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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM OCR / SUMMER 2014IN THIS ISSUE:FROM BRAND TO BENIN – OUR NEW QUALIFICATIONSARE COMING!MEET STEPHEN DREW, HEADTEACHERAND EDUCATING ESSEX STARMAKING APPRENTICESHIPS WORKNUS/OCR SURVEY ON A LEVEL REFORMwww.ocr.org.uk

Let’s Pull TogetherBecause together, we achieve moreOCR is ahead of the game. As a Cambridge Assessmentexam board, part of the University of Cambridge, ourvocational range of qualifications are developed withemployers and educators. They are proven to supportpeople’s education, raising their confidence andaspirations.There is no one better qualified to help you enhanceyour learners’ ability to make informed decisions, toallow them to sustain a job and be responsible citizens.Achieve more with Oxford, Cambridge and RSA.Quality Vocational Qualifications, Cambridge StyleSee ocr.org.uk/vocational to empower learners for employment and life.

Welcome to the Summer 2014 issue of agenda.This is a busy time of year for OCR with our energies focused on thousands of students taking our exams andgetting the results they deserve.You can read in this issue about what else has been keeping us busy. With the help of our network of amazing teachers,university academics and subject experts, we’ve created and submitted the first new GCSEs and A Levels coming yourway soon. We’ve developed engaging and challenging new qualifications for teachers and students alike. You mayhave read about our inclusion of contemporary texts in an English A Level and broadening the history curriculum atA Level in the media recently but don’t worry if you’ve missed it. There’s plenty of time for teachers, working hard at thecoalface, to prepare for change, and my colleagues and I at OCR are here to support you.Stephen Drew, headteacher at Brentwood County High School, has a lot of commitments, including being thesubject of TV programmes on education. We are delighted to include an interview with him about his own careerpath, what attracts him to teaching and the challenges he faces.The world of vocational education is undergoing massive change too. You can read about our conversationswith key stakeholders on how to make apprenticeships work and also about an employer-led apprenticeship inthe cutting edge world of data technology based in Birmingham, using OCR’s Cambridge Technicals in IT.Talking of which, students in Mauritius will soon be able to take the same qualifications.All this, plus encouraging young entrepreneurs with the Premier League, a joint survey with the NUS, and anOCR examiner of 53 years. To get in touch about anything you read here, please email us at agenda@ocr.org.uk.Mark DaweChief Executive, OCRCONTENTSNEWS FEATURESCOMMENT NOTICEBOARD4New A Level English Languageand Literature8Interview with headteacherStephen Drew14Paul Steer on the future ofthe reformed ‘AS’15Diary dates with OCR6Making apprenticeships work10An employer-led approach toapprenticeshipsCover StoryOur plans to include a diverse and rich range of texts, as part of the newA Level English Language and Literature, were the subject of mediacoverage in May. Among the texts used within a broader anthology isthe transcript of Russell Brand’s evidence to a House of Commons selectcommittee on drugs policy. Read more about our rigorous and distinctivenew A Level on page 4.7OCR’s “Being Entrepreneurial”is top of the league12NUS/OCR survey of students’views on A Level reforms© OCR 2014Registered company number 3484466is published termly by OCR, 1 Hills Road, Cambridge CB1 2EU. www.ocr.org.ukEditor Sophie White Creative Stilo Design + Branding www.brandstilo.co.ukOCR AGENDA Summer 20143

