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
Centre devised assessments must meet the qualification specification. Assessments must enable the assessor to differentiate accurately and consistently between the levels of attainment demonstrated by learners. Assessment must only include content that is drawn from the knowledge, skills and understanding in the specification and that the level of demand must be consistent.
Assessment must:
- make it possible for learners to demonstrate the extent to which they have the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the qualification
- allow the specified level of attainment to be reached by a learner who has attained the required level of knowledge, skills and understanding
- be fit for purpose, valid and appropriate to the knowledge, skills and understanding being measured
- effectively differentiate between learners (on the basis of the knowledge, skills and understanding being assessed)
- accurately measure the knowledge, skills and understanding that it is intended to measure
Centres are required to ensure that centre devised assessments are kept under review, amending them where necessary, to ensure they remain fit for purpose, for example by reflecting new requirements, good practice or legislation.
Some qualifications and their units will prescribe the assessment methods that must be used. These prescribed methods will be highlighted within individual units.
Where the methods are not prescribed, centres should use a variety of assessment methods to assess learners as this will allow learners to demonstrate their knowledge and/or skills competency. The most important factor is that the assessment methods are appropriate for the intended outcome.
Centres must adhere to Agored Cymru’s assessment requirements when delivering qualifications, a unit or units.
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
Trainers must:
- for the delivery of the mandatory unit, Introduction to Professional Development (Youth Work), be a JNC Professionally Qualified Youth Work practitioner, having undertaken a recognised professional qualification in youth work as identified by NYA or ETS Wales[1];
- have a minimum of three years practice experience;
- for the delivery of the optional units, be an experienced practitioner / subject specialist (minimum of three years’ experience within the last five years) with expertise in the subject area provided and hold a qualification at the same level or above the unit being delivered or assessed;
- have a sound understanding of National Occupational Standards for Youth Work;
- have a sound understanding of the requirements for assessment within Qualifications Wales;
- be able to evidence continued professional development, including fieldwork[2] activities, within the last 3 years.
- hold a recognised learning delivery/teaching qualification and/or have experience of delivering learning;
- be registered with the Education Workforce Council as a tutor, trainer or lecturer in the FE Sector where relevant.
Assessors must:
- for the assessment of the mandatory unit, Introduction to Professional Development (Youth Work), hold a recognised Youth Work (JNC) professional qualification with a minimum of three years’ practice experience, with field work experiencein the context of youth work, community work, community education or the voluntary community sector, and have relevant experience across the youth and community sector in a capacity recognised by the JNC/ETS within the last 3 years[3];
- for the assessment of the optional units be an experienced practitioner/subject specialist (minimum of three years’ experience within the last five years) with expertise in the subject area and hold a qualification at the same level or above the unit being assessed;
- have a sound understanding of the National Occupational Standards for Youth Work;
- have a sound understanding of the requirements for assessment within Qualifications Wales;
- hold or be working towards a recognised assessor qualification;
- be committed to, and able to evidence, further training and development.
[1] A current list of all recognised JNC qualifications in England and Wales is on the NYA website www.nya.org.uk and ETS Wales website www.ets.wales
[2] This could include, for example, youth work practice, supervision of practitioners or training delivery.
[3] This could include, for example, youth work practice, supervision of practitioners or training delivery