Discussing a bold approach to formatively assessing ITE Trainee Progress

The introduction of the Core Content Framework (CCF) for ITT (DfE 2019) and the ITE Inspection Framework (Ofsted, 2023) has challenged the existing practice of providers. In the past ITT providers based assessment practice on measuring against the Teachers’ Standards (2012) often on the granular scale of whether an individual lesson ‘met’ the standards, and by trainees building up evidence of meeting the Standards throughout their training. The CCF follows Fordham’s (2020) model of the curriculum being the progression model. Curricula must be carefully sequenced to include the elements CCF, but not utilise the CCF as an assessment framework. Equally Ofsted will not advocate any particular approach to assessment, other than avoidance of the Teachers’ Standards, which are simply seen as an end-point summative assessment for the award of qualified teacher status (QTS). However, Ofsted will make a judgement based on how the provider formatively assesses trainees throughout the course, particularly focussing on how progress in mastery of the provider’s curriculum in measured (Ofsted 2023).
This article will describe the approach taken by Edge Hill University’s three-year secondary Undergraduate degree to formative assessment of trainees’ progress. The training curriculum is sequenced and broken down into weekly themes, specifying what should be learnt. These components of knowledge are assessed by tutors in a weekly small-group tutorial. It will show that the approach taken is based on research evidence around formative assessment and is an example of best practice which may be adopted or adapted by other providers.