Edge Hill University / CENTRA Accreditation Agreement

As a participant in a CENTRA Professional Development course or activity, you are entitled to accreditation free of charge under the Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) Accreditation Agreement that operates between Edge Hill University and CENTRA.

Completion of the initial module will gain you an Edge Hill University Certificate in Professional Development and will also provide the first 20 credits towards the 60 credits required for a Postgraduate Certificate. The opportunity to complete a Postgraduate Certificate will also be provided free of charge.

In order successfully to complete the initial module, you need to produce a portfolio containing the following three elements:

1) DEVELOPMENT PHASE
A summary of the investigation / research you have undertaken into your chosen theme and the rationale for wanting to review and develop existing practice.
This phase, broadly speaking, involves the collection of evidence and could include:

• Work undertaken linked to courses or meetings attended
• Journal extracts, diaries, photos etc from visits to see practice and talk to teachers in other contexts
• Curriculum audit
• Action research in school
• Individual research via the Internet, educational journals, etc into current trends, ideas and analysis related to your chosen theme

2) IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
An account of the creation and implementation of a school-based action plan to develop practice. This could include:

• Whole school policy considerations
• Schemes / programmes of work, lesson plans
• Classroom practice and implications for children's work
• Staff INSET / meetings

3) EVALUATION PHASE
A reflective analysis of the impact of your research and development work via your project on:

• Your own thinking and practice as a teacher
• The thinking and practice of your staff colleagues
• The learning experiences of and results achieved by the pupils in the school

Each section of your portfolio should be approximately 1500 - 1700 words or equivalent (e.g. in Section 2, if you present your action plan in grid format, this will probably require fewer words) meaning that your portfolio will be 4500 - 5000 words or equivalent in total.

You need to complete the Edge Hill University registration form, available from Mike Coyle at CENTRA.
Once registered, you will be able to access Edge Hill University's learning resources and you will also be entitled to academic and tutorial support as required in the preparation of your portfolio.
Your completed portfolio should be submitted to:

Edge Hill University at Woodlands,
The Woodlands Centre,
Southport Road,
Chorley,
Lancs PR7 1QR

and should be marked for the attention of Rob Foster.

If you require any further help or guidance (e.g. in relation to completing the reflective analysis) or any aspect of the accreditation process, your tutor is Rob Foster, whose contact details are as follows:

Telephone: 01257 517121 (Direct line) or 01257 517126 (to leave a message);
e-mail: fosterrj@edgehill.ac.uk