News

AQA response to the Ofqual Consultation on the Regulation of qualifications, examinations and assessments

10 March 2010

AQA has responded in detail to the proposals in Regulating for Confidence in Standards, from the Ofqual Consultation on the regulation of qualifications, examinations and assessments published in December 2009.

We give a broad welcome to the proposals, as we did the establishment of an independent regulator.

In particular, we welcome the proposal for a more strategic and open approach to regulation. Detailed regulatory involvement in procedural matters tends to stifle innovation without, in itself, guaranteeing standards.

Nonetheless, we have particularly significant concerns about some aspects of the proposals. AQA strongly urges Ofqual to give these points serious consideration as it considers the responses to its consultation and works to ensure that it meets its objectives set out in the ASCL Act.

Resolved: problem with EDI

10 March 2010

The technical problem that was experienced this morning with one of the EDI carriers has now been resolved.

Technical problem with EDI

10 March 2010

There is a technical problem with one of the EDI carriers this morning, which has affected the delivery of results to schools from all Awarding Bodies.

We will provide further updates as soon as we can. In the meantime, schools can view AQA results on e-AQA. If you need further assistance please call Exams Office Support on 0844 209 6614.

June 2010 exams

9 March 2010

New-look question papers and how our examiners will mark long answers on screen

For exams with separate question papers and answer books, there will be:

• new numbering system using two digits
• a new-look answer book with spaces for candidates to write the two-digit question numbers.
  For guidance and help managing the change, AQA have produced the following support:
  • Teacher Guide (revised)
  • Exams Officer and Invigilator Guide
  • Exams Officer questionnaire
  • Student Guide.
  • Specimen question papers and mark schemes (NB GCSE and A2 specimens are available for download from the relevant subject pages now. AS June 2009 papers have been reworked as specimens and can be accessed via e-AQA until end of March when they will be moved to the relevant subject pages on the web)

More detailed information about this issue can be found on:

• the qualification notice boards for GCSE and A-level
• individual subject notice boards
• the Exams Officer pages
• the Students and Parents pages

AQA announce the appointment of a new Director General

4 March 2010

Today, Paul Layzell the Chairman of AQA, announced the appointment of Andrew Hall as AQA's new Director General.

Andrew Hall will succeed Dr Mike Cresswell who will be retiring at the end of March this year as previously announced.

Commenting on the appointment Paul Layzell said:

We are delighted that Andrew has agreed to join AQA and are confident that he has the qualities, and experience required, to lead AQA forward in its next phase of development.

Not only does he bring a strong commercial awareness and solid experience of leadership and management at a senior level, he also has a long standing interest and connection with education most recently in his role as Chief Executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA).

Commenting on his appointment Andrew Hall said:

I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead AQA at this point in time. AQA is a successful and well respected organisation within the world of education. It has an excellent reputation both as a contributor to the wider education system on the one hand and supporting individual teachers and schools on the other. The period ahead is both exciting and challenging and I am looking forward to playing my part in leading the organisation in its next chapter of development.

It is anticipated that Andrew Hall will take up his position in June this year. During the period of transition Andrew Bird, the Deputy DG of AQA will be acting head of AQA.

AoC Beacon Awards

26 February 2010

AQA has been a proud sponsor of the AoC Beacon Awards for many years, and this year was delighted to present the Award for College/School Partnerships to Portsmouth College. On 3 February 2010, Bill Alexander, Director of Curriculum and Assessment at AQA (right), presented the Award, and a cheque for £5000 to Steve Frampton, BSc (Hons), Principal of Portsmouth College (left).

AQA's response to concerns raised about: GCE Biology Unit BIOL4

26 January 2010

This is the first examination for Unit BIOL4 in the new GCE A2 specification. In the first year(s) of a new specification, candidates are often uncertain about what will be required of them in examinations. In order to support centres and candidates, we publish detailed specifications which set out the subject content and the assessment objectives which will be used to assess candidates' skills. We also publish specimen question papers and other support material and run national support meetings.

The new GCE Science examination focuses on the application of science to a greater degree than was the case with the old A-level. As with all examination question papers, the examination for Unit 4 was written to meet the assessment objectives set by QCA (now QCDA) which included this change. The assessment objectives are published in the specification and on our website. The examination paper properly reflects these assessment objectives.

We are aware of concern amongst some candidates for this examination that the exam has not allowed them to fully demonstrate their understanding and abilities. We will take account of these concerns when marking the examination. The concerns will also be considered at the awarding meeting where we make final decisions regarding the award of grades.

30,000 Teachers Signed up for a Happy New ERA!

15 January 2010

While students are getting ready to receive their GCSE and A-level results today, we sometimes forget that teachers are also working overtime behind the scenes. Have you ever thought about the work that teachers do, supporting students and analysing results?

At AQA we know how much work teachers put in at results time and we want to support them every step of the way. In 2007 we conducted a pilot of our Enhanced Results Analysis (ERA) with 57 schools and colleges, now we have over 30,000 teachers registered to use it.

ERA is a free online tool that provides teachers with an instant breakdown of exam results at the click of a mouse. They are able to access the results from home, which could be particularly useful if the weather conditions continue to make it difficult for schools to open. With clear and simple snapshots, it provides information on how their school, subject, class and individual students performed.

Several new developments in ERA technology are now available. Teachers are able to analyse students' exam results in groups and identify trends by comparing with national averages, with the rest of the school and even with other groups. By creating groups teachers can evaluate by class, ability level or whatever category they choose. Research has shown that teachers are creating groups based on gender, summer born/winter born students, different literature texts studied, amongst others and comparing exam performance across these groups.

Simon Cuthbertson - Head of Geography at The King's School, Worcester said:

I found it extremely helpful to have the gender analysis done for me as this is one area I have always monitored. As for the summer–born children analysis, this is something I initially did out of pure curiosity partly to see what ERA tool could do. Another way I would like to use ERA is to analyse the type of question by gender.

Teachers can also identify students' specific strengths and weaknesses by reviewing how students have performed against specification objectives, specification references or skills and topics covered by the exam. AQA are currently piloting this analysis for selected subjects and components.

