Course Aim

This course will provide you with the theoretical foundation, appropriate knowledge and supervised practice to develop your existing skills into those of the specialist SpLD teacher assessor.

Course Description

The University of South Wales and Patoss will share delivery of the academic component of this module and Patoss, through its group of professional practice tutors and a dedicated online learning platform, will provide additional support to develop your assessment practice.

This course is designed to enhance students’ existing understanding of SpLD/dyslexia, which will have been established through previous study on ATS/ APS or AMBDA level courses. In addition, students will already have a thorough knowledge of standardised assessment gained during designated prior courses covering this subject area.   

Eligibility

To be eligible to undertake the course, there are two possible pathways:

Pathway 1: You will have completed the following qualifications:

A specialist teaching qualification accredited at Approved Teacher Status (ATS) or Approved Practitioner Status (APS) level and one of the following:

Patoss - Assessing for Access Arrangements (AAA)

Communicate-ed - Postgraduate Award of Proficiency in Assessment for Access Arrangements (PAPAA)

Real Training - Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing (CCET)

Pathway 2:  you will have an AMBDA level specialist teacher and assessor qualification gained more than 5 years ago and want to assure that your assessment practice is completely up to date.

Please note that, where possible, original documentary evidence of course work, marked assignments and personal reflections from your previous ATS/ APS or AMBDA Level course should be made available prior to enrolment (*see note below).

These documents will cover your full teacher assessment of a learner, the detailed report with recommendations for learning and the 12 hour teaching programme with a learner, all undertaken under the supervision of an AMBDA level qualified tutor.

*In exceptional circumstances a Recognition of Prior Learning application might be possible in order to provide this evidence.    

Additional requirements:

You will be responsible for ensuring that you have suitable Wi-Fi, hardware and software to enable you to attend all webinars and access the online learning platforms.

You need to photograph or scan copies of completed test records for uploading to SharePoint.

You need access to two different learners and must be able to provide written permission for PPAR course tutors to access their anonymised assessment information. Please note that diagnostic reports written during this training course cannot be used in future DSA applications.

You need access to a range of up to date standardised test kits suitable for the assessment of SpLDs (please refer to the June 2020 SASC guidance). Original test papers must be used, and test copyright conditions strictly adhered to.

Programme

The course duration is 9 months.  It includes a combination of webinars and directed independent study followed by the practical application of assessment skills through two Case Studies.

Study Time

The course involves 300 hours of study which is delivered through 8 compulsory live webinar sessions, online tutorials, directed learning activities, online group work, interactive online discussion tools, preparation of assignments and independent study. 

For the academic component, online access is provided to the University of South Wales library and study resources to assist in the completion of a 5000 - word essay.

During the second and more practical phase of the course students are supported remotely by a Patoss Professional Practice tutor and will have access to a range of Patoss member resources. 

The two professional practice assignments consist of Case Studies which involve carrying out two different assessments and writing up a diagnostic report for each learner. Reflections on all assignments and course activities are expected and these will be compiled into a Professional Practice Portfolio.

Assessment

Assessment will take the form of a combination of an essay, two diagnostic reports, critical reflections and practical tasks, including a recorded observed assessment for one learner.

The 5000 word essay relates theory to practice and the assessment criteria will be made available to students at the start of the course.  In the unlikely event that the essay fails to meet the pass mark, one resubmission is permitted.

The first Case Study will be marked formatively. Case Study 2 is then carried out independently and the diagnostic report is subject to summative marking. Please note that if Case Study 2 does not reach the required standard and a further diagnostic report is required, an additional fee of £165 is payable.

All parts of the course must be passed in order to achieve the final qualification.

Dates - Starting January 2022

• Session 1: 12th January 2022
• Session 2: 19th January 2022
• Session 3: 26th January 2022
• Session 4: 2nd February 2022
• Session 5: 9th February 2022
• Session 6: 16th February 2022
• Session 7: 2nd March 2022
• Session 8: 9th March 2022
• Session 9: 16th March 2022
• Session 10: 23rd March 2022

The session time is 5.30- 7.30pm for each session.

Deadline for applications is Friday, 3 December 2021

Course Outcome

Successful completion will enable participants to apply for an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) which endorses a specialist teacher’s qualifications and competence to undertake full diagnostic assessments for specific learning difficulties/dyslexia.

Terms & Conditions

Payment can be made in two equal instalments, the first on enrolment.

Please note, this training must be paid in full before access is given to the webinar. By submitting a booking, you are agreeing to pay Patoss Ltd within 30 days. You are also agreeing to accept our Cancellation/Transfer Policy and Terms and Conditions which are shown at the bottom of the website page 

Delegates will be responsible for ensuring that they have suitable Wi-Fi, hardware and software to enable them to view the webinar.

Contact

Sarah Reay Course Leader: ppar@patoss-dyslexia.org 

The booking deadline has passed for the January 2022 course, however, it will run again in 2023