exams officer network update: spring - scomis€¦ · support around the main exam-related tasks...
TRANSCRIPT
Autumn 2016
Exams Officer Network Update
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The Customer Support Team – Delivering Local Support
Rachel Smith
Customer Support Manager North East & Yorkshire & Humber T: 07834 601494 E: [email protected]
Gail White
Customer Support Manager East Midlands T: 07809 594437 E: [email protected]
Nicola Claydon
Customer Support Manager London and East Anglia T: 07850 922411 E: [email protected]
Jane Parsons
Customer Support & Regional Account Manager South West T: 07711 466337 E: [email protected]
Alison Leather Customer Support Manager South East T: 07894 598460 E: [email protected]
Paul Jones
Customer Support Manager North West and West Midlands T: 07753 935637 E: [email protected]
Helen O’Leary
Senior Customer Support Manager T: 07740 718235 E: [email protected]
“I am currently on maternity leave, however my colleague
Helen O’Leary will be on hand as much as possible to offer
support to you and attend networks in my absence. I will be
returning Summer 2017.” Nikki Claydon
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Essential Reading Keep up to date with the latest information, tips and reminders with our monthly publications - the Exams Officer Update newsletter and Subject Information Updates. Your teaching colleagues can sign up to receive the subject updates direct. In addition, our regular policy newsletter will keep you up to date with the latest educational news.
Social Media Follow us on Twitter @OCRCustSupport. We post lots of useful tips, information and reminders.
OCR is active on the Exams Officer UK Facebook page. If you need to
ask us a question simply tag Helen Hand at OCR for a response.
Support Videos Support videos on a variety of topics are available to view. These include guides to the examining process, onscreen testing and the new A Level Science Practical
Endorsement. Have a look at the videos on offer here.
Customer Support Blogs Take a look at our regular blog posts which cover a range of useful topics – for example we recently published a blog on how the new GCSEs (9-1) will be graded. Click here to access this particular post.
Exams Officer Networks
We are actively engaged in exams officer network meetings around the country and continue to work with The Exams Office to support the exams officer community by providing information about local meetings. A free-to-access map of local network groups is available from The Exams Office website - click on the map (left) to view.
Teacher Networks
Do your teaching colleagues need information or support? We run free regional network meetings for teachers of our new GCSE and AS/A Level specifications. Led by our Subject Specialists, and held each term, these support networks will give your colleagues the opportunity to hear the latest news, discuss teaching specifications and resources and connect with other teachers.
Training Cambridge Technicals and Cambridge Nationals We are running Live Online Training Events (LOTES) for Cambridge Technicals (new 2016 suite, available for first teaching from September 2016) and Cambridge Nationals qualifications. The free sessions will be held each term and will provide live, interactive training opportunities each focused on a specific admin topic or area. Log in to the OCR CPD Hub or email [email protected] to find out more.
New Exams Officers We’re working with Exams Training (set up by the founders of The Exams Office) to deliver a series of training events for new exams officers in March 2017. These ‘Spring into Summer’ events are designed for those who have been in post for less than 12 months and those requiring a ‘refresher’ course. The training will prepare exams officers for the summer 2017 series and provide comprehensive support around the main exam-related tasks and activities relating to GCSEs and A Levels. More details (including how to book) are available via the Exams Training website. OCR centres and members of The Exams Office can attend at a discounted rate of £145 - www.examstraining.org.
Contacting OCR The ‘Contact us’ page on the website now reflects different customer roles. There are specific links for Exams Officers and Centre Administrators - click here to view the page. In addition we are trialling a new service – web chat. This is available from the Customer Contact Centre page of the OCR website.
OCR Customer Support
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Membership Organisations There are two independent organisations providing support for exams officers. You may find it useful to explore what they can offer.
The Examination Officers’ Association (EOA) supports the professional development of exam office personnel working in centres throughout the UK. Find out more here - www.examofficers.org.uk.
