CEA case study - Carol Holmes

Carol Holmes is an Assistant Headteacher

I decided to train as a Chartered Assessor because I view accurate assessment and insightful feedback as the bedrock of great teaching and learning. I wanted to draw together the experience I have as an examiner, a school leader and a classroom teacher because, in those roles, assessment can mean so many different things.

Before applying to train as a Chartered Educational Assessor, I had quite a lot of assessment experience. I am a senior leader, responsible for teaching, learning and assessment in a large community school. I also had previous experience as a Principal Examiner with one of the national examination boards, so I understood the demands of managing an examining team to ensure consistency, managing the comparability of examination papers year on year and writing national examination papers.

The course tutors …. were able to guide us through the intellectual demands of the course and delivered the face to face and online sessions in a really engaging way. Just as importantly, though, they were always contactable by email for advice and I really valued the extended telephone conversations we held, discussing my school-based portfolio work.

The Chartered Assessor training really deepened my understanding of the factors that make assessment effective for its different purposes. I was able to explore the theoretical basis that underpins effective assessment far more rigorously than I have ever previously had the opportunity to do. The face to face sessions and residential element were incredibly beneficial for me, because they allowed me to meet people from a whole range of British and international educational settings. They brought an amazing wealth and diversity of experience to the discussions, both in person and online, that really enhanced the research and taught elements.

Throughout the programme, I was supported by the course tutors who, as academics, had a breadth of recent academic expertise that can’t be found readily in school. They were able to guide us through the intellectual demands of the course and delivered the face to face and online sessions in a really engaging way. Just as importantly, though, they were always contactable by email for advice and I really valued the extended telephone conversations we held, discussing my school-based portfolio work.

Preparing the portfolio of evidence was a mammoth task but really valuable for the school, as assignments are designed to link in seamlessly to your usual work. I focused on assessment at Key Stage 3, and I found that I could apply the theoretical understanding gained through study and research to a very real practical situation. The assignment work also helped refine my project management and inter-personal skills because the Chartered Assessor works very much as a consultant, coaching school leaders and helping shape ideas and practice.

Overall, this training has been a challenge, but it has been worth it for my personal development, my professional expertise, the benefit on the school and for the pride I can now feel in my Chartered Educational Assessor status.

Looking forward, I believe one of the biggest challenges we face is using assessment both as a measure of school performance and as a tool for further learning. Those two functions can have quite different demands and I look forward to supporting schools in designing and managing assessments to meet them.

Overall, this training has been a challenge, but it has been worth it for my personal development, my professional expertise, the benefit on the school and for the pride I can now feel in my Chartered Educational Assessor status.

Carol Holmes, CEA 2018