Scottish Qualifications Authority National Qualifications Group

Awards: 2009 Conference

Dr John Allan

Curriculum for Excellence and NQGAs

My learning intentions for you

I want to say something about:• What is good about the current system• What needs to change • The role of Qualifications • What the major opportunities and challenges are for

SQA• The implications for the next generation of National

Qualifications• What we can do in the interim• SQA’s overall aims

OECD Review School Education, 2007 - Strengths

• Consistent high standards in PISA

• Principle of comprehensive education

• Quality of teaching

OECD Review - Challenges• Reduce achievement gap that opens up and

widens P5-S2

• Under achievement of those from poorer communities & low socio-economic status

• Build a stronger platform of basic education

• Improve staying on rates

• Improve attainment for all young people

• Improve positive destinations for all

The role of Qualifications

• Support learning and teaching

• Equip young people

• Meet the needs of stakeholders and society

• Feasible to deliver

• Support Curriculum for Excellence aims

Curriculum for Excellence values

Curriculum for Excellence should:• Enable all young people to achieve their potential

• Value the learning and achievements of all young people

• Promote high aspirations and ambition

• Emphasise rights and responsibilities

• Enable young people to build up a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding

• Promote a commitment to considered judgement and ethical action

• Give all young people capacities, attributes and capabilities

Principles to support qualifications design• Inclusiveness• High standards• Relevance• Progression• Fitness for purpose• Fairness• Credibility/reliability• Usefulness• Structures• Feasibility/deliverability

Challenges and opportunities for SQA

Development of appropriate qualifications:

• Ensuring Literacy and Numeracy underpins learning across the curriculum

• Modernising the majority of the SQA portfolio

• Qualifications which arise from a national debate, independent consultation and national consensus.

• A balanced programme of reform which will builds on the best features of current provision and extends the development of skills

• Growing support for the flexibility already inherent in the SQA portfolio

Challenges and Opportunities (continued)

• The central place accorded to skills for life, work and further study

• The blurring of misconceptions of academic and vocational difference

• The development of qualifications which foster confidence, economic capacity and social cohesion.

• The development of systems for recognition of wider achievement

• Development of a single coherent framework underpinned

• The determination to tackle the stubborn relationships between social background

• The determination to provide qualifications which further support all learners

Consultation: the next generation of national qualifications – where are we?

• 2 years of intensive engagement and research: focus groups, seminars, workshops, master-classes, literature reviews and international comparisons

• Consultation analysis and reflection

Possible implications for the next generation of national qualifications

• Literacy and Numeracy

• Points of stability

• Points of departure

• Flexibility

• Timeline

Timeline for the next generation of national qualifications• 2009/10 and 2010/11 – new curriculum

• 2012 – publication of new qualifications levels 2 to 6

• 2013 – publication of new qualifications level 7; last Standard Grades + current Access 2 & 3

• 2014 – first new qualifications at levels 2 to 5; existing National Courses for S5 and S6

• 2015 – first new qualifications at level 6; existing National Courses for S6

• 2016 – first new qualifications at level 7

What should we do in the interim?Existing Qualifications and Curriculum for Excellence

The extent to which existing qualifications support Curriculum for Excellence aims, values, and principles:

– What contribution can qualifications make to the development of the four capacities?

– To what extent does the SQA Course specification reflect the principles of Curriculum for Excellence?

– What is the impact of qualifications on learning?

– What is the relationship between assessment and learning in the qualification?

– To what extent are Core Skills and essential skills, and skills for learning, life and work integrated within the qualification?

Case Study: Skills for Work

Designed to develop employability, generic employability skills and positive attitudes to learning:

– an understanding of the workplace

– how to evaluate their own progress

– how to analyse and solve problems

– how to be adaptable

– how to set goals, reflect, and learn from experience

Skills for Work Courses Available

Other Skills for Work Courses being developed

Science Creative Industries Healthcare

Automative Marine

Case Study: Vocational Group Awards (NQGAs)• Provide practical opportunities for developing skills that are relevant to the world of

work

• Promote positive attitudes and encourage reflection

• Both theory and practice-based

• Relies on variety of teaching approaches

• Takes account of learner need

• Entirely internally assessed

• Development of all five Core Skills

• Small ones – National Progression Awards

• Larger ones – National Certificates (12 units)

• Available at a range of SCQF levels (3 to 6)

Vocational Group Awards available

Travel & Tourism

Logistics

Computing Construction Sport & Leisure

Health & Social Care

Childcare

Engineering

Hair & BeautyScience

Vocational Group Awards under development

MusicMedia

DramaArt & Design Arts & Humanities

Business

HospitalityLandbased & Environment

Overall SQA Aims

• Fitness for purpose

• Stakeholder consensus

• Portfolio coherence

• Improved learner experience

• Improved learner success

• Learning which drives assessment and ‘Tests’ worth teaching to

• E-enablement

• Innovative product surround

• Improved SQA processes

• An enhanced reputation

Questions?john.allan@sqa.org.uk