NEWS AND VIEWS FROM OCR / AUTUMN 2013

www.ocr.org.uk

IN THIS ISSUE:

MEET ASCL’S BRIAN LIGHTMAN

CAMBRIDGE NATIONALS ONE YEAR ON

BRIDGING THE GAP WITH TRAINEESHIPS

OCR SUBJECT FORUMS – REFORMING GCSES AND A LEVELS IN PARTNERSHIP

Celebrating success

Cambridge Traineeships have been through a dedicated pilot with the Kent Association of Training Organisations (KATO), with almost all students involved either progressing to employment or achieving a place on an FE course.

You can choose between off-the-shelf Cambridge Traineeships, or we can help you to develop programmes to suit individual needs.

To see the range of Cambridge Traineeships available and to view a short fi lm from those involved with the pilot, visit ocr.org.uk/cambridgetraineeships

TRIED AND TESTED

TRAINEESHIPSCambridge

3 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

CONTENTS

is published termly by OCR, 1 Hills Road, Cambridge CB1 2EU. www.ocr.org.ukEditor Sophie White Creative Stilo Brand Communications www.brandstilo.co.uk

© OCR 2013Registered company number 3484466

4 The latest on GCSE and A Level reform

5 Cambridge Technicals get smarter

7 Cambridge Nationals one year on

14 Paul Steer explores the exciting future ahead for maths

NEWS COMMENT NOTICEBOARDFEATURES

10 Interview with Brian Lightman, ASCL General Secretary

15 Diary dates with OCR

12 OCR’s Mark Dawe on why traineeships matter

8 The role of subject forums in reforming GCSEs and A Levels

Cover Story: Celebrating successSkills Minister Matthew Hancock congratulated young people from Kent who had successfully completed OCR’s pilot traineeship, at a celebratory event at the House of Commons in September.

Read more on how Cambridge Traineeships can bridge the gap between school and work on page 12-13.

Welcome to this Autumn 2013 issue of agenda, OCR’s termly magazine which offers a snapshot of news and views from OCR.

This issue features items on how subject forums are helping to inform OCR’s reform of GCSEs and A Levels and why traineeships matter. You can read about a range of innovations such as the first MOOC for schools on Computing and an imaginative way of enhancing an apprenticeship programme at Birmingham Metropolitan College. There’s news about a simple guide to marking and grading, and how our ‘Cambridge’ vocational qualifications are evolving to support a wide variety of learning programmes.

All this, plus an interview with Brian Lightman, General Secretary of ASCL, whose organisation represents the interests of nearly 18,000 people who lead our secondary schools and colleges.

We’d love to feature your views in agenda. If you want to get in touch about anything you read here, email us at agenda@ocr.org.uk.

Mark Dawe Chief Executive, OCR

4 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

The latest on GCSE and A Level reform Plans for the reform of GCSEs and A Levels advanced this autumn. There’s lots of information on the OCR website – timelines, summaries and FAQs – to keep teachers up to date with what’s happening overall to GCSEs and A Levels, as well as in specific subjects.

Among the proposals to the regulator on GCSE reform, OCR called for a major re-think on coursework marks contributing to final GCSE grades. We believe practical learning is vital but many teachers dislike the current system and it places them in a tough dilemma.

The timetable for the teaching of new GCSEs and A Levels to

begin in schools was amended in September (see below). The content and assessment of the first reformed GCSEs – in English and maths – was also confirmed at the end of October.

The latest timetable for first teaching is as follows:

September 2015• New GCSEs in English

literature, English language and maths

• New A Levels in English language and literature, the sciences, history, geography, psychology, art and design, sociology, business, economics and computer science.

September 2016 • New GCSEs in the sciences,

history, geography and modern languages

• New A Levels in maths, further maths and languages.

The reform of GCSEs and A Levels is an opportunity to introduce exciting and relevant new content as well as new approaches to learning and assessing. Read on pages 8-9 how OCR is working in partnership with teachers, higher education, subject experts and the wider education community through our subject forums to make sure our reformed qualifications have a broad appeal.

Mark Dawe, OCR Chief Executive said: “With the chance to create truly world-class qualifications, OCR is totally committed to partnering with the education community to ensure reform delivers radical improvements. Ultimately, it’s all about making it easier for teachers to help young people develop the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their true potential and succeed in life.”

www.ocr.org.uk/gcsealevelreform

NEWS

Star students awarded £3,000-a-year bursariesIn September, OCR awarded ten talented students from the West Midlands heading off to the University of Cambridge with bursaries towards their studies.

Having recently completed A Levels, the students were presented with their bursary awards by Liam Sammon, OCR Director of Commercial and Education Services, at a ceremony in OCR’s offices in Coventry.

Recipients of OCR bursaries receive £3,000 for each year of their undergraduate studies. The scheme helps talented students in the region make the most of their studies at Cambridge.

Of the ten bursaries, one was awarded to Barnum Swannell of Kingsley College in Redditch who achieved six A* grades at A Level. Another went to Red Cross volunteer Gerard Martin from Bishop Walsh Catholic School in Sutton Coldfield, who is the first person in his school’s history to be offered a place to study medicine at Cambridge.

