QTLS and ATS support policy

2. Scope and audience

2.1 This policy applies to all members who are undertaking the professional formation process leading to QTLS and ATS professional status, from registration stage to award stage.

2.2 While the main source of support will be the QTLS supporter and the ATS mentor, this document outlines the support available from the Professional Status Team during the programmes. Participants who wish to apply for reasonable adjustments must refer to the Reasonable Adjustments policy.

2.3 As professional formation leading to QTLS and the developmental process leading to ATS are programmes leading to professional status, formative assessment is not provided.

3 Responsibilities

3.1 Participants

• 3.1.1 In order to support participants who intend to undertake professional formation leading to QTLS and the developmental process leading to ATS, you should communicate any requirement for additional support not described in section 6 of this document, including requests for reasonable adjustments, to the Professional StatusTeam at least one month before your programme is due to start. Please refer to the Reasonable Adjustments policy.

3.2 Professional Status Team

• 3.2.1 The Professional Status Team will endeavour to apply the support described in section 6 of this document in a timely, fair and consistent manner within each cohort and across cohorts.

4 Definitions (glossary)

4.1 Professional Formation: Unlike a course or qualification, professional formation is a 6-month developmental period when participants work on their portfolios (leading to QTLS status).

4.2 ATS (Advanced Teacher status): Unlike a course or qualification, ATS is a 12-month developmental period working on CPD activity at the level of an advanced teacher (leading to ATS).

4.3 In-programme support: Help offered to participants from the date their portfolio is issued to the date when they are awarded or withdrawn, including the resubmission process for those who do not initially meet the criteria.

4.4 Review and moderation process: Procedures to assess the portfolios and reach a “criteria met” or “criteria not met” outcome. The review and moderation process starts after the submission deadline and runs over one month.

4.5 Support communications: Emails or telephone calls instigated by the participant to request advice and clarification, seek help or ask questions to the Professional Status team regarding their portfolio.

5 Data protection

5.1 The Society for Education and Training takes its duty to process your personal data seriously. Our Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how we collect, manage, use and protect your personal data.

6 Procedures

6.1 In-programme support:

• 6.1.1 The main source of academic support will be provided by the supporter in the professional formation process leading to QTLS status and the mentor in the developmental process leading to ATS status.
• 6.1.2 It is the responsibility of the participant undertaking the professional formation process leading to QTLS status to appoint the supporter.
• 6.1.3 Participants undertaking the developmental process leading to ATS status can request that SET appoints a mentor if they are not able to identify anyone to take this role. This is subject to availability.
• 6.1.4 In addition, the following support is available to participants taking part in the professional status processes:

            - Guidance notes under each section of the portfolios.

              - A series of webinars addressing portfolio requirements at key stages of the programmes.

              - A series of regular communications with information about the programmes at the point of need.

              - Response to general queries will be provided via the membership enquiries team (membership@etfoundation.co.uk).      

              - A dedicated professional formation inbox for queries related to eligibility criteria (professional.formation@etfoundation.co.uk) and portfolio           queries(technical@etfoundation.co.uk)
              - A dedicated ATS inbox for queries related to portfolio requirements (ATS@etfoundation.co.uk)

• 6.1.5 In order to operate a policy of fairness and consistency and ensure that all participants have equal access to the support available, we are not able to provide specific feedback on any element of your portfolio as this will be provided by the reviewing an moderation team after you have submitted your portfolio for review.
• 6.1.6 Participants are expected to exercise their professional judgement regarding the content and evidence they provide consulting the support communications and guidance documents available in the portfolio.
• 6.1.7 With the exception of cases where special arrangements have been agreed on an individual basis (see Reasonable Adjustments policy), requests for support will be limited to ensure all participants have fair access to support.

6.2 Support during the review and moderation process:

• 6.2.1 Participants whose portfolio review returns a “Criteria not met” outcome are entitled to the following support:

               - Detailed written feedback

               - One re-submission opportunity free of charge

• 6.2.2 In order to operate a policy of fairness and consistency within and across cohorts, further requests for support will only be granted by prior arrangement with participants who had applied for reasonable adjustments before the start of their programme.

• 6.2.3 Evidence re-submitted after the set deadline or evidence that does not meet the required criteria upon resubmission will result in a re-start of the process with a new portfolio with the next available cohort. The re-start process will incur an administration fee (see Terms and Conditions)

6.3 Accessibility tools

• 6.3.1 As the professional status programmes take place in the participants’ organisations, participants requiring additional support will access the arrangements organised by the workplaces as part of their day-to-day work.
• 6.3.2 A range of accessibility tools is available to participants who require vision, hearing or neurodiversity support via this link on the SET website and within the e-portfolios. This is in addition to the support available at their workplaces. Learning and literacy accessibility tools are available on the same link.

7 Reasonable adjustments

7.1 Please refer to the Reasonable Adjustments policy.

8 Financial support

8.1 Both professional formation leading to QTLS, and the development process leading to ATS are professional status programmes aiming at the development of skills, values and attributes of fully qualified teachers in the Further Education and Skills sector. Participants in these programmes are fully qualified professionals who do not fall into the student category. Therefore, student financial support is not available for participants in any of the professional status programmes.

9 Appeals

9.1 If further to discussion with the Professional Status Team regarding the support received as described in section 6 of this document, participants who wish to appeal against the sufficiency of the support received, must email membership.enquiries@etfoundation.co.ukoutlining their case for appeal, including any relevant background information. The Professional Status Team will respond in writing within 10 working days. See the Appeals Procedures document.

Appendices

Appendix 1: QTLS Terms and conditions

Appendix 2: ATS Terms and conditions