Dearing 16-19 Review
Review of Qualifications for 16-19 Year Olds
Education
Comprehensive independent review of qualifications for 16-19 year olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Made 198 recommendations covering A levels, GNVQs, NVQs and a proposed overarching national qualifications framework.
198recommendations
198Not Yet Responded
Government Response
Government broadly accepted the framework proposals; implementation was disrupted by the 1997 general election and subsequent policy changes under the incoming Labour government.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1
There should be a National Framework of Qualifications. All qualifications in the national framework will be allocated to four National levels known as Advanced, Intermediate, Foundation and Entry level. (Section 3.8.)
Recommendation 10
The joint committee might also consider whether in the longer term there is a case for a national subject framework for qualifications based on coherent groupings of broad subject areas. (Section 3.27.) (1) It is for consideration to what extent in Wales these should be identified as 'Welsh National'.
Recommendation 100
In the Part One GNVQ, and more widely where it would help, the required knowledge and understanding should be stated in the specifications for GNVQs or in the guidance to teachers. (Section 9.17.)
Recommendation 101
In the expansion of the GNVQ into new institutions, and as new subjects are introduced into institutions, the NCVQ and the awarding bodies should maintain rigorous policies to ensure that there is the necessary expertise and equipment. (Section 9.17.)
Recommendation 102
Guidance to students on GNVQ choices should avoid gender stereotyping and be based on individual considerations of suitability, the scope for progression and prospects. (Section 9.17.)
Recommendation 103
In subjects like manufacturing and engineering, where equipment is costly, the Government should be alert to the possibility that take-up could be unreasonably constrained across the country, with the consequence that student and institutional choice is concentrated too heavily on the comparatively low-cost service sectors. (Section 9.17.)
Recommendation 104
Collaboration between institutions, particularly schools and colleges, should be encouraged to ensure that students can be offered a good range of GNVQ options, bearing in mind the need to ensure that the more capital-intensive subjects are covered. (Section 9.17.)
Recommendation 105
The manufacturing and engineering sectors of industry should give strong support to institutions in developing programmes in these areas. (Section 9.17.)
Recommendation 106
Additional units should be developed to extend the choice of units available to GNVQ students, so that they can direct their studies more closely to particular NVQs and build up the required knowledge and understanding underpinning them. (Section 9.19.)
Recommendation 107
There should be close and continuing monitoring of the experience of universities and of students who have gained places on the basis of the GNVQ. (Section 9.20.)
Recommendation 108
The regulatory and awarding bodies should develop units and qualifications which provide opportunities for applied learning at the proposed Entry level and progression to Foundation level. (Section 9.21.)
Recommendation 109
The NCVQ and the DfEE should work with the NVQ awarding bodies to secure rational and coherent provision in the interests of customers of the system. (Section 9.24.)
Recommendation 11
In the light of the outcome of the Gatsby project, awarding bodies should examine the scope for identifying common content in related areas of study in modular A levels and GNVQs, bearing in mind the feasibility of common elements being taught together, but without changing the distinctive nature and rigour of each of these qualifications. (Section 3.37.)
Recommendation 110
Because of concerns about the uneven quality of the tests, urgent consideration should be given to a unified test approved by NCVQ in advance of use. (Section 9.45.)
Recommendation 111
The role of external tests should be reconsidered to determine whether candidates should be required to answer questions covering the entire range of knowledge specified in a mandatory unit, whether the tests should be graded, and if so, the basis of grading. This review of the external tests should take account of what has been learned from the use of tests in the Part One GNVQ pilot and in particular the extent to which they test depth of understanding. (Section 9.46.)
Recommendation 112
If the use of tests to contribute to grading is validated through the Part One GNVQ pilot, this is one of the purposes for which they should be used. This would require testing depth of understanding and moving away from reliance exclusively on multiple choice questions. Higher levels of understanding are probably best assessed in other ways. requiring more extended answers than the selection of an answer offered in a multiple choice test. (Section 9.47.)
Recommendation 113
The Part One pilot has expanded the information available to teachers through explanatory notes on the GNVQ specifications. The NCVQ has now decided that this should be taken further, to provide a specification of the required knowledge and understanding. This practice should be extended (where it would be helpful) across the GNVQ generally, and SCAA, ACAC and CCEA should support this work. (Section 9.48.)
Recommendation 114
The NCVQ in conjunction with the vocational awarding bodies, should pursue the following proposals for increasing coherence in the field of school and college-based vocational training: Map existing qualifications for which there is substantial demand on to GNVQs and NVQs to identify areas of overlap or close relationship. Increase the pool of optional and additional units of GNVQs to allow for greater specialisation. Consider greater flexibility in the structure of GNVQs, for example by reducing the number of mandatory units required in those awards without compromising comparability. Take into account the implications of the proposal for six-unit awards based on the full GNVQ at Advanced level outlined elsewhere in this Report. Consider the need for full GNVQs in new areas. Look for ways of certificating existing qualifications as part of an NVQ or GNVQ. (Section 9.65.)
Recommendation 115
Links should be developed between the regulatory bodies and the National Open College Network to ensure that OCN accreditation leads to complementary local provision rather than a replication of national awards. (Section 9.66.)
Recommendation 116
There should be no reduction in the standards required in any subject. (Section 10.21.)
Recommendation 117
The awarding bodies should review the evidence prepared for this Report and reach agreed conclusions with the regulatory bodies. Where subjects seem decidedly below the 'average' level of difficulty, there should be a levelling-up of demand, after giving advance warning to institutions. Details of the procedure for bringing about this change should be agreed between the regulatory and awarding bodies and be subject to the approval of the Secretaries of State. (Section 10.21.)
