News

AQA Hosts Successful Maths Roundtable Event

30 June 2009

At a time when new specifications for a critically important subject such as GCSE Maths are being developed, AQA decided to host a Maths Roundtable Debate on 23 June at the Royal Society London, to debate the issues impacting on the future of Maths.

The event was very successful and some insightful and encouraging points were put forward.

New online Examiner Newsletter: On your marks!

11 June 2009

Read the first issue of the new online examiner newsletter: On your marks!

AQA celebrates Bacc students' hard work for Volunteers' Week 2009

2 June 2009

It's Volunteers' Week 2009 and we're celebrating the amazing voluntary work that students take part in to complete the enrichment element of their AQA Baccalaureate (AQA Bacc).

Student volunteers give on average 82 hours per year to their community, contributing nearly £1,000 per year to the economy*. Bacc students have to complete at least 100 hours of enrichment activities and this year students have contributed 24,658 hours to community work alone. We believe that the AQA Bacc will encourage more students to get involved in voluntary work that can aid their personal development and help them to become well rounded individuals.

Jenny Setchell, a faculty manager for the AQA Bacc at Richard Huish College in Taunton said:

We have a number of students taking part in a wide range of volunteering activities. The college has been involved in a project with Help Lanka over the last three years teaching in schools in Sri Lanka directly affected by the Tsunami. Some students have taken part in local environmental projects with our Environment group LEAF, but many other students have arranged voluntary work for themselves. For example, local hospital radio stations, coaching swimming to disabled children, Scout and Guide groups etc. All of these students have submitted this evidence as part of their enrichment for the AQA Bacc.

AQA Bacc student Michael from Richard Huish spent several weeks in Sri Lanka teaching English and PE at a school rebuilt after the 2004 Tsunami and helping at a boys Orphanage. He wrote about his experiences in his AQA Bacc Enrichment Diary.

After one evening of drawing, painting, playing music, cricket and volleyball with the boys at the Orphanage, Michael reflected on how they enjoyed the time, but also what it meant to him:

It really hit me that these boys really appreciated anything that was being done for them. Because they have been left with so little and because what we were doing meant an awful lot to them, made me realize that it is simple things like spending time to play with these boys that can actually mean more to them than anything else.

After a week of tough but inspirational teaching at the school Michael talked about how much the experience has developed his skills:

I feel that teaching helped develop me hugely. I became a lot more patient as a person, as it often took a while to get my point across and it would have been easy to become frustrated but I didn't. From the teaching experience I think I also became a lot more confident in my abilities and my communication improved.

On his last day at the school Michael reflected on the personal difference he has made during his time in Sri Lanka:

The charity, Help Lanka, is trying so hard to improve the quality of life in this area but it will take a monumental effort to do this. This however does not make the job that I have been doing seem any less important. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sri Lanka, learning an awful lot about the place and myself, and would not hesitate to go back!

Read more about Michael's story on the Volunteers' Week 2009 website.

Video competition: Winning entries to be shown on Channel 4

19 May 2009

We have worked closely with the English Secondary Students' Association (ESSA) on a number of projects and are currently sponsoring a competition they have launched.

ESSA is going to create a students' Manifesto for Education which it can present to policy-makers to influence the future development of education policy in England.

To gain students' views ESSA is holding a competition for students to produce short videos in which they outline their suggestions for constructive changes to the education system. The winning entries will be featured later this year on Channel 4.

Find out more about the video competition and manifesto.

Response to Ofqual's report on GCSE science

27 March 2009

As Ofqual has identified in its report, awarding bodies have already addressed the issues that need addressing in preparation for this summer's exams.

What we require now is reassurance from Ofqual that they do indeed have the relevant information, expertise and power to maintain grading standards over time and to ensure comparability of standards between awarding bodies.

What students need is immediate clarity from Ofqual on how they intend to rule on GCSE Science standards for this Summer.

AQA welcomes DEA's policy recommendations encouraging young people to become global citizens

20 March 2009

AQA welcomes the DEA's policy recommendations for how schools can meet the challenge of change in our global future. We strongly support the concept of breadth of learning – encouraging young people to be global citizens and recognise connections between their lives and global issues such as poverty and climate change.

