BTEC Quality Assurance
2011-2012
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)
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
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
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
Lead Internal Verifier online standardisation
2011-12
Lead Internal
Verifier
induction
September
•
•
Preparation
& practice
Window
Standardisation
Notification
of results
Allocation of
Standards
Verifier
(if required)
One
3/11/11
to
30/11/11
09/12/11
January 2012
Two
19/01/12
to
15/2/12
24/02/12
March 2012
06/10/11
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
New for 2011-2012
•
Some Principal Subject Areas have been merged:
Principal Subject Area
Building Services & Civil Engineering
Customer Services & Operations
8
Construction
Hospitality
Dance
Performing Arts
Forensic Science
Applied Science
Vocational Studies
•
Merged into
Personal and Social Development
Production Arts is a new Principal Subject Area
QUALITY NOMINEE NETWORK MEETINGS AUTUMN 2011
Principal Subject Areas not covered by Lead
Internal Verifier accreditation
A Standards Verifier will be allocated annually to:
BTEC Security
BTEC Fire Services
BTEC Emergency Care
Existing Lead Internal Verifiers cover:
BTEC Management
BTEC Supporting Teaching and
Learning
BTEC Management (Law)
BTEC Travel Studies (Aviation
Operations)
BTEC Maths
BTEC Children & Young People (Level
2 and Level 3 only)
Where centres are running these for the first time in 2011-12 they will be
allocated a Standards Verifier
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
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)
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)
Standards Verification
Accreditation sampling
1st Sample
by Standards Verifier
2nd
Release
Lead IV accredited for current year + 3
Block
Sample required
2nd Sample
by Standards Verifier
Release
certification for current year
Block
Remedial action required
RQM support
to release certification for current year
Where Lead Internal Verifier standardisation is not completed,
certification can only be released for current year
Standards Verification
Confirmation sampling
1st Sample
by Standards Verifier
2nd
Release
Lead IV accreditation retained
and certification released
Block
Sample required
2nd Sample
by Standards Verifier
Release
Lead IV accreditation retained
and certification released
Block
Remedial action required
RQM support
to release certification for current year.
Lead Internal Verifier accreditation withdrawn
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
Sampling
Programmes delivered
Units sampled
Level 3 Diploma or Extended Diploma
2 units
Level 3 Certificate or Subsidiary Diploma
1 unit
Level 2 programmes
1 unit
Level 1 or Foundation Learning
1 unit
Number of learners sampled
is linked to registrations
1-3
all learners
4 to 100
4 learners
101 to 250
8 learners
251+
12 learners
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.
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
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
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)
Resampling
First sample materials with actions addressed, plus additional learners
Learners in first sample
Additional learners
1–3 learners
no increase
4 learners
+ 2 learners
8 or 12 learners
+ 4 learners
If the second sample does not meet national standards, the Regional
Quality Manager will support you to release certification
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.
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
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.