Recommendation 118
The awarding bodies should ensure that standards are equivalent through their internal and collective procedures. (Section 10.26.)
Recommendation 119
The regulatory bodies should have the final responsibility to ensure that all is well. (Section 10.26.)
Recommendation 12
The joint committee of the NCVQ and SCAA should, in consultation with centres, awarding bodies and representatives of higher education and employment, oversee the development of a common framework for the quality assurance of all national qualifications. (Section 3.43.)
Recommendation 120
Each school and college should have a formal procedure, involving the head/principal of the institution, before a decision is taken to change an awarding body. (Section 10.26.)
Recommendation 121
The regulatory bodies, working in partnership with the awarding bodies, should reduce the number of syllabuses and options to levels where it is practical for them to be satisfied that equal standards prevail without requiring an unreasonable level of resources for the task, while preserving a reasonable choice for centres. (Section 10.37.)
Recommendation 122
With a reduction in the number of syllabuses and options, the resources thus released should be devoted to ensuring consistency of standards. (Section 10.37.)
Recommendation 123
The Secretaries of State should consider implementing Section 24 of the 1988 Education Reform Act which allows them to approve qualifications and a designated body to approve syllabuses. Implementation would give the designated regulatory body the power to control the number of syllabuses and content, if needed. (Section 10.37.)
Recommendation 124
The awarding bodies should maintain a comprehensive archive of examination papers, scripts, mark schemes, coursework, examination statistics and awards so that there is a better basis than at present to assess standards over time. The basis of this archive should be agreed between the regulatory and awarding bodies. (Section 10.44.)
Recommendation 125
Similar archives for checking standards over time should be set up for GNVQs, taking into account their distinctive characteristics, and what it would be feasible to retain and the effects on schools and colleges. The basis of this archive should be agreed between the awarding bodies and NCVQ. (Section 10.44.)
Recommendation 126
In addition to the annual checks of standards, the regulatory bodies (in association with the awarding bodies) should undertake an in-depth review of standards, so that over five years all subjects are covered, to ensure that standards are being maintained over time and across boards. (Section 10.44.)
Recommendation 127
The regulatory bodies should monitor closely the comparability and consistency of standards in modular and traditional linear A levels and publish an annual report on this. (Section 10.61.)
Recommendation 128
Consideration should be given to the approach outlined in Section 10.60 (combining features from linear and modular A levels into a unified approach) which, if the take-up of the traditional linear A level declines sharply, might become a standard form for A levels in the longer term. (Section 10.61.)
Recommendation 129
In the meantime, both traditional linear and modular A levels should be retained, but: The final examination in a modular scheme of assessment should count for not less than 30 per cent of the total marks and should include a number of questions, for which at least half the marks (15 per cent of the total marks for the A level) are reserved, that test understanding of the syllabus as a whole. (No changes are recommended for the traditional linear A level in this respect). There should be a limit on the number of re-sits of any one module, to be determined by the regulatory bodies after consultation with the awarding bodies. The regulatory bodies should monitor closely whether it is possible to maintain a stream of fresh questions for modular examinations to avoid easy question-spotting, particularly in early modules. The joint committee of the NCVQ and SCAA, with the involvement of Wales and Northern Ireland, should consider whether there should be a common timetable for modular examinations, based on two sittings a year, probably in January and June. They should consider this issue in consultation with the awarding bodies, considering at the same time the timing of GNVQ tests. (Section 10.61.)
Recommendation 13
The committee should take into account the extent to which a common framework (of quality assurance) might recognise the distinctive features of qualifications and avoid compromising them. (Section 3.43.)
Recommendation 130
The regulatory bodies should examine the extent to which it is practical and advantageous to take further the specification of A levels in terms of required learning outcomes. (Section 10.65.)
Recommendation 131
Schools and colleges should encourage students proposing to take A level mathematics to take a GCSE paper in additional mathematics, whether equivalent in weight to a GCSE short course or a full GCSE. (Section 10.77.)
Recommendation 132
The regulatory bodies should encourage awarding bodies to seek approval under Section 5 of the Education Act 1988, so that the existing certificates in mathematics can form a new challenging GCSE course in additional mathematics, limited to grades A*-C. (Section 10.77.)
Recommendation 133
The regulatory bodies should review the range of curriculum material available to support courses to bridge the gap between GCSE and A level and, if necessary, stimulate the development of additional materials. (Section 10. 77.)
Recommendation 134
The regulatory bodies, noting the concerns expressed in consultation about inadequate coverage of important areas of mathematics (see Section 10.71), drawing on the advice of the consultation group established by SCAA and the results obtained in due course from the study of standards over time, should enter into discussion with the awarding bodies about the requirements for A level mathematics including the size of the mandatory core. (Section 10.82.)
Recommendation 135
Schools and colleges should encourage students to make more use of further mathematics courses through which students can supplement the main A level course. If double mathematics is not practicable, a further mathematics course equal in weight to the AS would be of benefit. (Section 10.82.)
Recommendation 136
The regulatory bodies should enter into discussions with the awarding bodies to maintain a good range of options while reducing overlapping provision. (Section 10.82.)
Recommendation 137
The regulatory bodies should investigate the feasibility of devising A level mathematics courses targeted at specific levels of attainment, or containing content designed for specific purposes. (Section 10.82.)
Recommendation 138
The regulatory bodies should collect evidence to establish whether the current range of GCSE courses in the sciences satisfactorily provides both broad science education and sufficient preparation for further study at A level, and report their conclusions to the Secretaries of State. (Section 10.89.)
