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NVQ Languages
Organisational issues
Teachers need the commitment of the senior leadership team and support of members of the languages department in order to successfully introduce an NVQ course as there are some important aspects to consider:
Planning the course
Step 1 Registering as a centre
Before beginning the course, it will be necessary to select an awarding body (City & Guilds, Edexcel and OCR all offer NVQ Languages) and to register as a centre to deliver NVQ.
Step 2 Staffing the course and the personnel in the assessment process
It is essential that the staff selected to teach the NVQ course fully embrace the fact that the course is work-related and that this will need a change of approach if the course is to be successful. Teachers within a department can teach the NVQ course as language experts, however if language teachers have not gained the A1 assessor award, assessments carried out by them must be countersigned by a fully qualified A1 assessor (For detailed information about the requirements of the A1 assessor award and documents related to the award. This information will assist teachers who are working towards the award to understand each part of the evidence requirements for the award.) To be cost effective this ideally needs to be someone within the school or within a partnership system with other schools. A trained assessor can assess their own students or other students' portfolios.
For detailed information about the requirements of the A1 assessor award and documents related to the award. This information will assist teachers who are working towards the award to understand each part of the evidence requirements for the award.
Internal Verification
An Internal Verifier (who holds a D34 or V1 award) is responsible for the quality assurance of the assessment process within the centre. As part of this, they will select portfolios to sample. They will need to document this process. Have a look at examples of IV documentation. The school or college may have to buy in IV support until a member of staff is a qualified internal verifier.
Overview of the Assessment Process
The chart below shows the roles of each person in the assessment process.
Step 3 Planning Schemes of work
Time will need to be allocated to plan detailed schemes of work to ensure that there is full coverage of the performance criteria, range and knowledge. Some examples of schemes of work are in the resources section. It is wise for staff to attend a training session on planning assessments to meet the National Language Standards and/or to visit schools or colleges in the area who are already teaching NVQ. Such links are very helpful and may be essential until a school of college has its own qualified assessors and internal verifiers. Go to the main alternative accreditation page for case studies of some schools who are currently delivering NVQ language courses.
Visits, links with companies/tourist attrractions and trips abroad should be planned in order to set the course in an authentic work-related context. Contacting the local Education Business Partnership may help with this. If you are unsure of local contacts, consult the National Education Business Partnership Network or your local Regional Languages Network.
Step 4 Timetabling
Timetable allocation for the NVQ course at levels 1 or 2 is the same as for the conventional GCSE course. It is desirable for some lessons to be timetabled in a computer room if possible in order to enable students to wordprocess written tasks, carry out internet research, produce PowerPoint presentations and webpages for example. However most lessons should not need ICT access. A typical model might be one lesson in every four or five taking place in a computer suite or a short block of lessons (eg four or five) to complete a particular project which might be internet based.
Step 5 Plan time for standardisation, internal verification and external verifier visits
You are advised to agree with senior management in advance of the course time for standardisation, internal verification and external verifier visits. The amount of time needed will depend upon the number of candidates. More time will be needed at the beginning of the course as staff familiarise themselves with the requirements of the National Language Standards. Some suggested timings are in the section below.
When the course is running
Assuming a course running over 6 terms with 60 candidates or less taught by one or two staff
Time in the course |
Activity |
End of term 1 |
Standardisation of a sample of student portfolios by staff delivering the course. Countersignature needed by qualified assessor. This process needs to be documented. Sugggested sample size one fifth of students (ie 12 students out of 60). Time needed Half to one day. |
Middle of term 2 End of term 2 |
Further standardisation of different portfolios documented as previously. Internal verifier visit. (Half to one day) |
Towards the end of term 3. |
Further standardisation, internal verification followed by final EV visit of the first year. At the end of the first year, you may want to claim some units for some candidates. The decision on which candidates should be claiming units will be made by the Internal Verifier and the EV will either agree or disagree with the decision. Therefore, it will be necessary to provide. |
Term 4 |
Standardisation of a sample of student portfolios by staff delivering the course. Countersignature needed by qualified assessor who may by now be in-house. This process needs to be documented. Time needed half to one day. |
Term 5 |
Internal verification followed by EV visit. EV may want to meet further candidates and assessors. Second member of staff continues work on A1 portfolio. Trainee internal verifier works with qualified IV and assessors to gather evidence for V1 portfolio. EV produces report again on the work. This will indicate any final actions which need to take place before the final visit in term 6. |
Term 6 |
Final assembly of portfolios, final internal verification where decisions are made on the work of each student. List should be provided for the EV of all units hopefully being claimed, completed portfolios and accompanying oral work and all assessment documentation needs to be up to date for this final visit. If the EV agrees with decisions made, candidates will then be signed off and certificates will be claimed. In the case of disagreement, candidates will have the opportunity to re-submit work. However, issues such as this are normally picked up in earlier EV visits. |
Where there are greater numbers of candidates, more time will need to be allocated to standardisation and internal verification.
