Record keeping Free Essays

Record keeping is an essential element without which it would be impossible to ascertain many important factors integral to the teaching and learning process. How a learner is progressing, whether they attended classes, whether any significant risks were posed by medication, health and safety or by a prospective new teacher, whether an establishment was providing the services it was being paid to and many other important aspects would be impossible to establish without records being kept. Many of the records mentioned above are required by law to be kept complete and organised, not just for the period of the person’s participation within the college, but for a number of years well beyond the pupils or teachers involvement. We will write a custom essay sample on Record keeping or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example; accident books or records must be kept for 3 years after the last entry, wage or salary records for a minimum of 6 years, some medical records for 40 years after their last use and some Health and Safety Assessments are recommended to be kept permanently. Access to personnel records and the Data Protection Act  Virtually all records now come under the jurisdiction of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). This Act defines UK law on the processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK. The Act applies to most personnel records, whether held in paper, microform, or computerised format. Computerised systems are covered by the law, as are certain manual systems: to be covered, manual systems must be organised into a ‘relevant filing system’. Even manual filing systems in existence before 24 October 1998 when the DPA came into force are now required to comply fully with the Data Protection Directive. Subject to certain exceptions (as detailed in Schedule 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998) employees have the right to access their records and the employer is under an obligation to ensure that the data is accurate. Records kept by Tutors In Reflective Teaching, Pollard (2006) states: ‘There are two basic types of record which teachers have to keep: those relating to class and college organisation and those relating to the assessment of pupil progress. Some of the records kept for the purpose of class and college organisation include: pupils medical records, tutor supervisions, contact hours for funding, accident books, criminal record checks, financial records such as wages, college accounts or budgets etc, the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of tutors, reflective learning journals, equal opportunities monitoring, risk assessments, health and safety audits and quality improvement plans to name but a few. Records relating to the assessment of pupil progress may include: those of achievements such as exam scores etc, attendance records, safeguarding, disciplinary, incident reports, therapy hours, photographic evidencing, individual learning plans, transition passports and annual reviews. Accurate records taken throughout a course enables both tutor and students to continually reassess the effectiveness of the teaching/learning relationship by giving an ongoing measure against which to view learning objectives. Records indicate whether pupils have learnt what has been taught and are making sufficient progress with the course; who needs more help or is ready for more extensive work by assessing better or worse progress than expected; and whether teachers need to refine any aspects of their teaching by assessing successes or shortcomings where teaching needs to be strengthened. How to cite Record keeping, Essay examples Record Keeping Free Essays Leander Picton Course Pttls Good record keeping The importance of accurate record keeping assists in establishing a reliable source of data for each client. The initial collation of client data such as diagnostic results and initial assessments provide the supportive information required for the preliminary development of an individuals learning programme. Initial and referral assessments provide an insight into a client’s previous learning experience, prior achievement, expectations and any learning difficulties which require consideration when preparing a lesson. We will write a custom essay sample on Record Keeping or any similar topic only for you Order Now Using these assessments a personal development plan can be implemented and used for reference and the recording of a client’s progression providing a diverse source of data for a tutor to draw upon when preparing for a client review. The recording of diagnostics results, learning style questionnaire and academic work allows a tutor to inform a client of their progression and where and how their learning and performance can be improved and identify a client’s aptitude and ability for a particular learning style.Continuous maintenance and regular review of these records is vital to evaluate a client’s progression and provide positive encouragement and direction. These records provide a means to recognise further learning and development requirements and aid in the structure of assignments which are challenging but achievable accommodating the client’s specific learning abilities and meeting the client’s expectations and aspirations.The continuous maintenance and regular review of client documentation must undoubtedly contribute in sustaining a level of quality and commitment in providing a clear and constructive learning experience for all clients and ensure contractual agreements are m et. As collation and recording of data is a regular necessity for a learning centre the data protection act provides assurance to clients by setting out clear and concise guidelines for the processing and storage of an individual’s details. Personal data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which they are to be processed.They must be fair and lawful and it must be transparent about how the data is intended to be used. Reviews are an integral part of the process for recording and monitoring academic achievements, progression, behaviour, a client’s wellbeing and for the evolution of the learning centre and tutors. They are crucial in the delivery and collection of tutor and client feedback and it is therefore, essential reviews are held regularly and command an importance within the learning program impressing on the client the commitment of the learning centre.Reviews must be held in a confidential environment and be transparent as to encourage open and honest communication from both parties when providing feedback, informing the client of their academic progression, encouraging a positive change in behaviour and supportive with development programmes. The client must be clear on the tutor’s expectations and what academic progression is required. Feedback should be given with care and attention to standards of respect for diversity and equality.The reviewer must facilitate the meetin g and in achieving this goal should consider using a variety of methods in the delivery of feedback. This could be achieved by discussing a client’s work folder, interests and dislikes, achievements and barriers, discussing previous tasks set and setting new tasks, creating mind maps, tables for long and short term goals, explanation of performance charts and the clients own self assessment. The alternations of visual reference data provides for both client and tutor an understanding of the feedback being delivered and engages with the client on specific topics.The conclusion of a review must include the encouragement of the client, with the guidance of the tutor, in setting a number of SMART targets and provide initial steps to developing academic goals. A personal development plan must be agreed by both client and tutor and dates set to review individual tasks and overall progression.Reference: ‘Importance of Recordkeeping’ by Steve Glenn www. back. ac. uk/learningandteaching www. ico. gov. uk How to cite Record Keeping, Papers