The Exams Office (TEO) offers comprehensive
support for exams officers and data managers. OCR works collaboratively with TEO to provide support for
the exams community - www.theexamsoffice.org. OCR centres can join for a discounted price of £125 per annum. Support and services available include:
Exams and education updates – free to access for non-members
A new newsletter produced in association with JCQ and leading awarding bodies (issued September & March) - free to access for non-members
Exam policy templates (updated for 2016/17 and available mid-October)
JCQ latest news and guidance – free to access for non-members
Ofqual page with latest news – free to access for non-members
Professional Development Plan (PDP) and New Exams Officer Induction Programme – free to access for non-members
Exams timetable tool
Key dates calendar tool - free to access for non-members
Exams support documents TEO are expanding their support by attending JCQ and Ofqual meetings and forums.
TEO Professional Development Conferences 2017 The dates of the 2016/17 TEO National Conferences have been announced. Members will be forwarded booking details for the January conferences in October - the booking window opens in November. Members of TEO can attend the January and summer conferences FREE of charge as part of their membership. Non-members can also attend if capacity allows (a fee will be charged).
Exams Officer Organisations
Professional Development Conferences 2017
Dates
January
Leeds 13 January 2017
Birmingham 20 January 2017
London 30 January 2017
Summer
London 3 July 2017
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Key Dates Key dates for OCR’s qualifications are all available from the updated key dates and timetables page of our website. You can use our online tool to search (by type, month and/or series) for key dates for general qualifications and Cambridge Nationals or use our new spreadsheet if you want a printable/wall planner version.
Estimated Entries Submit these via Interchange. The deadlines are:
January 2017 series – 21 September 2016
June 2017 series – 10 October 2016 Estimated entries are required for Cambridge Nationals – these qualifications are available in the January series.
Basedata The publication schedules for the 2016/17 basedata files are available from the OCR website. The release dates for general qualifications and Cambridge Nationals are:
November 2016 series – 1 September 2016
January 2017 series – 9 September 2016
June 2017 series – 14 November 2016.
Fees List 2016/17 The Fees List provides details of all entry fees and services for the current academic year and is available from the OCR website.
June 2016 Series Certificate Despatch You’ll receive certificates from the June 2016 series by 7 November 2016. We’ve made the latest you can receive them slightly later than originally published so that any final deliveries don’t arrive during the October half term. If you have any outstanding enquiries about results, certificates for these candidates won’t be included in the main despatch and will be sent separately once the enquiry has been resolved.
Update Your NCN Record During the first week of October the annual NCN update email will be issued. This is crucial in providing the JCQ with updated centre information and ensuring your centre receives all necessary communication. This year you’ll see there’s a more detailed ‘declaration’ which has to be approved by your Head of Centre. Your Head of Centre must confirm they are aware of (and adhering to) the latest versions of the JCQ regulations, and the relevant exam board specifications and guidelines.This also avoids the need for individual awarding bodies to have separate declarations for the new A Level Science practical activities and the new GCSE English Language Spoken Language endorsements. The deadline for returning the update is 31 October 2016.
Internal Assessment Forms Finder You can use our handy 'forms finder' to find all the forms you need to administer internal assessment for a particular qualification. Simply select your options from the dropdown menus and click 'Search'!
OCR Admin Updates and News
Interchange Top Tip Selecting ‘Entry estimates’ from the drop-down menu in ‘Restrict search’ will limit the search to show your rolled over final entry data only. Leave ‘Qualification type’ set at ‘All’ and the ‘Search subjects’ box blank.
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Changes to Internally Assessed Marks Process It is no longer possible to submit centre marks to OCR using the hard copy internal assessment marks sheets (MS1) - these have now been removed. Marks will need to be submitted electronically via EDI or Interchange. Centre authentication forms (CCS160) should now be retained in the centre rather than submitting them to the OCR moderator.
What’s New On The OCR Website? Administration Section & Admin Overviews Lots of information and guidance on administering OCR’s qualifications has been added to the OCR website over the last year. To make it easier to access the information, we've created a new ‘Administration’ section. Currently, this page links to the exams officer area but we're planning on creating a dedicated 'administration' area in the coming weeks. This new section will replace the PDF admin guides previously produced. To make it easy to navigate these web pages, ‘admin overviews’ are being created – we have recently published overviews for Cambridge Technicals (2016 suite) and general qualifications. These will direct you to all the available guidance and key information for specific qualifications. A ‘print’ button has also been added to each of the web pages so that you can print anything you find particularly useful. Vocational Qualifications Entries Pages We’ve also published new vocational entries pages. These replace the old PDF step-by-step guides, providing instructions on how to make entries via Interchange – including how to make test unit entries for the new 2016 Cambridge Technicals suite. Your Feedback We will be continually adding to the website over the coming year so if you have any suggestions for things you’d like to see, please email us at [email protected].
