How Does Your La Do Moderation?

[Guest]

Hi everyone

 

In Kent we are graded on our moderation and we have to take evidence for all of the scale points in the two areas PSE and KUW. Here is the info we have had from the LA...

 

Evidence brought to moderation should have been agreement trialled internally prior to the moderation meeting. Sufficient evidence needs to be seen from a range of children. It is suggested that evidence is brought from at least three children with one being a high achiever, one average and one below average. This evidence needs securely to demonstrate the achievement of the point by the child. It is not appropriate to bring samples from a range of children for one point. Moderation needs to ensure that the school is secure in their assessments and can accurately make a judgement for the whole point for an individual child in line with national exemplification materials. It is recommended that evidence is brought to moderation meetings for all children achieving point nine in the focus areas. It is essential that ‘the story’ of the child’s achievement is seen and that progress over time is evidenced.

 

At both the school visit and the partnership meeting the following will be of particular importance:

• Teacher’s files of dated observations

• Annotated photos which demonstrate achievement - these may be electronic

• Assessments from teacher directed activity

• Recent examples of children’s own mark making

• Paintings, drawings and models etc

• Parent and child comments related to achievement

• Electronic profile assessment – teachers should bring their laptop with data for their whole class

 

Having spoken to a few colleagues in other authorities it seems they do not all work the same so I thought I would ask on here as I feel not only are we having to take masses of evidence and then get graded that it adds extra pressure to the job.

 

Having read how well teachers in Scandinavia are well respected and trusted I feel that not only are we the group who have a good idea of where our children are but we are forever having to prove that we do! Where is our professionalism in all of this.

 

Rant over back to the grindestone tomorrow and that is not the children!!! I love that part!

[catma]

There's another post which debates this here

 

QCDA website also: http://testsandexams.qcda.gov.uk/19529.aspx gives chapter and verse on the expectations of moderation, as do the central moderation meetings that LAs need to attend.

 

Adaptations to meet local needs will be there - it will all be reported to QCDA in an annual plan that has to be submitted. If the QCDA were unhappy with practice they will take this up with the LA.

 

Cx

[Guest tinkerbell]

Welcome Sandy

 

Your LEA sounds to be asking rather a lot!!!

 

Our LEA moderating meetings are quite informal affairs where areas are chosen before hand and the teachers attend ,listen to the advisers who give out paper work or we watch a video clip and then we work on our tables of mixed teachers from different settings and decide on what points we would give to that child or piece of work.

 

The moderation visit to school which happens everyother year is similar to what you have been given,the 2 moderators ask on the day to see the work of 3 different ability children,they observe the class and the 3,they look at the paper work,they discuss what they have seen and cross reference to the paper work.

 

How you choose to record your observations is up to you,and the meeting should be a mutual respectful one,they are not there to criticise your work...they may suggest ideas .

 

Don't feel intimidated by the moderators ,they see a snap shot.

 

I have learning journals with observations,post its and photos and a half termly big book of photos for the parents (not given points or anything )I also have file with group observations.The children have their lit books.All this would cover your moderators requirements

 

I do do the e-profile half termly and they could see that too

 

I smiled at the 'assessments from teacher directed activities'??? does our teaching sessions matter now? (80% child initiated 20% teacher directed assessments)

 

Just jump through the hoops and enjoy the children

 

Tinkerbell

[Guest]

Our LA has changed moderation a bit this year. The two F2 teachers went to a 'training' session and sat with our moderator and the other schools that they are working with. They watched videos, had discussions, did some highlighting of points they would give to a child based on videos / photos seen etc.

 

The moderator will make 3 visits to us. The first was to meet with me (the coordinator) and look at data, walk around the F2 classes (although she couldn't do this as I'm off work and so she came to my house to chat) and to go through a questionnaire / checklist that we had to fill in before they visited. It included questions about assessing EAL, numbers of children at 1-3 points and what's being done to support them (our LA expect that all children still working on points 1-3 by Christmas should have an IEP - how many!!).

 

The second visit is again a chat about data, looking at progress from Christmas to near the end of Spring Term, again looking at the children scoring 1-3 points, EAL, SEN etc. It will also focus on the action points decided upon during the first visit - ours being lack of EAL children being assessed in home language and the fact that I won't put 1-3 scoring children on SEN, so what we are doing for them instead!

 

The third visit will focus more on the F2 teachers and their ability in making good judgements from observations. The moderator will pick, at random, from a class list a top, middle and bottom child in the 2 areas of learning being focussed on and will do a joint observation on them with the class teacher. Then they go off and have a 'professional dialogue' about that observation and what points on the profile it could contribute to in the 2 focus areas.

 

They've been doing the joint observation thing for about 4 years now, and I find it very supportive and positive. The 3 visits in a year is the new part, but so far so good!