BTEC Quality Model 2012-13

1. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 These slides are an aide memoir; a visual representation and simple explanation of the BTEC Quality Model. For a full understanding of the process you need to refer to the UK BTEC Quality Assurance Handbook on the BTEC website:www.btec.co.uk/keydocuments The slides contain a number of hyperlinks [including company logos and blue boxes at the top of each slide] but may also be stepped through in the normal way.

2. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 Lead IV QRD SV The BTEC Quality Model is made up of 3 components • Quality Review and Development (QRD) : • Lead Internal Verification (Lead IV) : • Standards Verification (SV) : An annual meeting with Senior Managers, supported by teaching staff. Looks in detail at centre processes and procedures. A standardisation exercise for teaching staff that assists in understanding the Edexcel requirements for Internal Verification An external review, via sampling, of the accuracy of assessment decisions; ensuring National Standards are maintained.

3. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 Lead IV QRD SV • Through 2012-13 we will continue to support you through an annual Quality Review and Development (QRD) meeting. We will allocate a Centre Quality Reviewer (CQR) who will negotiate a visit date with you. • QRD covers all your BTEC provision: FL through to Level 3 and specialist short courses. The process is designed to be supportive. It is not an inspection or audit. It is a qualitative discussion, supported by documentary evidence. • QRD focuses on three key areas: • Managing Assessment • Managing Learning • Managing Resources • A Centre Quality Reviewer (CQR) will make contact with you as soon as they are allocated to your centre to negotiate a visit date between 1st Oct and 30th April. • If they’ve not been in contact please be proactive and email them (details on Edexcel Online: BTEC tab \ Quality Review and Development. • The CQR will send visit details and further information prior to the visit. They will ask you to complete a ‘Centre Engagement Document’. This is for you to do some preparatory checking of your systems, making sure any actions / recommendations from your previous QRD meeting have been addressed. • On the day, the focus will be on your centre’s policies and procedures: How you support staff and how they support learners. The Objectives and Measures used in QRD are explained in the UK BTEC Quality Assurance Handbook. • The CQR will also meet with representatives from each programme area. We recognise that it might not always be possible to have everyone there, but someone from each programme area should attend. The purpose of the meeting is for the CQR to triangulate information previously provided by senior managers. • The CQR will end their visit with feedback to senior managers outlining their findings. They may identify essential action and/or recommendations. Any essential action needs to be completed within 3 months of the report or at least significant evidence of them having been addressed. • In exceptional circumstances, the CQR may indicate that there are significant deficiencies with your systems, relating to Objectives A1 or A2 and may recommend that certification for all your programmes may be withheld. In such circumstances your Regional Quality Manager will be alerted and will work with you to ensure learners are not disadvantaged. • The official visit report will be posted on Edexcel Online within 10 working days of the visit. The report should reflect the feedback given on the day and contain no surprises. • NEW FOR 2012: NVQ qualifications are no longer in scope for QRD.

4. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 QRD Lead IV SV • A robust internal verification system is at the centre of the BTEC Quality Model and at the heart of every BTEC qualification. With the exception of the new next generation NQF BTECs, BTEC qualifications are wholly internally assessed. Therefore a rigorous IV system is required to ensure that assessment decisions made by teaching staff are accurate, valid and at the national standard. • The accreditation process has four parts: • 1. Registration • As a centre, you need to identify a person to act as the Lead IV for each programme area you run. The Lead IV then needs to register via OSCA (an option found on Edexcel Online) for their principal subject area. • 2. Centre Induction • This is a podcast explaining the need for internal verification and the role of the Lead IV. The podcast can be found at: www.edexcel.com/centreinduction • 3. Practice Materials • Theseare what they say on the tin: practice materials! We encourage you to use these as internal standardisation exercises with colleagues. • Once registered as the Lead IV on OSCA, the practice materials will be available to download in PDF format. • The practice material will contain: • Guidance notes on the activity • A piece of learner work • Feedback to the learner • IV sheets of the assignment brief and assessment decisions • Questions for the Lead IV • Answers and a Senior Standards Verifier (SSV) commentary • 4. Online Standardisation Exercise • During 2012-13 there will be two windows available for online standardisation: • Window 1: 08.11.12 to 05.12.12 • Window 2: 17.01.13 to 13.02.13 • The results and SSV report will be released one week after the close of each window. Results will be posted in the mailbox of Edexcel Online. • The online standardisation material is downloaded and worked through in exactly the same way as the practice material. • Lead IVs need to keep copies of their responses to compare with the SSV commentary. • Successful accreditation lasts for the current year +3 years. If a Lead IV is unsuccessful, we will allocate a Standards Verifier (SV), who will undertake a sample of the Lead IV’s principal subject area. Successful sampling will accredit the Lead IV for the full term. • NOTE: For new next generation NQF BTECs, the Lead IV is not required to undertake the standardisation exercise, but has specific training materials they should work through with their programme team.

5. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 QRD Lead IV SV From Sept 2012 the Lead IV arrangements for the new next generation NQF BTECs will be slightly different than that for QCF BTECs. The table below sets the arrangements side by side for comparison.

6. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 Lead IV QRD SV • Standards Verification is our process of checking assessment by centre staff to ensure that it is accurate, valid and at the national standard. • The SV samples assessed and internally verified learner work to confirm that: • assignment briefs are fit for purpose • assessment decisions are accurate • the internal verification process is robust and effective • the Lead IV for the area understands the requirements • How will the sample be selected? • The SV may select samples from any internally assessed units. • The SV will make the final selection of learners to be sampled, based on the number of assessors on a programme and the learners’ anticipated grades. • The sample must include learners with a range of achievement in terms of the grades awarded. If your learners have not achieved a range of grades, discuss this with your SV. •  Approximately four weeks before the agreed sampling date, you should send to the SV updated records, showing learners’ achievement and grades and which of these have been subject to internal verification. • What do I need to send to the SV? • The sample must consist of: • copies of learner work previously selected by the SV (we can take no responsibility for the safe return of originals) • an authenticity declaration from each • learner • assignment briefs for the units identified • IV records for the assignment briefs • assessment records for the learner work • IV records for the assessment decisions • learner consent declaration for each piece of learner work • Lead Internal Verifier declaration • For each sample there must be definitive evidence of assessed work covering the whole unit. If the materials are incomplete, inappropriate or appear to not be authentic the SV cannot complete sampling. They will contact you for clarification if there are elements missing, or the evidence is not clearly identified. • The SV completes a report that will be available on Edexcel Online within 10 working days. • If the SV is satisfied that national standards are met at the first sample, the principal subject area is released for certification and the Lead IV is accredited or the full term. • If a second sample is required the SV report will state clearly what the issues are and what is required to put them right. Extra learners will also be required for the second sample. • If the second sample is successful, the principal subject area is released for certification but the Lead IV has to complete online standardisation next year. • If after the second sample the SV feels there are still issues, the Regional Quality Manager will arrange a visit to work through the issues with you.

7. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 Lead IV QRD SV • From Sept 21012, two sampling activities will run in parallel for: • QCF BTEC Entry Level-Level 3 • new next generation NQF BTECs • Whilst the principles are much the same, sampling details differ slightly. • QCF BTEC Entry level – Level 3: • 1. Confirmation Sampling • (for Accredited Lead IVs) • Accredited Lead IVs need to re-register each September to confirm they are still ‘active’ in the centre. They do not have to complete online standardisation again, but have access to new practice materials to work through with their programme team. • However, they will be part of a random, confirmatory, sampling process and can expect to be sampled at least once during their accreditation period. • 2. Accreditation Sampling • (where there is no accredited Lead IV) • Where a Lead IV has been unsuccessful in online standardisation, their status is ‘accredited subject to standards verification’. We don’t ask that they undertake the exercise again, but we allocate a Standards Verifier who will sample the programme area. The SV will contact the Centre Quality Nominee to arrange a sample shortly after the results of online standardisation are released. • If no Lead IV has completed online standardisation by the end of Window 2, we will allocate an SV to conduct sampling to release certification for the current year only. A lead IV must complete online standardisation in the following year. • For QCF BTECs the sample size is: • Number of Units Sampled: • L3 Diploma or Ext Diploma: 2 Units • L3 Certificate or Sub Diploma: 1 Unit • L2 programmes: 1 Unit • L1 programmes: 1 Unit • Number of Learners Sampled • 1-3 learners: All learners sampled • 4-100 learners: 4 learners sampled • 101-250 learners: 8 learners sampled • 250+ learners: 12 learners sampled • New next generation NQF • Level 1/Level 2 BTEC Firsts: • We will allocate a Standards Verifier (SV) from December 2012 and the standards verification will take place between January and May 2013. • The SV will request samples of learner work from every assessor over the lifecycle of the programme. Only whole units will be accepted for sampling. • Once allocated, the SV will want to see your Assessment Plan showing: • all assessors and the units they are assessing • all internal verifiers and when IV will take place • confirmation of the learners registered on the programme • The dates for selecting and receiving learners to be sampled will need to be agreed with the SV.

8. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 Lead IV QRD SV From Sept 2012 the Standards Verification arrangements for the new next generation NQF BTECs will be slightly different than that for QCF BTECs. The table below sets the arrangements side by side for comparison.

9. BTEC Quality Model 2012-13 Lead IV QRD SV From Sept 2012 the samplingarrangements for the new next generation NQF BTECs will be slightly different than that for QCF BTECs. The table below sets the arrangements side by side for comparison.

10. We hope you find this brief overview of the BTEC Quality Model useful. For a full understanding of the process you need to refer to the UK BTEC Quality Handbook on the BTEC website : www.btec.co.uk/keydocuments If you require further support, please contact your local Regional Quality Manager A map with Regional Quality Manager contact details can be found on the BTEC website: www.btec.co.uk/support