14-19 Qualifications Entry Codes Booklet You should have received a printed copy of our 14-19 Entry Codes booklet for 2016/17. We've also added this to our website in case you need to save or print additional copies. This year, following your feedback, information about reformed AS/A Levels and GCSEs has been incorporated alongside details about existing qualifications, rather than including them in separate sections.
OCR Instructions for Conducting Examinations The 2016/17 OCR ICE booklet is available from the OCR website. These regulations are applicable to the externally assessed components of Functional Skills, Cambridge Progression and Digital Employability Qualifications. A summary of the differences between the 2015/16 version is provided at the start of the instructions and highlighted throughout in yellow. In response to customer feedback we have revised the regulatory requirements regarding the transportation of exam material to alternative exam venues: ‘If examination materials are being transported to an alternative exam venue they can be removed from the centre’s approved secure storage to accommodate appropriate travel time to the venue. This can be any time on the day the exam is scheduled to take place, without requesting permission from OCR.’
Explaining Examining Resources We have a range of resources available to help explain the basic processes of examining.
Videos: including -‘From exam to results day’; ‘Six checks on marking’
Factsheets: including – ‘Ten things you didn’t know about OCR examining’; OCR’s six quality checks on marking’
Take a look at our explaining examining pages on the OCR wesbite www.ocr.org.uk/about-us/explaining-examining/ www.ocr.org.uk/about-us/explaining-examining/all-about-marking/
OCR Admin Updates and News
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Text, Task and Title Approval For some of our new A Level qualifications, approval is required for the texts, tasks and/or titles of the non exam assessment that candidates will be carrying out: • GCE A Level English Language and Literature (EMC) (H474) • GCE A Level English Language (H470) • GCE A Level English Literature (H472) • GCE A Level History A (H505) Centres must submit the chosen texts, tasks and/or titles using an online form, which can be accessed via the relevant qualification pages of the OCR website. This must be done by 31 January in the year of submission for each series even if the same texts, tasks and/or titles have been approved previously. Centres should wait for approval before candidates begin working on their non exam assessment. Approval will be provided within ten working days of submitting the online form.
Science Practical Endorsement The practical endorsement applies to the new A Level science qualifications. Videos Our science Subject Specialists explain key aspects of the Practical Endorsement in a new series of videos. Find out about how the Practical Endorsement works, what records you need to keep, how to use the OCR tracker, and how the Practical Endorsement will be monitored. Watch the videos on our Positive about Practical page. Activities Practical endorsement activities and the tracking spreadsheet are now available on Interchange. Visit the science coordinator page to access the latest documents.
Cambridge Technicals (2016 Suite) - Administration
Need to know how to administer the new Level 3 Cambridge Technicals? Our new admin overview outlines the main administrative processes and will guide you to the relevant, detailed information on the OCR website. Some of the key points to be aware of are:
Getting Approved: make sure you are an approved centre
Qualification Entries: you will need to make qualification entries. Entries can be made via EDI or Interchange
Test Unit Entries: test unit entries must be made for timetabled exams by the relevant deadline. Late entries are possible up to the late entry deadline. Entries can be made via EDI or Interchange. The main qualification entry must be made and processed before you can make any test entries
Entry Key Dates Series Test Unit Entry
Deadline Entry Window Late Entry
Deadine
January 2017 21 October 2016 7-21 October 2016 28 November 2016
June 2017
21 March 2017 6-21 March 2017 28 April 2017
Entry Rules: rules apply. Information is available from the OCR website
Internal Assessment & Moderation: this can take place at any time and centres are entitled to two moderation visits per year
External Assessment: all Level 3 exams are paper-based (with the exception of some Extended Diploma units which run as onscreen tests only). Examination arrangements are governed by JCQ ICE. Paper-based exams will use the Parcelforce ‘yellow label’ service from January 2017
Results Issue: January 2017 series – 2 March 2017 (restricted release 1 March); June 2017 series – 17 August 2017 (restricted release 16 August).