AQA scores top marks from regulator

18 March 2009

AQA achieved the highest possible performance in its completion of enquiries and appeals from last summer's examinations as detailed in Ofqual's report published today.

AQA completed 100% of its re-marking and re-moderation for all seven of the tough target deadlines set by Ofqual, the exams watchdog, including the critical priority remarking target for GCE. The targets cover clerical checks, re-marks and the re-moderation of coursework for GCSEs and A-levels.

AQA also achieved the best performance of all of the awarding bodies in completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 Appeals within the overall 50 day target.

AQA Director General, Mike Cresswell, said:

This is an excellent performance and demonstrates our drive to offer the highest levels of service to our schools, colleges and learners. Providing the fastest possible resolution of any queries about results is crucial. As an educational charity, our top priority is always the best interests of the candidates who take our examinations and we do everything possible to ensure that they receive the grades they deserve.

Exciting online enrichment diary launched this month

20 February 2009

We have launched an exciting and student-friendly online tool this month, which students and teachers can use to record enrichment activities as part the AQA Bacc, dubbed the new English Baccalaureate.

The AQA Enrichment Diary is a sophisticated online tool that is student and teacher friendly, making it easy for centres to manage enrichment activity. It empowers students, allowing them to take responsibility for managing and publishing their own content. It also enables teachers to easily monitor their students' progress and contact them by posting messages or writing a 'sticky note'.

The Enrichment Diary offers many benefits over paper based methods of recording: centres need no additional resources, it can be used at anytime, anywhere and it is easy and intuitive to use, so no extensive training is required.

The Enrichment Diary appeals to the tech-savvy students of today, enabling them to post diary entries, upload media rich files, send diary entries via SMS text messages and communicate with teachers via a messaging system. The diary can even be used offline, as the application and content can be run from a USB key. An AQA Bacc student from Rawlins Community college in Loughborough said:

It's so compatible with your average teenager because it's similar to social networking sites, like Bebo or Facebook, but it's school orientated and allows you to track your progress.

Teachers are also reaping the benefits of the new online diary. One teacher at Rawlins said:

The electronic version is considerably better for the students and for the teachers. I think that students find it much more motivating and have taken to it like ducks to water.

Others teachers are finding themselves liberated from the burden of paperwork, saying:

Suddenly I'm not having to push paper around anymore. The paper burden is significantly reduced.

ePolitix interview with Mike Cresswell about new powers for Ofqual

19 February 2009

Mike Cresswell talks to the political website ePolitix about powers for the new qualifications regulator Ofqual.

AQA co-sponsors House of Commons debate on Citizenship

5 February 2009

Janet Holloway, AQA's Assistant Director responsible for our Citizenship specifications, recently introduced a debate chaired by Barry Sheerman MP, Chairman of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee in the House of Commons. A podcast and photographs are available for listening and viewing via the ePolitix website

AQA helps Centrepoint prepare homeless young people for times ahead

30 January 2009

Read about how AQA has teamed up with youth homelessness charity Centrepoint to focus on homeless young people's skills and training, helping to prepare them for tough times ahead in the economic downturn, helping open doors to employment and easing the transition into independent living.

Please visit our Unit Award Scheme page for more information

New issue of Award Magazine and the AQA Annual Review

28 January 2009

The Spring Term issue of Award magazine has been published. The 2008 AQA Annual Review is now also available.

New Year – Growing interest in the exciting new GCSE in Chinese

26 January 2009

AQA are marking the Chinese New Year by celebrating the successful addition of a new language to our growing suite of qualifications. GCSE Chinese (Mandarin) will be available for first teaching this September.

Chinese joins French, German, Italian and Spanish in the ELC (Entry Level Certificate) and FCSE (Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education) specifications.

Our very popular ELC qualification is aimed at primary and secondary pupils and covers Levels 1-3 of the National Curriculum. FCSE is our new, highly successful Level 1 qualification. Designed to reward achievement at National Curriculum Levels 4, 5 and 6, FCSE bridges the gap between ELC and GCSE.