OCR’s Liam Sammon said: “This is the tenth year that we’ve awarded bursaries to some of the West Midlands’ brightest and most enthusiastic students. As well as achieving excellent grades, these young people have demonstrated selflessness towards others and great determination to continue studying in the face of obstacles. We hope they enjoy their degrees at the University of Cambridge without some of the financial constraints.”

Shanti Daffern, from Prince Henry’s High School in Evesham, who has just started studying English at Peterhouse College, said: “I’m so grateful to OCR for awarding me a bursary. Coming from a low-income background, the costs involved in university study are daunting. Now instead of worrying about finances, I can focus on why I’m really going to Cambridge – to explore a subject I love while having a host of new, scary, brilliant experiences. The OCR bursary is a fantastic scheme and a real testament to OCR’s ethos.”

This year’s ten OCR bursary recipients.

Back row, left to right, Asiya Siddiqua, Shanti Daffern, OCR’s Liam Sammon, Nicole Stephens, Emily Tyler and Nadine Hunt.

Front row, left to right, Gerard Martin, Rhys Wenlock, Simon Lam, Jamie Barfoot and Barnum Swannell.

5 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

NEWS

OCR, Cambridge University Press (CUP) and the Raspberry Pi Foundation are behind what’s believed to be the first school level MOOC, aligned to OCR’s GCSE in Computing.

The first 80+ bite-sized videos focus on concepts at the heart of computing – hardware, data representation and programming – essential for any teacher and student new to the subject. With further content to be released before the end of 2013 and again in Spring 2014, the MOOC will feature over 350 bite-sized videos in

total ranging in length and style to suit different learners. Each is presented by experienced computer science teachers from across the UK.

Designed primarily to support teachers and 14-to-16-year-old computing students, the course is free and accessible to anyone who wants to learn the basics of computer programming and demystify the world of algorithms, logic gates, and RAM.

Interactive exercises designed to re-enforce learning across all the key topics complement the videos. Participants can

request electronic ‘statements of participation’ for each topic and for the whole course which record their achievement and participation in the MOOC. An ‘Ask the Expert’ facility will be available to give all users a chance to interact with the course presenters on popular questions.

ICT and computing teacher, Julie Hodgson, who presents videos on the MOOC said: “I think these resources will massively benefit teachers as they deliver a range of topics in detail and can be incorporated

as part of a lesson or put as a link on a VLE for homework. The MOOC will enable students to be more independent in their learning and make links between the wide variety of topics.”

Mark Dawe, Chief Executive of OCR, said: “We are determined to learn from the release of each phase of the videos and welcome feedback along the way.”

www.cambridgegcse computing.org

Free Computing MOOC for schools goes liveThe first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to support teaching and learning of computing in schools went live in October.

Cambridge Technicals get smarterSince the launch of OCR’s Levels 2 and 3 Cambridge Technicals range for post-16 students just over a year ago, OCR has expanded the range of subjects available and added specialist and industry-relevant optional units within the subject areas.

From a strong foundation of qualifications in Health and Social Care, IT and Business, Cambridge Technicals are now available in an additional 5 subjects – Art and Design, Sport, Media, Performing Arts and Science. Free resources as well as online training for those who can’t attend face-to-face events are supporting the delivery of these qualifications to over 400 schools and colleges.

One example of an innovative application of Cambridge Technicals to support learning pathways is at Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMET). The College is piloting the use of Level 3 Cambridge Technicals in IT, with additional specialist units developed with IBM, as part of an innovative apprenticeship scheme run for the Mercato technology company.

Clive Davies, Assistant Director of Technical Innovation and Development at the College, explained more about the appeal of the qualifications. “The Cambridge Technical in IT gives a fresh and exciting IT course to inspire learners and an industry-recognised IT qualification. I had worked closely with IBM before and the opportunity arose again for me to work closely with OCR and IBM particularly in the area of smarter ways of working with big data – hence the development of new IBM Smarter Planet units. We are currently mapping unit criteria to specific employer skill needs for different IT roles within the Mercato organisation. This is an example of curriculum design which is very employer focused and relevant.

“Our apprentices come to us for two full days and are achieving

well. We have just begun the brand new ‘Developing a Smarter Planet’ unit and will combine this soon with ‘Cloud Computing in Business’ in a holistic way, fully supported by OCR’s guidance and support team.”

It’s early days for this innovative apprenticeship model but Clive is pleased with the progress so far.” We are keen to look at transferring many of the teaching and learning successes using this course with partnering schools and extending the scheme to include a Higher Apprenticeship route with OCR and IBM.”

For further details of the BMET pilot, as well as exciting developments in the coming year with Level 4 and Level 5 Cambridge Technicals, and qualifications in new subject areas, visit www.ocr.org.uk/cambridgetechnicals.

Induction day for the nine apprentices on BMET’s Mercato Apprenticeship, based on a pathway combining OCR’s Cambridge Technicals in IT with specialist IBM units.

6 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

NEWS

Want to know more about marking and grading?We have looked at the work of OCR’s army of examiners and also shared feedback from our examiner survey in previous issues of agenda.

OCR has now produced a short guide to marking and grading to help demystify the important work that our examiners do.

As anyone involved in this aspect of OCR’s work knows, assigning grades to students’ work is a complicated and large-scale process.

The new guide aims to explain the step-by-step process that has to be adhered to so marking is accurate and produces the right results for learners across the UK. The guide includes a simple flow chart showing the stages involved in assuring grade accuracy. Beth Black, from OCR’s Research and Technical Standards team, provides an explanation of how grading is finalized to ensure that standards are maintained year on year. You can download a copy of the guide from www.ocr.org.uk/ocr-for/teachers/results.

Cambridge Nationals one year on Cambridge Nationals in ICT, Health and Social Care, Science, Business and Sport were ready for teaching from September 2012 and have already proved popular with schools and colleges with over 80,000 students entered for assessment in the first year.

The Cambridge Nationals have been founded upon the recommendations of the Wolf Report and created in partnership with teachers, students, education specialists and industry-leading employers. This collaborative approach has resulted in a qualification for 14 to 16 year olds that offers students a solid foundation for their future studies and career.

Charlotte Bosworth, OCR Director of Skills and Employment, commented: “OCR’s new qualifications take an engaging, practical and inspiring approach to learning and assessment, and suit a broad range of learning styles and abilities. It has been great to see how teachers and students have responded to the qualifications and we’ve seen the students produce some really creative and imaginative work.”

A new Cambridge National in Creative iMedia is now available that reflects the important role that Digital Media plays in our everyday lives and the

UK economy, as well as the demand from employers for an increasingly skilled and technically literate workforce as more and more media products are produced digitally.

We are also excited about the new engineering qualifications that will be available for teaching from September 2014. Cambridge Nationals in Engineering will consist of four separate qualifications covering the broad range of engineering skills and knowledge.

These new qualifications, which have been developed with input from the JCB Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and SEMTA, will focus on the key skills required in engineering namely, engineering principles, engineering design, engineering manufacture and systems and control in engineering.

For schools and colleges delivering the Ebacc, the Cambridge National in Engineering will offer an opportunity to contextualise technical study aligned with GCSEs in maths and science. Look out for more information on these engineering qualifications on our website very shortly.

www.ocr.org.uk/cambridgenationals

Broad sweep: 16-year-old George Robinson from Brooke Weston Academy in Northamptonshire received the OCR Outstanding Student award at his school’s annual prize-giving earlier this term. George was chosen because of his success across a range of vocational and academic qualifications taken as part of a personalised curriculum. His results included a Distinction in OCR’s Nationals in ICT, 11 A* GCSEs achieved across Years 10 and 11, an A* with Distinction in Level 2 Further Maths, as well as two AS Levels, and an A* in A2 Maths.

NEWS

In brief

OCR supports expansion of UTCs Since 2008, OCR has worked with the JCB Academy in Staffordshire, the first University Technical College (UTC) in the country, to create a unique curriculum which balances technical and academic learning for the next generation of engineers.

Six new UTCs open this Autumn, with a further number gearing up for a 2014 launch. OCR is working with a large number of the new UTCs, including Silverstone and Royal Greenwich opening this year, to support the delivery of a technical curriculum, and to engage employers – including Rolls-Royce, Siemens and Nestle – for projects that give the students hands-on experience. OCR’s aim is to help UTCs ensure their graduates are aligned to the needs of modern business.

7 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

NEWS

OCR on the roadAs well as BETT, you can catch up with OCR at AoC’s Annual Conference which takes place from 19 to 21 November.

OCR is one of the main sponsors of this year’s event in Birmingham. We will be leading a breakout session on ‘Efficiencies of Delivering Learning Programmes’. The session will look at the key issues affecting providers and provide potential solutions based on the experience gained from the OCR/KATO pilot traineeship project. To find out how learning programmes from OCR can help you to encourage your students to develop into

young people with all the skills needed to gain employment or continue on to further learning, visit us on stand 37. Find out more about AoC at www.ocr.org.uk/events.

OCR are also proud sponsors of Whole Education Network and supporters of its Annual Conference in London on 19 to 20 November. The theme of this year’s conference is global and local education and OCR’s Liam Sammon will be talking about transforming learning with the UK’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for GCSE Computing. www.wholeeducation.org.

BETT is one of the largest education technology events in the world and runs from 22-25 January 2014 at ExCel, London.

Following the success of OCR’s popular Learn Live and Arena sessions at last year’s BETT, we will once again be hosting a series of stimulating talks from industry experts. You can also find our subject team on OCR’s stand (B348) where there’ll be daily presentations from computing experts, including live demonstrations of a selection of tutorials from Cambridge GCSE Computing – the first ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for schools in computing, developed by OCR in partnership with Raspberry Pi and Cambridge University Press.

OCR specialists will be on hand at our stand with support, advice and resources for OCR’s broad and pioneering suite of computing and ICT qualifications, from Entry Level, GCSE and A Level Computing to Cambridge Technicals in IT. Helping teachers to prepare for the new computing curriculum in September 2014 will be a key objective.

If you’re unable to visit BETT, you can also come and talk to us at EICE 2014 (stand E1), the national education, innovation and technology conference taking place in Manchester from 27-28 February 2014. We’re pleased to sponsor the conference for the second year running.

The details of OCR’s exciting programme of events at BETT and EICE are available on the OCR website where you’ll find information about all our planned talks and presentations.

www.ocr.org.uk

Teaching computing in the classroom: Join us at BETT 2014

Enhancing employability and entrepreneurship OCR has focused on the skills and knowledge that enable people to succeed in work in two qualification ranges available this Autumn.

‘Employability’ is a crucial factor in securing and retaining work but it’s also one that employers claim many young people and adults lack. OCR’s Employability Skills qualifications played an important role in the successful traineeship pilot for 18 to 24 year olds run by OCR in Kent over the summer (further details on pages 12/13). OCR’s qualification range, designed to equip learners with the skills and characteristics needed for success at work, has been updated to meet the demands of modern job seeking and employment.

Entrepreneurialism is another essential skill for career success that OCR is encouraging in new ‘Being Entrepreneurial’ qualifications. These are designed to support the growing interest in entrepreneurialism within schools and colleges at KS4, as well as post 16. OCR’s updated ‘Cambridge Employability’ qualifications could suit a range of learners in full time education, students on vocational training courses as well as adult learners, including those on offender learning programmes.

Both qualification ranges can be taught in short, bite-sized units and can be delivered flexibly alongside other subjects in wider programmes of learning. Visit www.ocr.org.uk for more details.

Teachers turned entrepreneursIn partnership with www.ed-invent.com, OCR is encouraging teachers to tap into their own valuable skills and knowledge to identify gaps in the edtech market, improving learning and

potentially making money for their schools at the same time.

Teachers have already taken part in events in Manchester and Birmingham this Autumn, and there are places at the London workshops in December still available. Those with the best ideas for innovative new

products or services from these regional events will be invited to take part in intensive residential “pre-incubator” camps in Cambridge in 2014. Along the way, teachers will be supported and challenged by experts from the world of technology. Mark Dawe, OCR’s Chief Executive,

commented: “Education is about more than just exams. Improving education for teachers and learners is at the heart of what we are trying to do. As a not for profit organisation, we want to support teachers to be active, not passive consumers of technology.”

8 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

FEATURE / SUBJECT FORUMS

GCSE and A Level reform offers a great opportunity – and challenge – to create new qualifications that give pupils the results they deserve. To ensure that the reforms live up to this promise, OCR asked teachers and subject specialists what they’d like to see, as Paul Dodd, Head of GCSE and A Level Reform at OCR explains.

“Long before we gave the Department for Education and Ofqual feedback on their GCSE and A Level reform plans, OCR was talking to the experts. Since 2010, we have spoken at length to almost 1000 teachers, university academics and subject experts from across the education community about their hopes and concerns for exam reform, through OCR’s unique subject forums.

“From Birmingham to Brighton and Newcastle to Newquay, teachers and other members of our forums have travelled the length and breadth of the country to share their passion for their subject and discuss the changes they want to see in the new qualifications through our forums. It has been a highly collaborative approach involving the widest possible range of experts, including representatives from

schools, colleges, professional associations, universities and employers.

“These discussions have helped us to shape our vision for the subjects we are reforming. Thanks to the fantastic contribution from everyone who volunteered to take part, we are now in a much stronger position to develop GCSEs and A Levels that will have wide appeal to teachers and pupils.”

OCR’s subject forums cover a broad sweep of disciplines, including all the subjects that are due for reform: maths, English, science, history, geography, languages, psychology, economics, sociology, computing, art and beyond.

Paul continues: “I believe we owe it to teachers and pupils alike to create compelling content that fires their enthusiasm and is both a joy to teach and fun to learn. Our subject forums are helping us to do that. As we get to work on building our new qualifications, we’ll continue to collaborate with teachers to explore core themes, innovative approaches and resources that will inspire, inform and bring learning to life in all disciplines.

“At the same time, it’s absolutely vital that the new assessment system meets the highest standards to ensure that it leads to qualifications that genuinely reflect skills and knowledge. Everyone from pupils to parents and universities to employers needs exam grades they can trust. OCR is taking the utmost care to embed rigour and best practice into every aspect of the assessment process.

“Thanks to our forums, OCR is ready for reform. We know that as teachers, you have other priorities and may be confused or concerned about what is happening. You will need plenty of help to get ready for the changes. We don’t underestimate the challenges that introducing new qualifications will bring for schools and colleges. But it’s also an opportunity for teachers to rethink their choice of qualifications. That’s why the entire team here at OCR will be doing everything possible to support teachers through the changes and will be there for you every step of the way.”

8 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

THE RISE AND RISE OF OCR

SUBJECT FORUMS

Working in partnership to get GCSE and A Level reform right

9 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

FEATURE / SUBJECT FORUMS

Paul O’Connor, Head of English, Drama and Media at Stanborough Secondary School in Welwyn Garden City, is a long-standing member of OCR’s English forum. He explained some of the benefits of getting involved.

“As a practising teacher, my involvement in the OCR consultative forums has made me feel much more confident about the upcoming exam reforms.

“Sometimes my colleagues and I feel anxious and unsure about what is going to happen. Attending the forums has helped me to understand not only the reforms themselves but also the thinking behind them. Knowing this wider context – such as good practice in high performing jurisdictions – makes it so much easier to take the changes on board.

“Working with OCR in the forums has also given teachers like me a genuine opportunity to influence the government, an opportunity that we really appreciate. It is clear that the forums are not just a paper exercise and that the representatives from OCR are genuinely interested in what we have to say.

“In their responses to the government’s consultations about reforming the exam system, I could see a reflection of the sometimes passionate debates about teaching and learning that we had at the forums.

“Our discussions about the dropping of speaking and listening from GCSE English, for example, clearly influenced OCR’s comments. Although we understood the difficulties of assessing speaking and listening, we felt strongly that it should have a meaningful place in the Key Stage 4 curriculum.

“OCR’s response at A-Level also echoed our discussions about the benefits of using unseen texts in exams to test students’ skills of independent reading and to reduce the number of set texts.

“My involvement in OCR’s consultative forums has helped me to plan more strategically. Rather than reeling repeatedly from the latest unexpected government announcements, I have been able to plan a curriculum for younger students that will prepare them more effectively for the changes to come.

“For example, we know that the new GCSEs will call for greater ‘writing stamina’ so we are already putting more time into preparing our year 7s and 8s to complete pieces of extended writing more independently.

“Meeting people from other sectors at the subject forums has been really useful too. It was interesting to hear how universities assess creative writing and that there are differing views about how useful it is for students to write a commentary on their own creative writing.

“The best thing about OCR is that they really listen, are knowledgeable and are open-minded. They made us feel our opinions are valid and reflected our views about the new GCSE syllabus. OCR helps us have a voice we would not otherwise have as a school on its own.

“One of the greatest advantages in getting OCR’s explanations about the changes is that we can be more strategic in our teaching: we can plan further ahead with the younger years and prepare them more effectively. Being involved in the OCR forums has made me feel much more confident about the exam reforms. They are very well-informed.”

How OCR can help youOCR has a dedicated team to support you. Whether you want to know the bigger picture, what’s happening in a specific subject area or to tell us what kind of teaching resources you’d like to see, we’d love to hear from you. Take a look at our website www.ocr.org.uk/gcsealevelreform which has a dedicated section with clear information about GCSE and A Level reform.

Nicola Twitchett, Head of Geography at Ilford County High School, is a member of OCR’s Geography forum.

“I feel OCR has really listened to me. I attended the Geography subject forum and it is very good to be able to express my opinion. I know what works in the classroom and what does not, and I did feel OCR respected this and wanted to hear what I had to say. Going to the OCR forum was a very positive experience.

“I really enjoyed the day: there were lots of interesting people from the Geography community – such as HE, the Geography Association and field centres – with different perspectives. This was very stimulating.

“One of the real benefits of the forums is the reassurance you get from meeting other teachers from quite different types of school, yet finding we all have similar views and concerns.

“We are unsure about the new exam formats, but the experience of attending the forums made me feel clearer. One issue most teachers are strongly in favour of is reintroducing coursework at Geography A Level, if the government sticks to its proposal of removing it at GCSE. It is very good that OCR have included this concern in their response to the Government.”

Paul O’Connor

Paul Dodd

Nicola Twitchett

WHAT THE TEACHERS SAY...

10 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

INTERVIEW / ASCL GENERAL SECRETARY

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is one of the largest professional association and trade unions for school and college leaders in Britain. ASCL represents nearly 18,000 members, including secondary heads, deputy heads, assistant heads, bursars and business managers, college principals, vice-principals and others with whole school/college responsibility.

A former head teacher at a comprehensive in South Wales, Brian Lightman became General Secretary of ASCL in 2010. He tells agenda about his own career and the challenges facing his organisation.

What was your background before taking on your current role at ASCL?I originally taught French and German at schools in the South East of England before becoming a head teacher in South Wales, firstly at Llantwit Major School, and then, for 12 years, at St Cyres School. It’s very useful for my current work to have experienced and understand the differences between the two increasingly divergent education systems. It was when I was a head that I became involved with ASCL, first as a member and then progressing on to its national council and serving as president.

What do you like about working in the field of education? As a head teacher, you are given the opportunity to influence the life chances of young people and that is a huge privilege. I’ve met so many fantastic teachers who are so committed to their work. It’s enormously satisfying to work alongside people like that. In my role at ASCL, I try hard never to lose touch with what’s going on in classrooms and I visit schools as much as possible. Serving school leaders join me when we meet with officials and ministers in order to offer advice based on current, first hand experience.

Who do you admire in your field?It’s difficult to pick out a single individual as there are so many people I admire – teachers, academics and educational thinkers. There are so many passionate and committed people who take our system forward, and I include my predecessor John Dunford and the past presidents of ASCL in that. If I had to mention some more, names

like Tim Brighouse, Chris Husbands from the Institute of Education, Guy Claxton and Mick Waters spring to mind.

Was your own experience of education a positive one and what lessons did you learn from it?It was immensely enjoyable. I had a fantastic experience, even though the most memorable were probably in extra-curricular activities. I passed my exams at Westminster City School, a boy’s grammar, but I underachieved despite there being some very inspiring teachers at the school. Nowadays, our education system is much more effective at helping more children to achieve. My own experience of education made me committed to working in comprehensive schools where everyone has the chance to succeed.

What is the remit of ASCL?As the trade union and professional association of secondary school and college leaders, we have four core purposes:

1. to provide our members with advice, legal support, services and representation

2. to engage with governments, employers and other bodies to promote and safeguard members’ interests

3. to support members’ professional development in becoming more effective leaders

4. to support members in offering students the highest quality of educational experience

We have nearly 18,000 members in secondary schools, 6th form and general FE colleges.

What do you do when – if – you have time off? Is that a joke? Actually it’s really important to take time out and I love walking. My favourite place for walking is the Pembrokeshire coast, particularly near St David’s. We stay in our caravan. I also love listening to a wide range of music and relaxing with an undemanding novel.

How do you meet the needs of your members/those you represent?We aim to provide outstanding service. We have a large member support team, with regionally-based support staff, plus a telephone help line which last year took over 6,500 calls. The calls we get from school leaders range from relatively straightforward enquiries to the very serious.

ASCL also has an expert policy team made up of individuals who specialise in key areas – such as curriculum or inspections – and who are involved in representing school and college leaders at high level meetings with officials and providing members with guidance.

We also have a professional development arm which runs courses, conferences and consultancies for thousands of school and college leaders each year and offers a senior staff appointment service. Nearly 40 people work full time in our Leicester HQ but overall ASCL employs about 90 people. We are growing as the proportion of school and college leaders becoming ASCL members increases.

11 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

INTERVIEW / ASCL GENERAL SECRETARY

What are the greatest challenges that your organisation faces over the next five years? The biggest challenges ASCL faces are:

First, getting governments to give schools and colleges the space to allow change to be embedded. We desperately need a period of stability in education and an agreed vision of what we want our education system to look like that outlasts a single government.

Second, increasing the capacity for support in what is a very fragmented system. Thirdly, there are enormous tensions around our very restrictive accountability system.

In the whole area of assessment and qualifications, we need an agreed definition of pupil outcomes. And lastly, funding. The constraints of working in a time of reduced budgets are very challenging.

What achievement are you proudest of as General Secretary?I’ve only been in the job for three years and am proud to be building on the work of my predecessor, John Dunford. We get very positive feedback from our members which is pleasing. I want ASCL to continue to be the top choice of union and professional association for secondary school leaders.

If you were stuck in a lift with a government minister, what three things would you ask for on behalf of your sector? Please trust and respect teaching professionals.

Listen to our advice and recognise we share your ambition.

Allow change to be embedded and don’t let the impatience associated with the political cycle undermine this.

“I try hard never to lose touch with what’s going on in classrooms and I visit schools as much as possible.”

12 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

FEATURE / TRAINEESHIPS

WANT FEWER NEETS? SUPPORT TRAINEESHIPS

There are a great number of young people in the UK who are Not in Education, Employment or Training – so-called NEETs. Traineeships can close the gap between being a NEET and finding an opportunity to progress, by offering a mix of work experience, personal skills training and qualifications. Businesses should be more open to taking on trainees as they will in turn be surprised and rewarded by these committed young people. And government should reduce the restrictions on training that are currently preventing more young people from doing traineeships.

There are just over one million ‘NEETs’ aged between 16 and 24 in this country. We need to get them into work. But there seems to be a gap in training and qualifications that mean these young adults are not being taken on by employers when they leave school.

I believe traineeships can fill that gap. Before joining awarding body OCR, I was a further education college principal and I’d worked in government. That gave me a feel for what the government were trying to achieve with traineeships, and what an end solution might look like.

Ultimately, a traineeship should be about helping someone who was a NEET to reach the point where they get an apprenticeship, or go into further learning, or into sustainable employment. That means making sure traineeships give young people the right qualifications, work experience and career confidence.

Workplace skills matter. If you talk to anyone dealing with so-called NEETs, you’ll find that many of these young adults are not “oven-ready” for work, especially those who have never experienced employment. They’re yet to develop the understanding of how important it is to be on time, of being appropriately dressed, or of having to do what people ask you to do. A lot of young people starting a traineeship will need quite intense coaching about the world of work.

Alongside these workplace skills, qualifications are important to credit achievement and progression. Providing traineeships appealed to us at OCR because we offer the range of qualifications needed to make this work.

So while the government was deciding what a traineeship should be, we set up a programme based on what we believe are essential for successful traineeships: a mix of work experience and qualifications, with an emphasis on core skills like maths and English, as well as employability. It should also include modern job seeking skills, like social networking and creating an electronic CV.

Our pilot took place in Thanet and Gravesend – two areas of high long-term unemployment in Kent. We took on 25 individuals. I’m proud to say that after the 13-week course almost all have found apprenticeships, employment or further education opportunities. One of them got a job with an estate agent after selling a £400,000 house during his work placement!

Our trainees talked a lot about how the traineeship gave them new confidence and skills. They had all applied for jobs before the traineeship but no business would consider them. When they were given an opportunity to take work placements as part of the traineeships, the employers got a chance to realise that these were people with potential. A significant number of the trainees were offered jobs by the employers who had initially taken them on for work experience.

Through the pilot in Kent, we’ve proved traineeships work and launched our own Cambridge Traineeship programme. The policy is there, the funding is there, now we need people to embrace this – both employers and training providers.

We at OCR can help colleges and training providers. They package our qualifications together to offer their own traineeship programmes. We’re a not-for-profit organisation, and our remit is to support good quality education.

But there are still barriers to traineeships being adopted on a widespread scale. A big challenge is getting employers engaged and willing to take on trainees for work experience. There is a lot of upfront work involved for training providers in trying to convince businesses to offer work placements.

When we spoke to employers on our pilot, they admitted that it’s easy to forget how scary it is to start work. Yet once they had these young adults in their businesses, they

OCR Chief Executive Mark Dawe explains how traineeships can help 16 to 24 year olds to bridge the gap between school and work

13 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

FEATURE / TRAINEESHIPS

Cambridge Traineeships are tried and testedOCR launched its own Cambridge Traineeship programme this Autumn which benefitted from the experience of a three month pilot scheme run in Kent over the summer. Designed to help young unemployed people bridge the gap into work or onto an apprenticeship, the pilot mirrored the government’s full traineeship programme.

The pilot, run with the Kent Association of Training Organisations (KATO), involved 25 young people, who ranged in age from 18 to 24, from two areas of relatively high unemployment in Kent. They followed a programme delivered by SET Training based near Dartford and Profile Training in Broadstairs, which mixed work experience, basic English and maths skills, as well as focusing on general readiness to work through employability skills courses and interview practice. Work placements were organised with local businesses, including insurance companies and estate agencies, with a focus on customer service and administration.

The results of the pilot traineeship were very promising. Of the 25 trainees, 12 were offered employment or places on apprenticeships. A further 12 are moving on to FE courses. One trainee, Jeff Owen, was offered a job at an estate agency after he showed real promise by selling a house in his first week. Another has an apprenticeship with Claims International.

19-year-old trainee Alex Foster from Thanet who successfully went on to find employment at an accountancy firm, commented: “My advice to other young people out there is go for it. It’s a great way to broaden your knowledge and reinforce your capabilities.”

www.ocr.org.uk/cambridgetraineeships

could see how much they could contribute because they are people who want to work.

From a business perspective, taking on a trainee is like getting the chance to interview someone over 12 to 14 weeks, while helping to shape them. It means that by the end of the traineeship you could take them on with confidence in their abilities and personality. Plus, you make your contribution to reducing the youth unemployment rate.

There are also things that the government could do to support traineeships. The rule whereby you lose your jobseekers’ allowance if you work for 16 or more hours a week has always got in the way of work-based training. The government could change that, even if just temporarily for trainees.

The government could also open up entry to training opportunities. It has expanded the age range for those eligible for traineeships from 16-18 up to 16-24, which is good, but it still excludes people with certain levels of previous learning. Those restrictions should be removed.

I firmly believe traineeships are the way to match NEETs with the opportunities they need and very often deserve.

Extracts from Mark Dawe’s article in Securing Britain’s Talent publication, October 2013.

To read the publication in full, go to www.LondonlovesBusiness.com.

In September, OCR celebrated the success of the pilot traineeship, with the help of Skills Minister Matthew Hancock, at the House of Commons. Matthew Hancock (pictured centre) described the trainees he met as “inspiring young people”.

14 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

COMMENT

Make no mistake – the reformed GCSE in Maths, scheduled for first teaching in 2015, will bring about some of the biggest changes in maths education for decades. The new GCSE will be larger than all other GCSEs (except English), requiring significant additional teaching time. It will be linear, moving teachers away from modular approaches towards a more ‘spiral’ curriculum. And in a linear world, it will be much harder to scrape a pass just by memorising a few procedures.

Michael Gove has made it clear that he wants to ratchet up the level of demand of all reformed GCSEs, but the new Maths criteria are particularly striking in their emphasis on higher level mathematical thinking and the development of deep understanding and fluency. There are also expectations that the design of exam questions should be far less structured, requiring the candidate to engage with and understand a problem as a whole. Questions that lead the candidate through a problem in stages, awarding marks along the way, will be frowned upon. And the Maths GCSE will be tiered, with pupils able to opt for a Foundation tier (4-5 hours of assessment) or a Higher tier (5-6 hours of assessment).

To add to the mix, the Government has significantly raised the stakes for schools by making Maths and English each count double in accountability measures. Schools that don’t wake up to the significance of the coming changes will be roundly punished in future performance tables.

Responding to the changes will not be easy. Some of the challenges are systemic – there is a shortage of maths teachers, the subject is sometimes taught by non-

specialists, and the educational experience of many children is such that they are turned off maths long before they reach GCSE.

There are an array of technical challenges surrounding new grading scales, how the overlapping tiers will operate, how pupil progress will be measured, how to avoid too many pupils opting for the Foundation tier when they have potential for achieving a higher grade, and some interesting communication issues around transition. How will the differences between old and new GCSEs be explained to young people, parents and employers? How will schools prepare parents’ expectations when, in many cases, performance will appear to have gone backwards? And how will progression operate with plans to make the study of mathematics compulsory for 16-19 year olds?

