As promised earlier this year, I’m pleased to share with you an update on the V Cert resource pilot project. As mentioned in previous newsletters we're already signing up schools to run these qualifications from September.

We’re using the time now to test the qualifications and strengthen our resource and support for schools choosing to run NCFE V Certs.

The first stage of our resource development project with our volunteer schools has now started and I'm pleased to share the feedback with you. There's been some really positive feedback plus some key development ideas for us to take on board in the development of the resources for V Certs.

As part of the qualitative research, a number of schools fed back a wide range of benefits from working on project based work. These benefits included: providing pupils with access to skills valued by employers, schools being able to design projects that are engaging for learners and the ability to develop Personal Learning and Thinking Skills. A key benefit highlighted by participating schools was also the way that existing NCFE vocational qualifications can be used to encourage a vibrant and challenging holistic approach to education through local community, culture and the environment.

On the specific point of literacy and numeracy it was felt that this was a key determining factor when entering pupils for specific qualifications. It's a strength of NCFE that the assessment processes allowed centres to submit work that has been produced using word frames and other templates providing the work is clearly attributable to the learner and is the pupils’ 'own work’. This is not an exhaustive list but I hope it gives you flavour of some of the benefits.

I’m very pleased to confirm that the continued project approach for V Certs will allow all schools and pupils to continue to take advantage of these and other benefits identified during Phase 1 of the project.

There were also a number of potential challenges for V Certs outlined by participants and I'm pleased to say that the qualification structure, resources and wider support behind the new V Certs means that we were able to readily overcome any concerns.

We’ll be ensuring that the V Certs are fully supported for delivery from September 2013. Indeed our second phase of the project is already underway. Schools that are approved to run the new NCFE V Certs will have access to our teacher guide before registering pupils from 1 September 2013.

There were also 4 other key areas of concern and each of these have been specifically addressed as follows:

1
Planning for access to a variety of optional units.

Most of the new V Cert qualifications will include a range of optional units. We’ve deliberately avoided a prescriptive approach. This gives you a choice of which additional units to select and ensures the qualifications maintain a good degree of flexibility. You’ll have the choice to review the Qualification Specification for your chosen V Cert qualification(s) before deciding which optional units to run.
2
Embedding independent learning and meeting deadlines.
The nature of the project-work approach for V Certs will give you the ability to embed independent learning and set challenging but achievable deadlines.
3
Differentiation through grading and accurate interpretation of what constitutes the various grades.
Each V Cert Qualification Specification document will include grading descriptors. The grading descriptors are written in plain English and we’ve designed them to be as simple as possible.
4a
Ensuring the topics suit/appeal to every learner.
The new V Cert qualifications will contain one generic project brief per unit. We’ve designed these to be generic enough to be contextualised to suit your needs. This will also give you additional flexibility to customise to fit your local context.
4b
Creating a wide enough brief.

With Phase 2 of the project now underway and as our volunteer schools start to deliver their chosen sample unit from one of the new V Certs, I hope to be able to share further information with you before the end of this term.

If you’d like to find out more detailed information about the NCFE V Cert project or would like more information on our new V Cert qualifications then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0191 239 8000* or email [email protected].

Don’t forget too that you can read all our V Cert and other vocational qualification information by visiting www.ncfe.org.uk/vcerts.