Don’t forget about our Live Online Training Events (see page 2 for information).
OCR Admin Updates and News
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Qualification Information and Updates Please tell your teaching colleagues that they can keep up to date with the latest news and developments by signing up to receive subject email updates and subject information updates. They may also like to complete our expression of interest form if they are thinking of teaching OCR qualifications.
Qual Change Planner We have created the Qual Change Planner, an online tool designed to support centres in changing from the GCSE, AS or A Level qualification currently being delivered to one of our new reformed qualifications or alternative provision. You can search a current qualification by subject or entry code to find out more about the final assessment opportunities and replacement qualifications. Entry Level Certificates New Entry Level Certificates We have re-developed a number of our Entry Level Certificates to align with our new GCSE (9-1) qualifications.
First teaching from September 2016 and first assessment from Summer 2017
100% internal assessment – tasks and tests can be taken at any point during the course
Can be co-taught with the new GCSE (9-1) qualifications offered by any awarding body
Can be taught across any timespan
Suitable for many types of learner
New qualifications in Art & Design, Computer Science, English, Geography, History, Latin, Mathematics, Physical Education and Science
The final assessment opportunity for the current qualifications in the re-developed subjects will be Summer 2018 with a resit opportunity in Summer 2019 – more information available from the OCR website.
Withdrawal of Selected Entry Level Certificates We have a requirement to ensure that our Entry Level provision allows progression to our new GCSE (9–1) qualifications. As part of our review of Entry Level qualifications we have made the difficult decision not to redevelop our Entry Level Certificates in Business Studies, Child Development, Classical Greek, Design and Technology, Food Studies, French, German, Spanish, ICT and Religious Studies due to overlapping content and declining numbers. The final assessment opportunity will be Summer 2018, with a resit opportunity in Summer 2019. Further information available from the OCR website.
Cambridge Nationals Cambridge Nationals are vocational qualifications at Level 1 and Level 2 for students aged 14-16. They are equivalent in size to GCSEs. The administration will be familiar to anyone who runs general qualifications. Fill the GCSE Gap As GCSEs in Health and Social Care, ICT and Child Development are not being redeveloped our Cambridge Nationals offer the perfect alternative. Find out more. New Replacement for Business and Enterprise We will be launching a relacement for Cambridge Nationals in Business and Enterprise. The new OCR Level 1/2 Certificate in Enterprise and Marketing will be ready for first teaching in September 2017 and will be be submitted for inclusion on the 2019 performance tables. Find out more. Qualification Extension Cambridge Nationals qualifications in ICT, Health and Social Care, Sport Science and Sport Studies have been extended until 31 August 2020. By extending the review date we are making the qualifications available for a further three years. You will now be able to start a Year 10 cohort in September 2018.
OCR Qualifications
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Cambridge Technicals Cambridge Technicals are vocational qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3 for students aged 16+. They’re designed with the workplace in mind and provide a high-quality alternative to A Levels. Take a look at our website and the new Cambridge Technicals Explained document for more information. Sign up and express your interest to be kept up-to-date with the latest developments.
Level 2 Cambridge Technicals 2012 Suite
Launched September 2012
100% internally assessed content
Visiting moderation
2016 Suite
New suite for first teaching September 2017
Designed to meet the DfE technical guidance
Externally assessed content
Visiting moderation for internally assessed content
Submitted for Key Stage 5 performance points from 2019
Subjects: Business, Engineering, Health and Social Care, IT, Sport and Physical Activity
Level 3 Cambridge Technicals 2012 Suite
Launched September 2012
100% internally assessed content
Visiting moderation
Attracts UCAS points
No Key Stage 5 performance points from 2018
2016 Suite New suite for first teaching September 2016 (Engineering - first teaching
from September 2015)
Designed to meet the DfE technical guidance
Externally assessed content
Visiting moderation for internally assessed content
Attracts UCAS points
Key Stage 5 performance points from 2018 (confirmed for all qualifications submitted for inclusion)
Subjects: Business, Digital Media, Engineering, Health and Social Care, IT, Laboratory Skills, Performing Arts, Sport and Physical Activity
Extension of 2012 Suites We have extended the 2012 Level 2 and the 2012 Level 3 qualification suites giving you the flexibility to choose between the 2012 and the new 2016 suites to meet the requirements of your centre and students. The updated last entry and certification dates are listed in the Cambridge Techncials Explained document.
