| Vocational Quality Assurance Manager Newsletter |
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Dear Colleague,
Welcome back from summer, we hope you were able to recharge batteries and have some well-earned relaxation. We also hope that your results day(s) were the success we all worked so hard to achieve.
In this newsletter you will find all the links needed to updated guides and support that will set you up for the new academic year and to hit the ground running.
If you have any questions about Quality Assurance, please contact the team in the via Live Chat or the Pearson Support Portal and, if you are not already a member, hop over and join the QN Community where we for share the latest information and you can network with other BTEC Centres. |
- QNs for all types of qualifications complete the Annual Quality Declaration - Deadline 14 October 2023
- Book onto the Annual Quality Declaration Walkthrough live event
- Ensure Lead Internal Verifiers register for their programmes and carry out Centre Standardisation - Deadline 14 October 2023
- Download the 2023-24 Centre Guides relevant to your qualifications
- Book onto the QA Catch-up sessions
- Review learner entries for internally assessed components (Tech Awards 2022)
- Check out our full schedule of Live Support events to help staff with all aspects of quality assurance and BTEC Assessment Rules
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To fully prepare yourself and your vocational delivery teams please ensure you make full use of our extensive portfolio of online events; whether you are new or experienced as a Quality Nominee it is important that you stay up to date and fully aware of the quality assurance processes to have a successful year.
Our On Demand CPD packages remain available to you for use at a time that suits you and your staff.
We will continue to offer weekly half hour QA Catchups so that you can ask any questions you have and get a very quick headline update to keep you on track. The links to join these are on our events webpage using the link above. If you have not attended these before this short video explains their importance and value of these catch-ups.
New Centres Only: If you have been approved in the past 6 months to deliver any of our vocational programmes, WBL or Functional skills qualifications please do join us for a quick termly new centre updates.
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The purpose of the Annual Quality Declaration (AQD) is for you to confirm that all policies and procedures required for the delivery of Pearson Vocational qualifications are in place, effective and have been contextualised for your centre. The AQD also serves as your acceptance of Pearson's Terms and Conditions of Centre Recognition and Qualification Approval for vocational qualifications.
The AQD replaces the separate documentation that was previously completed and submitted to Pearson as part of our quality assurance activities, associated with different quality models. For example,
- BTEC Level 1-3: Annual Centre Declaration
- Work Based Learning: Centre Self-Assessment form
- BTEC Higher Nationals: Annual Programme Monitoring Review
- Alternative Providers: Academic Management Review
For this reason, whether you deliver BTEC Level 2-3, BTEC Tech Awards (2022), WBL, Functional Skills, or Higher National qualifications the Quality Nominee or Head of Centre will need to complete the Annual Quality Declaration by the deadline of 14 October 2023.
We strongly recommend that you have our support to complete this declaration by attending the Annual Quality Declaration Walkthrough which can be booked using this link.
You can access your centres AQD on this link. |
Centres delivering qualifications covered by BTEC quality assurance must register a Lead Internal Verifier (LIV) for each programme and complete standardisation between 1 September - 14 October (or prior to any formal assessment taking place whichever is soonest).
Lead IVs will need an Edexcel Online account and will need to have OSCA2 checked within their profile by the Exams Officer who is the key administrator for Edexcel Online within each centre.
Important – please note that failure to meet the deadline of 14 October will result in the relevant programme being allocated an Enhanced Programme Control Measure for Standards Verification. |
No matter whether you deliver BTEC Level 2-3, BTEC Tech Awards (2022), WBL, Functional Skills, or Higher National qualifications you will find all the updated Centre Guides on the Home of Quality Assurance webpage under the relevant qualification section.
Please download these and share with your teaching teams to ensure everyone is updated. |
Explore our BTEC Tech Award quality assurance webpage. Here you will find the 23/24 Centre Guide to Quality Assurance, updated bitesize videos on key processes and the Assessment Record template.
Please ensure the Key Dates schedule is shared with the relevant staff members in your centre.
The Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs) for the December/January assessment series were released on 1 September. These can be located on each qualification’s webpage, in the course materials section under ‘internal assessment (PSAs)’. If your learners are completing a PSA in this series, they must be entered for the assessment series by 17 October – see the support article BTEC Tech Awards 2022: Making Entries for further guidance.
Please note for your year 1 cohorts, learners should have sufficient teaching and learning to prepare them for assessment. Therefore, the first assessment series (for moderation in December/January of year 1) is not intended for use by learners starting the programmes from September.
To help you get started or for a refresher on the quality assurance requirements, we invite centres to attend our Quality Assurance for the BTEC Tech Awards online event - book your place here. |
New Specifications HN Art & Design & Creative Media
Following on from previous communications, if you are looking to deliver the new specifications from September 2023 you need to have your approval in place.
Let Pearson know if you want to deliver the new specs and your approval is not yet in place. More guidance on re-approval can be found here.
2023/24 Centre Guides for UK Higher Nationals
These were released before the summer and can be located here. Changes are referenced in yellow and referenced at the start of each handbook
Linked here under 'QA handbooks'.
UK Annual Programme Management Review
The same platform will be used as in 22/23 and updates will follow ahead of the Autumn release.
Higher National Deletion Timings
As communicated in 22/23 the timings to request a deletion for a Higher National changed. Do take time to have a look at section 2.9 of this link if you need to know more.
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We have listed below all the guidance you need to prepare for a successful year delivering Entry - Level 3 Functional Skills.
Please ensure you read the section above regarding the completion of the Annual Quality Declaration.
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Kind regards
Helen, Bill, Lee, Liz, Sally, & Sue
Vocational Quality Assurance Managers |
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