Anne Quine from Ballakermeen High school in the Isle Of Man said:

I've found the information available really useful for GCSE English and English Lit. To have access to each students' raw marks allows us to identify any areas we might need to improve in our teaching and preparation, either in terms of particular skills or in terms of allowing students to access the top grades.

From this summer, most AQA papers have data available at the question level. This means that teachers can really explore in detail what has worked for their students and what hasn't, allowing them to focus their teaching.

Anne Quine also said:

Having the mark schemes available with the results is another good idea again allowing us to spot the gaps. Perhaps even more useful is the information available for AS English and English Lit broken down by question or Assessment Objective. Should be really useful for preparing student for re-sit and for next years teaching as we come to grips with a new specification.

Meeting Cancellations

11 January 2010

As a result of the adverse weather conditions the following Meetings have been cancelled:

Teacher Standardisation Meeting Cancellations:

• Monday 11 January GCSE Music Standardisation meeting at Wokefield Park, Reading

Meeting Cancellations

7 January 2010

As a result of the adverse weather conditions the following Meetings have been cancelled:

Teacher Support Meeting Cancellations:

• Friday 8 January DTSXAC109H (GCE Drama and Theatre Studies in London)
• Friday 8 January ENGXGT162G (GCSE English 2010 in Durham)
• Saturday 9 January MATXGT123M (GCSE Mathematics 2010 in London).

Teacher Standardisation Meeting Cancellations:

• Thursday 7 January GCSE Art and Design N/S Teacher Standardisation Meeting in Aldershot
• Monday 11 January GCSE Music Standardisation meeting at Wokefield Park, Reading

Mike Cresswell CBE

5 January 2010

Congratulations to Mike Cresswell who has received a CBE in recognition of his services to education in the 2010 New Year's honours.

Website maintenance

22 December 2009

We are completing some essential maintenance on our servers over Christmas and apologise for any disruptions in service. Full service will be back on 4 January.

Mike Cresswell on the AQA Awards

21 December 2009

In an interview with the political news website ePolitix, Mike Cresswell talks about the importance of the AQA Annual GCSE and A-level Awards and the importance of maintaining qualification standards.

Annual Awards – 14 December 2009

16 December 2009

Once again, we were delighted to hold the Annual Awards for outstanding achievement in examinations this year at One Great George Street in Westminster. This is the first year that we have celebrated the successes of our A-level and GCSE students in one combined ceremony.

AQA welcomes Ofqual commitment to bring other awarding bodies into line on GCSE Science

20 November 2009

Commenting on reports published today by Ofqual - Reaching the finishing line and GCSE sciences - Ofqual's monitoring in 2008 and 2009
Mike Cresswell, AQA Director General, said:

We welcome the publication today of Ofqual's reports which clearly show that AQA set consistent GCSE Science standards between 2008 and 2009. This is what Ofqual, rightly, expected us to do and what we believe was right.

Prior to deciding that the 2008 GCSE Science standards of all the awarding bodies were too low, Ofqual had asked AQA to lower its standards in 2008 to come more into line with the other Awarding Bodies.

Even then, AQA remained slightly more severe in 2008 and it was therefore AQA's 2008 standard which the other awarding bodies were expected to follow in 2009.

The Ofqual report shows that the other awarding bodies were unable to meet the right standard and that their GCSE Science results were too lenient in 2009.

We are very pleased to see Ofqual's commitment to bringing the other awarding bodies into line with AQA's standard in the future. We will continue to work closely with Ofqual and the other awarding bodies to help them achieve this.

Consistency of standards across awarding bodies is essential so that teachers don't feel that they have to compromise and make a choice between getting good examination results and the genuine development and achievement of their students.

Countdown to 2010 maths starts here!

16 November 2009

Teachers can now see what GCSE Maths will really look like from 2010 as AQA's new specification today received full accreditation from Ofqual.

AQA has been leading the way in explaining and implementing all the big changes in maths, and teachers can now see exactly what they will be teaching next year.

Andrew Taylor, AQA's Head of GCSE Maths, said:

We know that teachers want to decide before the end of the year which specification they want to study from 2010 onwards. They also want to know exactly what they are going to get, and when they are going to get it. That is why we have worked hard to deliver on schedule an accredited specification that is very similar to the draft specification they have already seen.

The changes coming in September 2010 for Mathematics GCSE are really positive and will support the acquisition of mathematical skills and understanding rather than simply concentrating on technical competences.

AQA is ideally placed to support teachers and students through all the big changes in maths: we have run extensive pilot schemes in GCSE Maths and Functional Maths, which means teachers can have confidence that the new specifications have been tried, tested and refined to meet their needs.

We are also investing an additional £1.2 million in resources for teachers in the lead up to the 2010 revised GCSE Maths specification. The additional resources will benefit all AQA maths teachers, but will also be used to help the entire maths community by sharing the experience of the Mathematics Curriculum Pathway pilots.

Look out for 'All About Maths' – AQA's free online resource – coming next year.

Draft specification and specimen question papers are available in our Maths Resource Zone

Accredited Specification at a Glance available now. Accredited specification and specimen assessment materials will be added to the Resource Zone shortly.

Details about the background to the changes in maths can be found in the Guide to the Big Changes in Maths leaflet.

First Anthropology A-level launched

12 November 2009

A new A-level AS and A2 qualification in Anthropology has been accredited by Ofqual, and will be available for teaching from September 2010. It has been developed by the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) in partnership with AQA, and will be offered and assessed by AQA.

The new A-level has been designed to give A-level students a grounding in anthropology across the discipline's range – both biological and social/cultural branches – through exploration of themes such as 'Being human', 'Becoming a person', 'Global and local processes' and 'Practising anthropology'. Students taking the subject at A2 will conduct a small-scale personal investigation on a topic of their choice, and so gain a taste of real research.

Dr Mike Cresswell, AQA Director General, said:

AQA is committed to providing the opportunity for breadth of study and well-rounded learning.

We are therefore delighted to be offering this new qualification and to be working so closely with the RAI to deliver the very best support to our teachers and learners.