ELC and FCSE are versatile, flexible and manageable, providing real motivation to language learners.

There has been enormous interest in all our Chinese qualifications and there are already around 2,500 students registered to take the FCSE in Chinese. They are of great appeal to teachers and students, as they are designed to be completely accessible to non-native speakers, from beginners through to GCSE level.

Janet Wilson, Subject Manager for Modern Foreign Languages at AQA said:

Interest in China has grown quickly over the past few years, reflecting its increasing importance politically and economically. At the same time, interest in teaching and learning the Chinese language has also grown. Organisations such as the British Council and the CBI have called for more teaching of Mandarin in schools. As the market leader in KS4 languages, AQA are responding positively to this challenge and have found this the ideal time to launch new qualifications in Mandarin.

For more information see GCSE Chinese (Mandarin)

AQA welcomes piloting of new 'twinned' Maths GCSE's

19 January 2009

• AQA welcomes the Government's decision to pilot two GCSEs which would be taken together as a 'twinned' pair. See the BBC News website for more info.
• This is consistent with our long-held view that there should be two GCSEs in Mathematics and which the Smith report, Making Mathematics Count, advocated in 2004
• AQA (with Leeds University Assessment and Evaluation Unit), under its Pathways contract with QCA, has been piloting two GCSEs in Mathematics since 2007 and the second of these, Additional Mathematics, is designed for the more able and/or more motivated students.
• We are convinced that the expertise gained in producing question papers for these existing pilot GCSEs and for our pilot FSMQs¹ and Functional Mathematics will be of great value for the new pilot, particularly in terms of the new proposals; one 'twin' will 'focus on applications of mathematics in everyday contexts including financial applications and the other will focus on problem-solving within mathematics.'
• We shall, of course, continue to work with our existing pilot centres, whose work has been so influential, for the remaining period of our contract; the data from these pilots will inform the new proposals.
• In the meantime, we shall, in 2009, be developing and submitting a specification and specimen materials for accreditation for the single GCSE Mathematics; this is designed to meet the requirements of the new Programme of Study and for a course for first teaching in September 2010, following revisions to the GCSE Mathematics Subject Criteria

Proposed new pilots from September 2010

• A number of issues regarding these pilots remain as yet unclear; as soon as they are clarified, AQA will provide further information, including details of how centres may become involved.
• We hope that there will be the opportunity to review the proposed timetable for piloting and implementation and share the concern expressed by ACME² that the planned roll-out of courses leading to the first qualifications will not be until 2015. Like ACME, we believe that that period can be shortened without compromising the quality of data essential to making final decisions.
• Work will begin in January on the development of criteria for these pilot specifications. We will ensure that we alert you to any opportunities for input to this process.
• These new pilots are an exciting development and will be designed to appeal to students, whether they have a special talent or passion for maths or simply want to learn more of this core subject; the involvement and input of views from practising teachers will be crucial to achieving this.

¹ Free-Standing Mathematics Qualifications
² The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education – an independent committee, acting as a single voice on mathematics education issues and which advises Government on issues such as curriculum, assessment and the supply and training of mathematics teachers.

New GCEs – first live papers available here

16 January 2009

Want to see the first new GCE question papers, but didn't enter students? Well, you can. On e-AQA.

We know how useful it is to have extra resources, for teaching or mock exams. So the January 2009 papers are available via e-AQA even earlier than usual. And you can use these papers as mock exams because e-AQA is just for teachers and exams officers. (We won't put them on the website until October 2009.)

So, log on to e-AQA and take a look.

• papers will be available 5-10 days after the exam
• mark schemes will be available when we issue results
• papers and mark schemes will stay on e-AQA until the end of the post-results enquiries period.

AQA – City & Guilds award first ever A* grades at GCE

15 January 2009

The first GCE A* grades were awarded today by AQA and City & Guilds. The awards were made to students who had entered for the new AQA – City & Guilds Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in November 2008. From a total of 373 entries, 50 were awarded the new A*.

