Introduction
This policy provides guidance for external assessments offered by the school/college that are governed by regulations mandated by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and Edexcel.
This policy establishes the means for ensuring the integrity and security of all elements of the schools’/colleges’ assessment processes. Strict adherence to this policy is required in order to retain Approved Exam Centre status for Edexcel.
Aims of this Policy
The aims of this Controlled Assessment and Coursework Policy is to:
- Outline the key operational responsibilities and practices of the school/college to ensure compliance with the governing regulations
- To ensure implementation of efficient assessment procedures and practices so that all students have a fair and equal opportunity to attain the best possible result
Controlled Assessment and Coursework
3.1 Controlled Assessment / Coursework is defined as work assigned to students during a course of study to be evaluated as part of students’ final grade in the course
3.2 Controlled Assessment/Coursework will form an element of the assessment procedures in the external assessment of students and can take different forms
3.3 Students may be asked to produce work over a set period of time working both within and outside of the classroom
Ensuring the validity of the marks awarded for Controlled Assessment and Coursework Assessment is vital in maintaining the integrity and reputation of the school/college in the assessment of its students.
Responsibilities
The School/College is responsible for:
- Developing, maintaining and implementing its own internal assessment procedures for assessment, recording and reporting of students’ work
- Implementing the procedures for setting, marking, standardising, and moderating controlled assessment / coursework as might be regulated by the examination board (Edexcel or others)
- Ensuring that the level of oversight required by the Examination Board is rigidly adhered
The Principal is responsible for:
- Being familiar with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) instructions for conducting controlled assessments
- Being responsible to the awarding body (e.g. Edexcel) to ensure that all controlled assessments are conducted according to qualification specifications
The Examination Coordinator is responsible for:
- Being familiar with JCQ instructions for conducting controlled assessments
- Being familiar with general instructions relating to controlled assessment from the awarding body (e.g. Edexcel)
- Submitting controlled assessment marks at the correct time
- In collaboration with the Principal, dispatch students’ assessments for moderation to the nominated moderator
The teacher is responsible for:
- Being familiar with JCQ instructions for conducting controlled assessments
- Understanding and complying with this policy and any other awarding body guidelines
- Undertaking in-school/ in-college standardisation of controlled assessments
- In collaboration with the Examination Coordinator, submitting controlled assessment marks to the awarding body (e.g. Edexcel)
- In collaboration with the Examination Coordinator, dispatching students’ assessments for moderation
- In collaboration with the Examination Coordinator, making appropriate arrangements for the security of controlled assessment materials
- Assessment Supervision
Supervision can be:
- Formal (high level of control)
- Informal (medium level of control)
- Limited (low level of control)
Requirements for ‘formal supervision’:
- The candidate must be under direct supervision at all times. The use of resources by the candidate and his/her interaction with others will be mandated by the awarding body
- Access to email, the internet and mobile phones must not be permitted
- Candidates must complete all work independently and must not communicate with each other
- No assistance can be given to the candidates
- Examination conditions and the use of invigilators are not required
- Teachers must ensure that any display material in the teaching environment which might provide assistance is removed or covered
- Teachers must be aware of the conditions under which the task is to be taken
- Students must not use a mobile phone or any other electronic communication device during a controlled assessment which is subject to formal supervision
- The Examination Coordinator must keep a log of any incidents which occur during the course of the assessment
- The school must record which candidates were present for the assessment, as well as those who were absent
Requirements for ‘informal supervision’:
- Students will have access to work from previous activities. However, as assessment activity is completed, work cannot be added to or updated
- Teachers must informally supervise at least 8 hours of the work produced (in order to authenticate that it is the student’s own work)
- All work must be completed by learners independently
- Teachers can support students with working space, materials and equipment
- Teachers must not give feedback about work in progress or suggest how work might be improved or developed
- Access to the internet during informally supervised activity is permitted
Requirements for ‘limited supervision’:
- Students will have access to work from previous activities. However, as assessment activity is completed, work cannot be added to or updated
- All work must be completed by learners independently
- Teachers can support students with working space, materials and equipment
- Teachers must not give feedback about work in progress or suggest how work might be improved or developed
- Access to the internet during informally supervised activity is permitted
Task Authentication and Marking
Assessed tasks will be marked by the class teacher according to the requirements of the subject specification. Internal (school-based) standardisation will be completed before external moderation to ensure all work has been marked to the same standard.