1. Observing Teaching and Learning
Preparing for the Introduction of the 2012
Common Inspection Framework (CIF)
Alastair Taylor
AoC Trainer/Ofsted Additional
Inspector/Ex ALI Full-time lead Inspector

2. Today's Objectives
• To interpret CIF 2012 in terms of its evaluation of teaching,
learning and assessment; and associated leadership and
management.
• To investigate the relationship between the delivery of
teaching and learning and its management in terms of good
quality learner outcomes.
• To explore concepts around excellence in teaching and
learning, and the factors which impact upon its quality.
• To review approaches to observation, effective feedback and
action planning to improve teaching, learning, assessment
and learner outcomes.

3. My approach ...
• PowerPoint presentation (for the first hour in particular) to
provide background knowledge and to anchor the day.
• Round table discussions to share experience and intelligence.
• Video clips to demonstrate evaluation methods and to
practice observations skills.
• Visual imagery for those of you who learn that way best.
• Open questions – two way if possible – please challenge me
as debate always make for an enjoyable day.
• I will keep things flowing so don‟t be insulted if I move on.

4. Understanding the 2012 CIF
• Ofsted will “streamline and simplify the CIF so as to focus on
areas that will have most impact”
• More focussed inspections with fewer judgements and
grades ... reports on the most important aspects.
• Focus more sharply on the core purpose ... even closer
examination of teaching and learning ... evaluation of the
impact of leadership
• Please refer to the IfL Policy Briefing to see the key
differences

5. Teaching and learning at the heart?
• Michael Gove quotes ...
• "Nothing is more important than raising the prestige and
esteem of teaching“
• "We can't have teachers - especially in primary schools
- who aren't themselves basically literate and numerate“
• “Nothing is more important in any education system
then the quality of teaching and nothing matters more
during the any school day then the quality of the
experience a child enjoys at the hands of their teacher"

6. Colleges aren’t schools, but ...
• We would probably agree that top quality teaching leads to
positive outcomes.
• Although the context is different, the challenges for colleges
are probably the same.
• This is understood by government through plans to
“strengthen the quality of teaching and learning and
developing, through a new Commission, a distinct pedagogy
around vocational learning” as part of FE reform.
• Which is a good thing given that vocational learning requires
it‟s own approach – FE needs to be at the table ...

7. The big questions ...
• Even if Ofsted disappeared, we would still observe teaching
and learning, because we would probably agree that it is one
of the most important thing we do?
• Just how are we going to raise our game to create a greater
proportion of outstanding teaching and learning? Are our
teachers up to it?
• How will we manage the improvement process? Do our
managers have the skills to improve teaching and learning
when their primary role is resources, planning, performance,
etc?

8. The big questions ...
• What is the correlation between the quality reported during
“inspection” snapshots and the rest of the time?
• How much focus should we put on what our learners say
about their experience in the classroom in relation to what
we observe during our “observation” snapshots?
• How are we going to recruit and develop (and pay!) good
quality teachers?
• What might we learn from the schools sector?

9. Overall Effectiveness – a new (sharper) focus
Current Proposed
• Capacity to improve • Outcomes for learners
• Outcomes for learners • Quality of teaching,
learning and assessment
• Quality of provision
• Leadership and
• Effectiveness of leadership
and managements
management

10. Outcomes for Learners – the same but different
Current Proposed
• Learners achieve and • All learner achieve.
enjoy?
• Gaps are narrowing
• Learners improve their between different groups.
economic & social well-
being? • Learners develop personal,
social & employability skills.
• How safe do learners feel?
• Learners progress to higher
• Health and well-being? level qualifications and into
jobs that meet local &
• A positive contribution?
national needs.

11. Quality of Provision – highly focused on TL&A

12. The onus is on “staff” (the teacher?)
• Staff demonstrate high expectations, enthuse, engage,
support and motivate learners so that they learn and make
progress.
• Staff set challenging tasks, build on and extend learning for
all learners.
• Staff have appropriate skills and expertise to provide good
quality teaching, learning, assessment and support for each
learner.
• Staff assess learners‟ progress and provide for a range of
needs including learners with learning difficulties and / or
disabilities.