Recommendation 139
Schools should use 20% of curriculum time for double science, as urged by the Royal Society. (Section 10.89.)
Recommendation 14
These arrangements should include common timetables for the review, development and approval of qualifications in related subject areas. (Section 3.43.)
Recommendation 140
The regulatory bodies should enter into discussions with the awarding bodies with a view to increasing the size of the A level subject core in the sciences and reducing the number of syllabuses currently available, while maintaining some scope for a range of syllabuses. (Section 10.95.)
Recommendation 141
Awarding bodies should note the comments that some of the more demanding content of syllabuses does not feature sufficiently in examinations. (Section 10.95.)
Recommendation 142
SCAA should assess the provision for chemistry in the light of the outcome of the OFSTED/SCAA study of standards over time. (Section 10.95.)
Recommendation 143
Building upon the work of the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), the regulatory bodies should develop a programme of further research into factors affecting the attitudes of parents, pupils and teachers to mathematics and the sciences, and disseminate the findings through a programme of regional conferences, newsletters and other publications for schools. (Section 10.99.)
Recommendation 144
The regulatory bodies and the TTA should identify and disseminate measures arising from this research to encourage a greater take-up of mathematics and the sciences. (Section 10.99.)
Recommendation 145
Interactive learning packages of high quality designed for use in schools and colleges merit the kind of development that has been taking place in universities. (Section 10.99.)
Recommendation 146
SCAA's mathematics and science consultative group should explore further the issues considered in this section of the Report, with a view to some early decisions and action, and guide SCAA and ACAC in further research and policy development. ACAC and CCEA should consider parallel action in Wales and Northern Ireland respectively. (Section 10.99.)
Recommendation 147
The NCVQ should continue to consult with universities and employers to monitor the progress of the science GNVQ closely, so that its quality and fitness for purpose are assured, with a view to the GNVQ at Advanced level providing an additional source of scientists and science technicians. (Section 10.104.)
Recommendation 148
A new AS should be developed as a means of encouraging greater breadth of study in full-time 16-19 education and training and to reduce wastage for students who do not proceed to the full A level. Those intending to take the full A level could, if they wished, progress to it without taking the AS. (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 149
The new AS should be graded on an A-E scale like the full A level, with the top grade defined as the standard attained by a student who, with one year's further study, would be expected to achieve grade A in the full A level; the other grades would relate to the A level standard in the same way ... (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 15
These arrangements should cover the development and approval of syllabuses, the roles of centres, awarding and regulatory bodies in assessment, recording, grading, moderation, monitoring, and centre approval. (Section 3.43.)
Recommendation 150
The content of the new AS should be the equivalent of half a full A level course (designed to occupy half the teaching time of a typical two-year advanced level course, or three modules out of six in a modular scheme). (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 151
The new AS should count as half an A level in terms of performance tables, the proposed new UCAS tariff and the National Targets for Education and Training. (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 152
The new AS should be re-named as 'Advanced Subsidiary' (AS) ... (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 153
The current AS and A level subject cores should be reviewed and, where necessary, revised to position the AS core as the 'foundation', with additional A level content expressed as 'extension' material ... (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 154
Where the AS provides directly for progression to either A levels or GNVQs, the first module or unit of the new AS should be based on common content drawn from the full award ... (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 155
The regulatory bodies should examine the case for new AS cores in a small number of subjects which are not normally offered pre-16 (for example, psychology, philosophy or economics) and in some which are currently not available but which might make a particular contribution to 'breadth' (for example, economic and industrial understanding, environmental education, European awareness, and Citizenship). (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 156
The current AS should be phased out as the new AS can be introduced, since to retain it would only add to confusion and complexity. (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 157
The regulatory bodies should undertake a pilot study immediately to assess the implications for different subjects of a reformulated AS, including the timetabling and likely resource issues for schools and colleges of offering such courses ... (Section 11.22.)
Recommendation 158
Priority should be given to approving existing awards that develop key skills at Entry level; over time, the provision should become much wider than these to encompass the many valuable programmes which are offered at this level. (Section 12.15.)
Recommendation 159
The key criteria for approving or kitemarking awards at Entry level should be the following. The units of award should be clearly specified in terms of learning outcomes which describe in a clear language what the learner is expected to know, understand and do as a result of achieving the unit. The award should be designed to provide opportunities for progression to higher levels. The awarding body should have adequate internal quality assurance mechanisms for its processes. The awarding body should have a commitment to equal access. (Section 12.16.)
Recommendation 16
Awarding bodies should be encouraged to revise codes of practice in the light of the common quality assurance framework. (Section 3.43.)
Recommendation 160
Any award below grade G in GCSE and the Foundation level of the GNVQ that meets the national standards prescribed by the regulatory bodies, should qualify for a certificate confirming that it is a National Award at Entry level. (Section 12.23.)
Recommendation 161
To be recognised as a National Award at Entry level, an award should be designed to offer progression to Foundation level. (Section 12.23.)
Recommendation 162
In accrediting such national awards, priority should be given in the short term to awards in communication, application of number and information technology ... (Section 12.23.)
Recommendation 163
In order to facilitate this accreditation, consideration should be given to implementing the powers in Section 24 of the Education Reform Act. (Section 12.23.)
Recommendation 164
Students should have opportunities to take approved GNVQ units at Foundation and Intermediate levels from 14 onwards, as well as Entry level qualifications. (Section 12.33.)