Hilary Callan, Director of the RAI, said:

Anthropology is an inherently fascinating subject and has a natural place alongside cognate disciplines as a key part of a contemporary liberal education. Yet up to now it has been almost absent from pre-university curricula in the UK. The new GCE fills this gap. It is intellectually challenging and will demand much of students. Those taking it, whether or not they go on to study anthropology at university, will gain an understanding of human life in society, and of diverse ways of seeing the world, that will serve them well as the globally educated citizens of the future.

The course content is the product of over four years' intensive work by the RAI's Education Committee, which is composed of university-based academic anthropologists and experienced A-level teachers. The project has received national support from University departments of anthropology throughout the UK; and has been funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) under its Science in Society programme.

A dedicated RAI website, Discover Anthropology, will be launched shortly and will provide learning resources as well as a communication platform for teachers interested in teaching the GCE or introducing anthropological material into their teaching generally. A teachers' networking group has also been established. For more information, or to join the expanding group, contact the RAI Education Officer.

Or contact the subject team at AQA.

Schools minister visits AQA

6 November 2009

Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for 14–19 Reform and Apprenticeships, visited AQA's Guildford offices for a fact finding tour on 3 November.

Greeted by Director General Mike Cresswell, the Minister was given an explanation of our work in maintaining qualification standards over time and on how we are working to increase the accessibility of our qualifications.

The Minister also tried out for himself some of AQA's innovative e-Assessment initiatives that use technology to enhance the quality of the examination process for the benefit of candidates including on-screen assessment materials.

Mr Wright was also given a demonstration of our free on line Enhanced Results Analysis tool that offers detailed results information for teachers on how their students perform in each exam series.

Iain Wright MP and Dr Mike Cresswell

Planned retirement of Mike Cresswell as AQA's Director General

16 October 2009

Dr Mike Cresswell will reach his planned retirement date on 31 March 2010, and will give up his position as AQA's Director General on that date, or shortly thereafter. AQA's Council will therefore be seeking and appointing a successor during the coming six months. During that period Mike will continue in the role, working with the continuing full support and complete confidence of the Council to ensure that AQA delivers qualifications of the highest quality and exceptional services to schools and colleges, now and in the future.

Paul Layzell, Chair of AQA's Council said:

AQA has been fortunate in having an exceptional Director General in Mike Cresswell. Under Mike's leadership, AQA has continued to develop its support for teachers and learners, underpinned by a sound organisational structure and financial stability. We have a significant challenge in finding a successor with the knowledge, stature and professional reputation that Mike has developed over the past 6 years.

Formula 1 in schools awards

12 October 2009

AQA joined with other representatives from education, government and Formula 1 racing teams, including Lewis Hamilton, to celebrate the achievement of students at the fifth F1 in Schools World Championship in September 2009. Students from Britain and worldwide competed in London to design, manufacture and race miniature Formula 1 cars which were powered by compressed air cylinders. The finalists came from more than 30 countries, with the eventual winners the Koni Kats from Ireland. Prizes were presented by senior members of all of the Formula 1 racing teams and by Vernon Coaker, Minister for Schools. Andrew Denford, Founder of F1 in Schools, celebrated the successes of so many young people, saying that:

Each year we see the standards of entrants' rise, with the students using some very advanced engineering technology and amazing ingenuity to produce their racing cars.

Winners, the Koni Kats, receiving their award

F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary competition for students aged 14-19. AQA supports this challenge and accepts taking part in it as a suitable Controlled Assessment task for the Single and Double Awards of its GCSE Engineering specifications, details of which may be downloaded from e-AQA. AQA and F1 in Schools are currently engaged in an exercise mapping the challenge against various specifications, which will further help teachers and students. Robert Kirkham, Subject Manager for Engineering, said of the event:

It was inspiring to see the extremely high level of achievement which these young people had demonstrated across a wide variety of skills. AQA is pleased to be associated with F1 in Schools and to be helping students to have an enjoyable and interesting educational experience.

AQA sponsors BECTA's 'Furthering My Learning' award

17 September 2009

AQA is committed to taking exams forward with the use of new technology to facilitate innovation in areas such as electronic marking and on-screen testing and we are therefore delighted to be sponsoring BECTA's 'Furthering My Learning' award at their Next Generation Learning Awards 2010.

The awards, now in their second year, look to reward all types of learning provider in the FE and Skills sector and seek to identify those across the whole system who are fully confident in the use of technology.

The entry period is now open and the awards will be presented at a ceremony on 8 March 2010.

AQA invests over £1 million to support maths teachers

16 September 2009

AQA is investing an additional £1.2 million in resources for teachers in the lead up to the 2010 revised GCSE maths specifications. The additional resources will benefit all AQA maths teachers, but will also be used to help the entire maths community by sharing the experience of the Mathematics Curriculum Pathway pilots.

The additional support will include regional advisers, online support, free support material and the development of an online interactive scheme of work that will be available free to all AQA maths teachers.

In addition the year will see a series of free 'Maths 2010 Ready' conferences, a series of regional events, regional launch meetings and preparing to teach meetings. These events will all be available online for anyone unable to attend.

The announcement comes today as AQA launches a report: Maths – how do we work it out?

The report details recommendations from a national symposium hosted by AQA in June. Symposium participants included academics, QCA, professional mathematics associations, an LA inspector and a representative from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. They were asked to consider the planned changes and debate how long term benefits could result from the changes.

The areas under scrutiny included the new Programmes of Study and the subject criteria, how the changes meet the needs of teachers and different groups of learners and any problems that still needed to be addressed. A major issue they identified was that relevant and high quality Continuing Professional Development was key to the success of the changes.

The recommendations from that group, together with a series of responses from AQA, form the basis of the report which is launched today at a press conference at the Royal Society.

Andrew Taylor, Head of GCSE Maths, said:

The symposium raised many important issues which are highly relevant to the future teaching of Mathematics GCSE. We agree with many of the concerns and share the aspiration to make Mathematics more engaging and appealing to a wider range of students.