Hints and tips on organsation from existing NVQ Centres
Funding
'Funding can also be problematic, particularly for a small school, since although registration fees cover Levels 1-4 students would not normally progress beyond Level 2 by age 16. Although the Centre Registration fee is a single payment this can represent a considerable outlay for a small school and examiner’s visits are also more expensive for a small number of candidates. However, advantages in terms of student motivation and the experience of success in gaining a qualification recognised in the workplace more than outweighs these disadvantages.'
Sylvia Morgan, Chatsmore Catholic High School
'NVQ qualifications are more costly than GCSE and this particular one is the equivalent of one GCSE only.'
Andrew Starr, Andrew Starr, The Bourne Community College
Class Size and individual attention for students
'The NVQ is ideal for weaker students who will achieve better results on a portfolio building course than in an exam.
Given that many of our NVQ students need considerable support, it is essential to limit class size – 16 is ideal. I find many students who may have been demotivated at the beginning of the course become more motivated as they discover that the NVQ gives them every opportunity to experience success.'
Ceri Dunbar, Hove Park School
'The NVQ tends to generate a lot of paperwork and feedback sessions require frequent one-to-one sessions with students.This approach fits very well with the personalised learning agenda and sets students up to achieve sometimes for the first time in their school career. Time needs to be allowed for pupils to re-visit assessments and also for those who have missed any through absence. This is particularly relevant to teachers who are considering running the course with larger groups, such as in year 9.'
Juliet Park, Yewlands School
Planning Time Needed
'Before embarking on an NVQ course, departments should ensure they are given sufficient time for organisation and planning. There should also then be follow-up sessions, perhaps initially on a termly basis and then annually, to further develop the course and make adjustments and additions where necessary. There also needs to be constant dialogue between teachers and assessors throughout the course to ensure assessment decisions are correct and to monitor how classes are progressing. There is a lot of paperwork and so organisation both amongst students and staff is vital.'
The NVQ Team at Kingsmead School
Support with speaking from foreign language assistants
'NVQ classes at Warden Park are small (fewer than 15 students) and given support from the FLA (to practise and record Listening and Speaking tasks). Teaching assistants who have some language knowledge are invaluable. This high adult:student ratio has cost implications, so support from the leadership team is essential. Many of our NVQ students have poor attendance and weak study skills. We aim to record sufficient evidence in Speaking and Listening early in Year 10. All work for NVQ is produced in the classroom and students make positive comments about the lack of homework and exams.'
Jean Gittins, Warden Park School
No syllabus means creativity is possible
'There is no bespoke syllabus to follow for NVQ which means you can be creative and basically teach what you wish as long as you can relate it to the National Language standards 2005, but this does mean a lot of preparation for the teaching staff'
Andrew Starr, The Bourne Community College
Need for qualified assessors and internal verifiers
'In order to deliver an NVQ course, mfl departments need access to at least one A1 trained assessor with linguistic competency in the school. The training should take place whilst delivering the NVQ so it is not necessary to pre-qualify. VIPS offers A1 training as well as manuals in French, German and Spanish for level one and two.'
Read a history of the VIPS project.
Read VIPS case study.
Juliet Park, Yewlands School
Assessor training is also offered by Belfry Training Ltd who have extensive expertise in the training of linguists for A1 and V1 awards. Many of the schools featured in the case studies have trained with this company.
