This summer has been extraordinary for everyone involved in
awarding vocational and technical qualifications. It has
been an anxious time for learners and has involved a huge
amount of hard work for centres and awarding organisations
(AOs).
Everyone in the sector has worked collaboratively to issue
valid and reliable VTQ results to learners in order for
them to progress onto the next stage of their education or
into work. It is a significant achievement that millions of
certificates were issued, for thousands of different
qualifications.
We recognise and acknowledge, however, that this
achievement has been a great challenge for all concerned,
and will continue to be so. Colleagues right across the
sector, both in centres and awarding organisations, had to
make enormous efforts to secure results for learners,
rapidly developing and implementing new systems and
processes. Particular credit is due to our colleagues
working in centres for their hard work and professionalism.
It is important to learn the lessons from the summer, in
particular how the sector can work together even more
effectively to improve communications and the exchange of
information between centres and AOs so that things run more
smoothly in 2020/21.
You may have seen that Ofqual has been consulting on the
regulatory framework for 2020/21, which is, like this
summer’s framework, flexible to ensure that AOs can put in
place arrangements and adaptations that best suit their
qualifications. But we are conscious of the need to ensure
as much consistency as possible, and we recognise that
collaboration will be key.
AoC, AELP, HOLEX, FAB, JCQ, Ofqual, have therefore
committed to work together, convening a working group to
agree how centre-facing communications can be streamlined
over the current academic year.
As a first step, we have jointly agreed that, by 23
October, awarding organisations will have started to
communicate to centres their planned approach to any
adaptations to their qualifications for 2020/21, to assist
in mitigating disruption to teaching, learning and
assessments so that, as far as possible, learners have the
opportunity to receive fair results in 2020 to 2021 and are
not disadvantaged by the longer-term impacts of the
pandemic. We will be strongly encouraging awarding
organisations to keep their centres fully informed as plans
develop, and we will use this group to co-ordinate
milestones and communications, and to address issues
arising through the year.
A number of subject and sector groups (for example,
covering Functional Skills Qualifications, and Hair and
Beauty Qualifications) have work well underway to support
consistent approaches to adaptations of qualifications in
2020/21.
We are pleased to confirm that CCEA Regulation and
Qualifications Wales will also be part of the working group
going forward, and we commit to updating you on a regular
basis as decisions are made and clarity achieved.
