FE Internal Verification Policy 2022/23

 

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed in full annually. The policy should be read in conjunction with the Assessment Policy.    

The policy was last reviewed and agreed by Terry Patterson, Quality Manager on the 9^th Sept 2022

It is due for review in August 2023.

 

Contents

Part 1 Internal Verification Statement

Part 2 Minimum requirement for Internal Verification

Appendix 1: Sample Assessment Strategy

Appendix 2: Sample Internal Verification Flowchart

Appendix 3: Sample Internal Verification Plan

Appendix 4: Glossary

Part 1 – Internal Verification Statement

The internal verification process is at the heart of the quality assurance procedure managed by the British Academy of Jewellery and monitors the learner journey throughout their time at the Academy, as well as reviewing the training and assessment activities. As part of the validation process, all centres present the awarding body with a copy of this policy and other relevant quality documentation. This process is then checked to ensure it meets the national system for quality management.

As part of the quality management systems, the Awarding Bodies external moderators will visit our accredited centres once a year. During this visit they will monitor the Academy, and our internal verification procedures.

The Internal verification of work should be conducted in accordance with deadlines given so that work is assessed, verified and IQAd in a timely fashion.  Learners should always receive their qualifications promptly and claims for certification should therefore be generated immediately following the completion date for learners, unless exceptional circumstances arise.

Part 2 – Minimum requirement for Internal Verification

The internal verification process is designed to ensure consistency of the qualification throughout all centres. The process falls into three stages (see Appendix 1).

As part of the British Academy of Jewellery policy on quality review process, the lead Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) advisor will oversee the entire IV process. The lead IQA will appoint a designated IQA to IV each subject programme for each individual cohort.

Stage 1: Assessment planning – assessors and assessment strategy

In advance of a course beginning, The Quality Manager and Head of Academy will ensure all assessment strategies are reviewed so that they are fit for purpose. The Quality Manager must also ensure that all assessors and teachers are suitably qualified to assess courses. They must check that the assessment method is fit for purpose and effectively addresses the criteria requirements.  By monitoring teaching and learning, the Quality Manager also ensures that sufficient teaching and learning has taken place prior to the assessment, to provide learners with efficient knowledge, understanding and ability to fulfil assessment criteria during the assignments.

 If a teacher does not have an assessor award (TAQA), then they will be enrolled onto the TAQA course, and be working towards gaining the qualification within three months of employment at the Academy. Staff must be qualified  assessors within one year of joining BAJ.  A qualified Assessor will countersign all their marked work prior to the unqualified Assessor gaining the qualification. The Countersignature will not be the IQA for the same Assessor.

Staff should hold either a basic teaching qualification (PGCE, PTLLS or Level 3 Award in Teaching and Learning) or an A1 /A2 award or be working towards a recognised qualification (Evidence of this will be in staff CVs and in the Academy course file).

Subject Leaders together with the Technical Diploma Coordinator are responsible for designing the assessment strategies, and ensuring that assessment tasks give every learner an equal opportunity to produce reliable, valid, sufficient and authentic evidence.  They ensure that the assessment process is both effective and efficient for learners and assessors. Clear assessment criteria are decided in advance of delivery. Assessment requirements – what is being assessed, when it will be assessed and how it will be assessed – must be clear to learners and assessors. The assessment criteria should be available to learners and assessors in advance and should match the guidance given by the awarding body. Subject leads should ensure the qualification is adhering to the appropriate national standards in documentation produced by awarding bodies. Assessment evidence must be available to learners, assessors and external awarding bodies as appropriate, using the Learning Platform and/or as physical evidence, and records logged.

Stage 2: Making a verification plan

The IQA team, overseen by the lead IQA, is responsible for ensuring that these assessment criteria are being met by learners and effectively tracked by assessors. This is normally done by the process of Internal Verification – see Appendix 1. The team checks that their designated tutor/s are adhering to the assessment strategies. They should also check the grading criteria on which the assessments are going to be marked against, if grading is applicable.

The lead IQA will set up a plan of when and who will IQA which cohort. The assessment and IQA schedule will be drafted at the start of the academic year so Assessors, IQA’s and students all know when assessments are going to be taking place, and deadlines they have to meet. To do this the lead IQA needs to know:

1. Which Tutor/Assessor will be assessing which unit/s.

1. The name of all the students in each cohort (see appendix 2)

1. The qualification each student has been enrolled onto.

1. The units for each qualification

1. Be informed of student withdrawals and transfers.

1. Be informed students achieving unit accreditation and for which units.

 

Selecting a sample

The sample process applies to all assessors in line with guidance from the relevant awarding body – see latest guidance on website for further details.The IQA’s will follow a horizontal and two diagonal sampling method for each of their designated Assessor/s, and will sample all the assessment methods used by the Assessor, within the chosen unit.The IQA will observe the Assessor carry out observational assessment at least once for each Assessor and cohort.

An internal verifier cannot internally verify his/her own work

When the student has completed assessment for the chosen unit to sample, the interim internal verification takes place. The internal verifier should ensure that students’ evidence sufficiently covers all of the assessment criteria to the qualification standard, is reliable and consistent across all learners, valid and relevant to the criteria and authentic.

The internal verifier should also check the tutor is providing feedback to ensure every learner has the opportunity to meet the criteria.

