Welcome to Panda Education & Training Ltd.
Here at Panda, we deliver professional development opportunities for Learning and Development practitioners including tutors, trainers and assessors.
We are passionate about raising the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – we believe this can be achieved through developing the skills of education practitioners.
We work with public and private organisations who deliver vocational education; work based training; adult community learning; employability programmes and further education. We deliver:
• Accredited courses and qualifications such as TAQA – (the assessor, IQA and Lead IQA qualifications), Training Skills and Certificate in Learning and Development.
• Workshops – both live and online – which improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of practitioners in a range of subject areas that link to the Professional Standards.
Raising awareness of positive Mental Health and Wellbeing, both for practitioners and their learners, is also important to us, so we provide a range of accredited qualifications, online courses and bespoke workshops that promote this.
Background
After working in post-16 education for 20 + years, Panda’s directors could see the need for a professional teaching and learning development organisation to support practitioners working in this sector to develop their skills in teaching, supporting, mentoring, and developing learners.
Practitioners in this sector, who are vocationally skilled, can often lack confidence or expertise in teaching and training skills to enable all learners to achieve their learning goals.
The sector has often been undervalued, by the public and other education professionals but with the introduction of registration with the Education Workforce Council, this sector must work towards parity of esteem, through professionalising its workforce.
It is for this reason that Panda was set up – to help and support the sector in the raising of standards and professionalism to have a positive impact on the skills development of the people in Wales undertaking Welsh Government funded programmes.
Panda has now evolved to supporting a wide range of large and small employers, including the NHS, Transport for Wales and councils with the training and development of their staff focusing on the teaching and training skills of their staff.
Who are Panda?
Panda gets its name from its two founders, Ros Protheroe and Rachel Arnold (Protheroe and Arnold – see what we did there?!!)
Ros Protheroe
Ros has worked in community and work-based Learning for the past 23 years. She started as an IT tutor in the days of floppy disks and computers the size of a small car. Ros completed her PGCE in 2005, which started her on her journey to improving the quality of teaching and learning through inspiring other educators.
Ros continues to be passionate about all things techie and through the use of Twitter (@Panda_RosP) builds personal learning networks and shares good practice with other educators.
Ros is passionate about creativity and innovation in learning delivery in order to allow learners to be independent and progress personally and professionally in a fun and supportive environment.
Rachel Arnold
Rachel has worked in Work Based Learning for the past 23 years, starting as a work-based assessor and IQA. Rachel developed a passion for Apprenticeships and Traineeships through seeing her learners achieve, particularly where they may not have succeeded academically.
Over the last 20 years, Rachel has experienced a variety of roles in vocational education including managing a team of assessors; being responsible for continuous improvement as Quality Director of a large WBL provider; collaborating with providers across Wales on quality improvement projects through chairing the National Training Federation Wales Quality Group; a short time as a Peer Inspector for Estyn and non-executive director of a youth work charity focusing on the engagement of hard to reach individuals through digital tools and gaming.
Rachel currently works as the Skills Champion for the Creative, Media and Science Sectors for the Inspiring Skills Excellence project in Wales. In this role, Rachel encourages improvement in vocational education through participation in Skills Competitions and sector specific professional development opportunities.
Rachel decided to take the plunge and set up Panda in 2016, along with Ros, to support and develop the professional practice of tutors, trainers and assessors to help raise parity of esteem for vocational and work-based education. In her spare time Rachel coaches the youth and Masters Squads at Pontypridd Swimming club.
Mission & Vision
Panda’s mission is to deliver professional learning and development for managers, assessors, tutors and trainers.
Our vision: Respected as the experts in high quality training solutions for the workplace. Our Values are:
Strategic Objectives
Support employers and providers of work-based, vocational and technical education with high quality professional development opportunities. This will lead to improved outcomes, a better skilled workforce and create a stronger UK economy. This will be achieved through:
Team Panda
Anne Reardon-James
Anne has worked in various adult education settings for 15 years. Anne started out as volunteer tutor in community education, progressing to tutor, then Project Leader in further education, IQA and Learning & Skills Quality Assurance Manager.
Anne is a highly experienced facilitator of adult learning and has taught Education and Training, as well as Essential Skills Practitioner courses to both new and experienced tutors. Anne has received quality awards for partnership work, including a national adult Learning at Work Institute Inspire! award for digital upskilling learning programmes in the ‘Skills at Work’ category. Attaining her PGCE in 2008 and MA in Education in 2010.
Anne is nearing completion of a Professional Doctorate in Education at Cardiff University, researching experiences of workplace learners in the services sector. As part of her studies, Anne has taught and mentored undergraduate education/social sciences students, attaining Associate Fellowship (AFHEA) for teaching and learning support in higher education.
Anne is also an Associate member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) in learning and development, which drives her philosophy of learner-centred social learning and impact on organisational performance. Anne is learning Welsh online and is determined to be able to say something other than “Rydw i’n hoffi coffi”!
Bradley Tanner (Associate)
Bradley has worked in the adult education sector for 25 years.
This has included teaching, assessing, managing work based learning and FE programmes, internally and externally quality assurance.
Currently he is working as a consultant across the sector for educational and awarding organisations.
He is currently working for Panda Education as a Learning Advisor supporting trainee assessors and trainers through their assessor qualifications
Throughout this time, he has focussed on the needs of adult literacy and digital skills and how these can be delivered and assessed in a working environment.
Who we work with
Contact Panda
We would love to speak to you, if you are interested in using any of our services. We’re happy to meet for a virtual coffee and cake!
