There are a number of simple ways that curriculum leaders and managers can improve their performance data. Improving performance data is important because each activity supports students and apprentices to achieve their qualification goals and this means that they can take their next steps in their careers. This will also support improvements in achievement data for your organisation.

1) Recruit with Integrity

• Be clear about the entry requirements for your course or programme
• Have a clear application and interview process
• Use the first weeks (42 days) to determine the starting points of the students/apprentices by setting theoretical and practical assessments and marking them.
• Ensure students are on the right course/programme – the right level for their ability and the right size of qualification.
• Ensure apprentices have the right length of programme with sufficient learning opportunities to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours.

2) Set clear expectations

• Have very clear expectations around attendance, who to contact if students and apprentices cannot attend, and what will happen for unexplained non-attendance.
• Ensure there is a robust follow up for non-attendance from day one. This is so students and apprentices know that non-attendance is not tolerated. If a student or apprentice is not attending then they are missing learning.
• Have clear expectations around other behaviours you expect in your organisation, this may include what students and apprentices need to bring to their sessions, behaviours towards each other and staff members, and in some cases how students behave off-site.
• Identify and promote safeguarding and security expectations.

3) Support your teachers, trainers and coaches

• Ensure your teachers, trainers and coaches have access to the relevant training in order to perform their roles well; this may be initial teacher training, assessor training or similar.
• Ensure that there is a comprehensive continuing professional development programme in place including opportunities to share good practice and meet up with others undertaking their role.
• Provide expert advice for teachers, trainers and coaches who may be struggling with a particular group of students or apprentices. This may be an advanced practitioner or coach who can work one-to-one with the member of staff.
• As a manager be interested in teaching and training; have a standing item on team meeting agendas to talk about good practice and sharing tips, visit lessons formally and informally and be seen by the students/apprentices so they know who you are.

4) Get involved in assessment practices

• As managers, don’t leave assessment to the internal verifiers and awarding bodies – get involved in all aspects of the assessment process.
• Ensure you have early sight of the proposed assessment schedule for each group of students / apprentices. Give feedback where necessary.
• Ensure you have access to live tracking documentation for formal formative as well as summative assessments.
• Review the schemes of learning to ensure that students and apprentices are taught how to achieve well in their assessments and obtain high grades – never assume students and apprentices know what to do.
• Be interested in the progress of your students/apprentices – meet with your team reguarly and individually to discuss who is making good progress (using the trackers) and who needs more support – and how this support will be given.
• Review the feedback on marked work. As well as ensuring students/apprentices meet the standards set by the awarding body – has the person marking the work told them what they have done well and what they need to do to improve/achieve high grades for their next piece of assessed work. The improvement/high grade feedforward may be one of the key elements missing. Students/apprentices should be improving as they progress through the course as a result of the teaching and feedback from their teachers, trainers and coaches.
• If students/apprentices have external examinations as part of their summative assessment or end point assessment, ensure there is a plan to prepare them for this type of assessment. Include mock exams under the same conditions as the real one, with clear feedback following the activity on what they did well and what they need to do to improve. Have sessions on preparing for examinations including how to manage anxiety associated with this type of assessment, and how to revise for the subject.

5) Get Involved

• As a curriculum leader or manager you need to be interested in your students and apprentices, their teachers, trainers and coaches and be seen to be getting involved.
• This means having regular meetings to review progress of individual students and apprentices.
• This means getting joy or satisfaction from seeing excellent teaching, training or coaching and sharing best practice.
• This also means providing support when things are not going so well, but because you are regularly reviewing progress, nothing will be insurmountable because you will be on top of the situation.
• Too often curriculum leaders and managers are pulled away from the educational operation in year and this is where things can slip leading to poorer achievement.