Decision

Recognition Conditions for WJEC-CBAC Ltd

Published 13 May 2014

Applies to England

1. Reasons for recognition conditions

On 13 May 2014, we accepted WJEC-CBAC Ltd’s (WJEC-CBAC) application to be recognised for the new GCSE (9 to 1) qualifications.

At the same time, we decided to impose special conditions on WJEC-CBAC for those qualifications. This is because:

• GCSE (9 to 1) qualifications are important qualifications. They will be used for the purposes of Learners moving to Higher Education and employment and for ‘school league tables’. But they are also fundamentally different from existing GCSE qualifications (graded A* to G).
• As part of its application for recognition WJEC-CBAC explained how it proposes to implement the development, delivery and award of GCSE (9 to 1) qualifications (its ‘Implementation Plan’). These processes and practices have not yet been fully tested in operation.
• The successful completion of WJEC-CBAC’s Implementation Plan is extremely important to Learners and other anticipated Users of these qualifications.
• To maintain standards and public confidence in GCSE qualifications, we want to closely monitor WJEC-CBAC’s Implementation Plan and any changes to it.

2. Recognition conditions

WJEC-CBAC’s recognition for the development, delivery and award of GCSE (9 to 1) qualifications is subject to the following Recognition Conditions.

We will review these conditions on or before 1st October 2016, and will remove them when they are no longer necessary.

2.1 Definitions

For the purposes of Recognition Conditions A5.4A; A5.5 and B1.1A

‘Implementation Plan’ means:

• The plans submitted by the awarding organisation as part of its application for recognition for GCSE 9-1 qualifications for its development, delivery and award of these qualifications, as updated where relevant.

‘Change of Significance’ means:

• Any variation of the finances or other resources available to the awarding organisation, however arising, which is likely to have a direct effect on its ability to deliver its Implementation Plan;
• Any inability to appoint and/ or train sufficient staff or contractors within the timescale planned in respect of any aspects of the development and award of the GCSE 9-1 qualifications including but not limited to its arrangements with those appointed to mark examination scripts, act as reviewers or lead examiners;
• Any identified errors, lack of functionality, or system implementation delays in its Information Technology (IT) arrangements including where relevant the implementation of new IT systems or arrangements for the change, adaptation or modification of existing IT systems to meet the requirements for marking and monitoring examination scripts and arrangements for the award of the GCSE 9-1 qualifications; or
• Any anticipated variation of more than 10% increase or decrease, or as agreed with the Director of Regulatory Operations, overall in relation to any specific subjects when compared to its 2013 GCSE candidate numbers, other than taking into account the removal of January assessments where relevant, in respect of anticipated numbers of candidates proposing to take the awarding organisations GCSE, GCSE 9-1 or GCE qualifications.

2.2 Condition A5.4A

A5.4A

In order to ensure that the awarding organisation continues to have available sufficient resources, whether financial or otherwise to enable it to develop, deliver and award GCSE 9-1 qualifications in accordance with its Implementation Plan, it shall monitor its involvement with and required commitments to the development of reforms to qualifications and regulatory arrangements in Wales and other significant areas of its business and i) keep Ofqual informed of the proposed timescale for and its involvement in the development of reforms to qualifications and regulatory arrangements in Wales, and ii) notify Ofqual as soon as practical in the event that it becomes aware of changes, other than minor variations to the dates for required actions, in the timescale for its involvement in the proposed development and introduction of reforms to qualifications and regulatory arrangements in Wales which could have an effect on the resources available to it in respect of its on-going provision of Ofqual regulated qualifications, or its Implementation Plan.

2.3 Condition A5.5

A5.5

The awarding organisation must monitor its Implementation Plan and notify Ofqual: i) on a quarterly basis – from end of June 2014, or such date as agreed with the Director of Regulatory Operations, of its progress against its Implementation Plan, and ii) of any Change of Significance which may cause its Implementation Plan to be delayed for more than a week and its proposals for addressing any issues to ensure it is able to complete its Implementation Plan within the timescale proposed.

2.4 Condition B1.1A

B1.1A

In order to ensure that during the period of implementation of the GCSE 9-1 qualifications the awarding organisation has a named individual available at all times to act as a consistent and authoritative point of contact for Ofqual on all matters in relation to the development, delivery and award of GCSE 9-1 qualifications. The awarding organisation is required by 30 July 2014 to confirm its contingency arrangements including the identification of a named individual with suitable knowledge of its Implementation Plan for GCSE 9-1 (‘ the Nominated Individual’) who it will be authorised to act in the absence of or the non availability of the Responsible Officer, other than his being unavailable for short periods of time in the normal course of daily business including meetings and workshops or similar activities. Such Nominated Individual should have delegated authority to act in the event that the Responsible Officer is otherwise engaged due to the awarding organisations commitments to the development of reforms to qualifications and regulatory arrangements in Wales.

2.5 Condition H6.1 (g)

H6.1 (g)

In order that the awarding organisation will have robust processes in place to ensure that results issued completely and accurately reflect the marking of assessments in accordance with Condition H6.1 (d) the awarding organisation shall: i) by 30 May 2014 provide details of its current arrangements for identifying, monitoring and mitigating the effect of any marking errors, however arising, which may occur in its current GCE and GCSE qualifications, and ii) notify Ofqual within 48 hours of it being notified of, or becoming aware that a potential marking issue in relation to its summer 2014 award of GCSE and GCE qualifications, wherever arising, using the Ofqual event notification procedure, and iii) notify Ofqual of the outcome of its investigations in respect of any identified marking errors.