Our vision is that the changes coming in September 2010 for Mathematics GCSE will mark a positive shift with an assessment that really supports the acquisition of mathematical skills and understanding rather than simply concentrating on technical competences.

Part of AQA's response to the findings of the symposium will be to play a part in encouraging wider debate around the future of the subject. A first step is the launch of a dedicated website mathsbigchanges.com – a new website dedicated to the 2010 changes. AQA believes it is important that the entire Maths community are fully aware of the extent of the changes to GCSE Mathematics for 2010 and are able to benefit from the experiences of the Mathematics Curriculum Pathway pilots. AQA hopes to develop this site with the help of other organisations involved in mathematics and is keen to encourage collaboration and sharing of information.

AQA Bacc Students receive enrichment awards

20 August 2009

Students around the country are receiving their A-level results, but some are receiving an extra award.

Over 1 200 students are today receiving results for the enrichment component of the AQA Bacc. They are among the first in the country to take this new qualification which recognises and celebrates the achievements of well rounded students.

Amongst these 1 200 are students from Winstanley College.

Here's what they had to say about the AQA Bacc:

The AQA Bacc helped me learn about myself. I have become more confident, improved my team working skills and I feel I will be able to take on bigger challenges at Uni now that I've experienced so much at sixth form.

I'd recommend the AQA Bacc because there are so many people applying to uni you need extra things to make you stand out - unis look at the same sort of application time and again - I got straight offers without interviews and I think having the AQA Bacc on my personal profile helped me to stand out.

It shows I am a well rounded person more than just someone who studies.

For enrichment I went to the holocaust museum at Auschwitz and the 9/11 museum in New York. They were harrowing, it was intense and having the diary meant I could reflect on what I'd seen. It helped to write it down, it gave a context and made it real. When you learn in the classroom it's an abstract history event, when you visit the place, and write about it in your AQA Bacc diary, it's your experience, part of your life.

I'd recommend the AQA Bacc because you've got something good to show employers in the future and it's no extra work - you just log your life and write about something you're really interested in.

Enrichment activity is made up of three core areas:

• work-related learning, including work experience
• community participation, such as voluntary service
• personal development, like the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

Students need at least 100 hours in a minimum of two of these three areas and keep a media rich record of their activities in an online AQA Bacc enrichment diary which also enables teachers to guide and monitor their progress easily.

In addition to enrichment activity students this year have taken three A-levels and an extended project and an AS level in either General Studies, Critical Thinking or Citizenship.

AQA responds to reporting of a suggested 're-calibration' of A-level standards

20 August 2009

Mike Cresswell, AQA Director General said:

AQA does not agree that re-calibration of A-level standards needs to be considered. Existing A-levels meet the needs of the vast majority of universities, employers and young people by distinguishing clearly between the five well-understood levels of attainment which correspond to the five existing grades.

The introduction of the A* grade next year will address the needs of a few universities and faculties to identify the very best candidates within Grade A. Re-calibration of standards is a red herring and students getting their A-level grades today can be assured that they will be the valued currency for employment and university entrance for many years to come.

Exam results 2009

20 August 2009

Read a message to candidates from Dr Mike Cresswell and find out all about AQA's 2009 results.

Mike Cresswell speaks ahead of A-level results

17 August 2009

AQA Director General Dr Mike Cresswell has been interviewed by the news website ePolitix ahead of this week's A-level results and says that students can be justifiably proud of their results.

AQA Presents 'Future of Education' Award

15 July 2009

Hardworking students from Hampshire have been presented with the prestigious Future of Education award, sponsored by AQA, at this year's English Secondary Students' Association (ESSA) Manifesto for Change event. They picked up the accolade last Friday at a glitzy, high profile ceremony at the Channel 4 studios in London.

AQA's Simon Buck and Becky Ashcroft presenting
Ringwood School with their award

The Manifesto for Change competition gave students aged 11-19 the opportunity to express their views on education through the creative medium of film through a variety of categories including Teaching and Learning, Where We Learn, Enjoying Education, Student Voice and Leadership and Future of Education.

Pupils from Ringwood School won the award for their video '21st Century Learners'. Students were encouraged to use their imagination and describe what education will look like in the future. They included ideas about e-learning and explored the relationship between students and educational policy makers. Hampshire students called to 'design their learning' to use the most efficient teaching methods and give students the practical skills needed for employment in the 21st century.

The ESSA Manifesto for Change initiative is being supported by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and according to Benedict Arora, Director of NESTA Innovation Generation, the competition has given young people to showcase their skills.

Young people have insights and ideas from their experiences of education that can be valuable in making what is learnt in school even more relevant to our rapidly changing world, he said. This competition has been a unique opportunity for these ideas to get heard and put into practice.

His words were echoed by Simon Buck, Principal Manager of Public Relations at AQA:

We have worked closely with the English Secondary Students' Association (ESSA) looking at the future of education and assessment and are delighted to be sponsoring their current video competition. We believe the planned Manifesto for Education will be a positive influence on the development of education policy in England. It is always worthwhile to hear from the students directly and the level of entries has been exceptional.

Ringwood's competition entry will go towards developing a student Manifesto for Education due to be presented to political policy makers in advance of the next General Election. The finished product will also be shown on Channel 4 later this year and is aimed to highlight student's ideas for constructive changes to education policy in England.

Other sponsors of the awards included Ofqual, QCA, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National College for School Leadership (NCSL).

See a link to all the winning videos

We sign six year partnership agreement with BTL

13 July 2009

As part of the TEAL Programme for the on-going development and delivery of on-screen testing, we are delighted to announce that we have signed a six year partnership agreement with BTL which, by means of their Surpass suite, will provide the tools for us to create, manage and deliver our qualifications on-screen.

BTL are one of the world leaders in on screen assessment who work with other major examination providers to deliver high quality on screen tests. At AQA we already have a huge bank of research and experience in creating assessments and the BTL Surpass will help us to realise this potential on-screen. It will enable us to provide assessment that is interesting, exciting and relevant to young people's needs and the changing world we live in. We will also be able to create different forms of assessment which are more valid and reliable tests of specifications' content and assessment objectives.

