Assessment FAQS: NPQH & NPQSL

When is my Assessment?

Your assessment is completed in an eight day window. It is released on a Friday and needs to be submitted by the following Friday.

These are the assessment windows for NPQH and NPQSL Cohorts One and Two.

Where do I get the Assessment materials from?

All your assessment materials will be released on Blackboard, just after midnight on the Friday. You should be able to access all the materials by Friday morning.

It is a good idea to check first thing on Friday that you can see everything. If you can’t see your materials, check that you’ve done the evaluation for the last units- as you must do these before the assessment will release. If you complete them it will release instantly (as long as you’re within the assessment window).

If you’ve tried this and you still can’t find them email edutech@churchofengland.org

Please put URGENT ASSESSMENT ACCESS in the subject line so we can make sure your message is prioritised. 

What do I need to do?

Your assessment is a case study and some associated documents (for example, an extract from an Ofsted report, some pupil voice comments, some lesson feedback, sample curriculum overview etc).

You need to write a 1500 word response to these materials basically to explain how you would move this school forward if you were the headteacher or a senior leader in that school.

We suggest that you use the same, four-step process that has been introduced throughout the programme:

• Identify the PROBLEM
• Identify the SOLUTION

• Set the RATIONALE for the solution (the research evidence)
• IMPLEMENTATION

There is a clear video and explanation document within your induction package that you accessed at the beginning of the programme. This can be found on Blackboard in ‘NPQ Induction’. You may wish to watch this again to remind yourself of the assessment process.

In order to pass your assessment you must demonstrate three things:

1. A good understanding of the main problem facing this school and a credible, evidence informed plan of what you would do

2. A good understanding of the Learn That and Learn How to statements for your course and for the focus unit (you don’t need to quote them exactly or their reference numbers)

3. An ability to apply the research covered in your course and to make suggestions for improvements which are evidence based. You must make regular reference and link to the research and educational guidance (e.g. DFE guidance documents) throughout your whole submission.

You should not write out whole Learn That or Learn How to statements in full or quote long statements from research- as you won’t have the word count. Instead, we recommend you paraphrase or use very short quoted phrases followed by a citation in brackets.

E.G. Low-level disruption and misbehaviour in lessons is a known cause of significant stress for school staff (EEF, 2019).

You need to achieve a mark of 60% overall to pass your assessment.

The mark scheme for your assessment is at the end of this document.

Where do I get the research materials?

You should use the research materials that have been provided throughout your course.

A good place to start is with the TEACH PDF from the unit that is being focussed on. You could narrow this further by starting with the key takeaways at the end of each research section and thinking which of these apply to the case study you’ve been asked to consider.

You’ll also find a full reference list at the end of the TEACH PDF and also in your course materials that you can use to copy and paste from and build the reference list for your submission.

Remember this is an open book assessment which means you can use these materials during the assessment window to inform your response to the case study.

Where can I find a list of all the Learn That and Learn How to statements (the framework document)?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-frameworks-from-september-2021

What do I do if I need more help?

We are running optional sessions so, if you’d like to know more about your assessment and the assessment process, come along!

Prior to the assessment window there will be two opportunities for each cohort to come to a virtual session with the programme lead for that course.

These sessions will include an overview of the assessment process, assessment top tips and some very short examples of how you could write/structure your submission.

There will also be time for questions.

How do I submit the assessment?

Complete your assessment and then submit it via Blackboard. You need to make sure it’s submitted before midnight on the second Friday.

There is a video showing you exactly how to submit here

Can I get extra time or additional help if I have a disability?

If you have a disability (e.g. dyslexia) and you’ve previously needed extra help with examinations/assessments (e.g. if you had extra time at university) we can, of course, make adjustments to support you with your assessment.

If you need us to organise adjustments for you please email us on NPQ@churchofengland.organd let us know at least six weeks before your assessment. Please put ‘Reasonable Adjustmentsfor Assessment’ in the subject line to help us prioritise your email.

When will I get my results?

Your assessments are marked by our university partners and their assessors. They then go through a process of external moderation and checking, both with the Department for Education and with our moderation team. All of this takes time.

The Department for Education releases all results for NPQ programmes themselves so you can expect to hear directly from the DFE XX months after you took your assessment.

What happens if I fail the assessment?

Of course, we hope this won’t happen but if you fail to reach the required pass mark (60%) you will be offered the chance to re-take in the next assessment window for your course. Unfortunately it isn’t possible to retake sooner than this.

You will need to consider a new case study in this window and resubmit this as a new submission. It is not possible to revise and resubmit your initial submission after feedback.

Before you complete a second submission you’ll be given feedback to help you get ready to give it another go. Your delivery partner and the central team will reach out to offer you support if this happens.

You can only retake the assessment once. 

GRADING CRITERIA FOR THE‘LEARN THAT’/’LEARN HOW TO’ STATEMENTS

Marks are awarded on a 0-3 scale against the ‘Learn That’ and ‘Learn How To’ statements as follows: