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qualifications development support

Issue 14 Winter 2010 – Spring 2011

New Online Results ServiceAccess to Results Wherever You Are!

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Unique CCEA

CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK, bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment. CCEA is responsible for:

Awarding Qualifications – as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body, we offer a diverse range of qualifications at: Entry Level, Levels 1–4, GCSE, GCE, QCF, and BTEC Firsts and Nationals;

Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard; and

Advising Government on what should be taught in Northern Ireland’s schools and colleges.

CelebratingExcellence

qdsnewsletter

QDS Newsletter

qds newsletter is published by CCEA twice yearly. It provides teachers, lecturers and tutors in post-primary schools, colleges and other educational settings with up-to-date information on development and support matters relating to our full range of qualifications.

qds newsletter is published by CCEA, 29 Clarendon Road,Clarendon Dock, Belfast BT1 3BG. Tel. (028) 9026 1200, Fax (028) 9026 1234, Web: www.ccea.org.uk

For further information on the content in the qds newsletter, please contact the individual(s) named at the foot of each article. For editorial matters, please contact Doon Storey, Programme Manager, Operations Support, at dstorey@ccea.org.uk or on (028) 9026 1221.

2010 GCSE Exam Results for NI

1 Welcome

1 Customer Survey

2 Why Study GCSE English Language?

3 Online Language Assessment (OLA)

4 STEM – Combating Skills Shortages

5 CoPE – New Approach to Teacher Support

6 Teaching and Learning in Art and Design

7 Topic Tracker – Create Your Own Mathematics Resources

8 Celebrating Excellence – Top Candidates

9 Nominate Your Learners NOW!

10 GCSE Revised Sciences Support

12 Transition to the Revised Specifications

14 Northern Ireland GCSE and GCE Results

15 New Online Results Service Launched

16 Revised GCSE Fact Files

18 Considering Assessment in Year 11?

18 Helping to Reduce Your Admin Burden

19 Eliminating Exams Malpractice

20 New GCSE Terminal and Resit Results

21 Management Arrangements at CCEA

21 Additional CCEA Qualifications Posters

22 Examining with CCEA: Apply Online Now!

winter 2010 – spring 2011

Inside this edition of qds newsletter you will find the first issue of ef@ccea, our new Entitlement Framework supplement. ef@ccea highlights what we are doing to support you before the full introduction of the Entitlement Framework in 2013 and invites you to get involved by working with us to design new specifications.

We continue to take advantage of web technology to improve our services to you. This summer we successfully introduced the issue of GCE A Level results online. Thousands of candidates took advantage of this new service, and we received very positive feedback on the system – read more on page 15.

We celebrate the talent of art and design students through our True Colours exhibition (see page 6) and the achievement of top candidates through award ceremonies for our GCSE, GCE and ACETS qualifications. There is still time to nominate your learners for our Celebrating Achievement awards – read more on page 9.

On pages 10 and 11 we highlight the comprehensive programme that we are rolling out to support our revised GCSE science qualifications before first teaching begins in September 2011. We also introduce new support arrangements for teachers of our Level 3 Certificate of Personal Effectiveness; go to page 5 to find out more.

If you have any comments on issues raised in theqds newsletter, please contact the individual(s) named at the end of each article or contact me via email atldoherty@ccea.org.uk or on (028) 9026 1403.

Have a great Christmas and New Year.

Lorna DohertyManagerOperations Support

At CCEA we are committed to continually improving our services to you. To enable us to do this effectively, your feedback is invaluable. Our customer satisfaction survey gives you the opportunity to have your say on the services that affect you.

The survey will be available online at www.ccea.org.uk from early 2011. We look forward to hearing your views.

informationTo find out more about ourcustomer satisfaction survey, contact:

Meabh Cunningham • mcunningham@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2341.

To find out more about our work to improve services and performance, visit www.ccea.org.uk and follow the links toAbout us > Our Performance or contact:

Heather Clarke • hclarke@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1244. ©

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STEM Works!

STEM - Combating Skills Shortages4

OLA paper-based tests are about to be completely replaced with our online system. From summer 2011 onwards, you will only be able to access OLA online.

To support you in making this transition, we will invite you to attend one of our training events in the spring term of 2011. You can also contact us to request personalised support for your centre.

OLA is breathing new life into language teaching and learning with its innovative mix of technology and use of text, images and audio to assess students’ reading, writing and listening skills. It’s perfectly suited to how young people enjoy learning today.

We’ve piloted OLA over the past two years, and feedback from both teachers and learners has been very positive. For example, Head of Modern Languages at New-Bridge Integrated College Anne O’Loughlin said:

One of the Year 10 pupils involved in the pilot also commented:

Online Language Assessment for All

OLA French, German, Irish, Italian and Spanish

informationTo come on board with OLA, contact:

Roisin Radcliffe: • rradcliffe@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2195.

To find out more, visitwww.ccea.org.uk/languages, follow the link to the microsite for your language and click on OLA.

To view video footage of feedback from the OLA e-assessment pilot, visitwww.ccea.org.uk > Regulation > e-Assessment > e-Testing > OLA Video Case Study

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1 Students can study it on its own or with our English Literature

specification First teaching for our revised GCSE English

Language began in September 2010. It can be studied as a stand-alone qualification or alongside our revised GCSE English Literature.

2 You can spread the examination burden

This unitised award consists of four units: two are assessed by external exams and two by controlled assessment. For the first year of teaching, the Unit 1 exam will be available in summer 2011. From summer 2012 onwards, all four units will be available for assessment in both January and summer each year. See our English Language microsite for more details, including sample course planners that suggest alternative routes through the course from summer 2012.

3 The content is familiar to you Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening

continue to assess the same skills as in the previous specification. You can use your existing resources for your teaching in all of these areas.

There is one new Assessment Objective: Study of Spoken Language. This is assessed through a written piece as part of Unit 4: Studying Spoken and Written Language and Writing Creatively, and it is worth 10%. It allows your students to embed the skills that they develop in preparation for Speaking and Listening assessments; these include studying how language can be used for a particular purpose and why it varies in different contexts.

The system lets you return to a question and change the answer before submitting – this was useful. Online assessment could be used in any subject area – I think it would prove popular with young people.

COMING SOON:Details of plans to introduce e-assessment in other subjects

4 You design the controlled assessment tasks

You now have much more flexibility to design tasks that suit the needs of your students within the themes given. In the Reading task, you can choose any genre and text as the basis of your study. Writing tasks can also use texts as a stimulus or can be based on areas of interest to your students, and students can choose any one of a large range of formats. See our microsite for guidance on managing controlled assessment.

5 We provide ongoing support for you and your students

Our English Language microsite, which we update regularly, provides you with support tailored to the specification. Here you can find: • further details on each unit and how it is

assessed; • guidance on controlled assessment for you and

your students; • a sample scheme of work for the Study of Spoken

Language; • sample course planners; • support materials from events; and• a detailed FAQ section covering questions asked

by teachers to date.

Future support will include: • a training day for teachers on Spoken Language; • a Spoken Language microsite; and • individual skill guides for the examined units.

informationTo find out more about our GCSE English Language, Entry Level and GCSE English, and GCSE and GCE English Literature qualifications and support:

• visit www.ccea.org.uk/english; or contact • Majella Corrigan: mcorrigan@ccea.org.uk

Tel. (028) 9026 1200 ext 2552.

GCSE English Language

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Online or e-assessment is rapidly growing in popularity. It offers more flexibility, reduces time spent on administration and makes the assessment and marking process more efficient. Why not come on board and take the fusion of language learning with technology to a new level in your centre? Give us a call now to find out what OLA can do for your pupils.

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Our Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) NQFLevel 3 qualification can provide an excellent enrichment experience for your post-16 learners, as well as awarding 70 UCAS points.

We have introduced a new approach to supporting you in your teaching and assessment of CoPE portfolios. These new arrangements will benefit both you and your learners by enabling you to identify and remedy any unforeseen issues before the external moderation of portfolios and submission of results.

There are two moderation series each year, in winter and summer. Before each series, we write and invite you to:

• agreement trials (for new centres and teachers new to the qualification) – to review standards and portfolio evidence from exemplar work;

• portfolio clinics – to allow you to share and review portfolio work in progress and get feedback from our senior moderation team; and

• consortium moderation – to carry out internal standardisation/moderation and share experiences with teachers from other centres.

You can also contact our locally based moderation team for support. They can provide guidance and help on any specific queries you have.

New approach to teacher support

informationTo check dates for locally delivered agreement trials, portfolio clinics and consortium moderation and to find out more about our CoPE qualification and support, visit www.ccea.org.uk/cope

To arrange for supplementary support from our portfolio experts, contact:

Crea McCormick• cmccormick@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1277.

certificate of

personal effectivenessnew post-16 qualification

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Combating skills shortagesNOW and in the futureScience, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

A recent Education and Skills survey* conducted by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) highlighted that a shortage of skills may slow economic growth in the UK. Of the employers surveyed:

The survey also highlights that three out of four businesses rely on people with these qualifications and skills. Employers in science, high-tech and IT, and the majority of those in banking, finance and insurance, manufacturing, energy, water and construction, need employees with STEM skills.

While these statistics are cause for concern, the solution is at our fingertips. We have a range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics specifications available to schools and colleges, including GCSE, A Level and BTEC. The challenge is to encourage more learners to take them up.

We have recently revised many of our qualifications and are supporting them with web-based andface-to-face innovative guidance and advice. Visit our website at www.ccea.org.uk to find out just how well these revised specifications suit your learners.

We are also developing new STEM-related qualifications that will focus on promoting sought-after analytical, numerical and employability skills. We are working in partnership with employers, business, industry and sector skills bodies to ensure that these qualifications meet local and national needs, as well as your own.

We will update you on the availability of new qualifications in the summer issue of qds newsletter.

STEMWorks!

STEM Works!It’s still early days in the development of our new

STEM – related specifications; however, to share your views with us or get involved in developing content, assessment and support, please contact:

Amanda Swann• aswann@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2100.

information

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* The CBI Education and Skills survey 2010 – ‘Ready to grow: business priorities for education and skills’ – is available at www.cbi.org.uk

• 45% are currently having difficulty recruiting people with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and

• 59% expect to experience significant STEM skills shortages in their workforce in the next three years

Some of the best GCSE and GCE Art and Design work entered for our summer 2010 examinations is on display at the True Colours exhibition at CCEA, Belfast and Omagh.

This exhibition celebrates and showcases the talents and creativity of art and design students. It allows you and your learners to view the work of others and can help your learners to improve their own standard of work.

The artwork on display includes a balance of GCSE and GCE, two-dimensional and three-dimensional work, fine art and design.

For booking, contact CCEA Events Management.

You can also follow CCEA on Facebook and Twitter.

informationFor booking, contact CCEA Events Management:

• events@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1401.

To find out more about our Entry Level, GCSE and GCE Art and Design, GCSE Applied Art and Design, and GCE History of Art qualifications and available support, contact:

Nola McLarnon • nmclarnon@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2235.

To find out about our BTEC First and BTEC National Art and Design qualifications and support, contact:

Margaret Huddleston• mhuddleston@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 1227.

Improving teachingand learning inArt and Design

True Colours

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Topic Tracker is easy to use – the screens are user-friendly and intuitive to follow. You can:• browse our past papers by Area of Study and Topic;• click on the questions that you want to add to your

own test paper/worksheet – a full mark scheme will be attached;

• print your new test paper/worksheet for your pupils; and/or

• save your document as a pdf, which you can then email to your pupils or display on your interactive whiteboard.

To see how quickly you can start producing professionally presented resources that cater specifically for your pupils’ needs, contact us for a user ID.

GCSE Mathematics Topic Tracker

Create your own resourcesWe have just developed a resource that allows you to create your own test papers and worksheets based on our GCSE Mathematics past papers. Topic Tracker is now live on our website and is available to all mathematics teachers.

To obtain a user ID to start usingTopic Tracker, please contact:

Nuala Braniff • nbraniff@ccea.org.uk

For more information on Topic Tracker, contact:

Ann Comac• acomac@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1402.

To access our Mathematics microsite, visitwww.ccea.org.uk/mathematics

To find out more about our GCSE, GCE andEntry Level Mathematics qualifications and support, contact:

Joe McGurk• jmcgurk@ccea.org.uk• (028) 9026 1443.

information &user ID

See the exhibition FREEat CCEA, Belfast on 8–17 December 2010 and 4–18 January 2011 and atSouth West College, Omaghfrom 24 January to 4 February 2011.

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‘Just got started with Topic Tracker. How marvellous!! Thanks.’Amanda Dane, Mathematics teacher,Kilskeery Independent Christian School

‘Topic Tracker – great job. Just made a surd test in a few minutes, complete with answers. This is a great resource. Hope it continues and grows as each series of examinations takes place.’Sandra Houston, Mathematics teacher,Cullybackey High School

Coming SoonGCE A Level MathematicsTopic Tracker

We have already started work on Topic Tracker forGCE A Level Mathematics. We will write to Heads of Mathematics Departments to let you know when this is available.

Follow CCEA onTwitter & Facebook

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ANNA ROWAN: Top GCSE Physics Candidate 2002, Victoria College, Belfast

Looking back, Anna feels that winning the top candidate award was a stepping stone for her. ‘I was really proud of my achievement. I was pleased that my result reflected the hard work and effort I had put into the subject. I was also honoured to represent the Physics Department at Victoria College and the school in general; it was because of their excellent teaching and facilities that I achieved the award.’

After her GCSEs, Anna went on to further study.‘Winning the award gave me the confidence I needed to take four demanding A Levels and believe that I could gain high marks in each of them. It also gave me the necessary self-assurance to secure a place at Cambridge University.’

Since leaving school, Anna has worked hard to gain a combination of academic qualifications and work experience.‘I studied Law at Cambridge and graduated with First Class Honours. After that, I wanted to move into a career as a barrister at the commercial bar in London. I was aware, though, that for such a prestigious and competitive career I would need to have practical experience in the commercial world. So I spent the next two years working in the Investment Banking division at Deutsche Bank in London, gaining experience in the area of law I wanted to practise. I’ve now begun my year at bar school to qualify as a barrister.’

You can submit nominations online for learners who have completed one of the following courses during 2010 or are due to complete their course by summer 2011:

The future looks bright for Anna as she pursues a career in Law.‘I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be offered a pupillage at one of the top commercial chambers in London. This means that when I finish bar school, I’ll move straight into chambers to begin my career as a barrister.

Five years from now, I hope to be successfully practising at the commercial bar. After that, to take silk [be appointed as a Queen’s Counsel] would be the ultimate goal.’

We asked Anna if she had any advice for top candidates of the future.‘Keep up the good work! If you continue to work hard, I’m sure you’ll go far. Although, if you’re achieving high marks already, I would say that you probably need little advice from me!’

BackgroundEach year we hold award ceremonies to recognise learners’ achievements:• Celebrating Excellence – for students who received

the overall highest marks in our GCSE and GCE summer examinations; and

• Celebrating Achievement – for recognising learners’ outstanding achievement in many of our Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (see opposite for the list of ACETS awards for 2010/11).

As well as recognising the hard work of the learners themselves, the events acknowledge the contribution and support of their teachers, tutors and families – all of those who have helped them achieve so much. They provide an excellent platform to thank all involved.

Being nominated for and going on to receive an award gives learners a real sense of achievement. It helps them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. It also recognises that some learners have overcome personal and physical obstacles in completing their courses and that tutors have supported them to achieve.

You can nominate up to three learners from your centre for each qualification category; the exceptions are:

• Occupational Studies, for which you can nominate one learner from each of the six qualifications available; and

• QCF Modern Languages, for which you can nominate one learner for each of the five languages (French, German, Irish, Italian and Spanish).

This year’s the award ceremony will take place on 30 March 2011.

Celebrating Excellence

Celebrating Achievement

Top candidates -where are they now? Nominate

your learners NOW!We caught up with a former top candidate at GCSE to see where she is now and what impact her results had on her career opportunities and development.

Celebrating Achievement is an important annualaward ceremony that recognises learners’ achievementsin ACETS (Awards and Certificates in Education, Trainingand Skills) qualifications. You still have time to nominateyour learners for this year’s Celebrating Achievement awards;the closing date for nominations is 28 January 2011.

inv i tat ionTo have your Celebrating Excellence and Celebrating Achievement

learners from years gone by featured in qds newsletter,

or to find out more about our award ceremonies, contact:Tony Millar:

email: tmillar@ccea.org.uk tel: (028) 9026 1200 ext 2275.

To find out more and to make nominations online, visit the Celebrating Achievement microsite by going to www.ccea.org.uk and searching for ‘celebrating achievement’.

For more details or to request paper copies of the nomination form, contact:

Margaret Huddleston• mhuddleston@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1227.

information

*Open for nominations for the first time this year.

the closing datefor nominations is28 January 2011

Previous CCEA Top Candidate Anna Rowan pictured with former Head of Physics at Victoria College (left) andCCEA’s former Chairman Alan Lennon.