AQA Hosts Successful Maths Roundtable Event

30 June 2009

At a time when new specifications for a critically important subject such as GCSE Maths are being developed, AQA decided to host a Maths Roundtable Debate on 23 June at the Royal Society London, to debate the issues impacting on the future of Maths.

The event was very successful and some insightful and encouraging points were put forward.

AQA celebrates Bacc students' hard work for Volunteers' Week 2009

2 June 2009

It's Volunteers' Week 2009 and we're celebrating the amazing voluntary work that students take part in to complete the enrichment element of their AQA Baccalaureate (AQA Bacc).

Student volunteers give on average 82 hours per year to their community, contributing nearly £1,000 per year to the economy*. Bacc students have to complete at least 100 hours of enrichment activities and this year students have contributed 24,658 hours to community work alone. We believe that the AQA Bacc will encourage more students to get involved in voluntary work that can aid their personal development and help them to become well rounded individuals.

Jenny Setchell, a faculty manager for the AQA Bacc at Richard Huish College in Taunton said:

We have a number of students taking part in a wide range of volunteering activities. The college has been involved in a project with Help Lanka over the last three years teaching in schools in Sri Lanka directly affected by the Tsunami. Some students have taken part in local environmental projects with our Environment group LEAF, but many other students have arranged voluntary work for themselves. For example, local hospital radio stations, coaching swimming to disabled children, Scout and Guide groups etc. All of these students have submitted this evidence as part of their enrichment for the AQA Bacc.

AQA Bacc student Michael from Richard Huish spent several weeks in Sri Lanka teaching English and PE at a school rebuilt after the 2004 Tsunami and helping at a boys Orphanage. He wrote about his experiences in his AQA Bacc Enrichment Diary.

After one evening of drawing, painting, playing music, cricket and volleyball with the boys at the Orphanage, Michael reflected on how they enjoyed the time, but also what it meant to him:

It really hit me that these boys really appreciated anything that was being done for them. Because they have been left with so little and because what we were doing meant an awful lot to them, made me realize that it is simple things like spending time to play with these boys that can actually mean more to them than anything else.

After a week of tough but inspirational teaching at the school Michael talked about how much the experience has developed his skills:

I feel that teaching helped develop me hugely. I became a lot more patient as a person, as it often took a while to get my point across and it would have been easy to become frustrated but I didn't. From the teaching experience I think I also became a lot more confident in my abilities and my communication improved.

On his last day at the school Michael reflected on the personal difference he has made during his time in Sri Lanka:

The charity, Help Lanka, is trying so hard to improve the quality of life in this area but it will take a monumental effort to do this. This however does not make the job that I have been doing seem any less important. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sri Lanka, learning an awful lot about the place and myself, and would not hesitate to go back!

Read more about Michael's story on the Volunteers' Week 2009 website.

Video competition: Winning entries to be shown on Channel 4

19 May 2009

We have worked closely with the English Secondary Students' Association (ESSA) on a number of projects and are currently sponsoring a competition they have launched.

ESSA is going to create a students' Manifesto for Education which it can present to policy-makers to influence the future development of education policy in England.

To gain students' views ESSA is holding a competition for students to produce short videos in which they outline their suggestions for constructive changes to the education system. The winning entries will be featured later this year on Channel 4.

Find out more about the video competition and manifesto.

Response to Ofqual's report on GCSE science

27 March 2009

As Ofqual has identified in its report, awarding bodies have already addressed the issues that need addressing in preparation for this summer's exams.

What we require now is reassurance from Ofqual that they do indeed have the relevant information, expertise and power to maintain grading standards over time and to ensure comparability of standards between awarding bodies.

What students need is immediate clarity from Ofqual on how they intend to rule on GCSE Science standards for this Summer.

AQA welcomes DEA's policy recommendations encouraging young people to become global citizens

20 March 2009

AQA welcomes the DEA's policy recommendations for how schools can meet the challenge of change in our global future. We strongly support the concept of breadth of learning – encouraging young people to be global citizens and recognise connections between their lives and global issues such as poverty and climate change.

AQA scores top marks from regulator

18 March 2009

AQA achieved the highest possible performance in its completion of enquiries and appeals from last summer's examinations as detailed in Ofqual's report published today.

AQA completed 100% of its re-marking and re-moderation for all seven of the tough target deadlines set by Ofqual, the exams watchdog, including the critical priority remarking target for GCE. The targets cover clerical checks, re-marks and the re-moderation of coursework for GCSEs and A-levels.

AQA also achieved the best performance of all of the awarding bodies in completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 Appeals within the overall 50 day target.

AQA Director General, Mike Cresswell, said:

This is an excellent performance and demonstrates our drive to offer the highest levels of service to our schools, colleges and learners. Providing the fastest possible resolution of any queries about results is crucial. As an educational charity, our top priority is always the best interests of the candidates who take our examinations and we do everything possible to ensure that they receive the grades they deserve.

Exciting online enrichment diary launched this month

20 February 2009

We have launched an exciting and student-friendly online tool this month, which students and teachers can use to record enrichment activities as part the AQA Bacc, dubbed the new English Baccalaureate.

The AQA Enrichment Diary is a sophisticated online tool that is student and teacher friendly, making it easy for centres to manage enrichment activity. It empowers students, allowing them to take responsibility for managing and publishing their own content. It also enables teachers to easily monitor their students' progress and contact them by posting messages or writing a 'sticky note'.

The Enrichment Diary offers many benefits over paper based methods of recording: centres need no additional resources, it can be used at anytime, anywhere and it is easy and intuitive to use, so no extensive training is required.

The Enrichment Diary appeals to the tech-savvy students of today, enabling them to post diary entries, upload media rich files, send diary entries via SMS text messages and communicate with teachers via a messaging system. The diary can even be used offline, as the application and content can be run from a USB key. An AQA Bacc student from Rawlins Community college in Loughborough said:

It's so compatible with your average teenager because it's similar to social networking sites, like Bebo or Facebook, but it's school orientated and allows you to track your progress.

