Agored Cymru is a Welsh awarding body specialising in meeting the distinct needs of learners, employers and communities.

We exist to create flexible learning opportunities and reward achievement to help people of every age and level achieve their full potential.

All our units and qualifications are flexible enough to meet the needs of learners in any setting – from schools to FE and from offender learning to training in the workplace.

With over 20 years experience in designing inclusive learning, our team of specialists provides support in developing an accessible and quality assured curriculum.

We are a charity and social enterprise: we work collaboratively with partners to maximise the impact of learning in meeting the diverse needs of communities and employers in Wales.

Because we work exclusively in Wales, we are ideally placed to respond to the demands of our learners and centres. Our qualifications are uniquely tailored to the needs and priorities of individuals, communities, employers and the aims of a modern Wales.

We work for the benefit of Wales: our dedicated team of specialists is committed to promoting the Welsh language by encouraging assessment through the medium of Welsh.

We offer our recognised centres the opportunity to deliver effective lifelong learning, widen opportunity and enable progression within current education and training frameworks.

At all times, we are committed to providing a high quality, responsive service to all our centres and learners.

Agored Cymru Qualifications:

• are available through the medium of Welsh, including certification;
• enable accreditation of component units to recognise continuing professional development (CPD), where full qualifications are not required;
• meet the needs of learners in Wales by developing qualifications that respond directly to the Welsh agenda;
• provide a range of flexible and responsive provision, designed to help learners achieve their potential;
• are designed to suit the needs and priorities of individuals, communities, employers and the national aims of a modern Wales.

The Essential Skills Wales (ESW) suite of qualifications is designed to assess the range of skills that learners need for successful learning, employment and life. It provides a single ladder of progression, spanning six levels and comprising qualifications in:  

• Application of Number (Entry 1 – Level 3) 
• Communication (Entry 1 – Level 3) 
• Digital Literacy (Entry 1 – Level 3) 
• Employability (Entry 3 – Level 3) 

ESW qualifications are intended for use in a range of settings. They focus on the practical application of these skills, especially learners’ capacity to transfer their knowledge and understanding between contexts and purposes.  

With the exception of the entry level Application of Number and Communication qualifications, all ESW qualifications feature a two-part summative assessment comprising:  

• controlled task 
• confirmatory element (test or structured discussion).  

Each qualification requires the successful completion of both parts of the summative assessment at the same level; no partial or 'unit' certification is available.  

Agored Cymru works in collaboration with other awarding bodies offering ESW qualifications:  

• City & Guilds 
• Pearson 
• WJEC.  

The Essential Skills Wales Suite of Qualifications Handbook provides details/guidance on the administration and assessment conduct requirements for these qualifications. Staff with responsibility for the delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance of Essential Skills Wales qualifications must ensure they are familiar with the details/guidance in the Essential Skills Wales Suite of Qualifications Handbook before preparing learners for assessment for these qualifications. 

There are no set entry requirements for ESW qualifications, although centres must ensure that learners have the potential and opportunity to gain any ESW qualifications they work towards.  

Where learners are not immediately capable of achieving an ESW qualification, or may require further support to address specific gaps in their skills profile, the Essential Skills for Work and Life unit-based qualifications might be suitable.  

Whilst there are no formal age restrictions on registering for these qualifications, the Application of Number and Communication qualifications at entry level are designated by Qualifications Wales for learners over the age of 14. All other ESW qualifications are intended primarily for learners over the age of 16, although may be accessed in some pre-16 contexts such as pupil referral units (PRUs).  

This qualification is only available through Agored Cymru recognised centres. If you would like to find out more about either becoming a recognised centre or working in partnership with a recognised centre, please access the ‘Centre’ area of the website or contact a Centre Manager for more information.

It is the responsibility of the centre to have systems in place to ensure that the person registered on a qualification or unit and taking an assessment is indeed the person they are claiming to be. All centres are therefore required to ensure that each learner’s identification is checked before they undertake the qualification, unit and assessment. Agored Cymru recommends the following as proof of a learner’s identity:

• a valid passport (any nationality)
• a signed UK photocard driving licence
• a valid warrant card issued by HM forces or the police
• another photographic ID card, e.g. employee ID card, student ID card, travel card etc.

If a learner is unable to produce any of the forms of photographic identification listed above, a centre may accept another form of identification containing a signature, for example, a credit card. Identification by a third-party representative, such as a line manager, human resources manager or invigilator, could also be accepted.

