Validation guidelines.
Useful information about course validation.
Accreditation.
The BDA, through its Accreditation scheme, aims to ensure that courses for teachers and other appropriately qualified professionals working with dyslexic learners meet agreed criteria for suitability. It also aims to ensure that those delivering courses and supervising the practical work are appropriately qualified and experienced. It does not set academic standards or supervise the work of teachers following a course (this is the responsibility of the course validating body which validates the course).
Provided they meet the criteria in full, those who complete a BDA accredited course are awarded the appropriate accredited status according to which course they have followed.
Validation.
In order to grant a certificate or diploma, your course must be validated by an academic body or other training body with the appropriate remit. All such institutions have their own systems of quality assurance. This ensures that criteria are set for academic standards of delivery and content as well as for quality and assessment of students’ work, and that these criteria are met. It also provides a route for external examination or moderation.
The validating body will set the credit value for your course. It will have a structure into which your course should fit for academic purposes.
Courses for Teachers/Tutors.
Your proposed course may fit into an existing structure (e.g. that of a university School of Education’s professional development programme, or post graduate Certificate/Diploma, or Masters course). Entry to such courses may be restricted to graduates or those holding a Certificate of Education. If your course is open entry, the institution may limit the qualification that the course member is finally awarded.
Other bodies such as the OCR (formerly the RSA) and the College of Teachers also provide validation for postgraduate courses and these have an established structure into which the course will be required to fit.
Courses for Learning Support Assistants (ALSA).
These usually recruit non graduates and people with no formal, or lower level, qualifications. They might be validated by:
- a university within its Continuing Education/Community Learning programme (formerly known as Extra Mural courses);
- colleges of further education within their arrangements for vocational courses; or
- other bodies such as the OCR, the College of Teachers or the National Open College Network (NOCN).
Finding out about Validation.
If you are unsure how your course will be validated you should first ask the body for which you are setting up the course (LEA, school, other organisation). They may have sponsored or run other courses.
If validation has not been arranged, you could make enquiries from:
- your local university or college of education; or
- your local college of further education.
- OCR
- NOCN
OCR and NOCN refer to their remits as “accreditation”. They have structures into which courses must fit and run under their “rules”. They supervise the standards of course delivery and outcome through a system of moderators. Some FE colleges run courses within the NOCN framework.
OCR has a course for learning support assistants (known as CLANSA).
NOCN has two accredited courses (at intermediate and advanced level) for learning support assistants. Neither is specifically aimed at dyslexia training but this could presumably be added to the content of either course.
Further Information
OCR
Tel: 024 7647 0033
Fax: 024 7642 1944
Email: cib@ocr.org.uk
Web: www.ocr.org.uk
National Open College Network.
Tel: 01332 591 071
Fax: 01332 597 734
Email: nocn@nocn.org.uk
Web: www.nocn.org.uk
NOCN also has regional centres with their own managers and staff who would be able to advise on how to proceed.
The College of Teachers.
Tel: 020 7404 3138 (information office)
Fax: 020 7404 2008
Email: courses@cot.ac.uk
Web: www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk
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Page Updated 25/01/2008