Teachers are also reaping the benefits of the new online diary. One teacher at Rawlins said:

The electronic version is considerably better for the students and for the teachers. I think that students find it much more motivating and have taken to it like ducks to water.

Others teachers are finding themselves liberated from the burden of paperwork, saying:

Suddenly I'm not having to push paper around anymore. The paper burden is significantly reduced.

ePolitix interview with Mike Cresswell about new powers for Ofqual

19 February 2009

Mike Cresswell talks to the political website ePolitix about powers for the new qualifications regulator Ofqual.

AQA co-sponsors House of Commons debate on Citizenship

5 February 2009

Janet Holloway, AQA's Assistant Director responsible for our Citizenship specifications, recently introduced a debate chaired by Barry Sheerman MP, Chairman of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee in the House of Commons. A podcast and photographs are available for listening and viewing via the ePolitix website

AQA helps Centrepoint prepare homeless young people for times ahead

30 January 2009

Read about how AQA has teamed up with youth homelessness charity Centrepoint to focus on homeless young people's skills and training, helping to prepare them for tough times ahead in the economic downturn, helping open doors to employment and easing the transition into independent living.

Please visit our Unit Award Scheme page for more information

New issue of Award Magazine and the AQA Annual Review

28 January 2009

The Spring Term issue of Award magazine has been published. The 2008 AQA Annual Review is now also available.

New Year – Growing interest in the exciting new GCSE in Chinese

26 January 2009

AQA are marking the Chinese New Year by celebrating the successful addition of a new language to our growing suite of qualifications. GCSE Chinese (Mandarin) will be available for first teaching this September.

Chinese joins French, German, Italian and Spanish in the ELC (Entry Level Certificate) and FCSE (Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education) specifications.

Our very popular ELC qualification is aimed at primary and secondary pupils and covers Levels 1-3 of the National Curriculum. FCSE is our new, highly successful Level 1 qualification. Designed to reward achievement at National Curriculum Levels 4, 5 and 6, FCSE bridges the gap between ELC and GCSE.

ELC and FCSE are versatile, flexible and manageable, providing real motivation to language learners.

There has been enormous interest in all our Chinese qualifications and there are already around 2,500 students registered to take the FCSE in Chinese. They are of great appeal to teachers and students, as they are designed to be completely accessible to non-native speakers, from beginners through to GCSE level.

Janet Wilson, Subject Manager for Modern Foreign Languages at AQA said:

Interest in China has grown quickly over the past few years, reflecting its increasing importance politically and economically. At the same time, interest in teaching and learning the Chinese language has also grown. Organisations such as the British Council and the CBI have called for more teaching of Mandarin in schools. As the market leader in KS4 languages, AQA are responding positively to this challenge and have found this the ideal time to launch new qualifications in Mandarin.

For more information see GCSE Chinese (Mandarin)

AQA welcomes piloting of new 'twinned' Maths GCSE's

19 January 2009

• AQA welcomes the Government's decision to pilot two GCSEs which would be taken together as a 'twinned' pair. See the BBC News website for more info.
• This is consistent with our long-held view that there should be two GCSEs in Mathematics and which the Smith report, Making Mathematics Count, advocated in 2004
• AQA (with Leeds University Assessment and Evaluation Unit), under its Pathways contract with QCA, has been piloting two GCSEs in Mathematics since 2007 and the second of these, Additional Mathematics, is designed for the more able and/or more motivated students.
• We are convinced that the expertise gained in producing question papers for these existing pilot GCSEs and for our pilot FSMQs¹ and Functional Mathematics will be of great value for the new pilot, particularly in terms of the new proposals; one 'twin' will 'focus on applications of mathematics in everyday contexts including financial applications and the other will focus on problem-solving within mathematics.'
• We shall, of course, continue to work with our existing pilot centres, whose work has been so influential, for the remaining period of our contract; the data from these pilots will inform the new proposals.
• In the meantime, we shall, in 2009, be developing and submitting a specification and specimen materials for accreditation for the single GCSE Mathematics; this is designed to meet the requirements of the new Programme of Study and for a course for first teaching in September 2010, following revisions to the GCSE Mathematics Subject Criteria

Proposed new pilots from September 2010

• A number of issues regarding these pilots remain as yet unclear; as soon as they are clarified, AQA will provide further information, including details of how centres may become involved.
• We hope that there will be the opportunity to review the proposed timetable for piloting and implementation and share the concern expressed by ACME² that the planned roll-out of courses leading to the first qualifications will not be until 2015. Like ACME, we believe that that period can be shortened without compromising the quality of data essential to making final decisions.
• Work will begin in January on the development of criteria for these pilot specifications. We will ensure that we alert you to any opportunities for input to this process.
• These new pilots are an exciting development and will be designed to appeal to students, whether they have a special talent or passion for maths or simply want to learn more of this core subject; the involvement and input of views from practising teachers will be crucial to achieving this.

¹ Free-Standing Mathematics Qualifications
² The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education – an independent committee, acting as a single voice on mathematics education issues and which advises Government on issues such as curriculum, assessment and the supply and training of mathematics teachers.

New GCEs – first live papers available here

16 January 2009

Want to see the first new GCE question papers, but didn't enter students? Well, you can. On e-AQA.

We know how useful it is to have extra resources, for teaching or mock exams. So the January 2009 papers are available via e-AQA even earlier than usual. And you can use these papers as mock exams because e-AQA is just for teachers and exams officers. (We won't put them on the website until October 2009.)

So, log on to e-AQA and take a look.

• papers will be available 5-10 days after the exam
• mark schemes will be available when we issue results
• papers and mark schemes will stay on e-AQA until the end of the post-results enquiries period.

AQA – City & Guilds award first ever A* grades at GCE

15 January 2009

The first GCE A* grades were awarded today by AQA and City & Guilds. The awards were made to students who had entered for the new AQA – City & Guilds Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in November 2008. From a total of 373 entries, 50 were awarded the new A*.

The EPQ is a unique qualification, giving students the opportunity to choose and manage a topic for study. They can explore in depth an aspect of a subject they are studying, or study a topic in which they have a personal interest

The EPQ is a free-standing qualification available to 'stretch and challenge' all A-level students, and it's also a compulsory part of the AQA Bacc and the Diploma.