NEWSFrom Brand to BeninOCR has taken the opportunity of reform to create new and excitingqualifications designed to inspire teachers and students alike.Here’s just a snapshot of what’s coming your way.GCSE and A Level reformWhat’s changing and when?After months of hard work and with invaluable input from teachers,university academics and subject experts, OCR has submitted all thedraft GCSE and A Level qualifications to be taught in schools from2015 for accreditation.The first new qualifications to be taught will be GCSEs in Englishand maths, and A Levels in nine subject areas (art and design, history,sociology, computer science, economics, business, English, thesciences and psychology). The subjects for first teaching in 2016 havealso been confirmed. Take a look at the timelines on our website.When you have some free time, take a look at the draftspecifications that are available online. You can also sign up foremail updates to keep yourself informed of developments. It wasgreat to see so many teachers who attended our recent expo eventsacross the country but don’t worry if you missed those dates –there will be plenty more opportunities to find out about the newqualifications coming your way.A Newsnight interview with Dizzee Rascal is part of an anthology inOCR’s new English Language and Literature A Level (right), while Beninis one of the African Kingdoms in OCR’s new History A Level (below).A Level English Languageand LiteratureYou may have read the mediacoverage about OCR’s new ALevel English Language andLiterature. We worked with theeducational charity, the Englishand Media Centre (EMC), in aunique partnership to create aradical new A Level.EMC put its expertise intocontent and resources whileOCR led on all aspects ofassessment. Both organisationsshared a vision for a subject inwhich students should be ableto analyse any text, spoken orwritten, literary or non-literaryin the most appropriate way. It’sa distinctive qualification thatsynthesises literary and linguisticapproaches and encouragesthe interplay between readingand writing. The texts rangefrom classics such as thepoems of Emily Dickinson andWilliam Blake to memoirs suchas Twelve Years a Slave andcontemporary works includingfiction by Jhumpa Lahiri. Muchmedia attention was given tothe inclusion of a transcriptof a BBC Newsnight interviewwith Dizzee Rascal and the textof Russell Brand’s evidence ondrugs policy presented to theHouse of Commons, as part ofan anthology of spoken andwritten texts, across differenttime periods and contexts.George Norton, CurriculumTeam Leader in English at PastonVI Form College, Norfolk said:“For me, an English Languageand Literature specificationmust be distinct from otherEnglish A-Levels: rigorousbut appealing to students;varied but with real academicdepth; exciting to teach butpracticable. The OCR/EMCspecification is all four, a realand exciting indication of whereEnglish as a subject is rightnow. It will be hard to resist acourse that allows me to teachWilliam Blake, the writing of TheSecret Footballer and the scriptof Dizzee Rascal’s Newsnightinterview. I’m looking forward toit already.”www.ocr.org.uk/englishA Level History – Beyond Hitler and the Henrys to Alfred and AfricaTo broaden the history that ALevel students can take andcombat the repetition of topicstaken during KS4 and KS5, OCRhas extended the options on itsnew History A Level.A Level students will have thechance to tackle new topics,including Alfred the Great,Genghis Khan and pre-colonialAfrican kingdoms, alongsidemore familiar areas of study.OCR Head of History MikeGoddard said: “School historyhas been criticised, sometimesunfairly, for being too repetitiveand for having a 20th century,Western focus. Universities tellus they want incoming studentsto have greater breadth ofknowledge. OCR’s new AfricanKingdoms 1400 to 1800 topicfor example, developed withexperts in higher education,will give students the chanceto discover for the first time, theeconomic and political powerof four pre-colonial kingdomswhich had far-reachingglobal trade and diplomaticconnections.” Take a look at thevideo on our website about thenew unit, featuring KCL’s Dr TobyGreen.The principle of broadeningschool history is an approachfavoured by many historians,including Professor PeterMandler, President of theRoyal Historical Society whocommented: “History tells usnot so much about who weare as about who we havebeen and what we might yetbe. We welcome efforts by theexamination boards to bringrecent academic researchon hitherto under-exploredhistories within reach of schoolpupils.”All schools will have to studyoptions from across a 200year range and include thestudy of more than one statein the subject criteria for the2015 History A Levels. OCR’soptions range over nearly 1700years and include dozens ofstates. We will be supportingschools to broaden their historyteaching with help such as aweb-based tool telling schoolsif their option choices meetrequirements, what resourcesare available and offering apersonalised specification.www.ocr.org.uk/history4 OCR AGENDA Summer 2014

