BTEC Quality Assurance 2011-2012

2. BTEC Quality Assurance 2011-2012

3. BTEC Foundation Level – Level 3 including Workskills • The quality assurance includes three processes: • Lead Internal Verifier accreditation by online standardisation via OSCA • Standards Verification • Quality Review & Development (includes NVQ/SVQs)

4. Who should be a Lead Internal Verifier? • The person who usually has responsibility for verifying and signing off assessment outcomes for a Principal Subject Area • Involved in the assessment and delivery and have an understanding of the units being assessed • The person who usually coordinates internal verification across assessors and other internal verifiers for a Principal Subject Area

5. Lead Internal Verifier Accreditation • A Lead Internal Verifier is nominated for each Principal Subject Area • Lead Internal Verifiers: • register on OSCA • undertake induction training, available as a podcast on the Edexcel website • complete a practice exercise • complete formal exercise – within one of the two windows • results sent one week after close of window • There are two possible outcomes: • Accredited • Accredited, subject to Standards Verification

6. Lead Internal Verifier online standardisation 2011-12 • This will apply to Lead Internal Verifiers who: • did not complete online standardisation in 2010-11 • were not released at first Standards Verification sample in 2010-11 • are replacing an existing Lead Internal Verifier • are registering for any new BTEC programmes being offered • Existing Lead Internal Verifiers accredited for 1+3 years need to confirm their registration on Edexcel Online each September

7. Lead Internal Verifier online standardisation 2011-12 • Foundation Learning level materials only available in Window 2 • All exercises will be in two parts covering: • 2 units with 14 questions on each unit • sections on assignment brief, standard of learner work, assessor and internal verification activity

8. New for 2011-2012 • Some Principal Subject Areas have been merged: • Production Arts is a new Principal Subject Area QUALITY NOMINEE NETWORK MEETINGS AUTUMN 2011

9. Principal Subject Areas not covered by Lead Internal Verifier accreditation

10. BTEC Children and Young People • We will continue to provide an annual Standards Verifier visit for Level 3 Children’s Care, Learning & Development programmes • In 2011-12, this visit will cover all programmes within the Principal Subject Area at level 3 and below • Where there is no Level 3 running, postal sampling will cover all programmes within the Principal Subject Area at level 2 and below • Where only Level 1 is delivered this will be covered by Lead Internal Verifier accreditation via OSCA

11. Standards Verification • We allocate a Standards Verifier for two reasons: • Confirmation sampling: • Where you have an accredited Lead Internal Verifier • Over the course of your accreditation period you can expect to be sampled at least once • Accreditation sampling: • Where a Lead Internal Verifier is “Accredited, subject to Standards Verification” • Where online standardisation has not been attempted • Where a Principal Subject Area is not covered by Lead Internal Verifier accreditation (e.g. Security, Fire Services)

12. Standards Verification • We allocate a Standards Verifier for two reasons: • Confirmation sampling: • Where you have an accredited Lead Internal Verifier • Over the course of your accreditation period you can expect to be sampled at least once • Accreditation sampling: • Where a Lead Internal Verifier is “Accredited, subject to Standards Verification” • Where online standardisation has not been attempted • Where a Principal Subject Area is not covered by Lead Internal Verifier accreditation (e.g. Security, Fire Services)

13. Standards Verification • Accreditation sampling 1st Sample by Standards Verifier Release Lead IV accredited for current year + 3 Block 2nd Sample required 2nd Sample by Standards Verifier Release certification for current year RQM support to release certification for current year Block Remedial action required Where Lead Internal Verifier standardisation is not completed, certification can only be released for current year

14. Standards Verification • Confirmation sampling Release Lead IV accreditation retained and certification released 1st Sample by Standards Verifier Block 2nd Sample required Release Lead IV accreditation retained and certification released 2nd Sample by Standards Verifier RQM support to release certification for current year. Lead Internal Verifier accreditation withdrawn Block Remedial action required

15. Standards Verification • The Standards Verifier will: • Sample all levels within a Principal Subject Area • Request the largest programme at each level • Request complete mandatory unit(s) • Select learners to be sampled • Sample across levels of achievement • Require all learners sampled to have been internally verified • By this, we mean that for each learner, the assessment decisions for at least one assignment towards the unit has been internally verified

16. Sampling The Standards Verifier will contact you to request a list of anticipated learner grades for the units approximately 4 weeks before the agreed sample date and make the final selection of learners to be sampled.

17. Checking learner work • All learner work should be clearly labelled (any video evidence should include clear identification of learners) • Assessment decisions should be checked • Internal verification should be obvious and functioning • The feedback should be directly linked to the grading criteria • The assessor should be providing guidance for improving the work • Presentation of evidence should follow the order of the quality assurance process

18. Standards Verification Release • When: • Assessment decisions are accurate • Internal verification meets national standards: • assignments are fit for purpose • accurate verification of assessment decisions • Successful outcome means: • The Standards Verifier concludes that the centre is assessing securely to national standards and documenting assessment and internal verification correctly

19. Resampling • This will be required when: • the assignment brief is not fit for purpose • any one of the assessment decisions is incorrect • the assessment and internal verification are not conducted correctly • In some cases centres may be asked to produce an action plan as well as a resample (e.g. if the issue was to do with the timeliness of internal verification)

20. Resampling • First sample materials with actions addressed, plus additional learners • If the second sample does not meet national standards, the Regional Quality Manager will support you to release certification

21. Feedback and action • The Standards Verification report will provide feedback and action on three main categories: • The assignment brief(s) • Accuracy and consistency of assessment decisions • Verification and standardisation processes • Additional comments: general feedback, support for centres, etc.

22. Unit Content • A centre is expected to deliver (i.e. ‘teach’) the unit content fully. • All the elements of content must be covered, apart from anything preceded by ‘e.g.’ which is merely an example of what can be selected to teach • A learner is not required to provide evidence for all the unit content, but is required to provide sufficient evidence to address the assessment and grading criteria in order to successfully achieve the unit • Assessment guidance is given in each unit to support meeting national standards

23. Essential guidance for tutors • The Essential Guidance section within the specifications gives tutors additional guidance and amplification to aid understanding and a consistent level of delivery and assessment • This can be found immediately after the Assessment and Grading Grid within each unit of the specification • Some of these sections are for guidance only and can be adapted to meet local needs, whereas the Assessment section provides amplification about the nature and type of evidence that learners need to produce in order to pass the unit or achieve the higher grades. • Therefore it is extremely important that all assessors and verifiers read this section thoroughly and take it into consideration when devising assignments and making judgements about learner work.