Recommendation 165
SCAA and ACAC, should consider, together with the NCVQ, which NVQs, or NVQ units might be appropriate. These could then be approved for use in schools under Section 5 of the Education Reform Act.
Recommendation 166
Further support should be given at national level to existing initiatives designed to provide motivation and opportunity among under-achievers where traditional education has not succeeded. While school will provide the centre for 14-16 year old students' continued development, education related to the adult world, with opportunities for group and project work, offers potential for those who fail to see any point or relevance to school or a traditional academic curriculum. This is especially so if a part of the student's development post-14 can be in a different environment, such as a college of further education, the workplace, or simulations of it. The central objective should reflect concern to serve students well in ways that are meaningful to them whilst maintaining the entitlement to the statutory curriculum. (Section 12.39.)
Recommendation 167
Courses to accredit skills for independent adult life should be developed against, or revised to meet, nationally recognised criteria, drawn up by the regulatory bodies with approval from the Secretaries of State ... . These should be at the Entry level in the proposed National Framework, but consideration should be given to the need for further qualifications in those skills at higher levels, to provide progression routes. (Section 12.51.)
Recommendation 168
In addition the regulatory bodies should devise simple quality assurance measures for schemes to accredit small, worthwhile steps of progress by those with severe learning difficulties. (Section 12.51.)
Recommendation 169
Special Papers should be retained, with each awarding body agreeing to take responsibility for a number of subjects in order to secure cost-effective provision. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 17
Particular attention should be paid to how these arrangements might apply to the development and approval of NVQs and work-based training such as Modern Apprenticeships, and the new initiatives to replace Youth Training which are proposed in Section 5. (Section 3.43.)
Recommendation 170
Consideration should be given to developing approaches to the Special Papers based on A level subject cores. which will bring them within the range of the teaching resources of more institutions. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 171
Once the Special Paper has been reformulated, consideration should be given to recognising achievement through the proposed new UCAS tariff. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 172
In the interests of stability, a commitment should be made to provide reconstituted Special Papers for at least four years. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 173
As an alternative to the present approach, consideration should be given to externally extended assignments in which students research and explain a topic or an issue in depth. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 174
Schools and universities should take advantage of opportunities available through arrangements such as Associate Student Schemes, to enable students to take units of university courses while at school or college. This will give them credit towards their undergraduate studies, as well as providing an opportunity to extend their areas of interest. With such arrangements, in a few cases it may not be unrealistic to contemplate a first degree being completed in two years. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 175
Schools and colleges should be encouraged to extend the range of studies available to students through additional AS or A levels, or units of GNVQs or NVQs (where appropriate opportunities can be provided) to broaden the nature of their studies. The proposal in Section 5 of this Report for a new challenging option which combines depth with breadth of study and which would be available in all three pathways, is relevant in this context. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 176
For those pursuing an NVQ, apart from taking units from another closely-related vocation, the best approach may lie in providing for certification of the underpinning knowledge and understanding required for the next level of the NVQ, or in encouraging trainees to study either an AS in a relevant area (eg an AS in mathematics for an NVQ level 3 engineer), or modules from a university course. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 177
For GNVQ students, there are currently available opportunities to take additional units at the Advanced level, or AS or A levels. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 178
Consideration should be given to the content and role of a General Studies A level that will have standing with universities and attract a numerical score in the proposed new UCAS tariff. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 179
An element in such a development. or a free-standing development, might be a course equivalent in weight to a Special Paper, a module or unit in a General Studies A level, or even an AS qualification. aimed at developing a critical understanding of the various forms of knowledge. (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 18
In developing its proposals the joint committee should consider ways of increasing the cost effectiveness and reducing the workload in schools and colleges. (Section 3.43)
Recommendation 180
Students should be encouraged to pursue opportunities outside their main curriculum to develop their personal qualities through, for example, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Young Enterprise or work in the community (Section 12.85.)
Recommendation 181
Regulatory and awarding bodies should recognise the potential relevance of spiritual and moral issues to individual subjects, particularly when designing and approving syllabuses. (Section 13.6.)
Recommendation 182
All providers of education and training should take spiritual and moral issues into account in the design and delivery of the curriculum and programmes for young people. (Section 13.6.)
Recommendation 183
To monitor achievement, high quality, continuously up-dated information is needed both at the level of individual institutions and nationally for action to be taken. Present arrangements do not appear to be adequate and I recommend that they are reviewed. (Section 14.12.)
Recommendation 184
Excellent, independent careers education and guidance should be provided to all young people on their choice of pathways and their potential level of achievement, recognising the central role of local partnerships between schools, colleges and the careers service. Continued updating of knowledge should be provided to those giving advice, including issues relevant to maintaining equal opportunities. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 185
The regulatory, awarding and industry lead bodies should consider the issues relating to access to qualifications as part of their work on quality assurance, including: the specification of content (audit of content for clarity, cultural and linguistic bias); assessment arrangements (special arrangements, preparation and timing of assessments); guidance to centres (for example on equipment and learning support). (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 186
Awarding bodies should include criteria on accessibility and training in related issues as part of revised Codes of Practice and centre approval criteria. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 187
Regulatory, awarding bodies, and lead bodies should continue to review the extent to which the content and arrangements for all forms of assessment need to be designed in ways that maintain standards but give equality of opportunity for all to demonstrate their achievement, independent of gender, racial origin, socio-economic group or disability, with research being commissioned as required to verify that there are no unnecessary obstacles to achievement. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 188
The regulatory bodies (and other appropriate agencies) should work together to develop a framework for monitoring and reporting nationally on candidate achievement by gender, racial origin, socio-economic group, disability or learning difficulty. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 189
The Government departments, regulatory and awarding bodies, Further Education Funding Councils, FEDA and other appropriate bodies should further investigate reasons for non-completion of awards (including the influence of external factors such as financial pressures, employment circumstances, personal problems, and the quality of the learning experience). They should improve the reliability of information on completion and destinations of all leavers. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 19
The joint committee of the NCVQ and SCAA should take forward the development of a common vocabulary which should be adopted by the regulatory and awarding bodies for all qualifications. (Section 3.47.)