The EPQ is a unique qualification, giving students the opportunity to choose and manage a topic for study. They can explore in depth an aspect of a subject they are studying, or study a topic in which they have a personal interest

The EPQ is a free-standing qualification available to 'stretch and challenge' all A-level students, and it's also a compulsory part of the AQA Bacc and the Diploma.

The topic for the project is chosen by the student and agreed by the student's teacher, who then acts as his or her supervisor. The student has to show that they can plan, deliver and present an extended piece of work at Level 3 of the National Qualifications Framework.

Andrew Bird, AQA's Deputy Director General, said:

The EPQ offers students choice, to study a topic that interests them, responsibility for managing their own project work, and independent work and study skills that will help them succeed in further education and the world of work.

We have seen some excellent project work from our candidates, of a very high standard. The very best of these students have today been awarded the new A* grade.

Universities agree. Bristol University says:

In such cases some admissions tutors may make two alternative offers, one of which involves success in the Extended Project (eg either AAA at A-level or AAB at A-level plus Extended Project).

Barbara Mitchell, Director of Product Management at City & Guilds added:

City & Guilds is very proud of its association with AQA and of the learners who have achieved the Extended Project Qualification. Offering students a flexible range of learning options is the key to keeping them engaged in education and in-turn, employment. We look forward to building on this success through the Diplomas, which also have their first examinations this year.

PHY1AP: error on the answer sheet in the November 2008 test

15 January 2009

AQA has taken every action to ensure that results published today are reliable.

We conducted detailed checking of the responses in the question booklets and/or answer sheets submitted for every candidate. This work was supported by a range of quality checks to ensure that candidates' responses were accurately recorded. We have contacted all centres and informed them of the action we have taken.

At the awarding meeting in December the Chair of Examiners and the Awarding Committee expressed confidence that they were able to recommend grade boundaries that they felt to be appropriate and in line with the other objective tests in this series and in previous series. This meeting was observed by a representative of Ofqual. Ofqual has been kept informed of all our actions taken to correct the errors in the answer sheets.

For those candidates who sat this unit in November and were certificating (i.e. who were finishing their course in November and required an overall result) we analysed the actual mark they achieved and compared it with an estimated mark based on how well they had performed in their other units: each candidate was then awarded the better of these two marks. In nearly 95% of cases, the candidates' final grade (result) was the same or better when using their actual mark than it would have been using their estimated mark.

AQA achieves ISO9001 certification

14 January 2009

We have been successfully certificated for the Quality Management Standard ISO9001.2000. This recognises the high quality of the processes that we use to deliver examinations to centres and candidates. These processes were subject to a rigorous audit process by Certification International, an organisation accredited to assess companies against the ISO9001 standard. We were issued a certificate on 5 January 2009 after a two month period of audits.

The external auditor in his report said:

I have been impressed by AQA's documentation and its application in departments. AQA endeavours very hard to get things right for its centres (schools, colleges etc) and of course for the individuals taking the examinations.

We are committed to continually improving the processes we operate and hence the services we deliver to centres and candidates. Certification to the ISO9001.2000 standard recognises this commitment. The scope of the Quality Management System is set out on the certificate.

Carolyn Adams
Quality Management Representative

AQA Future Forum

24 November 2008

AQA recently held its first Future forum.

Mike Cresswell talks choice at the 2008 AQA Annual Seminar and Awards

18 November 2008

Mike Cresswell gave a presentation about the importance of choice in 14-19 education yesterday at the AQA Annual Seminar and GCE Awards 2008.

Read Mike Cresswell's full speech here

AQA supports Colleges Week: 10-16 November

10 November 2008

AQA is delighted to support Colleges Week. These are exciting and challenging times for those offering post-16 education and colleges are rising to the challenge. AQA is proud to be able to provide a wide range of support for colleges as they plan for and deliver more choice than ever before for students.

It is a particularly exciting time for AQA as this is the first term when the AQA Baccalaureate or AQA 'Bacc' has been widely available. This new qualification reflects not only students' A-level performance but also their wider learning reflected in a Transcript of Enrichment, their research skills tested by an Extended Project and their more general education through Citizenship, General Studies or Critical Thinking.

AQA is committed to helping colleges deliver successful learning to young people which meets their needs.

