CCEA A levels Shaping the future together
Contents A Message from CCEA CEO 1 Background Why the Change? 2 Introducing The ReVision 3 3 Good Reasons to Choose CCEA 4 A level Choice of Subjects 6 A level The ReVision Timeline 8 Supporting You Throughout The ReVision 10 Supporting You Innovative and new support 11 Working Together A Collaborative Approach 12 Keeping You Informed 13 Get in Touch 14
Dear Colleague Welcome to the first in a series of communications about the revision of CCEA s A level and GCSE specifications: The ReVision A level. This guide aims to keep you informed about the process and timeframes for The ReVision and the support that CCEA will provide to accompany any new qualifications. CCEA continues to ensure that the learner remains at the centre of all that we do. We are making sure that our qualifications are modern, reflect the needs of our economy and encourage progression to Further or Higher Education. We also aim to ensure that qualifications are portable and have currency across nations. To achieve this, all specifications and specimen assessment materials will undergo a rigorous accreditation process. We are committed to ensuring our qualifications remain comparable to qualifications in England and Wales. We re also working to ensure that the new qualifications are aligned to the Northern Ireland Curriculum and remain highly regarded by employees and educators. Please become involved at any stage throughout the process. Your views are very welcome. To share them with us, please contact our team by telephone (028) 9026 1216, email therevision@ccea.org.uk or by going to the website www.ccea.org.uk/therevision. Best wishes Justin Edwards CCEA Chief Executive Officer 1
GCSEs and A levels BACKGROUND WHY THE CHANGE? At the beginning of March 2014 the Minister for Education, John O Dowd MLA, announced the way forward for GCSE and A/AS level qualifications in Northern Ireland. The Minister determined that reform in Northern Ireland was to be based on informed research evidence, international best practice and the support of key stakeholders in education, industry and commerce. CCEA (Regulator) undertook a fundamental review of GCSEs and A levels. In March of 2014, the Minister accepted all of the recommendations from the review. CCEA Awarding Organisation (AO) has now embarked on a programme of work (The ReVision) to revise A level and GCSE specifications with accompanying specimen assessment materials (SAMS). The revised A levels will be delivered to schools in time for first teaching in September 2016 and revised GCSEs introduced a year later, in September 2017. 2
CCEA are proud to launch The ReVision as it signals our quality commitment to learners who take our qualifications. We are committed to ensuring that qualifications are: subjected to a rigorous process of accreditation comparable with that in England and Wales so that you have confidence in standards; up to date and relevant, informed by subject associations and learned bodies, to make sure they remain appropriate to the needs of your learners and the changing society, economy and environment in which they will live and work; and highly regarded by Further and Higher Education and employers through continued consultation, ensuring that specifications reflect their needs and give your learners a choice of progression pathways. CCEA qualifications will continue to: offer modular assessment at A level and both modular and linear assessments at GCSE, acknowledging that schools are best placed to take assessment decisions in the interests of their students; retain the link between AS and A2, with the AS grade continuing to count towards the full A level; and include the assessment of practical skills in the overall grade for A level Sciences. 3
CCEA your local Awarding Organisation good reasons to choose CCEA for your A level provision 1 Learners 2 Local 3 Listening 4
1 We support Learners CCEA puts the learner at the centre of everything we do. We think about what learners need for life and work and then build solutions to meet those needs. We do this for the entire curriculum from Foundation and Early Years to A level and beyond. 2 We are Local CCEA is Northern Ireland s awarding body. We understand local needs and we are focused on providing services and products for learners in Northern Ireland. This also means we re near you, should you need help or support. 3 We are Listening CCEA listens to those who use its products and services; this means listening to teachers, employers and learners, and taking action to ensure better outcomes for learners. This approach ensures that we develop relevant, high quality and innovative specifications and support. 5
A level Choice of Subjects We are revising our A levels with each qualification being delivered to schools in time for first teaching in September 2016. 6
More Choice for the Learner Art and Design Biology Business and Management (previously Applied Business) Business Studies Chemistry Economics English Literature Environmental Technology French Geography German Government and Politics Health and Social Care History History of Art ICT Irish Journalism in the Media and Communications Industry 01 Mathematics (including Further Maths) Moving Image Arts Music Nutrition and Food Science (previously Home Economics) Performing Arts Physics Religious Studies Software Systems Development Spanish Sports Science and the Active Leisure Industry Technology and Design 7
A LEVEL The ReVision Timeline This timeline gives you a snapshot of the key dates for your diary. Our A level specifications will be available online first, and then delivered to your school as hard copy. Nov 2015 to Jan 2016 Accredited Specifications and SAMs online Dec 2015 to Feb 2016 Printed Specifications delivered to your school Nov 2015 to June 2016 Delivery of support materials and events 8
Throughout the process we will keep you up to date on the specifications release date, with individual subject launch and support events. Sept 2016 First teaching of new A levels May to June 2017 First exams for new AS May to June 2018 First exams for new A2 9
SUPPORTING YOU throughout The ReVision We aim to support you at every stage throughout The ReVision. We will continue to provide a full range of support that includes free, teacher-focused events plus online, digital and printed resources. We will also continue to take on board your feedback and, where possible, build it into the development of new support materials. Our Support Commitment We will support teachers... How? with visits to schools on request with training seminars and workshops ONGOING SUPPORT When? before the first teaching year during the first teaching of the qualification with online and printed materials throughout the lifetime of the specifications 10
SUPPORTING YOU Innovative and new support We are currently designing a learner hub that will include subject-based toolkits. Each of our online specifications will be hyperlinked to allow you to navigate directly to the relevant schemes of work. We have many new ideas to make use of mobile technologies, building on some of our showcase curriculum support materials. This is in addition to the many resources that you have asked us to retain Subject Snapshots; Spec at a Glance; schemes of work; vodcasts and 10 top tips for success. Please contact us if you have any questions about the relevance of your current texts for the teaching and learning of our revised specifications. Subject experts will undertake a text-book mapping exercise for you. Did you know? We currently offer Topic Tracker Topic Tracker is a free innovative resource that allows you to design materials selecting from over 4000 past paper questions in GCE/GCSE Mathematics and GCSE Sciences. Visit Topic Tracker at http://topictracker.ccea.org.uk CCEA Analytics CCEA Analytics allows you to analyse your learners performance in GCSE Mathematics and GCSE English (Paper 1) individually, by teaching group and by centre. You can access this information using your CCEA Central Login (contact your Exams Officer to arrange access). 11
WORKING TOGETHER A Collaborative Approach As teachers, you are the experts in delivering A levels in the classroom. Your knowledge, feedback and teaching experiences are important to us and are helping us to reshape and improve our A level qualifications and support materials. The teaching community is involved at every stage of The ReVision, from being a part of the specification writing team to providing feedback on the draft specifications. Throughout the process, we have also consulted employers, Further and Higher Education providers and students to ensure that we are creating specifications that best reflect the needs of our Northern Ireland learners. 12
THE REVISION KEEPING YOU INFORMED To make sure you and your colleagues are kept up to date, register your contact details by emailing therevision@ccea.org.uk We are committed to making sure you are kept up to date and informed during The ReVision, by providing: The ReVision microsite visit www.ccea.org.uk/therevision, your hub for all things relating to The ReVision, from the latest news to consultation results; from draft specifications to registering for events; The Vision our bi-annual newsletter bringing you news, articles and opinions on The ReVision; The e-vision our regular e-newsletter giving you updates on The ReVision; e-alerts instant updates tailored to your subject; Face-to-face from events to bespoke meetings with your staff, bringing you essential updates and information about the new specifications; and Social Media regular alerts, links and information updates via @ccea_info. 13
GET IN TOUCH to learn more about the current GCE draft specifications or the revision process; to become involved in the GCSE revision process; how can I help? to invite us to your school to speak with subject departments; or to let us know of your ideas about support needs. We are very happy to meet with teachers who are currently teaching our specifications and those who may be new to CCEA. If you are already teaching our specifications, please contact the support officer identified opposite. If you are considering CCEA for the first time and wish to have a more general discussion on how CCEA could meet your requirements, please contact Marion Wilcox on 028 9026 1446 or email mwilcox@ccea.org.uk 14 We value all your comments and consider these important in enhancing our service to you and your learners.
Communications and Languages English Literature, French, German, Irish, Spanish Joan Jennings 028 9026 1200 ext: 2552 jjennings@ccea.org.uk Health and The Arts Art and Design, Health and Social Care, History of Art, Journalism in the Media and Communications Industry, Moving Image Arts, Music, Nutrition and Food Science (Home Economics), Performing Arts Nola Fitzsimons 028 9026 1200 ext: 2235 nfitzsimons@ccea.org.uk STEM Biology, Chemistry, ICT, Environmental Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Technology and Design, Software Systems Development Nuala Tierney 028 9026 1200 ext: 2292 ntierney@ccea.org.uk Society, Economy and the Environment Business and Management (Applied Business), Business Studies, Economics, Geography, Government and Politics, History, Religious Studies, Sports Science and the Active Leisure Industry Arlene Ashfield 028 9026 1200 ext: 2291 aashfield@ccea.org.uk 15
www.ccea.org.uk/therevision @ccea_info cceainfo ccea.info #therevision 16
CCEA A levels Shaping the future together Please send us your ideas for additional support requirements via email to therevision@ccea.org.uk CCEA 2015 COUNCIL FOR THE CURRICULUM, EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT 29 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock, Belfast BT1 3BG Tel: +44(0)28 9026 1200 Fax: +44(0)28 9026 1234 Email: info@ccea.org.uk Web: www.ccea.org.uk