Recommendation 190
The regulatory bodies should explore (with employer bodies, Government departments and others) ways of encouraging an expansion of work experience opportunities. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 191
Schools and colleges should maximise the potential of information technology to improve their monitoring and tracking of students. (Section 14.35.)
Recommendation 192
The recommendations in this Report to strengthen qualifications are interdependent with those of the Capey Committee and the Beaumont Review. Action on these recommendations should be coordinated by Government departments to minimise the burden on institutions, the awarding bodies and providers of education and training. (Section 15.1.)
Recommendation 193
In the light of the Government's response to this Report, the Department for Education and Employment, Welsh Office and Northern Ireland Office should consult with the regulatory and awarding bodies, other Government departments and the inspectorates, Further Education Funding Councils (England and Wales), Further Education Development Agency and the Teacher Training Agency on the implications of the Report and on a joint agenda for action. (Section 15.1.)
Recommendation 194
In recognition of the emphasis placed by all parties in consultation upon the need to raise national standards in the key skills of communication, the application of number and information technology, and the value attached by employers to personal and inter-personal skills, these should be included in the priorities in the joint agenda for action. (Section 15.1.)
Recommendation 195
With the continued growth of post-16 education and training, and the wider range of opportunities being offered in the applied and vocational pathways, consideration will need to be given at all levels to the curriculum that schools and colleges of different sizes can realistically provide and manage effectively within the resources available. (Section 15.1.)
Recommendation 196
Further consideration should be given to the case for more specific criteria for courses of initial teacher training which cover the 14-19 phase in schools. (Section 15.3.)
Recommendation 197
The implications of this Report for programmes of in-service education and training for teachers in schools should also be considered. (Section 15.3.)
Recommendation 198
Further consideration should be given to whether, in the light of the outcome of the deliberations of the Further Education Staff Development Forum, there is scope for further measures for the initial and continuing training of teachers and trainers not in schools. (Section 15.3.)
Recommendation 2
The term National should characterise all the main elements in the framework envisaged in the Report (1). These include National Awards, National Record of Achievement, National Traineeships, National Certificates, National Advanced Diploma and National Vocational Qualifications. (Section 3.9.)
Recommendation 20
The regulatory bodies should commit themselves to using plain words in all their publications. (Section 3.47.)
Recommendation 21
The Government departments should encourage awarding bodies to come together across the binary line to create new joint arrangements for awarding the GCSE, A level and GNVQ. (Section 4.30.)
Recommendation 22
The Government departments should, at the same time, take action to rationalise: the number of bodies involved in the awarding of qualifications; the number of NVQ awarding bodies. (Section 4.30.)
Recommendation 23
Legislation should be introduced to bring together the work of the NCVQ and SCAA.
Recommendation 24
To that end the Government should consult on the following alternatives: bringing together all the work of the NCVQ and SCAA into one single statutory body, or regrouping the qualifications and public examinations functions of the NCVQ and SCAA into a new National Qualifications Authority, with a separate authority responsible for the school curriculum from 4-19, for statutory assessment up to the age of 14, and possibly, in the interests of reducing the number of bodies involved in education, for some other functions. (Section 4.30.)
Recommendation 25
The consultation should further consider how employment interests might best be represented in future arrangements in order to ensure that NVQs continue to be based on occupational standards and remain employment-led. (Section 4.30.)
Recommendation 26
In the event of legislation, specific provision should be made for Wales and Northern Ireland. (Section 4.30.)
Recommendation 27
In the meantime, the Government should support the co-ordinating work of the joint committee of the NCVQ and SCAA, with the full involvement of Wales and Northern Ireland. (Section 4.30.)
Recommendation 28
The Welsh Office and the Department for Education in Northern Ireland, together with ACAC, CCEA and their English counterparts, should consider which structure would best preserve the responsiveness and distinctiveness of the present arrangements, while progressing towards removing the academic/vocational divide. (Section 4.32.)
Recommendation 29
The regulatory bodies in Wales and Northern Ireland (ACAC and CCEA) should not extend their roles to cover policy towards and accreditation of, the NVQ. (Section 4.35.)
Recommendation 3
All certificates issued by awarding bodies should show the relevant national level prominently as the main heading. To assist understanding of what has been achieved, the new certificates should include (on the reverse side) a list of the main comparable nationally recognised achievements at the relevant level. The face of the certificate should give more detail than at present about the nature of the achievement. For certificates at the Advanced level, provision should be made for including the numerical score based on the proposed new Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) tariff. A certificate number should be included on each certificate. (Section 3.13.)
Recommendation 30
Further consideration should now be given as a matter of urgency, to ACAC taking responsibility for the GNVQ framework in Wales. (Section 4.35.)
Recommendation 31
The CCEA in Northern Ireland and the WJEC in Wales should move into offering GNVQs, through association with one or more of the existing GNVQ awarding bodies. (Section 4.35.)
Recommendation 32
Arrangements should be made to provide for Wales and Northern Ireland to take part in the work of any new bodies established to undertake the present work of the NCVQ and SCAA, and meanwhile they will be represented on the joint committee of the NCVQ and SCAA. (Section 4.35.)