The topic for the project is chosen by the student and agreed by the student's teacher, who then acts as his or her supervisor. The student has to show that they can plan, deliver and present an extended piece of work at Level 3 of the National Qualifications Framework.

Andrew Bird, AQA's Deputy Director General, said:

The EPQ offers students choice, to study a topic that interests them, responsibility for managing their own project work, and independent work and study skills that will help them succeed in further education and the world of work.

We have seen some excellent project work from our candidates, of a very high standard. The very best of these students have today been awarded the new A* grade.

Universities agree. Bristol University says:

In such cases some admissions tutors may make two alternative offers, one of which involves success in the Extended Project (eg either AAA at A-level or AAB at A-level plus Extended Project).

Barbara Mitchell, Director of Product Management at City & Guilds added:

City & Guilds is very proud of its association with AQA and of the learners who have achieved the Extended Project Qualification. Offering students a flexible range of learning options is the key to keeping them engaged in education and in-turn, employment. We look forward to building on this success through the Diplomas, which also have their first examinations this year.

PHY1AP: error on the answer sheet in the November 2008 test

15 January 2009

AQA has taken every action to ensure that results published today are reliable.

We conducted detailed checking of the responses in the question booklets and/or answer sheets submitted for every candidate. This work was supported by a range of quality checks to ensure that candidates' responses were accurately recorded. We have contacted all centres and informed them of the action we have taken.

At the awarding meeting in December the Chair of Examiners and the Awarding Committee expressed confidence that they were able to recommend grade boundaries that they felt to be appropriate and in line with the other objective tests in this series and in previous series. This meeting was observed by a representative of Ofqual. Ofqual has been kept informed of all our actions taken to correct the errors in the answer sheets.

For those candidates who sat this unit in November and were certificating (i.e. who were finishing their course in November and required an overall result) we analysed the actual mark they achieved and compared it with an estimated mark based on how well they had performed in their other units: each candidate was then awarded the better of these two marks. In nearly 95% of cases, the candidates' final grade (result) was the same or better when using their actual mark than it would have been using their estimated mark.

AQA achieves ISO9001 certification

14 January 2009

We have been successfully certificated for the Quality Management Standard ISO9001.2000. This recognises the high quality of the processes that we use to deliver examinations to centres and candidates. These processes were subject to a rigorous audit process by Certification International, an organisation accredited to assess companies against the ISO9001 standard. We were issued a certificate on 5 January 2009 after a two month period of audits.

The external auditor in his report said:

I have been impressed by AQA's documentation and its application in departments. AQA endeavours very hard to get things right for its centres (schools, colleges etc) and of course for the individuals taking the examinations.

We are committed to continually improving the processes we operate and hence the services we deliver to centres and candidates. Certification to the ISO9001.2000 standard recognises this commitment. The scope of the Quality Management System is set out on the certificate.

Carolyn Adams
Quality Management Representative

AQA Future Forum

24 November 2008

AQA recently held its first Future forum.

Mike Cresswell talks choice at the 2008 AQA Annual Seminar and Awards

18 November 2008

Mike Cresswell gave a presentation about the importance of choice in 14-19 education yesterday at the AQA Annual Seminar and GCE Awards 2008.

Read Mike Cresswell's full speech here

AQA supports Colleges Week: 10-16 November

10 November 2008

AQA is delighted to support Colleges Week. These are exciting and challenging times for those offering post-16 education and colleges are rising to the challenge. AQA is proud to be able to provide a wide range of support for colleges as they plan for and deliver more choice than ever before for students.

It is a particularly exciting time for AQA as this is the first term when the AQA Baccalaureate or AQA 'Bacc' has been widely available. This new qualification reflects not only students' A-level performance but also their wider learning reflected in a Transcript of Enrichment, their research skills tested by an Extended Project and their more general education through Citizenship, General Studies or Critical Thinking.

AQA is committed to helping colleges deliver successful learning to young people which meets their needs.

Mike Cresswell
AQA Director General

AQA welcomes Ofqual report

31 October 2008

We welcome a new report Making a Difference published by Ofqual, which recognises the hard work of AQA staff over the exam period. The report examines the experiences of staff in centres during the summer of 2008.

Ofqual reported that:

• when teachers needed to phone an awarding body, 79.1% of them described their experience with AQA as positive
• for another awarding body only 35.9% of respondents reported a positive experience
• only 1.1% – the lowest of any awarding body – had difficulty getting through to AQA
• the AQA website was deemed the most useful by respondents.

Andrew Bird, Deputy Director General of AQA, said: "As the UK's largest awarding body we know that exams can be stressful for all concerned. We spend a lot of time and effort making sure that we provide a service which ensures that things run as smoothly as possible."

"We want to build on this success and make sure that we continue to deliver the very best for teachers and students. However, while I appreciate the very positive feedback that we have had, I recognise that there is still work to be done and we look forward to delivering an even higher standard next year."

Making a Difference is published today by Ofqual.

AQA National GCSE Awards

28 October 2008

Read about our GCSE Award ceremony and find out who won the title of Student of the Year.

Summary of AQA's response to the draft proposals on Ofqual's additional monitoring and enforcement powers

27 October 2008

AQA has responded to draft proposals from the DCSF on the additional monitoring and enforcement powers for Ofqual. The DCSF has invited comment on these further proposals issued after consideration of the comments on the consultation document Confidence in Standards published in December 2007 and the follow-up report Confidence in Standards: regulating and developing qualifications and assessment – next steps published in June 2008.

AQA continues to give a broad welcome to the proposals and to the establishment of an independent regulator.

In particular, AQA very much welcomes the indications that Ofqual will adopt a more strategic approach than its predecessor. Detailed regulatory involvement in procedural matters tends to stifle innovation without, in itself, guaranteeing standards.

AQA has made a number of detailed comments on the proposals but believes that there is currently one major omission from them which is crucial: to be able to discharge its primary purpose as the strategic regulator of the qualifications market, Ofqual must be empowered to intervene, if necessary, to ensure the setting and maintenance of appropriate examination standards.

