1. Qualifications are changing Curriculum Update Event – Dunblane Hydro Tuesday 13 December Access 1 and Access 2

2. Welcome Latest qualification information Meet the people who are developing the qualifications Opportunity to discuss curriculum planning Opportunity to provide feedback Package of publications and support

3. Welcome Design of new National Qualifications Development of new National Qualifications Update on Units and Courses available at Access 1 and Access2

4. Designing the new National Qualifications Margaret Miller, Policy Manager

5. What are we trying to achieve? Clear and smooth progression from Experiences and Outcomes and between levels of qualifications Focus on skills development Assessment which supports, motivates and challenges learners – including opportunities for reinforcement, consolidation and extension An inclusive, coherent, and easy to understand framework of qualifications which uses hierarchical structures wherever possible More open requirements, allowing centre flexibility and learner personalisation and choice Clear, appropriate standards, credibility and relevance

6. New National Course (Access 2) New National Units (Access 1 & Access 2) Courses at Access 2 and 3 will have Units totalling 18 SCQF credit points New and revised Courses at Access 2 based on Units and are ungraded Units in National Courses will be internally assessed on a pass/fail basis, and will be ungraded

7. New National Units (Access 1) At Access 1, there are Units but no Courses In spring 2012, SQA will issue plans for development work for: Supported Units Independent Units Derived Units

8. Unit Assessment Units in all Courses will be skills-based, less prescriptive Fewer and broader Outcomes and Assessment Standards and more flexible to encourage holistic assessment across more than one Unit/outcome where appropriate Assessment method not prescribed in Unit Specifications; greater range of techniques and methodologies for assessment will be encouraged Teachers/lecturers may vary assessment approaches for different learners to suit individual needs and to create personalisation and choice Teachers/lecturers may create their own Unit assessments

9. Specifications, guidance and support New ways of specifying requirements: shorter, more open, less prescriptive Course Specification: outlines course structure and what is required to pass the course Unit Specification: outcomes and assessment standards More guidance and support, for example: Course and Unit Support Notes: guidance on delivering Courses and the Units, approaches to learning, teaching and assessment Assessment support: Unit exemplification materials

10. Course / Unit Support Notes Each Course will have Course Support Notes Each Unit will have Unit Support Notes These provide advice and guidance on the delivery and assessment of Courses and Units Not mandatory documents Approaches to learning and teaching Approaches to assessment - building on the principles of Building the Curriculum 5

11. Course / Unit Support Notes Approaches to building in equality and inclusion woven through Course/Unit Support Notes Approaches to Learning and teaching –Signpost where assistive technologies can be used –Advice on strategies for making teaching learner- centred Approaches to assessment –Use of naturally occurring evidence –Suggesting different assessment approaches so learners may achieve in different ways and at a different pace –Amount of support

12. Proposed SQA skills framework, building on BtC 4: Literacy Numeracy Skills for health and well-being Employability and enterprise skills + citizenship Thinking skills Skills to be built in to new National Courses and Units as appropriate Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work

13. Quality assurance of internal assessment Feedback from engagement: need for robust QA approaches need to be developmental and foster partnership constraints Developing ways SQA and centres can work together to: promote a shared understanding of national standards across centres and sectors build training and support into the QA process develop partnership approach Further engagement: national partners and stakeholder groups detailed work to ensure manageable and successful implementation

14. Development of the new National Qualifications Roderic Gillespie, Head of Curriculum for Excellence

15. How are we developing qualifications? Qualifications developed in a more strategic way: starts with learning, process is iterative Each stage informs the next: on-going process of exploring issues/developing thinking, seeking advice/guidance and then testing proposals Wide range of engagement: from formal groups to Liaison Team visits to targeted activities Open & transparent: draft documents published at each stage (both for information and feedback) stakeholders and partners involved at each stage feedback published on website

16. Publication/SupportAccess 2Access 3Nat 4 / Nat 5Higher Draft Course Specifications Oct ‘11 Apr ‘11Aug ‘11 Draft Unit Specifications Dec ‘11 Aug ‘11Nov ‘11 Draft Course Assessment Specifications N/A Nov ‘11Jan ‘12 Draft Course/Unit Support Notes Apr ‘12 Jan ‘12Feb ‘12 Course/Unit Assessment Support on NAR Apr ‘13 Apr ‘14 Subject Implementation Support Events Session 2012/13 Session 2013/14 Publication of final document for Access 1 – Higher: April 2012 Publication of final documents for Advanced Higher: April 2013

17. New National Qualifications: Implementation Timelines Session 2012/13 – last diet of Standard Grade examinations Session 2013/14 – first diet of new qualifications (Access to N5), dual run with existing Access and Intermediates Session 2014/15 – first diet of new Higher, dual run with existing Access, Intermediates and Highers Session 2015/16 – first diet of Advanced Higher

18. Access 1 and Access 2 Keith Wright, Qualifications Development Manager

19. Key points Builds on principles and practices guidance and relevant level experiences and outcomes Follows the design principles agreed by CfE Management Board and SQA’s Qualification Committee Incorporates the best features of existing Access 2 Courses and feedback from engagement Focuses on personalisation and choice Provides opportunities for flexible delivery and curriculum planning

20. Engagement and feedback Local Authorities and Colleges Subject specialists and professional associations Learner engagement CARG / QDT / SWGs CfE Liaison Team Have your say

21. Curriculum areaCourses at Access 2 Mathematics Lifeskills Mathematics- Science Science in the Environment- Languages English & Communication Modern Languages (French, German, Italian, Spanish) Expressive Arts Performance Arts Creative Arts Social Subjects / Business Social SubjectsBusiness in Practice Health & Wellbeing Physical EducationFood, Health & Wellbeing Technologies Practical Craft Skills Information & Communications Technology

22. Courses will: Have strong focus on skills development and activity based learning Be written in a very open way to encourage personalisation and choice In many cases, provide a mix of optional and mandatory Units Encourage breadth, depth and application

23. Awards Personal Development Award at Access 2 Personal Achievement Award at Access 1 and Access 2 Available from August 2012

24. Personal Development Award Hierarchical with Personal Development Award at SCQF levels 3, 4, 5 and 6 Re-brand the existing Personal Development Course Consists of nine Units in three groupings – select one from each grouping

25. Personal Achievement Award at Access 1 and Access 2 These Awards aims to develop, reinforce and strengthen skills associated with: working toward independence working with others communicating thinking developing knowledge and understanding

26. Personal Achievement Award at Access 1 and Access 2 Recognises small but significant achievement of learners on an incremental basis Each Unit is 3 SCQF credit points in size Based around 40 new Units developed across both levels

27. Personal Achievement Award at Access 1 and Access 2 All Units have same outcomes Prepare for Participate Review Units grouped under two themes Developing Independence Taking part in the Community

28. Type of Award Number of Units (all 3 SCQF Credit points) Combination of Units Size of Award (SCQF Credit Points) Bronze 2 One from each theme 6 Silver 4 At least one from each theme 12 Gold 6 At least two from each theme 18

29. Learners can: build up achievement in small amounts develop skills in very open contexts focus on participation to develop skills widen and deepen skills by working in a very wide range of contexts Personal Achievement Award

30. Task Read over documentation provided Feedback regarding: Unit outcomes – are they appropriate and achievable? Opportunities for developing breadth and depth of learning using Courses in the curriculum area and/or a mix of Units from these Courses Opportunities to develop breadth and depth of learning using the full range of revised/new Courses at Access 2 Potential to use Awards to recognise learning that has taken place Opportunities to meet the aims, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence