Martin

I have been a strategic Head at Sheffield College for six years . My role as the Head of Tutorial and Student Progress played a key part in leading the College through a successful Ofsted inspection.
A couple of proud moments have been:
Creating an award nominated pastoral programme - SHAPE
Being influential in achieving two consecutive Goods at Ofsted
Supporting a yearly student community of 14,000 to achieve academically and pastorally
Influencing directly over 150 members of management and staff.

Tutoring Experience

Head of Student Experience - Sport and Public Services - Sheffield College
This was a Senior Leadership role within the Academy of Sport, Public Services, and Animal Care. The purpose of the role was to implement the policies and processes created by the College central Senior Leadership (Head of Tutorial and Student Progress). The performance indicators of the role were, securing: positive data for students in terms of attendance, behaviour, wellbeing, pastoral progress and academic retention. Under this role was the direct line management of teaching, pastoral and support staff.

Programme Leader for PGCE and CERT ED Sheffield College
This role developed and maintained the link partnership with Sheffield Hallam University. The purpose of the role was both the management and delivery of the programme with internal teaching teams at the Sheffield College. The role ensured that quality compliance and reputation was undertaken and upheld.

Deputy Head of Academic Studies - Sheffield College
The role directly implemented policies of TLA, Attendance and Positive Engagement within the A Level and Access Academy. The objective of the role was the quality assurance of teaching and Learning, programme development, and verification processes. The role was key in driving attendance, retention and success rates in a positive direction.

Lecturer in Humanities - Sheffield College
Within this role I led in both the curriculum areas of GCSE A Level and Access. History and Politics have always been subjects that I have been passionate about. I greatly enjoyed delivering European and World History and Politics with A Level and Access students. I have taught a wide range of subjects including; History, English, Sociology and Politics.

Advanced Practitioner and Licensed Observer - Sheffield College
This was a role which started under the Quality Unit and progressed into a cross institution role, providing quality assurance across the College. The purpose of the role was undertake teaching observations across all teaching areas to support the improvement of teaching, learning and assessment. I have observed over 100 teachers at the Sheffield College.

Tutoring Approach

Due to my wide ranging experiences in teaching, observing and managing I have acquired a wide range of skills and approaches which are valuable for tutoring. I believe that it is crucial to build a strong starting point assessment with every student. It is important to understand a students entry skills, abilities and experiences. At the starting point it is crucial for a tutor to understand their students writing ability, analytical skills and their preference of learning. Throughout the learning journey it is important to develop on the skills and abilities above through a process of scaffolding. This allows students to understand their own areas for development and allows for both themselves and the tutor to elevate core skills and abilities on a consistent basis. Throughout the tutoring process the develop both confidence and technique towards higher order answering is crucial. It is important for students to prepare for exams through regular reading, analysing, writing, and practicing exam questions. A students understanding of the culture and framework of the examination criteria helps to reduce stress and anxiety. By the point end point of a learning journey a student must have advanced in skills and abilities from their starting point. The goal is to reach the end of the journey with a good sense of clarity, understanding and preparation for their formal end point examination. It has been evident that in the teaching I have delivered, the teams I have managed and the teachers I have observed that one of the most powerful attributes in converting learning to successful progression is the scaffolding of a students individual skills and experiences.