Mike Cresswell
AQA Director General

AQA welcomes Ofqual report

31 October 2008

We welcome a new report Making a Difference published by Ofqual, which recognises the hard work of AQA staff over the exam period. The report examines the experiences of staff in centres during the summer of 2008.

Ofqual reported that:

• when teachers needed to phone an awarding body, 79.1% of them described their experience with AQA as positive
• for another awarding body only 35.9% of respondents reported a positive experience
• only 1.1% – the lowest of any awarding body – had difficulty getting through to AQA
• the AQA website was deemed the most useful by respondents.

Andrew Bird, Deputy Director General of AQA, said: "As the UK's largest awarding body we know that exams can be stressful for all concerned. We spend a lot of time and effort making sure that we provide a service which ensures that things run as smoothly as possible."

"We want to build on this success and make sure that we continue to deliver the very best for teachers and students. However, while I appreciate the very positive feedback that we have had, I recognise that there is still work to be done and we look forward to delivering an even higher standard next year."

Making a Difference is published today by Ofqual.

AQA National GCSE Awards

28 October 2008

Read about our GCSE Award ceremony and find out who won the title of Student of the Year.

Summary of AQA's response to the draft proposals on Ofqual's additional monitoring and enforcement powers

27 October 2008

AQA has responded to draft proposals from the DCSF on the additional monitoring and enforcement powers for Ofqual. The DCSF has invited comment on these further proposals issued after consideration of the comments on the consultation document Confidence in Standards published in December 2007 and the follow-up report Confidence in Standards: regulating and developing qualifications and assessment – next steps published in June 2008.

AQA continues to give a broad welcome to the proposals and to the establishment of an independent regulator.

In particular, AQA very much welcomes the indications that Ofqual will adopt a more strategic approach than its predecessor. Detailed regulatory involvement in procedural matters tends to stifle innovation without, in itself, guaranteeing standards.

AQA has made a number of detailed comments on the proposals but believes that there is currently one major omission from them which is crucial: to be able to discharge its primary purpose as the strategic regulator of the qualifications market, Ofqual must be empowered to intervene, if necessary, to ensure the setting and maintenance of appropriate examination standards.

We therefore believe that Ofqual needs to be given an explicit statutory power to enable it, if necessary, to direct an awarding body to set standards at a particular level. It needs to have this power so that it can give credible public assurance that standards are comparable between awarding bodies and maintained over time. It is particularly important that Ofqual has this power in place in order to support public confidence about the standards set in the new A-levels, GCSEs, Diplomas and Functional Skills assessments which are being introduced over the next few years.

See a more detailed summary

See the full response

AQA response to today's article in the TES regarding 2008 GCSE science results

24 October 2008

The best interests of our candidates are always our top priority and we took action in GCSE Science this year to ensure that they were protected.

Students, parents, teachers and employers can therefore have complete confidence that all AQA's results are fair and based on the same standards as the other Awarding Bodies.

The situation that arose with GCSE Science this summer was exceptional. We identified the issue and then worked closely with Ofqual and the other awarding bodies to resolve it qickly. At Ofqual's request, we adjusted our standards in GCSE Science, making it slightly easier to obtain a Grade C, to come into line with the standards being set by the other Awarding Bodies. The adjustment we made was relatively small and the standard set in GCSE Science this year remained broadly in line with standards in GCSEs generally.

However, the standard set for a Grade C on this year's GCSE Science examinations was not as close to the past Grade C standard in Science as we believe it could have been. We strongly believe that, going forward, the new Ofqual must be given the power, when necessary, to direct awarding bodies to maintain standards.

The new Ofqual must set out clearly the evidence it will use in future to assess standards, how it will interpret that evidence and how it expects major revisions to qualifications to affect pass rates. For example, we believe that the new A-levels which have just been introduced will necessarily have similar subject pass rates to the old ones if standards are successfully carried forward from the old A-levels. We need to know unequivocally from Ofqual whether it takes the same view and whether it will intervene if there are any cases where pass rates differ markedly without clear justification.

