QUALITY ASSURANCE
STRATEGY

Summary

This strategy continues to promote a whole organisational approach to the experience and service our learners, apprentices, trainees, adults, and other stakeholders receive with us at SCL.

This strategy underpins the following key areas of business:

  • Education programmes for young people
  • Adult Learning
  • Apprenticeships
  • Traineeships

The strategy determines the ambition, ethos, and structure behind the Quality Assurance (QA) activities implemented throughout each business year, with one simple aim: to provide the mechanisms for us to ‘Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Sustain’ the quality of all we do.

The Strategy provides the organisation’s Senior and Operational Leadership Team with timely information to drive forward rapid and sustained improvements within the overall quality of their service.

SCL recognises and embraces quality improvement. Our processes need to be dynamic, responsive and react to current realities and future initiatives surrounding education, training, and skills.

SCL is committed to continually improving its provision and services to achieve and maintain excellence; it is imperative that our learners, apprentices, trainees, and adults enjoy their learning and are inspired throughout their learning journey. In addition, this strategy is fundamental to SCL’s ambition and vision in becoming the number one provider of Sport Centered Learning.

Phase 1: Define

Providing clear and evidence-informed professional and performance standards for each stage of the learner/Apprentice/trainee/adult journey that aims to provide a strong level of consistency in performance and impact across SCL.

Defining the expected professional and performance standards for the quality of our internal departmental services, with the aim of ensuring high quality and consistent operational activity which contributes to the achievement of each department’s objectives.

We define the extent of that which requires improvement, whilst also defining the exacting standards and organisational expectations we are accountable for, and, subsequently, which we will measure our performance against. We will celebrate and share excellence, give recognition to those areas of current high performance, and apply mechanisms to develop this excellence across the organisation.

Supporting documents:

  • SCL Way For Lesson Practice
  • OTLA Teacher and Trainer pack
  • Licence to Teach CPD
  • SCL Employee Handbook
  • Delivering Quality Provision in Apprenticeships

Phase 2: Measure

Implementing focused and streamlined Quality Assurance (QA) processes enables us to assess the current levels of performance across SCL.

These processes allow us to determine the extent of any exceptional practice that can be highlighted and celebrated, as well as any practice that does not meet the defined professional and performance standards.

Supporting documents:

  • SCL Quality Assurance Processes
  • Observation of Teaching, Learning and Assessment (OTLA Policy)
  • SCL Quality of Education Review Process
  • QDP Stakeholder Surveys
  • 21-22 IQA Process SCL Education
  • SCL Education Quality Assurance Calendar
  • SCL Professional Quality Assurance Calendar
  • SCL Professional Quality Assurance Strategy
  • Process for Evaluating Quality of Apprenticeships Training and Outcomes

Phase 3: Analyse

Providing operational leadership with detailed analysis to examine and evaluate current area-specific performance levels, so that an informed decisions can be made in relation to supporting improvements.

This provides opportunities for leadership to celebrate and share exceptional practice, as well as make evidence-based decisions to highlight and implement differentiated improvement activity.

The working relationship with Quality is imperative to ensure good practice is standardised, and that support is prioritised for those areas needing it most.

Supporting documents:

  • SCL Deep Dive Reports
  • Regional Performance Board Reports
  • Performance and Board Reports

Phase 4: Improve

An informed and considered approach is maintained through the Improve phase to address and develop any underperformance. The opportunity to innovate at this stage is embraced to ensure that SCL’s ambitions for exceptional performance is achieved.

Consideration and resources are to be provided to ensure we further develop and innovate in areas that are identified as being good or better.

Our improvement agenda is underpinned by robust QA processes which allow us to identify and then address underperformance swiftly and effectively. We monitor actual performance against planned performance through our KPIs and regularly discuss where we are against target at Board level, team level and in one-to-ones. Using a structured approach that captures in-year actual vs planned performance allows us to action and address any shortcomings.

Where underperformance does not have a prescribed resolution, the Quality Improvement team will work in collaboration with the area to establish the best solutions for swift and sustainable improvement.

These drivers for change may be bespoke to each area but will improve any shortcomings in baseline performance. There is close monitoring and measurement to confirm impact and improvement, and mitigation put in place to have any negative impact on our learners, apprentices, trainees, adults, or other stakeholders.

Supporting documents:

Quality Improvement Processes

Individual Coaching plan

SCL CPD Schedule

Continuous Professional Development Strategy

Staff performance reviews – Teacher Talent Pathway Overview

Staff Disciplinary Policy and Grievance Policy

Phase 5: Sustain

Each area’s Leadership Team fully owns quality improvements. It is imperative that any improvement achieved is maintained and enhanced through the implementation of departmental-based leadership and management mechanisms, including Self-Assessment Reports (SARs), Quality Improvement Planning (QIP), appraisals, team meetings and staff one-to-ones.

Operational Leadership must work in collaboration with Quality so that professional and performance standards are monitored regularly through ongoing Quality Assurance activity with the aim of ensuring that all learners/apprentices have a consistently high-quality learning experience that contributes to the achievement of strong outcomes.

Supporting documents:

Staff performance reviews (termly)

Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)