Key Skills

Personal Money

Management*

Drug Awareness

Occupational Studies

Performance Skills

QCF Modern Languages

CreativeCrafts

Employment/Employability

SkillsTeaching Assistants

EssentialSkills

Understanding Business

Enterprise*

CoPE(Certificate of Personal

Effectiveness)*

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Our revised GCSE science specifications are being developed for

first teaching from September 2011.

These are:Coming Soon: We are currently developing a new resource – Topic Tracker – to support you in your teaching of science. We will write to Heads of Department with information on its availability. Topic Tracker allows you to create your own test papers and worksheets based on our past papers for all our science specifications.

Topic Tracker for GCSE Mathematics isnow live on our website. For more detailssee page 7.

Launch Events to introduce you to the changesOur science officers will take you through the revised specifications, giving you an opportunity to find out what has changed. They will also highlight the range of support available to you.

Schemes of Work for every unit inthe revised specificationsCreated by science experts, these will provide you with guidance on teaching topics in all units and suggest helpful resources.

Student Guides to summarise the specifications in student-friendly languageWe are producing a separate Student Guide for each of our revised GCSE science specifications. These will provide prospective students with information on the content and assessment of our specifications.

Controlled Assessment Guides for you and your learnersControlled assessment has replaced coursework in GCSE qualifications, which includes our revised science specifications. Our step-by-step guides will explain the requirements of the controlled assessment tasks and how they are assessed.

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We are rolling out a comprehensive package to support you and your learners. This includes:

We will provide updates on the availability of all these support materials and post invitations to the relevant Heads of Department in advance of the launch events. You can also book your place at an event on our Events microsite.

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To book your place at our revised science events online, visit www.ccea.org.uk/events

To access support resources for our science qualifications, visit:• www.ccea.org.uk/chemistry• www.ccea.org.uk/biology• www.ccea.org.uk/physics or• www.ccea.org.uk/general_science

(for Double and Single Award).

To get in touch with one of our science subject officers, please contact:

Nuala Braniff• nbraniff@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2292.

information

SupportGCSE Revised Sciences

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for you and your learners

Examination series

Current/Legacy specifications(For all students who began their courses before September 2010)

Revised specifications(For all students beginning their courses in or after September 2010)

Assessment Certification Assessment Certification

January 2011 Externally assessed units available for Mathematics

Possible for Mathematics

Available units:• ICT Unit 1, Unit 2• Short Course ICT Unit 1

Summer 2011 All units and examinations available as normal

Available for all subjects

Available units:• English Unit 1• English Language Unit 1• English Literature Unit 1• Mathematics Units

T1, T2, T3 and T4• ICT Units 1 and 2• Short Course ICT Unit 1

November 2011 Terminal examinations available in English (Higher Tier only)

Possible for English (Higher Tier only)

January 2012 Externally assessed units available for Mathematics

Possible for Mathematics

Available units:• Mathematics Units T1,

T2, T3 and T4;• ICT Units 1 and 2• Short Course ICT Unit 1

Summer 2012 All units and linear components available

Available for all subjects

GCSE English, English Language, English Literature, Gaeilge, ICT and Maths

Transition to the RevisedWe introduced revised GCSE specifications for first teaching in September 2010 in:

To clarify details on the assessment arrangements for individual subjects, please contact our specification support officers.

informationPlease note:

• It is not possible to transfer credit from current (legacy) specifications to new (revised) ones.

• You cannot combine units from current and new specifications to make aGCSE qualification.

Specifications

For English, English Language,English Literature and Gaeilge, contact:

Eimear Dolan • edolan@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2552.

For ICT and Mathematics, contact:

Nuala Braniff • nbraniff@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2292.

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The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) issued a circular to all centres in September 2010 with details on the assessment opportunities for the period covering the withdrawal of the current (legacy) GCSE specifications and the phasing in of the new (revised) specifications:

Withdrawal of GCSE specifications:Assessment arrangements during the transition from current (legacy) specifications tonew specifications

The table opposite applies this information to our subjects. It is important to ensure that teaching for each year group is based on the appropriate specifications and examination series. For more details, see your subject microsite at www.ccea.org.uk or visit the JCQ website atwww.jcq.org.uk

14 15

Congratulating GCE A Level students, Anne Marie Duffy, Director of Qualifications at CCEA, said:‘Once again, we see that Northern Ireland students are continuing to perform at the very highest level. This year we have seen 35.7% of entries awarded an A grade or above. In addition, we have seen the successful introduction of the A* grade, and it is very encouragingto note that 9.3% of student entries have beenrewarded for their exceptional performance.’

