Standardisation is activity that verifies that delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance
practices within a centre are consistent. This ensures that learners have equal access and
opportunity to achieve and that one assessor is not expecting learners to meet a higher standard
than another assessor for the same qualification.
Standardisation should be documented. Typically, standardisation would take the form of
minuted meetings between tutors, assessors and quality assurers to discuss a qualification,
the content, a specific unit and understand what the qualification is asking for and suitable
assessment methods.
Suggested content for standardisation could include the following.
- Begin with recording the date and attendees
- Record any actions that were set from previous meetings and then minute the outcomes
- Discuss any external or internal quality assurance comments. Has good practice been
identified? Have developmental actions or advice and guidance been set? If so, what actions
need to be set to meet requirements or improve practice? - Discuss any regulatory or sector updates
- Discuss your learners - who is on-programme, are they on target to achieve. Can they be
supported further? - Use sampling activity and examples of learner work to discuss delivery/assessment activity.
Have any trends been identified? Are all assessors expecting learners to meet a consistent
standard? - Note any actions and the next meeting date
However, standardisation can take other forms. It can in some instances be shown by IQA
practice where an IQA can show that they have ensured all assessors meet the same standard
or understand the same principle within a qualification. It could be evidenced through
communications within a centre that show all personnel have understood and implemented a
new way of working.
Ultimately, Highfield will be looking to ensure that all of the personnel undertake
standardisation activity for a specific qualification at least once every twelve months. This
evidence will need to be submitted with the learner work a centre submits for sampling.