13. More explicit reference to ...
• Equality and diversity are promoted through teaching and
learning
• Teaching develops literacy, numeracy, language and
functional skills, independent and lifelong learning to support
the achievement of learning goals
• Learning is effectively supported by appropriate and timely
information, advice and guidance on next steps in training,
education and employment

14. Leadership & Management – more specific ...
• raise expectations, promote ambition for learners and
improve their outcomes
• improve teaching and learning
• ensure the appropriateness of the provision, including the
curriculum in meeting the needs and interests of learners,
employers and the local and national community
• deploy resources, including staff, accommodation, facilities
and technologies to support learning effectively and provide
value for money

15. Leadership & Management – more specific ...
• evaluate the provision through monitoring quality, including
engagement with users and using their findings to make,
promote and sustain improvement
• actively promote equality and diversity, tackle discrimination
and narrow any achievement gaps
• ensure the safeguarding and well-being of all learners.

16. Improving TL&A appears to be vital ...
• Inspections this year have found that there is far too little
outstanding teaching in colleges. No colleges achieved an
overall outstanding grade for teaching and learning and only
11% of the lessons observed were judged outstanding.
Within a single college, the variations in the standards of
teaching and their impact on learning can be very wide,
especially between subject areas. Even in colleges where
teaching and learning were judged to be good, 27% of
lessons observed were satisfactory and 2% were inadequate.
2011 Chief Inspectors Annual Report

17. Sir Michael Wilshire – February 2012
• Reiterated plans to replace the satisfactory judgement with
„requires improvement‟ and for all school inspections to be
undertaken without notice.
• Announced a raising of expectations for outstanding schools
and a tighter focus on the way in which head teachers are
driving the quality of teaching in their schools.

18. For “schools” read “colleges”
• Ofsted do not appear to differentiate between schools and
colleges.
• The consultation, which also covers changes to Further
Education (FE) and skills and Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
inspection, sets out seven proposals in total for changes to
the way schools are inspected.
• From September 2012, it is proposed that ...

19. Proposals ...
• schools cannot be judged „outstanding‟ unless their teaching
is „outstanding‟
• schools will only be deemed to be providing an acceptable
standard of education where they are judged to be „good‟ or
„outstanding‟
• a single judgement of „requires improvement‟ will replace the
current „satisfactory‟ judgement and „notice to improve‟
category
• schools judged as „requires improvement‟ will be subject to a
full re-inspection earlier than is currently the case

20. Proposals ...
• a school can only be judged as „requires improvement‟ on
two consecutive inspections before it is deemed to require
„special measures‟
• inspections will be undertaken without notice being provided
to the school
• inspectors should undertake an analysis of an anonymised
summary, provided by the school, of the outcomes of the
most recent performance management of all teachers within
the school, as part of the evidence for a judgement on
Leadership and Management.

21. Activity
• In groups on your tables, spend 20 minutes considering the
following questions.
• This is about you sharing best practice and learning from
each other
• Elect a spokesperson to provide a few comments of feedback
before we break for refreshments

22. Defining Excellence in Teaching & Learning
• What is outstanding teaching, learning & assessment
practice?
• What should be our focus given CIF 2012?
• What does outstanding actually look like?
• How do we establish an outstanding Scheme of Work and
Assessment Plan?
• How should we “lead and manage” teaching and learning
given the new focus on “improvement”?

23. Chief Inspectors Report 2010-2011
• Outstanding teaching and learning are characterised by
highly skilled and enthusiastic teachers who use their
extensive expertise to inspire a culture of learning and
challenge. Very effective planning leads to brisk, lively and
imaginative teaching that ensures that learners‟ differing
needs are met. Teachers‟ expectations of their learners are
high, checks on learning are frequent, questions are probing
and work is appropriately challenging. Learners are fully
involved in evaluating and reflecting on their own learning
and they learn quickly and make good progress. Learners
needing additional help are identified early and effective
support is provided promptly.