The completion of the learner’s qualification will be once the summative IV process has been completed. This takes place when all of the evidence has been submitted for the designated unit’s samples and the entirety of the students’ evidence has been fully assessed and signed off by the Assessor.

Monitor the grades given by the Assessors to learners, to ensure a fair judgement has been given, the judgement is standardised and the AO standard is followed.

Stage 3: IQA process

Verifying the learners work

The IQA team will monitor the assessment made by the assessors, during the IV process:

• Is the evidence valid and relevant to the assessment criteria?
• Evidence is authentic. Ensuring the evidence has been solely produced by the Assessor. The learner’s, Assessor’s and if necessary the Countersignature is present throughout the portfolio?
• Has there been an appropriate and fair range of assessment methods been used to ensure every learner has a fair opportunity to meet criteria.
• Regular constructive feedback/reviews to promote Enable students to achieve higher grades (i.e. merit or distinction)?
• Are the assignment tasks valid and based upon the requirements of the qualification.
• Are the assignments used to capture evidence standardised throughout the qualification and for every cohort?
• Are the assignment paperwork presented in a clear format and learning outcomes for the unit clearly identified?
• Have reasonable adjustments been made to learners with additional needs?
• Over the course are there a variety of assessment methods to challenge and stimulate students to develop common skills? (This part of the process should start as early as possible before the students have been given the assignment tasks)

Stage 4: Recording the outcomes

Records of internal verification should be kept in a course file and be accessible to the Head of Academy, the IQA team and the external appointed contacts from the Awarding Body.

Once the IQA has reviewed the whole process of assessment, they determine and outline in the report improvements or suggest how assessment could be done more effectively.

The IQA should discuss the results of internal verification with the assessor, agree actions and how to implement them and then follow them up.

Action should be taken to rectify any problems highlighted by the verification process. If a training need has been identified, action should be taken.

Both the IQA and the assessor should sign the verification report and agree any action that has been highlighted.

The areas of development/concern need to be addressed during standardisation meetings, between the IQA team. A record of the meeting minutes should be kept and reflected upon at the end of the Academic year.

Follow any action plans suggested or stipulated by the EQA.

There are sample forms at Appendix 2 which could be used for sampling and for the actual IV process. These forms are examples only.

APPENDIX 1:

SAMPLE ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

 

BAJ5- Use Tools to Produce Formed Jewellery or Formed Silverware Components

1- State the health and safety risks that may be encountered when producing formed jewellery or silverware Components.

2- Understand how to form jewellery and silverware components.

3- Be able to use tools to produce formed components.

TASK 1

Type of assessment – recorded conversation

Date due – xx/xx/xxxx

Date to be assessed – xx/xx/xxxx

Recorded conversation with the tutor in the workshop in response to the following questions.recorded directly into Canvas  

• Can you tell me why it’s important to keep your work environment safe, and what could happen if you don’t?
• If you’re working within a jewellery company or running your own jewellery business- not following safety precautions could have a massive impact on the business. What do you think the impact could be? For both an employer, and employee?

1.1 State the health and safety risks that may be encountered when producing formed jewellery or silverware components.

1.2 Explain the impact that not following safety precautions may have upon both the individual and the business.

1.3 State the importance of keeping the work area safe and tidy.

TASK 2

Type of assessment – recorded video/photographs of technical notebook

Date due – xx/xx/xxxx

Date to be assessed – xx/xx/xxxx

Upload evidence from your Technical Notebook that shows detailed notes and drawings/ photographs on ALL OF THE FOLLOWING;

• How to use a Rolling mill, a doming block and a swage block- include how to look after this equipment.
• The annealing process
• Common mistakes/ faults to look out for and avoid in the doming process
• Drawing down wire
• Creating tube 
• Checking solder seams for gaps
• Sanding through the emery paper grades to ensure all marks are removed

You can photograph or scan each page or make a short film of you flipping carefully through the pages. 

2.1 Describe how hand and machine forming tools should be effectively used and cared for.

2.2 Describe the methods used for heating materials to anneal components before forming.

2.3 Describe the typical faults that can occur with the operations and tools being used.

2.4 Describe how to produce solid and hollow wire profiles.

2.5 Describe the methods that can be used to check that finished work meets the standard required.

TASK 3

Type of assessment – physical object

Date due – xx/xx/xxxx

Date to be assessed – xx/xx/xxxx

Upload images of your completed Domed pendant here 

3.1 Identify a range of hand and machine forming tools and equipment appropriate to the task.

3.2 Use hand forming tools to produce curved surfaces. Hand forming tools will include:

• Hammers
• doming block and punches
• swage blocks
• simple chasing punches
• mandrels, triblets and/or stakes

3.3 Use hand and machine forming tools for flat surfaces. Hand and machine forming tools will include:

• flat plates
• sheet rolling mills
• wire rolling mills

3.4 Produce a range of simple formed components. Components to include:

• wire produced from small round and square drawplates up to 3 mm
• wire produced from larger round and square drawplates from 3 mm upwards
• sheet metal suitable for defined tasks using rolling mills

3.5 Produce simple components using a mechanical press.

3.6 Follow work instructions correctly.

TASK 4

Type of assessment – written assignment

Date due – xx/xx/xxxx

Date to be assessed – xx/xx/xxxx

Evaluate the standard of your polished dome pendant- how could these be further improved?

3.7 Assess the finished work against defined specifications.