ESW qualifications allow progression through a range of levels:  

• Application of Number (Entry 1 – Level 3) 
• Communication (Entry 1 – Level 3) 
• Digital Literacy (Entry 1 – Level 3) 
• Employability (Entry 3 – Level 3)

Update to the Design Principles for the Essential Skills Wales suite of qualifications

Current funding information is available on Qualifications in Wales (QiW).

For further information regarding discounted charges and incentives please contact a Centre Manager.

Centres must register all learners promptly, within a timely manner, appropriate to the duration of the course start date. For guidance on registering learners, please click here.

Delivery

Centres must ensure that qualifications are delivered effectively and efficiently. Well considered and detailed course planning is a critical feature of effective delivery. Centres must have, and be able to demonstrate, a robust documented internal process for coherent course design, development and delivery.

A key feature of many of our qualifications is the flexibility they offer centres to contextualise them to meet the specific needs of their learners. This flexibility promotes strong learner engagement and meaningful learning experiences.

Centres should ensure that detailed schemes of work and session plans are in place which consider all aspects of the qualification specification. These should include details of strategies and resources required for teaching and assessment that meet learners’ needs.

Teaching and learning approaches must be consistent with the context, level and stipulations of the qualification and be designed to engage, stimulate and motivate learners.

Assessment

All ESW qualifications involve a summative controlled task, which includes for Essential Digital Literacy Skills and Essential Employability Skills a confirmatory element (structured discussion). Whilst the controlled tasks are externally set*, they are internally assessed and quality assured by centres.

Controlled task assessments are available in a range of contexts and centres are able to choose the most appropriate task for learners.

*Centres are able to write their own controlled tasks, but these must be approved by Agored Cymru prior to use. Please contact quality.assurance@agored.cymru for further information.

In addition to the controlled task, Essential Application of Number Skills (EAoNS) and Essential Communication Skills (ECommS) at levels 1, 2 and 3 involve a confirmatory test that is externally set and marked.

For guidance on assessment, please refer to the Agored Cymru Guide to Assessment.

Assessors must:

• have current and/or relevant experience in assessing;
• have undertaken relevant training if new to assessing (Agored Cymru Introduction to Assessment courses);
• have good knowledge and understanding of Agored Cymru assessment requirements;
• be familiar with the level of the qualification and its unit(s);
• have good subject knowledge and understanding and/or experience of the unit(s)/qualification(s) being assessed.

Assessors do not currently need to have a formal assessment qualification* to assess Agored Cymru units and / or qualifications, unless stated in the qualification guide or unit specification. However, Agored Cymru strongly recommends that assessors work towards formal accreditation (e.g. Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement). In addition, Agored Cymru strongly recommends that assessors attend Agored Cymru’s Introduction to Assessment training.

Specific Assessor Requirements

Assessors must be personally competent in the Essential Skill(s) being taught and assessed and familiar with the assessment arrangements applicable to these qualifications. However, Agored Cymru strongly recommends assessors have achieved/work towards an appropriate Essential Skills practitioner qualification(s) (at Level 3 or higher).  

Centres must implement and maintain an effective internal quality assurance system. Internal verification is an essential part of a quality assurance system, particularly when there is no external summative (end of course) assessment such as an exam or online test.

Agored Cymru do not impose a particular internal verification process on centres, however, centres are required to implement effective internal verification checks to confirm that the assessment process (i.e. from pre-course planning to the award of credit) is fit for purpose and is implemented accurately, fairly and consistently and to the required standards.

Centres must adhere to Agored Cymru’s quality assurance requirements when carrying out internal verification on any unit(s) from qualifications.

Internal quality assurers must:

• have current and/or relevant experience in assessing and internal verification;
• have undertaken relevant training if new to internal quality assurance (see website for Agored Cymru Introduction to Internal Verification courses);
• have good knowledge and understanding of Agored Cymru internal verification requirements.
• Have good knowledge and understanding of Agored Cymru units and qualification in their chosen sector(s).
• be familiar with the level of the unit(s)/qualification(s) being delivered;

Internal verifiers do not currently need to have a formal internal verification qualification to internally verify Agored Cymru units and / or qualification, unless stated in the qualification guide or unit criteria*. However, Agored Cymru strongly recommends that internal verifiers work towards formal accreditation (e.g Level 4 Certificate on Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice). In addition, Agored Cymru strongly recommends that assessors attend Agored Cymru’s Introduction to Assessment training. Dates of when training events are held can be found here.