There is much planning to do to overcome these challenges. New teachers will need to be sourced and existing ones briefed and trained to the new curriculum and, in

many cases, to a new pedagogy. As more teaching time will be required, schools will have to consider the possible impact on other subjects and on the school day. New resources and support materials will need to be reviewed, trialled and budgeted for.

It goes without saying that OCR is already engaged with a broad spectrum of the maths education community – through mechanisms such as our subject forums – exploring and developing what will work best to support schools through these changes and beyond. Although maths educationalists aren’t renowned for their conformity of views and certainly enjoy a lively debate, they have been consistent in calling for fundamental changes to maths education in the UK. Few of us perhaps would have chosen to bring things about quite so hastily, nor does it feel quite right that so much is being driven solely by changes to one GCSE – but there is a real opportunity to change maths education for the better here. To seize this once-in-a-generation-opportunity will require collaboration, planning and a shared commitment to real educational values by all the major stakeholders involved.

Have your say. Email your comments to agenda@ocr.org.uk.

PAUL STEER, OCR DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND STRATEGY, EXPLORES THE EXCITING FUTURE AHEAD FOR MATHS

MAJOR MATHS RE-VISION

The Government has significantly raised the stakes for schools by making Maths and English each count double in accountability measures. Schools that don’t wake up to the significance of the coming changes will be roundly punished in future performance tables.

15 OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

NOTICEBOARD

JOIN OCR AT THESE EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES AUTUMN / WINTER 2013/14

15OCR AGENDA Autumn 2013

To join OCR at these events, visit

www.ocr.org.uk/events

4 157 Group Annual Reception

House of Lords, London

As part of our support for the 157 Group, OCR sponsors the Annual Reception of this membership organisation that represents 29 large, successful and regionally influential Further Education colleges in the UK.

22-25BETT Show 2014

Excel, London

Don’t miss your chance to visit us at the BETT Show 2014. You’ll find us on stand B348, as part of the Cambridge Assessment Group.

BETT is the global meeting place for the education technology community. Attending the event is the best way to see the latest technology and innovative solutions that inspire, shape and improve the way people learn from the classroom to the boardroom.

www.bettshow.com

8-11 ASE Annual Conference

University of Birmingham

OCR are gold sponsors of the ASE Annual Conference 2014, one of the largest science education CPD events in the world.

Visit OCR on stand 1 to see what exciting things OCR are doing in science and to speak to experts about OCR’s Science qualifications. We will also be delivering several keynote talks which will inform and inspire delegates.

www.ase.org.uk/conferences/annual-conference

13MathsSpeak 2013

Indig02, O2 Arena, London

Come and visit the OCR stand at the inaugural MathSpeak Conference and Exhibition. The conference will cover the latest developments in KS3, KS4, KS5, mathematics and numeracy teaching, including the delivery of Functional Skills and Stem Skills. The conference aims to provide a forum for mathematics teachers to share experience, see best practice and understand the latest developments in the teaching of mathematics primarily to the 14 to 19 cohort.

www.mathspeak.co.uk/html/conference.html

19-21 AoC Annual Conference

ICC, Birmingham

OCR returns as one of the main sponsors at AoC. This year we will be delivering a key breakout session on ‘Efficiencies in delivering learning programmes’ on Wednesday 20 November at 2.30pm.

This is an opportunity to talk to OCR specialists about our portfolio of qualifications and support for FE learning programmes.

www.aocannualconference.co.uk

28 Skills CFA

Hilton Metropole, Birmingham

OCR will be exhibiting at the Skills CFA National Conference. The conference will support training providers and colleges in adapting to key government reforms in apprenticeships as the ‘year of implementation’ begins. Visit OCR at stand 3 to ask experts your skills-related questions.

www.skillscfa.org

NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY

26Westminster Education Forum: Preparing for the new Computing Curriculum

London

Following the Government’s publication of the finalised new Computing Curriculum for Key Stages 1-4, this seminar will provide an early opportunity to discuss the challenges for its implementation from September 2014. OCR will deliver a talk on ‘Assessment in Computing’ at 11.55am as part of the seminar.

www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

Vocational qualificationsTelephone 024 76 851509Facsimile 024 76 851633Email vocational.qualifications@ocr.org.uk

OCR Customer Contact Centre

General qualificationsTelephone 01223 553998Facsimile 01223 552627Email general.qualifications@ocr.org.uk

For staff training purposes and as part of our quality assurance programme your call may be recorded or monitored. © OCR 2013 Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England. Registered office 1 Hills Road, Cambridge CB1 2EU. Registered company number 3484466. OCR is an exempt charity.

4497649273

GCSEA LEVEL

REFORM

Guiding you through the changes – How OCR can help

Get advice and guidance on GCSE and A Level reform at ocr.org.uk/gcsealevelreform

It’s where you can find: • A summary of the changes ahead• Timelines for change• FAQs• Copies of the guides to GCSE and A Level reforms for you to download.