Highlights from summer 2010 results

Northern Ireland GCSE and GCE Results

These details relate to the summer 2010 exam results for Northern Ireland.

To find out more about our examination results, visit www.ccea.org.uk and follow the links to Qualifications > Admin > Research & Stats.

information

Facts & Figures

8.9% of grades awardedwere A* (down 0.2%).

27.5% of grades awardedwere A or A* (up 0.4%).

The number of A*–C gradeswas up 1.2%.

Most Popular Subjects(by number of entries)

Facts & Figures

9.3% of grades awarded were the new A* grade.

98.1% of grades awarded were A*–E.

A total of 31,741 GCE A Level grades were awarded (up 1.2%).

Most Popular Subjects(by number of entries)

1. Biology

2. Mathematics

3. English

4. History

5. Religious Studies

1. Mathematics

2. English

3. Double Award Science

4. Religious Studies

5. English Literature

6. History

7. Geography

8. ICT

9. French

By 10 am on 19 August (the first day of the release of GCE results), 5,073 students whose centres had registered for the online service had already logged on to receive their A2 results. By the afternoon, there had been over 11,350 online requests. These came from 33 countries around the world, indicating that many students who were abroad were still able to receive their results as soon as they were released by using the online system.

As well as results, the current online tool can offer additional information for both students and centres. For example, it allows students to see how their performance compares to the grade boundaries in their subject.

To monitor the uptake and quality of this new service, we reviewed its technical performance and conducted an online evaluation. The initial findings are very positive.

GCE Examination Results

New onlineresults service launchedThis summer we launched our online examinations results service for GCE A Levels. This new service makes accessing results faster and more convenient than ever.

To find out more about our GCE A Level results online service and our future plans foronline services, contact:

• Gerry Garveyggarvey@ccea.org.uk (028) 9026 1209.

Over 98% would recommend

this service to friends.

results easy to access (97.8%)

design user friendly (97.2%)

system quick and efficient (96.6%)

system easy to access/login (96.4%)

informationA student at Shimna Integrated College

opens his GCE A Level results

Students at Aquinas Grammar, Belfast celebrate theirexcellent GCE A Level results with

Anne Marie Duffy, Director of Qualifications at CCEA

Nearly all students who responded rated the service highly and indicated that they found the:

We will write to principals in the spring term to keep you up to date with our plans for this and other online services.

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Focus on Qualifications

Revised GCSE Fact FilesWe’ll be making the first awards for many of our revised GCSE specifications in summer 2011. Here’s a closer look at two of these qualifications. Key Features

Our GCSE History qualification can help your students to: • develop an interest and enthusiasm for history; • explore key political, economic and social events that

have helped shape today’s institutions, governments and societies;

• increase their awareness of how the past has been represented, interpreted and given significance for different reasons and purposes; and

• develop skills that will equip them for future employment.

GCSE History

Did you know that Unit 1 is available for assessment in the first year of teaching?

Unit 1Studies in Depth (a 2 hour written exam worth 50%) Based on two in-depth studies:• Germany 1918–1941 or • Russia c1916–1941 or • United States of America 1918–1941 and • Peace, War and Neutrality: Britain, Northern Ireland

and Ireland 1932–1949 or • Changing Relationships: Britain, Northern Ireland

and Ireland 1965–1985

Content and Assessment Our GCSE History qualification has three units:

Unit 3Investigative Study(a controlled assessment task worth 25%)A task focused on an issue not covered by the examination papers, based on one of the following:• Nazi Treatment of the Jewish Community;• JFK; • The Atomic Bomb; • Civil Rights in the USA; • Opposition and Support for the Vietnam War; or • The Arab–Israeli Conflict

We set the controlled assessment tasks and replace them every year.

SupportOn our History microsite you can find a range of materials to support you and your learners, including:• schemes of work; and• student and teacher guidance materials for the

controlled assessment task.

We also hold agreement trials, and you can contact us to arrange a visit to your centre.