We therefore believe that Ofqual needs to be given an explicit statutory power to enable it, if necessary, to direct an awarding body to set standards at a particular level. It needs to have this power so that it can give credible public assurance that standards are comparable between awarding bodies and maintained over time. It is particularly important that Ofqual has this power in place in order to support public confidence about the standards set in the new A-levels, GCSEs, Diplomas and Functional Skills assessments which are being introduced over the next few years.

See a more detailed summary

See the full response

AQA response to today's article in the TES regarding 2008 GCSE science results

24 October 2008

The best interests of our candidates are always our top priority and we took action in GCSE Science this year to ensure that they were protected.

Students, parents, teachers and employers can therefore have complete confidence that all AQA's results are fair and based on the same standards as the other Awarding Bodies.

The situation that arose with GCSE Science this summer was exceptional. We identified the issue and then worked closely with Ofqual and the other awarding bodies to resolve it qickly. At Ofqual's request, we adjusted our standards in GCSE Science, making it slightly easier to obtain a Grade C, to come into line with the standards being set by the other Awarding Bodies. The adjustment we made was relatively small and the standard set in GCSE Science this year remained broadly in line with standards in GCSEs generally.

However, the standard set for a Grade C on this year's GCSE Science examinations was not as close to the past Grade C standard in Science as we believe it could have been. We strongly believe that, going forward, the new Ofqual must be given the power, when necessary, to direct awarding bodies to maintain standards.

The new Ofqual must set out clearly the evidence it will use in future to assess standards, how it will interpret that evidence and how it expects major revisions to qualifications to affect pass rates. For example, we believe that the new A-levels which have just been introduced will necessarily have similar subject pass rates to the old ones if standards are successfully carried forward from the old A-levels. We need to know unequivocally from Ofqual whether it takes the same view and whether it will intervene if there are any cases where pass rates differ markedly without clear justification.

It is only by providing clarity of this kind, that we believe Ofqual will be able to give the public assurance about examination standards which it was set up to provide. AQA has an international reputation for the quality of its work on standard setting and the experience and technical knowledge to work closely with Ofqual on this essential aspect of its remit. We are fully committed to doing so in the interests of the young people and other learners who take our examinations.

We are fully committed to doing so in the interests of the young people and other learners who take our examinations.

Please see our letter to Ofqual of 12 August 2008.

Mike Cresswell
AQA Director General

AQA Continuing Professional Development courses for teachers of Key Stage 3 English and Science

15 October 2008

Ed Balls announced on 14 October that the government plans to end compulsory national tests (SATs) for 14 year olds.

AQA has developed a successful and popular programme of training courses for teachers of Key Stage 3. Our programme of CPD courses will continue as planned. Whilst the SATs tests are coming to an end, teachers will still follow the Programme of Study at Key Stage 3 and will continue to assess their pupils progress.

The focus of our all our KS3 courses this term is on effective planning and strategies for teaching based on the Programmes of Study.

KS3 English

This course focuses on successful teaching approaches, techniques and tips for Reading and Writing and strategies for teaching Shakespeare. We use past assessments as a tool to review how they can inform effective classroom teaching and raise student achievement. We will also use the Shakespeare scenes that were planned for the 2009 SATs to provide guidance for teachers on strategies for teaching.

KS3 Science

How Science Works at Key Stage 3

This course introduces the new science curriculum that is in place from September 2008. It unpacks the key changes, focussing particularly on the How Science Works element, showing teachers how to build enquiry based teaching into their planning. There is also an opportunity to consider how a core and options structure is appropriate for topic level plans; and the emphasis throughout the day is on using the levelled objectives to ensure progress for pupils. How Science Works at KS3 is designed to support effective teaching, including focussed assessment of national curriculum levels for reporting and diagnostic purposes.

For further details of these courses and to book your place, please visit our on-line booking service.

AQA launches new magazine

29 September 2008

Be one of the first to see AQA's new magazine – Award.

In the first issue you'll find:

• An exclusive interview with Mike Cresswell, AQA's Director General
• Richard Garner, Education Editor at the Independent, gives his unique viewpoint on Diplomas – now that D-day has arrived what is the future for the new qualifications which have so much riding on them?
• Over 100 schools are now offering the AQA Bacc and we hear from Richard Huish College in Taunton about its experience as a pilot school for the Bacc.

The magazine will stimulate debate, provide timely information to schools and the education world and act as a forum to share expertise and opinions.

We look forward to hearing what you think: please e-mail us your feedback.

AQA highlights FCSE qualification on European Day of Languages

26 September 2008

AQA is marking the European Day of Languages today by highlighting its FCSE (Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education) initiative which is designed to act as a linguistic bridge for school students between Key Stages at secondary school as well as appealing to adult learners.

From this term students can take French, German, Italian and Spanish (as well as Chinese) at FCSE. They can start their studies as early as age 11 and the course is relevant to students of all ages but particularly up to the age of 14.

FCSEs cover all four language skills:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

And all assessment is carried out by the teacher in the classroom.

A teacher involved in the first phase this year said 'We thoroughly enjoyed the course and were over the moon with our results as they greatly increased our percentage of year 9s achieving level 5 or above.'

John Mitchell Director of Qualifications, Development and Support for AQA said:

'We recognise that there is much to do to reverse trends away from language learning at GCSE and AQA is determined to help schools by providing FCSE language options as a way of engaging and motivating students.

FCSE fills a gap. Teachers told us that students who learn a Modern Foreign Language up to the end of Key Stage 3, but choose not to continue, have nothing to show for 3 (or more) years of language learning.

Languages are an important job qualification in a growing range of professions. By offering the FCSE in French, Italian, German and Spanish, we hope that schools find that they can highlight the increasing relevance of modern foreign languages to their students and relate this to the world beyond school, leisure, education and work.

The European Day of Languages also underlines a growing need to communicate in more than one language if we are to create well-rounded citizens of the world.'

The FCSE is a portfolio based Level 1 qualification in Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian and Spanish designed to accredit language learning at National Curriculum Levels 4, 5 and 6.