Recommendation 33
Youth Training, however currently named, should be relaunched as a system of National Traineeships , available at Foundation, Intermediate , and perhaps at Advanced levels , providing a vocational progression route to Modern Apprenticeships and the work-based route. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 34
National Traineeships should offer a broad and flexible learning programme for young people, designed by Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) and TECs and delivered in partnership with colleges of further education. Each Traineeship should incorporate NVQs (at levels 1, 2 and perhaps 3 as appropriate to the industry), the three key skills of communication, the application of number and information technology and (where appropriate) units, short courses and whole/qualifications, such as GNVQs and GCSEs. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 35
Acceptance to a National Traineeship should be based on an assessment of the applicant's suitability. It should not be the fall-back position for young people without a job. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 36
For those not yet ready for NVQ level 1, including those with special training needs and those unclear about their career direction, National Entry level provision should be developed, geared towards the Entry level qualifications proposed in this Report (see Section 12), and available through a range of motivating vocational contexts. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 37
The National Entry level provision should foster the development of the three key skills of communication, the application of number and information technology including self-expression, and handling an interview ... (Section 5. 14.)
Recommendation 38
LEAs, TECs, the Careers Service, schools, colleges and other organisations with experience in developing provision at this level should be involved in developing and managing the National Entry level provision. Opportunities for links with college and school-based initiatives for the Entry level group should be explored. in order to bring coherence locally to education and work-based provision. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 39
As with Modern Apprenticeships, applicants for National Traineeships and the National Entry level provision should be required to enter into an agreement with the training provider/TEC, perhaps brokered by the Careers Service, outlining the responsibilities of both the individual and the provider. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 4
National criteria should be developed in order to recognise and formally ascribe national levels to other current major qualifications which fall outside the three main qualifications pathways. (Section 3.13.)
Recommendation 40
Clear routes of progression should be established so that young people can readily progress up the levels of the National Traineeship and into Modern Apprenticeships, college-based provision or jobs as appropriate. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 41
To help young people take full advantage of available progression opportunities and to continue their development, all should receive support in drawing up a career and training plan when they start and when they leave National Traineeships and the National Entry level provision. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 42
Quality assurance arrangements for National Traineeships should be developed consistent with those for the Modern Apprenticeships. Given the different features of the National Entry level provision, arrangements may differ at this level. All quality assurance arrangements should be closely linked to arrangements in other pathways. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 43
Appropriate arrangements should be devised for funding TECs to contribute with local partners to the National Entry level provision. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 44
Consideration should be given to reformulating the Government guarantee to those not in full-time education or employment in the light of proposals for National Traineeships and the National Entry level provision. Decisions on the appropriate provision for any individual should be based on a careful assessment of their training needs. (Section 5.14.)
Recommendation 45
Schools and the Careers Service should be well briefed so that young people have the Modern Apprenticeship option presented to them. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 46
Employers should ensure that apprenticeships provide not only the necessary skills, but sufficient underpinning knowledge and understanding to enable Modern Apprentices, having obtained the NVQ level 3, to go on if they wish to part-time, full-time, or sandwich courses leading to diplomas and degrees. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 47
Progression routes should be defined to make it easier for young people who have attained relevant GNVQs in full-time education to progress to Modern Apprenticeships and NVQs. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 48
Employers taking on Modern Apprentices should plan their deployment on the completion of the apprenticeship to ensure that momentum is not lost. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 49
Participation and achievement for males and females, and people from minority ethnic groups, should be monitored at national, regional and industry sector levels. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 5
The form of the new certificates should be as illustrated at the end of Section 3. (Section 3.13.)
Recommendation 50
Monitoring should be undertaken to identify whether the vocational route is being seen by young people as a means of accessing higher education, and whether qualified apprentices are being offered full-time or part-time university places on completion of their Modern Apprenticeships. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 51
While recognising that the focus lies with 16-17 year olds, there should be research into ways of addressing the balance of provision among 16-25 year olds. (Section 5.23.)
Recommendation 52
With the support of employers, the NRA should be reviewed and relaunched, possibly under a new name which would reflect its wider role in personal development. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 53
The NRA should have a major role in developing skills in planning and managing one's own learning through a self-contained section, based on specially designed worksheets, which guides the student through the process. The section should be worked out in consultation with schools and colleges ... (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 54
During 16-19 education and training, consideration should be given to assessing and certificating young people's skills in planning and managing their own learning. This could be done through NCVQ's unit, 'improving own learning and performance' ... (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 55
The NRA should be introduced when decisions are being taken about the last two years of statutory schooling, say at 13 years rather than at 16. The present quality folder provided by the Government should be available to students at that age. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 56
Use of the NRA throughout lifetime learning should be strongly encouraged and supported by the Government. employers, LEAs, TECs, schools, colleges, universities and other institutions. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 57
Use of the NRA as a tool for lifetime learning should be encouraged through Investors in People. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 58
All students should receive guidance from schools and colleges on using the NRA in applying for a university places, jobs, and in interviews. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 59
Consideration should be given to making the NRA processes of recording achievement and action planning part of the schools' and colleges' inspection frameworks. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 6
The distinguishing characteristics appropriate to each pathway should reflect the underlying purpose, as outlined below. A level and GCSE - where the primary purpose is to develop knowledge, understanding and skills associated with a subject or discipline. Applied education (GNVQ) - where the primary purpose is to develop and apply knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to broad areas of employment. Vocational training (NVQ) - where the primary purpose is to develop and recognise mastery of a trade or profession at the relevant level. (Section 3.24.)
Recommendation 60
The existing 'Qualifications and Credits' sheet in the NRA should be entitled the 'Record of National Awards' to record all qualifications and units recognised at national level as part of the national framework outlined in Section 3 of this Report. (Section 6.21.)
Recommendation 61
To underline the importance of number, the regulatory and awarding bodies should provide a separate grading for those aspects of GCSE mathematics concerned with calculation, estimation, and statistics. This grade would be shown separately on the face of the certificate. This would complement the recent proposal by the Secretaries of State to give a separate grading for spoken English and Welsh alongside the overall grade for the GCSE in these subjects. (Section 7.24.)
Recommendation 62
In information technology (for which a range of full, combined or short course GCSEs and other vocational qualifications already exist, but none of which is necessarily taken by all students) the NCVQ units in information technology should be approved as a basis for assessment at Key Stage 4 in schools. Schools should be encouraged to offer appropriate information technology qualifications to all pupils. (Section 7.24.)
Recommendation 63
The A level subject cores and syllabuses should be reviewed by the appropriate regulatory awarding bodies to identify what further scope there is to build in relevant elements in communication, the application of number and information technology without distorting the integrity of individual subjects. (Section 7.27.)
Recommendation 64
The three key skill units required in GNVQs offer one way of recognising these achievements. In addition to this, students should have the opportunity to develop their key skills by taking a new 'AS in key skills'. The level of performance in each of the skills of communication, the application of number, and information technology would be separately recognised in the award, and contribute to the overall grade. A minimum level of achievement in each skill would be required for an award. (Section 7.29.)
Recommendation 65
The proposal for a new AS in key skills is not made as a mandatory requirement for the award of A levels, but to encourage students to recognise that these skills are essential for work and adult life, regardless of the qualifications pathway followed between 16 and 19. I see this new AS as a major element in the proposals from this Review. The majority of students should be encouraged to seek it; universities should make clear that they value it; employers should make it a specific issue in their recruitment; and it should provide a way of satisfying the mandatory requirements for the new certificate and diploma recommended in Section 8. (Section 7.30.)
Recommendation 66
The joint committee of the NCVQ and SCM proposed in Section 4 of this Report should review the present requirements for the three key skills in the Advanced level in the GNVQ, with a view to considering the extent to which there should be common standards for the GNVQ and the proposed new AS in key skills .... The essence of the award would lie in the skills being demonstrated in a context broadly relevant to the main areas of knowledge covered by A levels. To provide context, perhaps 40 per cent of the marks might be available from coursework arising from the student's A level work, with the remaining 60 per cent depending upon examination, contextualised so far as possible for the main areas of knowledge. (Section 7.31.)
Recommendation 67
The views of employers and universities on the key skills should be taken into account in the work of the NCVQ/SCAA joint committee. (Section 7.35.)
Recommendation 68
The NCVQ should consider the use of appropriately designed, simple-to-use tests for components of the units in communication, the application of number and information technology. These tests should be varied enough to meet a wide range of interests. Such tests could provide a common element between the NCVQ units and the proposed AS in key skills. (Section 7.37.)
Recommendation 69
Beyond the lowest rungs of the NVQ ladder, skills in communication and the application of number become an increasingly necessary competence. By the time candidates are approaching NVQ level 3, reaching the supervisory level in work terms, these skills are becoming more relevant, and they should be included. I therefore recommend further discussion with the lead bodies for the various sections of industry, the awarding bodies and the NCVQ, to assess the case for their explicit inclusion in the specifications where they are an essential requirement for the job. (Section 7.41.)
Recommendation 7
Below A level, it should be accepted that the GCSE develops general education as well as the practical application of skills, for example in communication and the application of number. But in subject areas outside the National Curriculum, or where GCSE subject-specific criteria do not already exist, studies in the practical applications of knowledge and understanding relevant to broad areas of employment should normally be regarded as the province of the GNVQ, unless there are good reasons to the contrary. (Section 3.26.)
Recommendation 70
All schools. colleges, and training bodies that receive public funding to provide education and training for 16-19 year olds (including Youth Training, the new National Traineeships and National Entry level provision and Modern Apprenticeships), should provide opportunities for all young people to develop these skills and to have them assessed. Wherever practicable, such learning should be related to the kind of experience the young person is likely to have in his or her work. (Section 7.42.)
Recommendation 71
All young people on programmes funded at public expense should be required to take advantage of the facilities offered for developing the key skills. (Section 7.43.)
Recommendation 72
This commitment to developing key skills should be identified as a priority in the development plans of those institutions and monitored by the appropriate regulatory and inspection bodies. (Section 7.44.)
Recommendation 73
All those seeking awards in the proposed National Certificates and Diplomas (see Section 8) would need to achieve standards in the three key skills through either the proposed AS in key skills or the NCVQ units in communication, the application of number and information technology at level 3. (Section 7.45.)
Recommendation 74
Universities and employers should be urged to make a particular point of making clear to candidates that acquisition of the new AS in key skills (or the NCVQ equivalent) will bear on their recruitment decisions. (Section 7.45.)
Recommendation 75
Teachers will need help and guidance through programmes of staff development to enable them to provide opportunities for the further development of key skills within A level courses and to prepare them for teaching the new AS in key skills. (Section 7.45.)
Recommendation 76
All learners, including A level students, should be given opportunities by institutions to practise making oral presentations to peer groups, to engage in discussion on their presentations, and to tackle projects through group work to develop their experience of team working. (Section 7.52.)