Cambridge Technicals - Extended Diploma (1080 GLH) As part of the overall re-development of the Level 3 Cambridge Technicals, we have developed Extended Diplomas (1080 GLH) to meet the demands of centres who wish to offer a full 3 x A Level size equivalent vocational qualification. These are available for first teaching from September 2016 and will be submitted for inclusion on Key Stage 5 performance tables from 2019.
OCR Qualifications
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Autumn 2016 Despatch During September centres will receive the Autumn despatch. It consists of three copies of the blue General Regulations booklet, two copies of the Essential Key Dates Wall Planner, four copies of the Access Arrangements booklet and one memory stick containing the essential JCQ documents.
JCQ Regulations for 2016/17 We have highlighted some of the main changes – please refer to the JCQ documents for full information.
General Regulations for Approved Centres Greater onus placed on role and responsibilities of head of centre – e.g.
the title of the document has been amended to state that the regulations are ‘For the attention of heads of centre, senior leaders within schools and colleges and examination officers’.
Heads of centre are required to confirm (as part of the NCN annual update) that they are both aware of and adhering to the latest version of the regulations. A head of centre cannot delegate this responsibility to a member of SLT or the exams officer, (1.1, page 1).
The regulations must be read by heads of centre, SLT and the exams officer (previously it was ‘should’), (2.2, page 2).
The examination contingency plan/examinations policy should also reinforce procedures in the event of the centre being unavailable for exams owing to an unforeseen emergency, (5.3, page 9).
Centres must ensure that they have appropriate accommodation to support the size of the cohorts being taught, (5.3, page 9).
Question papers must not be released to centre personnel until after the awarding body’s published finishing time for the examination or, in the case of a timetable variation, until all candidates within the centre have completed the examination, (6.13, page 18). In the 2015/16 regulations it was recommended that question papers were not released to centre personnel until 24 hours after the published finishing time for the examination.
Instructions for Conducting Examinations (ICE) Scope of the publication extended – additional qualifications covered.
Invigilators can act as the additional member of staff who checks the time/date/papers details before a question paper packet is opened, (1.9, page 6).
Where candidates are taking two or more exams in a session and are being given a short supervised break between papers within the session, they must remain under formal examination conditions within the exam room whilst their scripts are being collected, (2.9, page 10).
Additional invigilators for a timed Art exam should be deployed at the head of centre’s discretion, (6.4, page 18).
Where the candidate and practical assistant are accommodated separately, on a one to one basis, the invigilator may additionally act as the practical assistant, (7.2, page 19).
Where the invigilator additionally acts as a practical assistant, a reader and/or a scribe, the centre must use a ‘roving’ invigilator who checks the room(s) from time to time, (page 19).
Invigilators should instruct candidates to write their name and surname on answer booklets and additional answer sheets. This replaces the instruction to candidates to write their name exactly as it appears on the attendance register, (12.3, page 31).
Centres must refer to the relevant awarding body’s instructions when completing the word processor cover sheet as different arrangements apply, (8.8, page 25); other cover sheets, e.g. scribe cover sheet, must be placed inside the script, (21, page 41); candidates must insert any loose additional answer sheets inside the answer booklet, (19, page 40).
Centres may wish to ask candidates to place their watches on their desk in sight of the invigilator prior to the start of the exam, (11.1, page 30).
Countdown clocks are not permissible, (5.7, page 15).
JCQ Update
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Conditions for Storing Question Papers/Confidential Material Supplementary document to ICE.
Centres must not keep a spare set of keys in a cabinet or safe which can be accessed by members of staff who are not involved in exams administration. Keys must either be kept on the key holder’s person or kept in a coded key safe which is only accessible to the designated key holders.
Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments
The deadline for submitting applications for the summer series is 21 February (31 January for modified papers). All applications must be submitted by the relevant deadline; a ‘soft’ deadline no longer applies (except for applications for temporary injury or impairment).
For applications processed on or after 1 September 2016, the amount of extra time awarded to a GCSE candidate using a bilingual dictionary is 10% (where the candidate meets the published criteria), (5.18, page 71). Also in ICE, (8.2, page 22).
The use of a transcript where a candidate’s handwriting may be hard to decipher is no longer permitted. If a candidate’s handwriting is illegible he/she should use a word processor. If a word processor is not appropriate to the candidate’s needs then he/she must meet the published criteria for a scribe. Candidates must be reminded that they are responsible for producing legible writing, (page 56). Also in ICE, (page 24).
If a candidate has never made use of an approved arrangement, then it is not their normal way of working. The regulations now stipulate that the SENCo may consider withdrawing the arrangement, (4.2.8, page 18).
Further clarification provided on the criteria for separate invigilation within the centre. A candidate may only take their examinations under separate invigilation where he/she has an established difficulty. The only exception to this would be a temporary illness, injury or other temporary indisposition which is clearly evidenced, (5.16, page 69). Also in ICE, (8.6, page 24).
A Guide to the Special Consideration Process The minimum requirements for enhanced grading in cases of acceptable
absence from timetabled component(s)/unit(s) have changed. For GCSE, AS and A Level a minimum of 40% of the total assessment must have been completed.
Instructions for Conducting Non-Examination Assessments
Centres must remind candidates to keep their own work secure at all times and not share completed or partially completed work on-line, on social media or through any other means. The JCQ document Information for candidates – Guidelines when referring to examinations/assessments through the internet should be brought to the attention of candidates.
Post-Results Services and Appeals Following Ofqual’s announcements on changes to reviews of marking and appeals JCQ issued a supplementary document in August 2016, Notice to Centres – Post-Results Services and Appeals.
A2C Update A JCQ statement on the A2C project has been published and is available from the JCQ website.
JCQ Update
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Information and guidance on reform is available from the OCR website.
GCSE and A Level reform is being introduced in three phases. The table below lists the subjects being offered/redeveloped by OCR.
Use our online Qual Change Planner tool to help you manage transition.
PHASE 1 (September 2015) PHASE 2 (September 2016) PHASE 3 (September 2017)
GCSE (9-1) AS/A Level GCSE (9-1) AS/A Level GCSE (9-1) AS/A Level
English Language Art and Design Art and Design Classical Greek Ancient History Ancient History
English Literature Biology A & B Biology A & B Drama and Theatre Business Classical Civilisation
Maths Business Chemistry A & B Geography Classical Civilisation Design and Tech
Chemistry A & B Citizenship Studies Latin Design and Tech Further Maths A
Computer Science Classical Greek Music Economics Further Maths B (MEI)
Economics Combined Science A & B Physical Education Film Studies Film Studies
English Language Computer Science Religious Studies Media Studies Geology
English Language and Lit Drama Psychology Law
English Literature Food Preparation & Nutrition Maths A
History A Geography A & B Maths B (MEI)
Physics A & B History A & B Media Studies
Psychology Latin
Sociology Music
Physical Education
Physics A & B
Religious Studies
Reform Phase GCSE First Assessment AS First Assessment A Level First Assessment
Phase 1 – September 2015 2017 2016 2017
Phase 2 – September 2016 2018 2017 2018
Phase 3 – September 2017 2019 2018 2019
GCSE and A Level Reform
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Phase 1 Qualifications (First Teaching September 2015) Check the OCR Administration section of these notes for any information you and your teaching colleagues may need.
Phase 2 Qualifications (First Teaching September 2016) All our 2016 subjects have been accredited by Ofqual and the specifications are available on the OCR website. If your centre is teaching a two-year GCSE, AS or A Level, or a one-year AS Level course in the 16/17 academic year in any of the phase 2 subjects, you need to be teaching the new reformed specifications or alternative qualifications.