To find out more about our Entry Level, GCSE and GCE History qualifications, visitwww.ccea.org.uk/history

To arrange a visit to your centre, please contact:

Clare McAuley• cmcauley @ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2906.

information

External exam

Unit 2Outline Study (a 1 hour 15 minute written exam worth 25%)An outline study of the Cold War after World War II in a variety of geographical locations and political contexts

External exam

Controlled assessment

Key Features Our GCSE Home Economics qualification will help your students to: • explore creativity with food and develop a range of

skills necessary for providing healthy diets;• investigate what’s in food, on food labels and on our

plates;• examine dietary needs at different ages and stages

and their effects on health and lifestyle;• discuss the facts behind food and consumer issues;• recognise how a range of factors can influence

consumer choices; and• develop decision-making skills to become informed

and discerning consumers.

Content and Assessment Our GCSE Home Economics qualification has three units:

GCSE Home Economics

Did you know that students can sitUnit 1, 2 or 3 in the first year of teaching?

Unit 3Consumer Awareness(a controlled assessment task worth 20%)An investigative task chosen from set titles on an area of consumer interest, incorporating primary and secondary research; students present their results using IT, draw conclusions and evaluate their process

SupportOn our Home Economics microsite you can find a range of materials to support you and your learners, including:

• schemes of work; • student and teacher guidance materials for the

controlled assessment task; and • exemplar controlled assessment tasks.

We also hold agreement trials and portfolio clinics, and you can contact us to arrange a visit to your centre.

To find out more about our Entry Level, GCSE and GCE Home Economics, visitwww.ccea.org.uk/home_economics

To arrange a visit to your centre, please contact:

Glynis Henderson:• ghenderson@ccea.org.uk• (028) 9026 1200 ext 2138.

information

Unit 1Diet and Health and Consumer Awareness(a 1 hour 30 minute written exam worth 40%)Short answer, structured and extended response questions focused on providing healthy diets for family members throughout life; students learn that family members have different dietary needs and how a range of factors affect food choices

External exam

Unit 2Diet and Health (a controlled assessment task worth 40%)A task chosen from set titles on practical cooking, planning and evaluation (we set the tasks and will review the titles every two years)

External exam

Controlled assessment

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Now that most of our GCSEs are unitised, you can enter your students for assessment units in Year 11. When deciding whether this would suit some or all of the students you teach, it’s worth considering the following:

The GCSE standardAll GCSE units are examined and awarded at the same standard. If you enter your students for an exam in Year 11, they will be assessed at the full GCSE standard.

Your students’ needsSome Year 11 students might benefit from taking the assessment for a unit as soon as possible after you have finished teaching it. Others, however, might benefit more from waiting until Year 12, when they are slightly more mature and have had an additional year of study.

Unitised GCSEs Examinations Malpractice

Considering assessment in Year 11?

Working together to eliminate malpractice

If you would like to discuss the implications of entering your GCSE students for assessment units in Year 11, our subject officers will be happy to provide advice. You can find their names and contact details on the microsite for your subject at www.ccea.org.uk

informationThe best way to drive out malpractice in examinations is to ensure that candidates know:

what malpractice is;

that it will be detected; and

what the consequences will be.

This year we provided you with copies of our newDo not Plagiarise posters. We will continue to make these available, together with the JCQ No Mobile Phones posters, for you to display outside your examination rooms and to draw your candidates’ attention to their key messages.

You can find guidance on how to help your candidates avoid the pitfalls of these and other forms of malpractice in the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) documents: • Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and

Assessments; and• Plagiarism in Examinations.

JCQ co-ordinates and publishes procedures for dealing with malpractice on behalf of all the awarding bodies. It is also responsible for taking appropriate action to maintain the integrity of qualifications.

We welcome any ideas you have for driving out examinations malpractice. Please get in touch with us and share what more you think we could do.

The good newsIncidents of candidate malpractice have fallen dramatically since last year:

• down 23% at GCSE; and

• down 44% at GCE A level.

The bad newsToo many candidates – 75 across GCSE and GCE – were found to have committed deliberate or unintentional malpractice in this summer’s examination series. 47 of these cases involved mobile phones or plagiarism. 75 candidates losing marks, grades and qualifications as a result of malpractice is too many. Let’s continue to work together to reduce this number to zero.