24. Key strengths
• Highly skilled and enthusiastic teachers, extensive expertise
• Inspire a culture of learning and challenge
• Very effective planning
• Brisk, lively and imaginative teaching
• Learners‟ differing needs are met
• Expectations of learners are high
• Checks on learning are frequent, questions are probing and
work is appropriately challenging.

25. Chief Inspectors Report 2010-2011
• In the least successful lessons, teachers talk too much,
suppressing learners‟ contributions, and deliver content that
is unimaginative. Questioning is rarely sufficiently
penetrating to make learners think hard enough to develop
their ideas, or to research, explore or communicate their
ideas independently. Too many learners remain
unchallenged and their own expectations of what they might
achieve are not extended sufficiently. Teaching is dull and
uninspiring, so learners find it hard to maintain their interest
and make progress.

26. The traditional learner journey ...
Recruitment,
Monitoring and Formative &
Information,
Review of Summative
Advice, &
Progress Assessment
Guidance
Induction, Teaching &
Orientation, Achievement
Introduction Learning
Initial Assessment, Individual Learning
Diagnosis, Plan (ILP),
Progression
Identification of Personal targets &
Personal Needs ambition

27. The traditional learner journey ...
• Ofsted inspections have reported colleges with outstanding
outcomes, and outstanding overall, despite the quality of
provision being only good.
• We would all agree that within learning and skills, the quality
of the wider learner journey impacts upon overall outcome
and that teaching and learning is only part of the story.
• The battle to be won is that within the context of further
education (and particularly vocational programmes) the
wider learner journey is our interpretation of “teaching,
learning and assessment”.

28. The CIF 2012 teaching and learning journey ...
High expectations, Equality and Functional Skills,
and enthusiasm. Diversity is independent and
Engaging and promoted within lifelong learning is
motivating staff teaching sessions developed
Challenging tasks Quality Appropriate IAG
that build on and on next steps in
extend learning for Teaching & training, education
all learners. Learning and employment.
Staff with Learner progress
appropriate skills is monitored and Achievement and
and expertise to provision made for Progression
deliver quality. individual needs

29. Understanding the learner ...

30. The Hierarchy of Teaching and Learning (HOT)

31. Applying the methodology ...
• Look at the short video clip and consider the judgements
made on the HOT Observation Record of Judgements – do
you agree?
• The same judgements have been translated in terms of the
2012 CIF – these are shown on a separate observation form
– does this stack up?
• Use the blank CIF 2012 Observation Record of Judgements
for the short “vocational” video clip.

32. Paperwork and proforma ...
• What do we need from our observation paperwork?
• An accurate record of what was observed with sound
judgments on teaching, learning and learner achievement.
• An identification of strengths and areas for improvement.
• An overall evaluation of the quality (and perhaps a grade)
• Data and information which allows us to spot trends.
• A plan to help the teacher improve.
• A means of identifying and sharing best practice

33. What are Ofsted saying ...

34. Specific comments from Ofsted?
• In the best colleges, procedures for monitoring, evaluating
and improving the quality of teaching and learning are
detailed and thorough and the findings inform staff
development.
• Observations of teaching and learning are used extensively
and effectively to improve teachers‟ skills and are a key part
of the college‟s quality assurance system.
• Good opportunities exist for sharing best practice. Peer
observations of each other‟s lessons and coaching from
advanced practitioners improve staff confidence.

35. Specific comments from Ofsted?
• In the less effective colleges, observation records are
descriptive rather than evaluative and take too little account
of learning and progress, resulting in sessions being graded
too highly by senior leaders.

36. The greatest challenge ...
• To create an observation system which focuses on improving
the quality of teaching and learning.
• To avoid having a system which focuses only on the
performance of the teacher.
• To develop a self-critical culture amongst our teachers and
one where the judgement is viewed as being more important
than the grade!
• To provide meaningful evaluation of teaching and learning
and use this as the basis for feedback to the teacher.