Phase 3 Qualifications (First Teaching September 2017) We are in the process of submitting a range of qualifications to Ofqual for accreditation. We publish the draft specification and sample assessment materials on the website when we submit the qualifications to Ofqual. GCSE Business (9-1) and GCSE Economics (9-1) have already been accredited.
OCR Teaching and Learning Resources
Use our online resource finder to quickly locate the free resources available for the new specifications.
Resources from Ofqual
Ofqual has updated and added to their collection of postcards. There are new documents on topics such as grading for the reformed AS and Levels, awarding for new GCSE student cohorts and the new marking review and appeal arrangements. They have also produced a PowerPoint presentation designed to help teachers explain GCSE, AS and A Level qualification reforms to students and parents. This new resource contains information on various topics including:
What is happening and when
The new GCSE grading structure (including what does a ‘good pass’ mean)
What a GCSE certificate might look like in 2017
The National Reference Test
Re-sits of legacy qualifications
Key stage 4 performance measures.
GCSE (9-1) Awarding
Following a second consultation, Ofqual confirmed in September how GCSE grades, including grades 8 and 9, will be awarded from 2017. The full decisions document is available on their website. Ofqual has developed subject grade descriptors for the reformed GCSEs to assist teachers by providing an indication of average performance at the mid-points of grades 2, 5 and 8. These are available on their website.
GCSE and A Level Reform
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Calculating Linear Grades
Want to know more? Take a look at our new page on the OCR website and the Customer Support blog.
Resit Arrangements for Legacy Specifications Ofqual has published their consultation outcome regarding resits for legacy GCSE, AS and A Levels. Read the new OCR subject information update for full details of what this means for our legacy qualifications ending in 2016. AS and A Levels Students taking AS and A Levels in the last scheduled sitting will have the opportunity to resit these qualifications. Resits will take place in the June series following the final assessment opportunity and will be available in all AS and A Level subjects and all units. GCSEs - English and Mathematics OCR will provide a resit opportunity for the qualifications in the table below.
Subject Legacy qualification Final assessment opportunity 1st resit opportunity 2nd resit opportunity
English English (J350) English Language (J355)
June 2016 November 2016 June 2017
Mathematics Mathematics A (J562) June 2016 November 2016
N/A Candidates are able to use
Maths B (J567)
Mathematics Mathematics B (J567) Application of Mathematics (J925) Methods in Mathematics (J926)
June 2016 November 2016 June 2017
GCSEs - Science OCR will provide a resit opportunity for the Science and Additional Science qualifications (both A and B suites) in November 2017. GCSEs – Other Subjects OCR will not be offering resit opportunities in any other GCSE subjects. Resit Rules Resit rules apply for students wishing to resit legacy qualifications. Full details are available from the entry rules pages on the website.
GCSE and A Level Reform
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Changes to GCSE, AS and A Level Marking Reviews and Appeals In early July Ofqual announced a number of further decisions (following on from those already published at the end of May):
Reviewers, when deciding if the first mark should stand, should consider whether the first marker made any administrative errors, properly applied the mark scheme and exercised their academic judgement appropriately.
Awarding bodies must provide the reasons for marking and review decisions on request, but there will be no express requirement to do this within a specific timescale in 2016.
A Level Physics, rather than Maths, will be included along with A Level Religious Studies and Geography in this summer’s pilot to test the new appeals process following a review of marking.
Ofqual also decided to defer decisions in a number of areas to a later date and they will continue to consult on these topics. These include:
When the requirement for awarding bodies to make GCSE scripts available in time for centres to consider whether to ask for a review will be introduced.
The detail of the framework to be used by awarding bodies to set dates for completion of reviews and appeals.
When the requirement for learners to be able to ask for the results of centre-marked assessments should be introduced.
When the automatic grade protection that currently applies following a review of moderation will be removed.
Ofqual’s new postcard helps explain the changes and our updated blog contains useful information on what these changes mean for you.
National Reference Test (NRT) The first tests in English and maths will be held in February and March 2017 following a successful development phase. Read the Ofqual blog for the ‘10 things you need to know’.
Post-16 Education Recommendations in the Sainsbury report on technical education have been accepted by the government as part of its post-16 Skills Plan. The report proposes that from 2019 all pupils will be presented with a choice at age 16: the academic or the technical option with bridging provision established to enable individual to move between the options. More information is available from the July 2016 OCR Policy Briefing.
