Essential Skills Wales

1
Essential Skills Wales

• Mali Davies
• Head of Key and Basic Skills
• November 2008

2
Background

• Feb 2005 advice to Minister on
• Overlap between AL/AN and Key Skills
• Validity of AL/AN assessment
• Additional recommendations on
• Support programmes
• Funding

3
Ministerial Decision

• Based on
• Previous advice
• Conclusion on inappropriateness of Functional
  Skills in Wales as
• - AL/AN replacements
• - KS replacements
• - Hurdle in GCSEs

4
Ministerial Decisions

• To implement alternative approaches to skills
  development in Wales through
• Merging AL/AN SforL ICT with Key Skills
  Convergence
• Piloting improved GCSEs with explicit references
  to the fundamental basics

5
Convergence

• Objectives for QL Division
• Merge AL/AN SforL ICT with relevant Key Skills
  into one suite of standards and qualifications
• Improve and refine content
• Develop documents to support the standards

6
Outcomes

• Ministerial Advice submitted in September 2008
• All advice accepted as follows
• Standards approved
• Portfolio assessment at levels 1 to 4
• Awarding body arrangements for Entry Level (but
  this will be reviewed)
• Post accreditation monitoring in due course

7
Outcomes

• Essential Skills Wales/Sgiliau Hanfodol Cymru for
  the suite of qualifications
• Communication
• Application of Number and
• ICT for single skills
• implementation date of September 2010 for the new
  suite of skills qualifications

8
Current Work

• Supporting/amplification documents
• Communication, AoN and ICT
• 1st Review has taken place
• 2nd Review November/December 2008
• Aim to finalise for distribution by Sept 2009
• Cyfathrebu
• Review Dec/Jan 08/09

9
Ongoing Work

• Working with/providing advice to Awarding
  Bodies, CQFW, other divisions within DCELLS on
• Requirements of QCF
• GLH
• Funding for new single suite of qualifications
• Transitional arrangements

10
Support for implementation

• Responsibility rests with LIPD and LLPD
• Includes
• Support for practitioners
• Reviewed guidance document (core curriculum and
  KS guidance) to reflect ESW requirements

11
Wider Key Skills

• Wales is committed to continuing with the WKS as
  qualifications
• They will become part of the Essential Skills
  Wales suite
• Aim to work with England and Northern Ireland
• Will be reviewed for Sept 2010 implementation