Internal verifiers cannot internally verify their own assessment materials, tasks or assessment decisions. Consequently, it is recommended that the internal verification skills of a whole team are developed. This gives the centre more flexibility and avoids over-reliance on any one person.

* Some qualifications have particular requirements that must be met to enable tutors / assessors to deliver and assess the qualification. Please refer to the relevant qualification guide to confirm your tutors / assessors are able to meet these requirements. In some cases, evidence of a tutor / assessors experience / qualification must be submitted to Agored Cymru prior to delivery.

Centres must adhere to Agored Cymru’s assessment requirements when delivering qualifications, or any unit(s) from qualifications.

For guidance on internal verification please click here for the Agored Cymru Guide to Internal Verification.

IQAs must be personally competent in the Essential Skill(s) being taught and assessed and familiar with the internal quality assurance arrangements applicable to these qualifications. However, Agored Cymru strongly recommends IQAs have achieved/work towards an appropriate Essential Skills practitioner qualification(s) (at Level 3 or higher). 

This approach forms part of Agored Cymru’s CASS strategy which ensures that sufficient controls are in place where an assessment is marked by a centre (Condition H2).

Agored Cymru ‘risk bands’ all of its qualifications. Risk bandings of qualifications feed into the risk management system which is ‘weighted’ accordingly.

When risk banding a qualification, Agored Cymru considers:

• the construct of the qualification
• any related professional standards for the qualification
• any evidence associated with the sector and/or qualification to suggest that a particular CASS approach may be necessary.

Agored Cymru determines the most appropriate CASS approach for each of its qualifications to ensure that regulatory minimum requirements are fully met. All centres delivering and assessing Agored Cymru qualifications will receive an Annual Centre Review.

Agored Cymru is confident that this will give additional assurance to sector specific bodies and protect the integrity of the qualification(s), creating better outcomes for learners.

It may be necessary to make changes to an assessment to accommodate the needs of a single or small group of learners. This may in response to a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment process. Reasonable adjustments to the assessment process must not affect the readability and validity of the assessment outcomes and must be as rigorous as assessment methods used with other learners. All reasonable adjustments must be recorded and be approved by the internal verifier before use.

In some instances it may be necessary to consider applying special considerations for adjustments for a learner or group of learners as part of the assessment process. This may be applied if a learner’s performance in an assessment is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the learners e.g. recent personal illness, accident, bereavement, serious disturbance during the assessment; or if part of an assessment has been missed due to circumstances beyond the control of the learner. All special considerations must be recorded and be approved by the internal verifier before use.

Assessors must remember that a reasonable adjustment and / or special consideration must not give the learner an unfair advantage. The learner’s result must reflect his/her achievement in the assessment and not necessarily his/her potential achievement.

Further guidance about the types of and process for applying reasonable adjustments and / or special consideration can be found in the Agored Cymru Reasonable Adjustments to Assessment Policy and the Agored Cymru Special Considerations for Assessment Policy.

Centres must keep all learner evidence and assessment records safe and secure to ensure that they are available for external quality assurance and regional standardisation events. Up to date, securely stored assessment records also help to minimise the risk of assessment malpractice, or potential issues if an assessor leaves during a course.

Centres must:

a) store all assessment records securely and safely;

b) maintain records of learner achievements that are up to date, regularly reviewed and tracked accurately;

c) have all current learner evidence available for external quality assurance;

Additionally, in line with Agored Cymru and regulatory requirements, Centres must retain sufficient evidence of learners’ work, assessment decisions and internal verification records to monitor standards over time. For further guidance please see the Agored Cymru Retention of Assessment Materials Policy.

As an Agored Cymru recognised centre, you are required to attend Standardisation workshops. The workshops offer you an opportunity to meet with fellow assessment and quality assurance professionals with the aim of developing a common understanding of Agored Cymru standards and to share expertise and leading practice.

Standardisation workshops are supportive, interactive sessions where you will review examples of assessment materials and learner evidence and make judgements on whether:

• assessment materials are valid and fit for purpose;
• learner evidence is authentic, reliable and sufficient;
• assessment practice and internal quality assurance is effective and fair;
• standards are consistent across centres;
• standards are comparable over time;
• the sample includes any leading practice.

Current information on Agored Cymru standardisation workshops can be found on our website.

Certificates will be made available within Service Standards

Centres are required to distribute certificates to all learners promptly.