Recommendation 77
Learners should be encouraged to record their achievements in these skills in their National Record of Achievement and to gain certification through NCVQ units in 'improving own learning and performance' and 'working with others' post-16. (Section 7.52.)
Recommendation 78
Institutions should be encouraged to identify opportunities for developing learners' personal and inter-personal skills in their development plans, and this should be monitored by inspection bodies. (Section 7.52.)
Recommendation 79
A National Certificate should be introduced to recognise achievement at the Intermediate and Advanced levels. The requirements for each level should be as follows: Intermediate level : a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade C or above, including English or Welsh, mathematics, and the full, combined-subject or short course GCSE in information technology; or a GNVQ at Intermediate level; or a full NVQ at level 2. Where GCSEs in English or Welsh, mathematics and information technology have not been achieved at grade C or above, competence must be demonstrated in the NCVQ units of communication, the application of number and information technology at level 2. (Section 8.15.) Advanced level : two A level passes, or a full GNVQ at the Advanced level, or a full NVQ at level 3, plus competence in communication, the application of number and information technology demonstrated through the NCVQ units at level 3 or through the new AS in the three key skills these being harmonised to be of the same standard. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 8
The joint committee of the NCVQ and SCM proposed in Section 4 should enter into discussion with the awarding bodies and recommend broad principles for allocating subject areas to pathways, for the approval of the Secretaries of State. (Section 3.27.)
Recommendation 80
Consideration should be given to the creation of a National Certificate at the Foundation level ... (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 81
Work should be carried out to identify those other major awards which should count for recognition towards the achievement of the National Certificate at the Intermediate and Advanced levels. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 82
The National Certificate should be designed to recognise achievement over and above the minimum requirements for the award. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 83
The Government should work with LEAs, TECs and other relevant partners to ensure that the setting, monitoring and achievement of local targets is consistent with, and contributes to, the National Targets for Education and Training. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 84
In addition LEAs, TECs and the Further Education Funding Councils should work with locally managed and grant maintained schools and colleges on setting, monitoring and achieving institutional targets linked to the National Certificates. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 85
The Government should consider the case for governing bodies of schools and colleges to report on progress against institutional targets as part of the annual report to parents and the wider community. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 86
The National Certificates should be issued by schools and colleges and for those at work, by TECs, on the basis of awards made by the awarding bodies. with strong arrangements to ensure tight control over the granting of certificates and safeguards against fraudulent practice. (Section 8.15.)
Recommendation 87
A distinctive diploma at Advanced level should be created to recognise achievement in studies both in depth and in breadth to be known as the National Advanced Diploma (The Diploma'). (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 88
The heart of this award would be two full A levels or a full Advanced GNVQ, or a full NVQ at level 3, or agreed equivalents. (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 89
Breadth would be provided by studies in complementary areas so that between the studies in depth and those in breadth, four broadly defined areas of study would be covered to the minimum of the new AS proposed in Section 11. For A level students, these areas might be defined as: science, technology, engineering and mathematics; modern languages (including Welsh for students for whom it is not their first language); the arts and humanities (including English and Welsh); and the way the community works (including business, economics, government and politics, law, psychology and sociology). (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 9
The joint committee should consider all proposals for new awards and programmes, and make recommendations to the parent bodies. As qualifications come forward for revision and approval, their appropriateness for a particular pathway should be reviewed. (Section 3.27.)
Recommendation 90
For the GNVQ and NVQ a complementary approach would be needed, based on coherent groupings of units from subject areas other than the main study, which would include a modern language. (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 91
Studies in supporting areas would need to be at least an AS qualification, or the equivalent, in terms of units from the GNVQ or NVQ. (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 92
In addition, all those seeking this Diploma would need to achieve the three key skills through either the proposed AS in key skills or the NCVQ units in communication, the application of number and information technology at level 3, these being harmonised to be of the same standard. (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 93
The National Advanced Diploma should be issued by schools and colleges on the basis of certificates issued by the national awarding bodies, personally signed by the head of the institution. When that is not possible, they should be awarded by any body authorised to award A levels or GNVQs, on the basis of certificates, and on a payment of a fee to cover administration costs. (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 94
For candidates proceeding through the NVQ pathway, the National Advanced Diploma would be issued by TECs, or by any of the authorised awarding bodies on payment of a fee, following confirmation of the underpinning certificates. (Section 8.64.)
Recommendation 95
Part One GNVQ at the Foundation and Intermediate levels. as it is called, is a self-standing qualification which meets the needs of 14-16 year olds, and can be accommodated alongside the statutory National Curriculum requirements at Key Stage 4. It should be made available for use by 16-19 year olds and subject to experience with the pilots. (Section 9.11.)
Recommendation 96
The title 'Applied A level' should replace GNVQ (Advanced level), and this term should be adopted on all awarding certificates. (Section 9.16.)
Recommendation 97
Because of the size of the full GNVQ and the desirability of building up a common structure with A level, GNVQ should be structured and named such that the full GNVQ of 12 units, plus the three NCVQ key skill units is called the Applied A level (Double Award) and the proposed six unit GNVQ plus the three NCVQ key skill units is called the Applied A level . (Section 9.16.)
Recommendation 98
Detailed consideration should also be given to the creation of a three unit GNVQ award to be known as the Applied AS , to match the AS in the A level family. (Section 9.16.)
Recommendation 99
Further consultation should be undertaken to establish whether the GNVQs at Intermediate and Foundation levels, and Part One GNVQs, should be renamed. Proposals for consultation could include the names 'Applied Intermediate levels' and 'Applied Foundation levels'. (Section 9.16.)