Coventry lecturer recognised as expert education professional

A Coventry lecturer is helping to raise the bar for teaching standards at a further education institution after being recognised as an expert education professional.

Lora Scott, Curriculum Lead and Lecturer in Teacher Education and HR at Coventry College, has been awarded Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) by the Society of Education and Training (SET), and is now helping her colleagues to follow suit.

ATS is a nationally recognised progression route for experienced teachers and trainers who demonstrate continuing self-improvement, subject specialism, commitment to the development of others, and are effecting change in the curriculum while improving organisational quality. With her ATS, Lora also becomes a Chartered Teacher with the Chartered College of Teaching.

The process gives members the freedom to manage their own professional development to demonstrate outstanding practice and make a positive impact on learners, curriculum teams and the wider organisation, with Lora deciding to grow the digital teaching and wider reading offer at Coventry College.

Lora is now helping other colleagues at Coventry College to achieve their Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status (QTLS) and ATS accreditation, including acting as a personal mentor for Emma Johnston, Curriculum Lead for Health & Social Care at Coventry College.

Lora said: “ATS has been incredibly useful for me as it has given me the tools to take control of my own development in a way that best serves my goals as a teacher, as well as the improvement of the college as a whole.

“I’ve always had a passion for using technology for learning, and when education moved online as we went into lockdown, my project idea for ATS started to take shape.

“I had already supported colleagues through their own QTLS professional formation processes, and felt it was important as a teacher educator to demonstrate commitment to continual professional development.

“Over the year-long process I was able to reflect on my own standards and ambitions and used this as a driving force to update the programmes that I teach on.

“My aim was to ensure we were developing learners’ digital skills ready for the workplace of the future, materials were more accessible and most importantly, that the programme modelled good practice in terms of upholding the ETFs Professional Standards and Digital Skills Framework.

“It’s great to now be in a position where I can put the things I have learned back into my day-to-day responsibilities, whether that’s teaching, improving the curriculum, or supporting colleagues in their own personal development.”

Emma said: “I have really valued the support I have been able to access through Lora whilst undertaking my ATS.

“It has been a lot of work and has pushed me out of my comfort zone. However, it has ensured better outcomes for my learners by introducing new strategies, technology and ideas into my sessions with positive benefits.

“It has also allowed me to reflect on my own development and has made me consider different approaches when mentoring new staff members to ensure they find their own teaching styles.”