37. Tips & hints on judging teaching ...
• Enables progress of the whole group.
• Good methods – no prescription, more “does it work?”
• Fosters application with enthusiasm, focus and pace.
• Planning takes account of prior learning and attainment.
• In class assessment: oral feedback, helps learners know how
well they are doing, what they need to do to improve, etc.
• Accurate records of learner progress.
• Resources – imaginative, motivating, enhance learning.

38. Tips & hints on judging learner achievement ...
• Knowledge: know about, recall facts, figures, concepts,
ideas, technical terms, language.
• Skills: able to demonstrate, calculate, formulate, create,
articulate, translate.
• Understanding: processes, techniques, links to prior learning,
make connections, apply meaning and purpose of subject.
• Different groups, in-line with individual goals, builds on prior
achievement.

39. Hints & tips on judging learning ...
• Reasoning: able to work things out logically, application of
reasoning and thought process
• Independence: initiative, think for themselves, not “spoon
fed”, develop own ideas and concepts, contribute to
discussion, take own notes
• Co-operation: able to work readily with others in pairs and
groups, able to achieve and accept consensus

40. Hints & tips on attainment ...
• Bloom‟s Taxonomy still has a place:
• Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis,
Synthesis, Evaluation.
• Attainment needs to be considered in terms of the level of
programme and the learners stage of development.
• Is there sufficient stretch and challenge – particularly for the
more able?

42. Useful words ...

43. Practice Observation – applying the 2012 CIF
• Use the CIF 2012 Observation Record of Judgements to
evaluate the lesson.
• Produce an overall summary based upon the examples
provided.
• What are your key judgements?
• Decide a grade – discuss this with your group – did you all
agree?
• What action plan would you set the teacher?

44. My most frequent areas for improvement ...
• Although the objectives and planned outcomes are made
clear, learners are not told how these will be achieved.
• Wonderful “group profiles” which are never used.
• Q&A which fails to include all learners in the group.
• Insufficient reinforcement at key points in the lesson.
• Little responsibility and ownership awarded to learners.
• No clear recap at the end with no linking to the next session.
• Missed opportunities to reinforce E&D and Functional Skills.

45. L&M – “improving teaching and learning”
• Indicators
• Robust observation systems.
• Strong staff development focussed on improvement.
• Management of “problem” teachers.
• Using data to measure impact of improvements (analysis
of grades, trends over time, success rates, etc).
• A clear understanding of what you do well and what you
need to improve – with a track record of improvement.

46. Conclusions ...
• It seems likely that we will be making similar judgements on
teaching, learning and assessment.
• There is much more onus on the teacher to take
responsibility for quality – no place to hide.
• Our observation arrangement will need to demonstrate an
ability to make improvements.
• E&D and Functional Skills should be referenced in all lessons.
• Good quality teaching and learning will still lead to good
quality outcomes – outcomes have a new focus though!

47. The questions ...
• Given the extent to which the bar is being raised, will any
college ever be judged to be outstanding?
• At what point will there be enough outstanding teaching,
learning and assessment for the overall “outstanding”
judgement to be made?
• How are we going to convince Ofsted that teaching, learning
and assessment is much more than what takes place in a
classroom and that colleges are not the same as schools?
• Given that Grade 3 = “needs improvement” is there any
point in using Grade 4?

48. Today's Objectives were ...
• To interpret CIF 2012 in terms of its evaluation of teaching,
learning and assessment; and associated leadership and
management.
• To investigate the relationships between the delivery of
teaching and learning and its management in terms of good
quality learner outcomes.
• To explore concepts around excellence in teaching and
learning, and the factors which impact upon its quality.
• To review approaches to observations, effective feedback
and action planning to improve teaching, learning,
assessment and learner outcomes.

49. Observing Teaching and Learning
Preparing for the Introduction of the 2012
Common Inspection Framework (CIF)
Thank you
Any questions and comments?