The four-stage process

A number of providers have developed an approach to the initial assessment of personal and social skills based on observing learners that involves a four-stage process:

• preparing to assess: preparing activities that enable learners to develop and demonstrate skills
• using observation to gain evidence
• making objective assessments
• giving feedback and agreeing targets and key objectives.

The four-stage process may take place over a number of weeks. Your approach to initial assessment may differ from that described here but you may find it useful to adapt some of the approaches for the time you have available.

Note that you can apply the principles that guide the four-stage process wherever you need to make objective assessments.

You can download guidelines on implementing the four-stage process from the Resource library. You can see a case study, from St Helens College, illustrating the four-stage approach on the DVD Improving practice in foundation learning.

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