TT Training and Consultancy Company Ltd

Top 10 tips for completing your qualification! 

Here Tracey Twist uses her extensive experience of writing, delivering, assessing, internally quality assuring and externally quality assuring qualifications to give you 10 tips to help you complete your qualification.

'I have been delivering NVQ type qualifications for over 25 years and over this time I have managed to build up a lot of experience and strategies to support learners through their qualification. However, you as the learner are responsible for ensuring you complete everything you need to in a timely manner. Believe me, once you get to the 12 month mark of your qualification you will be wishing you were at or nearing the end. Let's get this done! 

1. Contact your assessor if you need support - we are available by email, phone and WhatsApp and we don't mind weekend or evening messages. If we are busy (or asleep) we will get back to you as soon as we can

2. Engage in group learning - if you have others learning in your setting check in with them - what resources have they found useful? How did they tackle a particular task? Support each other

3. Log on to the workshops - here you can access information and support from a trainer and also discuss your ideas and share your experiences with others - this can be a very motivating experience! Arrange 1:1 tutorials with your assessor in between workshops, as needed

4. Set aside some time each week. I know you are busy - believe me - I remember the days of studying with young children, working full time and trying to have a life too! But consistency pays off. So, engage your family and friends. Tell them you need them to support you and give you the space and/or encouragement 1 day, 1 evening or half a day a week (at least) to get your head down and complete some work

5. Collect evidence - you will have naturally occurring evidence in your workplace. Write it down, collect it, upload  it or send it to your assessor via email if you are not sure where it goes. Examples may include: activity plans, your own supervision notes, arranging training for others, a presentation your prepared for a staff meeting, a reflection of an incident in the setting, some feedback from a parent, some feedback from a colleague, evidence of partnership working, accident forms, incident forms - the list goes on! 

6. Use professional discussion - this is a quick way of gathering evidence. If there is a topic you are confident about then arrange a professional discussion with your assessor. This can be recorded and used as evidence for your portfolio - you will be surprised at how much criteria can be met! 

7. Access information - sign up to newsletters from your local authority and foundation years (for early years qualifications) - here you will find all of the new information and best practice. We try to update the news and announcements of moodle too and the presentations from our workshops are uploaded to each section

8. Send copies of certificates from other training you have completed to your assessor, this can be used to support evidence

9. Have regular review meetings with your mentor or manager in the setting - get them to check in with you and monitor your progress. Maybe they can find some time for you together evidence or they can copy it/email it to you

10. Ask your assessor to set targets. Some people work well with deadlines - we can do this for you, if needed! 

We are here to support you, so please ensure you are getting the support you need.