Team Domenica Policy for the Quality Assurance of Teaching, Training and Learning
Author: Sara Fletcher
Consulted: Lisa Campbell-Squires, Deborah Rayner-Gray, Ann Potteron (Chair of the Education Governing Body)
Date last reviewed: August 2025
Renewal due: August 2026
Introduction
Team Domenica work with young people aged 18-25 with additional needs outlined on their Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and our mission is to progress their journey to paid work. We have laid out a framework of skills and knowledge and behaviours that we believe gives this journey direction, momentum, and clear success criteria for each personalised pathway.
This policy describes how we ensure that our provision and the actions of our teachers, trainers and mentors are impactful and making a tangible difference to our candidates.
Legislative and Policy Framework
This policy is underpinned by:
- The SEND Code of Practice (2015)
- The Children and Families Act (2014)
- The Equality Act (2010)
- Ofsted Education Inspection Framework
- Local authority commissioning requirements
- The Gatsby Benchmark
- Functional Skills qualifications: requirements and guidance
- Preparing for Adulthood outcomes
Purpose
This Quality Assurance process ensures high standards in teaching, training, learning, and assessment across all aspects of our provision. It is designed to continuously improve learner outcomes, promote professional development, and meet regulatory and funding requirements.
Key Objectives
- Ensure all learners make progress from their individual starting points.
- Maintain consistency and quality across teaching and support staff.
- Support staff through observation, coaching, and professional development.
- Promote a culture of reflection, feedback, and continuous improvement.
- Meet the expectations of Ofsted, awarding bodies, and funding agencies.
Components of the Quality Assurance Process
Our Quality Assurance Activities Include the following components.
A. Formal Observations
Frequency: Over each academic year the following people will be observed at least once by either the Quality and Education Lead or Senior Teacher:
- All class teachers
- The RSHE teacher
- The Café Training Lead (Unqualified Teacher)
- The Enrichment Training Lead (Unqualified Teacher)
In additional some staff may be seen a second time as part of targeted or thematic reviews of subject areas
All formal observations are detailed on a standard form (see appendix one) and verbal feedback given within two working days. All forms are sent to the Quality and Education Lead for the identification of themes, concerns and support needs. Where the Quality and Education Lead is not the line manager of the observee, the line manager will also be sent the form for discussion in the next line manager one-to-one meeting.
B. Job Coach Observations
The second year of the Team Domenica programme is largely delivered in the workplace via a supported internship where a job coach supports each candidate. The real-life setting, one-to-one work and the variety of tasks involved mean that conventional formal observations are not a suitable tool for quality assurance. The Supported Internship Manager oversees a cycle of observations as detailed in appendix two below. The results of all job coach quality monitoring will be shared with the Head of Supported Employment, the Quality Lead and the Co- CEO and the overall findings reflected in the evidence used to complete the Supported Internship Quality Assurance Framework.
C. Learning Walks
Learning Walks are visits of at least twenty minutes duration that have an open focus. All sites where Team Domenica delivers teaching and training (apart from Employer sites) will be visited at least once per year. Learning walks maybe completed by
- Education and Quality Lead
- The Pastoral Lead
- The Senior Teacher
During the Learning Walk the observer will consider what it may be like to be a learner in the environment and evaluate whether the overall environment is conducive to learning. As well as the schedule providing for one visit per site Learning Walks can happen at any time in response to concerns, feedback or requests from staff.
A narrative of the learning walk is emailed to the Quality and Education lead for action.
D. Case Studies
The Quality and Education Lead requests two case studies per academic year from a team led by the Senior Teacher and the EHCP Manager. Case studies provide an opportunity for a deeper exploration of a key issue impacting on the quality of provision across a cohort, year group or subject area.
Themes for 2024-5 were:
- Using a specific candidate’s circumstances to establish causes of low attendance in second year learners in the first half term of the year, and any missed opportunities to avoid this.
- Exploring in depth the interventions that had led to rapid progress for a specific candidate and extending this practice across wider provision.
Case studies are reviewed by the Education and Quality Lead and findings disseminated through team meetings, line manager 1:1s and the continuous professional development process.
E. Peer Observations
Once per term two or more staff, from the full education team are tasked with observing each other on a specific theme and to write a report on this for the Education and Quality Lead who reviews the findings for actions through team meetings, line manager 1:1s and the continuous professional development process.
Recent projects have included:
- The Training Mentors swapping year groups for a week to explore factors that could improve the transition.
- Teachers observing the use of training mentors in each classroom to devise better ways of preparing mentors for lesson content and agreeing relevant approaches to any barriers to learning.
F. Candidate Feedback
Candidates feedback on, and contribute to, their learning through both informal and formal processes at Team Domenica. These include:
- The setting and review of targets related to the EHCP in weekly mentoring sessions.
- The preparation of our person-centered EHCP review process
- The annual “easyread” education and training
- End of year surveys for each year group
- All information is passed to the Education and Quality Lead for action.
G. One-to-One Development and Performance Management
Each teacher (both qualified class teachers and unqualified teacher in their role as the leads for Enrichment and Café Training) and senior training mentors have an annual appraisal, and a key component is the setting of targets for performance management and professional development.
In addition, each of the above has a one-to-one line management meeting every three to four weeks. The set agenda for these includes:
- CPD to cover both formal internal training, coaching and reading/updating.
- Team Domenica uses the NATSPEC transform service, The Education and Training Foundation, Local FE colleges and in-house coaching to develop and maintain the necessary skills for high quality teaching and learning.
- Task completion-to include a regular discussion of progress monitoring data (see below) and the efficacy of associated interventions.
See the Domenica Continuing Professional Development Policy (Education). Due 1st September 2025 for details.
H. Internal Verification and Standardisation
See the Team Domenica Assessment and Accreditation Policy Due 1st September 2025 for full details of the verification, standardisation and examination arrangements of all our external qualifications and our in-house RARPA pathways. Activities include:
- Internal Verification (IV): Regular sampling of assessment decisions across all subject areas to ensure fairness, consistency, and compliance.
- Standardisation Meetings: Held termly to review assessment approaches, learner work, and updates from awarding bodies.
- Peer Review of Mentoring Targets to ensure they meet the Team Domenica definition of SMART and are personalized, accessible and appropriate.
- Processes to ensure the compliant running of examinations.
- Procedures to outline our expectations regarding plagiarism, the use of AI, and appeal against results.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Quality Assurance activities are scheduled and logged on a central calendar.
- Termly reports summarise findings and identify trends for SLT review.
- Key findings inform the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP).
- All subject leads submit monthly RAG ratings indicating whether learners are on track to progress though the agreed outcomes for the subject area.
- Green – Learner is making or exceeding, expected progress.
- Amber – Learner is not making the expected progress; reasons have been identified and appropriate teacher led interventions are in place.
- Red – Learner has fallen significantly behind expected outcomes and interventions need escalation/a whole team approach or external agencies.
Governance and Oversight
The summary RAG ratings for each candidate are scrutinized by the College Principal each month.
The principal’s findings are reported to The Education Governing Board, who in turn report to the Trustees of Team Domenica.
Findings are used as an evidence base for the monthly review of the progress made against our Quality Improvement Plan.
This Policy is reviewed annually by senior leaders and approved by the Education Governing Board.
Appendices
Please click this link to access Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of this policy.
Read the rest of our organisational policies
