I waould like to know what to expect and how it works when you are not employed by a college oooo and can my candidates be going for level 2?

cheers Julie x

[Lucie]

i can't answer your question, but would like to know if there are any criteria that you need to meet to become an assessor, and how you go about doing this?
laura

[Beau]

Firstly the D units were the 'old' assessor units. I'm not sure when they changed but now you would do the A1 award. They are essentially the same though. I am on the laptop at the moment and as it is late I'm not going to search for the link to the standards. However, there is one unit with 4 elements plus knowledge to work through - just the same as a unit from your NVQ3. This all relates directly to how you work with your candidates from planning assessments, carrying out observations, giving feedback and being involved in quality assurance. I am probably not the best person to talk to about this though. I have been working at mine forever!! For some reason I am having a real problem with my reflective accounts and have taken an ostrich in the sand approach to them which isn't exactly helpful! And yes, your candidates can be level 2.

Laura, to take the A1 and assess you really need to have a good grasp of the NVQ system but apart from that I'm not aware of any other criteria. Well, apart from the need to have 2 candidates to assess.

Hope this helps. :)

[mundia]

I would imagine there are regional and college variations on this. I did my D32 millions of years ago, althouhg I doubt they have changed really that much, and i was a teacher in a school at the time. the college was desperate for qualified asessors in schools as most of the students did one school placement. The college funded the course and I only needed to attend afew sessions. I had to create a portfoilio which if you have done an NVQ you will be able to do. I had to be observed 'assessing' and I did need to learn about the NVQ (having never studied for one).

Perhpas other memeber currently do A1 can say more?

[Beau]

Hi Julie,

This link might help you to understand what the differences are between the 'old' units and the A1 units. :)

[Sheila21]

I have a query regarding Assessors.

Do all assessors have to be trained and have a qualification.

The reason I ask is that recently somebody left from my friend's nursery to go and work for a training firm who assesses and gets candidates through their NVQ 2/3.

We were discussing the qualities of an assessor. As far as we know the lady who left to work for the training company didn't have any assessor qualifications, she was simply going to shadow an assessor as she went around nurseries and very quickly would be looking after candidates herself. To be honest this lady was OK at her job, but she really didn't have much of an indepth knowledge about children's development (or didn't show it when she worked at the nursery). She was kind and caring but to be honest the thought of her assessing and turning out good quality NVQ 3 candidates didn't really go hand in hand.

I am a Manager of a setting and we have recently interviewed 10 candidates (with at least 30 more phoning up for interviews). Out of those 10 candidates only two were remotely suitable and could answer simple questions about Equal Opportunities or how would you encourage children to play with small world toys. Nothing too taxing.

I am all for giving people chances and training them up, but if as an NVQ 3 you don't have the basic knowledge - should you really be in charge of a room and supervise junior staff. At the end of the day that is the position anybody with an NVQ 3 can be hired for.

What does everyone else think

[Beau]

You would need to have some sort of qualification in assessing. I have the A1 but there might well be others which are suitable. However, to gain the assessor award you need to actually assess which you should do whilst being closely supervised to check that you are doing it right. You then put together a portfolio in much the same way as the NVQ, to provide evidence that you know what you are doing. Could it be that that is what is happening with this lady? That she is spending some time finding out about the assessment process and then will be starting out on assessing in order to gather evidence and gain her award?

[Wolfie]

I think there's a worrying amount of inconsistency in quality and standards between individuals who have all gained the NVQ3 and have come to the conclusion that these inconsistencies are down to varying quality standards between training providers as well as the standards maintained by the settings in which the students have placements whilst working towards the award.

It may not be possible for all students to have placements in settings where standards of care and education are high, but training providers and assessors should be there to support and guide individuals in settings where there is room for improvement in policy and practice, encouraging them to reflect and evaluate and consider where improvements could be made. However, in my experience, students are often left to their own devices, picking up ways of working with children and parents, strategies, working methods, policies, etc. that are not always good practice and thinking that what they see is the norm. I have supported students in settings where their assessor only makes flying visits, takes no time to get to know anything about the actual setting and its staff, completes the planned observation as soon as possible and leaves again with very little feedback to the student.

Sheila, I too have talked to individuals who have been accepted onto assessor training whose own practice I would question. Too many training providers attract candidates onto their courses by stressing the small amount of time and work commitment that is involved, at the expense of providing a comprehensive, thorough and high quality assessment process that results in well-qualified, competent and committed practitioners. Dare I suggest that money might be at the root of it all??

To correct the balance, I have also had experience of extremely good training providers and assessors, who plan the training and support available to NVQ candidates very thoroughly and effectively and, as a result, create extremely competent, enthusiastic and dedicated early years professionals. It's just a shame that these high standards don't apply across the board.

[mustangsally]

I'm studying for a DPP at the moment and as we are due to finish in December, my tutor has been talking about what we can do next. She has suggested that I may be interested in training as an NVQ assessor and said that the initial training is just 2 days and then you have to support a candidate through their NVQ.
I believe the PLA trains assessors but I don't know much about it all. Can anyone help?

Sally

[lynathome]

Hi,

I worked as a full time assessor and now am IV at a private training company and did 4 weeks shadwing another assessor and then got a caseload of candidates to train on level 2 and 3. i had my level2, level 3 and started trainng for the A1 after the 4 week induction. it took me 5 months to achieve the qualifiaction with thorough training and coaching with an assessor.

I have seen portfolios from other training providers and do agree that there are many differences between them. for example, when i started assessing level 3's i couldnt believe how much work was involved and how little I had actually done for mine. (I did however have all the knowledge required - had worked in nursery 8 years before starting level 3 and was working at senior level)

when we take on new assessors they are usually new to assessing and we train them on the job with lots and lots of training, so they have lots of support and help! all new assessrs who havent yet achieved A1 have to be countersigned by a qualified assessor - all their decisions are looked at and checked by the qualified assessor and feedback given, so there is a safeguard for candidates that the new assessors work is being checked.

the assessors award is a straightforward qualification if you are assessing to a good standard and have the support, you do need to attend a standardisation meeting and take an active part though.

Lyndsey