It is only by providing clarity of this kind, that we believe Ofqual will be able to give the public assurance about examination standards which it was set up to provide. AQA has an international reputation for the quality of its work on standard setting and the experience and technical knowledge to work closely with Ofqual on this essential aspect of its remit. We are fully committed to doing so in the interests of the young people and other learners who take our examinations.

We are fully committed to doing so in the interests of the young people and other learners who take our examinations.

Please see our letter to Ofqual of 12 August 2008.

Mike Cresswell
AQA Director General

AQA Continuing Professional Development courses for teachers of Key Stage 3 English and Science

15 October 2008

Ed Balls announced on 14 October that the government plans to end compulsory national tests (SATs) for 14 year olds.

AQA has developed a successful and popular programme of training courses for teachers of Key Stage 3. Our programme of CPD courses will continue as planned. Whilst the SATs tests are coming to an end, teachers will still follow the Programme of Study at Key Stage 3 and will continue to assess their pupils progress.

The focus of our all our KS3 courses this term is on effective planning and strategies for teaching based on the Programmes of Study.

KS3 English

This course focuses on successful teaching approaches, techniques and tips for Reading and Writing and strategies for teaching Shakespeare. We use past assessments as a tool to review how they can inform effective classroom teaching and raise student achievement. We will also use the Shakespeare scenes that were planned for the 2009 SATs to provide guidance for teachers on strategies for teaching.

KS3 Science

How Science Works at Key Stage 3

This course introduces the new science curriculum that is in place from September 2008. It unpacks the key changes, focussing particularly on the How Science Works element, showing teachers how to build enquiry based teaching into their planning. There is also an opportunity to consider how a core and options structure is appropriate for topic level plans; and the emphasis throughout the day is on using the levelled objectives to ensure progress for pupils. How Science Works at KS3 is designed to support effective teaching, including focussed assessment of national curriculum levels for reporting and diagnostic purposes.

For further details of these courses and to book your place, please visit our on-line booking service.

AQA launches new magazine

29 September 2008

Be one of the first to see AQA's new magazine – Award.

In the first issue you'll find:

• An exclusive interview with Mike Cresswell, AQA's Director General
• Richard Garner, Education Editor at the Independent, gives his unique viewpoint on Diplomas – now that D-day has arrived what is the future for the new qualifications which have so much riding on them?
• Over 100 schools are now offering the AQA Bacc and we hear from Richard Huish College in Taunton about its experience as a pilot school for the Bacc.

The magazine will stimulate debate, provide timely information to schools and the education world and act as a forum to share expertise and opinions.

We look forward to hearing what you think: please e-mail us your feedback.

AQA highlights FCSE qualification on European Day of Languages

26 September 2008

AQA is marking the European Day of Languages today by highlighting its FCSE (Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education) initiative which is designed to act as a linguistic bridge for school students between Key Stages at secondary school as well as appealing to adult learners.

From this term students can take French, German, Italian and Spanish (as well as Chinese) at FCSE. They can start their studies as early as age 11 and the course is relevant to students of all ages but particularly up to the age of 14.

FCSEs cover all four language skills:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

And all assessment is carried out by the teacher in the classroom.

A teacher involved in the first phase this year said 'We thoroughly enjoyed the course and were over the moon with our results as they greatly increased our percentage of year 9s achieving level 5 or above.'

John Mitchell Director of Qualifications, Development and Support for AQA said:

'We recognise that there is much to do to reverse trends away from language learning at GCSE and AQA is determined to help schools by providing FCSE language options as a way of engaging and motivating students.

FCSE fills a gap. Teachers told us that students who learn a Modern Foreign Language up to the end of Key Stage 3, but choose not to continue, have nothing to show for 3 (or more) years of language learning.

Languages are an important job qualification in a growing range of professions. By offering the FCSE in French, Italian, German and Spanish, we hope that schools find that they can highlight the increasing relevance of modern foreign languages to their students and relate this to the world beyond school, leisure, education and work.

The European Day of Languages also underlines a growing need to communicate in more than one language if we are to create well-rounded citizens of the world.'

The FCSE is a portfolio based Level 1 qualification in Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian and Spanish designed to accredit language learning at National Curriculum Levels 4, 5 and 6.