To access the JCQ malpractice documents Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments and Plagiarism in Examinations,visit the Exams Office section of the JCQ website at www.jcq.org.uk

For more advice and information about examinations malpractice, visit www.ccea.org.uk

To share your views on driving out examinations malpractice, contact:

Brendan McDowell• bmcdowell@ccea.org.uk• (028) 9026 1428.

information

Electronic Candidate Record Sheets

This easy-to-use, web-based system was used by over 140 schools and colleges across a range of subjects in 2010. Following this successful launch, in 2011 we intend both to develop our eCRS system and to make it available to a wider range of centres.

Please get in touch with us now if you’d like to find out how to get started with eCRS in your centre.

informationTo find out more, contact:

Donna Mullan• dmullan@ccea.org.uk • (028) 9026 1200 ext 2230.

Helping to reduceyour administrative burden at GCSEAs part of our ongoing strategy to reduce the administrative burden on centres,we have introduced a new Electronic Candidate Record Sheet (eCRS) system.

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Our Latest Qualifications Posters

Additional Copies AvailableIn August 2010 we sent our new qualifications posters to all schools and colleges:

• CCEA Applied & ACETS Qualifications; and

• CCEA General Qualifications.

These posters include:

• a complete list of our applied, ACETS and general qualifications;

• details on subject availability in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012;

• how our subjects meet the Department of Education Entitlement Framework requirements as Applied or General; and

• contact details so that you can find out more.

Please get in touch if you would like to request additional copies.

Important new rules that can affect candidates’ eligibility for an award apply to the revised GCSEs. These rules take effect from September 2011. Here is a quick summary of the new terminal requirement and resit rules.

These are the main changes. However, you need to be familiar with other aspects of these rules to ensure thatyou enter your candidates appropriately in next summer’s examination series.

For example, you need to be clear how the rules apply to: • tiered, unitised GCSEs; • students who want to retake a whole qualification; and • students who are absent for an assessment unit.

The Terminal RequirementAt least 40% of the assessment must take place in the examination series in which the qualification is certificated.

The New Resit RulesStudents may resit each unit once.

The better of their two results will count towards their final grade unless the re-sat unit forms part of the terminal requirement. If it does, the second (terminal) attempt will count (even if the student’s result is not as good as their first attempt).

Revised GCSEs

Do you knowthe new terminaland resit rules?

informationTo view and download information on the new examination rules in the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) document Rules for newGCSE Specifications – terminal requirements, resits and cashing-in, visit www.jcq.org.uk

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the new examination rules, our subject officers will be happy to provide information. You can find their names and contact details on your subject microsite at www.ccea.org.uk

informationTo request additional copies of the two posters (packaged in pairs), please contact:

Bernard Trainor• btrainor@ccea.org.uk• (028) 9026 1228.To view details of our applied, ACETS and general qualifications online, visit www.ccea.org.uk

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In June 2010 we welcomed former CCEA Chief Executive Gavin Boyd back to the organisation. This announcement came after Acting CEO Neil Anderson, who had been with us at CCEA for ten years, left to take up a new post.

Gavin, Chief Executive (Designate) of the Education and Skills Authority, was asked to undertake the duties of CEO at CCEA on an interim basis following discussions between the CCEA Council and the Department of Education. He carries out this role in addition to his responsibilities at ESA.

Welcoming him back, CCEA Chairman David McKee said:

Gavin’s experience of the organisation means he is very well placed to provide stable leadership in ensuring the continued, effective delivery of servicesto students and teachers.’’

’’

Interim ManagementArrangementsat CCEA

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CCEA’S ValuesWe place learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of our thinking.

CCEA’s missionTo enable the full potential of all learnersto be achieved and recognised.

We would welcome an application from you if you: • teach subjects at GCSE and GCE A Level; and/or• are fluent in the medium of Irish in any of our GCSE,

GCE A Level or Applied subjects.

Apart from the financial reward, as an examiner or moderator you will:• gain insight into how the assessment and

examinations process works;• have access to a professional network of subject

specialist knowledge, experience and information; and• improve your professional development while

developing new skills.

We provide full training and feedback on marking.You would work under the guidance of an experienced examiner.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Examining with CCEA

Apply online now!

How to applyThe application process is straightforward.To apply or find out more:

• visit www.ccea.org.uk/examiners• email appointments@ccea.org.uk• telephone our Appointments Section on

(028) 9026 1243.

To see a full list of our qualifications, visit www.ccea.org.uk

We are currently recruiting teachers and lecturers to mark and moderate exams in our GCSE, GCE A Level and Applied subjects.

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