The Awarding of Vocational Qualifications Summer 2020
Updated 27th August 2020
Please click here for Access to HE Centre information.
ERF Awarding Summer 2020
Those centres that have claimed for learners in Summer 2020, will have submitted the required information to Ascentis in order to conduct External Verification and issue results. If any centres have any questions regarding the results you have submitted, please contact hello@ascentis.co.uk. Any learners that require information regarding results, must contact their centres (college, school or training provider).
Arrangements from September 2020
The regulators (Ofqual & Qualifications Wales) are currently consulting on an Extended Extraordinary Regulatory Framework which will consider arrangements for the delivery and assessment of qualifications in the 2020-21 academic year. Once the consultation is complete, we will communicate with centres about any changes that can be made to qualification delivery and assessment so that learners are not disadvantaged by any further disruption to their learning, for example due to local lockdown restrictions. We are looking into ways of supporting centres at the moment. Delivery of Ascentis qualifications should continue to meet the requirements of the specification and be completed in line with normal arrangements in the meantime. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the Quality Assurance Team at qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk.
Regulators Consultation Outcome: Awarding of Qualifications Summer 2020
The regulators (Ofqual, CCEA and Qualifications Wales) have published the outcome of the consultation on the Awarding of Vocational Qualifications this summer, click here.
The outcome has confirmed that either calculate, adapt or delay will be applied to each qualification. This model will apply to those learners who were due to complete their qualification before the 31st July, but are unable to due to the impact of COVID-19.
Ofqual have also launched an interactive tool, to help navigate the approach for Vocational Qualifications this summer. The tool allows users to search for a specific regulated qualification to find out how results will be generated for the majority of learners. Click here.
Ascentis awarding of qualifications this summer
Ascentis have communicated with centres about the arrangements of the awarding of vocational qualifications this summer. This includes publishing the Ascentis Vocational Qualifications Awarding Summer 2020 Guidance - Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF) V3 which includes the process centres must follow for any claims to be made in relation to the ERF.
Key documentation and submission of results for a Centre Assessment Grade:
In the above ‘Ascentis Vocational Qualifications Awarding Summer 2020 Guidance - Extraordinary Regulatory Framework’ we have included information on the ‘Centre Assessment Grades Guidance on Completing Record Forms’ and guidance to support the process of submitting information to Ascentis. We have also published these documents below:
- Centre Assessment Grades - Guidance on Completing Record Forms
- IQA/Standardisation Record and Head of Centre Sign Off
Centre Guidance for ‘Adapt’ qualifications:
Version 2 Centre Guidance to Adaption has been published to support those qualifications categorised as ‘Adapt’, please click here. In line with our guidance this only applies to qualifications that have been categorised as ‘adapt’ and no adaption should be made by any centres before gaining approval from the Ascentis Quality Assurance Team qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk
If centres deliver a qualification classified as ‘Adapt’ they must contact Ascentis by Friday 3rd July 2020 if they intend to claim under the ERF. Please email qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk
Ascentis video
Ascentis have produced a video to provide centres with an overview of the process, this can be viewed here.
Centre Webinars: Ascentis Vocational Qualifications Awarding Summer 2020 Guidance - Extraordinary Regulatory Framework
Ascentis have held a range of webinars to support centres in relation to the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF). If you were unable to attend one of the webinars, please review the above documentation and contact the Quality Assurance Team if you have any specific questions, qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk
FAQs: Centre Webinars
We published some Frequently Asked Questions following the delivery of our centre webinars on Vocational Qualifications Awarding Summer 2020 Guidance - Extraordinary Regulatory Framework. These can be viewed here.
ESOL Skills for Life Qualifications
We have further guidance for centres that deliver our ESOL Skills for Life qualifications. This also includes FAQs for the ESOL specific webinars that we delivered to centres. Please review the information here.
Ofqual Centre Guidance
Ofqual published Guidance for Centres: ‘The awarding of vocational and technical qualifications, and other general qualifications, in summer 2020’
Continuing with the delivery and assessment of Ascentis Qualifications
If centres have carried on to deliver their qualifications (where this is permitted and in line with Ascentis and Government requirements), centres can claim for learners in the normal way. All external verification visits are currently suspended, however Ascentis is offering remote verifications to support centres during this period. Please contact your allocated External Quality Assurer to discuss the requirements for remote verification.
ESOL, English & Maths and Short Online Qualifications (Externally Set Assessment Qualifications)
ESOL, Short Online Qualifications, English & Maths qualification assessments are unable to be conducted remotely in line with the normal requirements of these qualifications.
If you have any questions regarding the delivery or assessment of any of the Ascentis qualifications in this period, please contact our Quality Assurance Team: qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk
Contact Information & Support
We have taken the decision to implement government recommended guidelines to keep all of our staff safe and have closed our head office in Lancaster, all staff will be remote working. We will continue to respond to our main contact number which is 01524 845046 during office hours.
If you need to get in touch with one of our teams, you can contact them directly on the following emails:
- Ofqual, CCEA & Qualifications Wales Quality Assurance Team - QualityAssurance@ascentis.co.uk
- Access to HE Quality Assurance Team - ahed@ascentis.co.uk
- Operations Registration, Verification and Certification Team – operations@ascentis.co.uk
- Operations Events Team – events@ascentis.co.uk
- Operations Exams Team - exams@ascentis.co.uk
- Finance Team - Finance@ascentis.co.uk
- IT Team – support@ascentis.co.uk
- Development Team – development@ascentis.co.uk
- Commercial Team – commercial@ascentis.co.uk
Staff will continue to respond to their emails, this will be the preferred method of communication.
Events & Webinars
We are continuing to hold a variety of Webinars for Ascentis centres, please refer to the Events page of the Ascentis website for further details.
Your centre
If circumstances occur which may further impact your learners please ensure that you inform us immediately so that we are better able to support you.
In light of the current situation as our staff are currently remote working we are refraining from sending out certificates to our centres until further notice.
Enquiries
In the meantime if you have any questions, please get in touch with your usual contact here at Ascentis or contact us at hello@ascentis.co.uk
These are very difficult times and we want to assure you that we are here to support you through this period.
We send our best wishes to you, staff at your centre and to your families.