Compulsory Maths to Age 18? A review to consider the potential for extending the study of maths beyond age 16 is underway. The review will report by the end of 2016.
Educational Reform
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Guide to Performance Tables Schools Week, in partnership with OCR, have published a revised league tables guide.
Cambridge Nationals Approved for Performance Points 2018 Level 1/2 Cambridge Nationals Certificates in 11 subjects have been approved and are included on the DfE list for KS4 Performance Points for 2018 (in the technical award category). The subjects are: Business & Enterprise; Principles in Engineering and Engineering Business; Engineering Design; Engineering Manufacture; Systems Control in Engineering; Health & Social Care; ICT; Creative iMedia; Sport Science, Sport Studies; Child Development. Cambridge Nationals in Science and Science in the Workplace are not included in the performance tables due to their overlap with Science GCSEs. You can view the full list here.
Early Entry Rule and Cambridge Nationals Information on how the revised ‘early entry’ rule for vocational qualifications applies to Cambridge Nationals is available from the OCR website.
16-19 Accountability Headline Measures from 2016 A summary and technical guide to the new measures is available here. The five new measures are Progress, Attainment, Retention, English and maths and Destinations.
Progress - a value added progress measure to show how well students have progressed when compared with students with the same prior attainment for students taking Level 3 academic and Applied General qualifications. A completion and attainment measure which compares the attainment of students with the national average attainment for each qualification and treats non-completion as a fail for students taking Tech Levels (and Technical Certificates from 2017)
Attainment – continuing the average point score per entry measure and removing the average point score per student measure
Retention - a measure showing the proportion of students being retained in their core aim and aligned as far as possible with the retention element of the funding formula
English and maths – an average change in grade measure for students who did not get a good pass (currently a grade C) in these subjects at GCSE
Destinations –the measure shows the percentage of students going to or remaining in a sustained education or employment destination in the academic year after taking A Levels or other Level 3 qualifications.
From 2017 performance tables are to include Level 2 outcomes and disadvantage measures will be introduced showing how students who were eligible for the pupil premium in Year 11 compare to their peers in each of the five headline measures. From 2018 it is planned to include apprenticeships and work based learning in performance tables.
Performance Measures
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Key Stage 5 Performance Tables 2018 The DfE has published an updated list of Applied General and Tech Level qualifications which will count in the 2018 KS5 Performance Tables. We are delighted to confirm that all of our 2016 Level 3 Cambridge Technicals qualifications submitted to the DfE have been included on the 16-19 Key Stage 5 Performance Tables for 2018. The remaining qualifications (Extended Diplomas and Performing Arts Diplomas) will be submitted for inclusion in the 2019 tables.
Discount Codes RAISEonline has been updated with the Key Stage 4 discount codes for 2018. The list can be found under “Further details of the revised performance tables
qualifications…”
The Key Stage 5 discount codes for 2018 have been released and can be found in the Department for Education section of the Gov.uk website.
Performance Measure Points for Reformed GCSEs and Cambridge Nationals The DfE has confirmed how points will be allocated to new and legacy GCSEs in the 2017 KS4 performance tables. For a new GCSE, the point values will match the grade a student receives (e.g. 9 points for a grade 9, 8 for a grade 8, etc). The point score scale for performance table measures in 2016 will change from the current 16-58 scale to a 1 - 8 point scale, where 1 is equivalent to a Grade G GCSE and an increase in one point represents an increase of one GCSE grade up to 8, which is equivalent to an A* GCSE. During this transition period where a combination of new and old style GCSEs can count towards performance measures, point scores from old style GCSEs will be mapped onto the 1 - 9 scale and the Progress 8 measure calculated on this basis. Full details can be found in the updated Progress 8 guidance document. As reformed qualifications become available for first assessment, their equivalent legacy qualifications will no longer count. Points values for 2016 and 2017 for Cambridge Nationals can be found on RAISEonline in the Library under ‘Further details of the revised performance table qualifications…’ in the Progress 8 measure in 2016, 2017 and 2018 PDF document.
Performance Measures