NEWSSupporting you throughqualification reformTeacher trainingCPD HubWe were delighted to see so many new and familiar faces at ourrecent EXPO events bringing teachers up to date on the keyreforms and developments in GCSE and A Level subjects for firstteaching in 2015. Over 1600 teachers attended these popularevents – we even had a waiting list for some dates. More help forteachers on reform is scheduled.We are also reaching the end of another year of stimulating‘premier’ CPD events. This year’s programme of high qualitytraining events in inspiring locations which give teachers access toexperts in their field ends with a history conference on the Tudorsin the appropriate surroundings of Hampton Court on 10 July.To view any OCR CPD event, visit www.cpdhub.ocr.org.uk.Introducing OCR’s subject specialistsIn order to provide schools and colleges with a higher level ofsubject expertise, OCR has a new team of subject specialists,organised in four large teams; English and Creative; Mathematicsand Technical; Science, Health and Social Care, and ICT; andHumanities and Languages.Unlike OCR qualification managers who had the twin demands ofrunning summer exams alongside supporting teachers, the newsubject specialists are devoted to responding to teacher queries,visiting schools and colleges, developing new qualifications,running cluster groups and commissioning CPD and resources.The subject specialist teams combine teaching and assessmentexpertise.You can ‘Meet the Team’ for your subject on the OCR website.Resources by teachers for teachersOCR continues to publish innovative new resource materials,designed by teachers for teachers, to support the next generationof GCSEs and A Levels for first teaching in 2015. Samples of theresources are available on the OCR website:www.ocr.org.uk/reformresources.Based on research into what teachers want and like, we’reintroducing four main types of teaching and learning resources:Delivery Guides, Transition Guides, Topic Exploration Packs andLesson Elements.The new transition guides, for example, focus on how a particulartopic is covered at two different key stages, highlighting thedifferences in the approach at each level. The guides suggestuseful ways to prepare students at the lower stage to progress upto the next level.Our delivery guides help to pinpoint misconceptions that studentsmay have in a topic. They offer a body of knowledge aboutteaching and learning that grows throughout the lifetime of thespecification.OCR’s new resources provide a range of activities and suggestionsso teachers can select the best approach for their particularstudents.New GCSEs for 2015OCR’s new GCSEs for 2015 in English Language, English Literatureand maths will be the first exams to use a 9 to 1 numerical gradingscale to identify levels of performance, replacing the current A* toG, with 9 being the top level. Maths will have a Foundation tier forgrades 1 to 5 and a Higher tier for grades 4 to 9. The English GCSEsare not tiered.OCR’s new Maths GCSE emphasises problem solving and buildingunderstanding of concepts. Mark Dawe, OCR’s Chief Executive,said: “There is no doubt maths will get more challenging fromSeptember 2015: pupils will spend more time learning the kindof maths needed to boost their problem-solving and reasoningskills. OCR is poised to help students and teachers in every way wecan. We are going above and beyond to provide all the necessarysupport – classroom resources, face-to-face training and emailupdates – to enable as smooth a transition as possible.”www.ocr.org.uk/mathsCEO’s own Tour de FranceJust hours before the Tour deFrance passes OCR’s offices inCambridge, OCR Chief ExecutiveMark Dawe has his own cyclingtest of endurance.On 5 July, Mark takes part in ‘LaMarmotte’, a gruelling annualone-day 174km (110 mile) ridein the French Alps, involvingmore than 5,000m (16,500 ft)In briefNEWSof climbing. Mark is fundraisingfor two projects helping youngpeople in Cambridge, thechildren’s charity Blue Smile andfor new facilities at StaplefordCommunity Primary School.You can support Mark viamydonate.bt.com.La Marmotte is consideredto be one of the toughest‘cyclosportive’ challenges.To get ready for the epicjourney, Mark has had tolose three stone in weight:“This challenge was theonly thing that was goingto get me out of bed earlyin the morning and forceme to eat a pile of salad,sacrificing my morningbacon roll,” he said.OCR’s longest serving examiner?In the last issue of agenda, we celebrated the achievementof Mike Hopkinson who retired after 40 years as a design andtechnology examiner for OCR.We were delighted to hear from Jill Dowson, currently chiefexaminer for Text Processing, who originally joined RSA back inJune 1971 as an assistant examiner for typewriting. Her yearsin the examining seat for OCR exceed Mike’s. However, PeterKing who was an English examiner from 1959 to 2012, is surelyOCR’s longest serving examiner having clocked up 53 years. Hewitnessed the integration of the Midland Examination Group intoUCLES and eventually into OCR, the demise of the CSE and theintroduction of the GCSE. Throughout, he regarded himself firstand foremost as a ‘Cambridge examiner’. Congratulations to Mike,Jill and Peter for their outstanding achievements.OCR AGENDA Summer 20145

NEWSMaking apprenticeships workAbove: OCR Chief Executive Mark Dawe talksapprenticeships with Shadow Skills Minister,Liam Byrne MP (right).OCR held a breakfast meeting in the House of Commons in April onmaking apprenticeships work.Chaired by Shadow Skills Minister Liam Byrne MP, the meetingbrought together employers from across a range of sectorsincluding banking, energy, vehicle manufacturing and construction,as well as senior civil servants from BIS and parliamentarians, toshare experiences of implementing new apprenticeships andto identify areas of concern at a time when apprenticeshipsare undergoing rapid change. The meeting took place shortlyafter the announcement of Phase 2 ‘Trailblazers’, the initiative tomake apprenticeships more responsive to employer needs, andemployers from both Phase 1 and 2 Trailblazer sectors attended thebreakfast event.There was a consensus that well informed careers adviceabout apprenticeships was vital. Many felt that the awarenessof apprenticeships by schools and colleges needed to improve.Different sectors expressed different priorities but employerswanted to be in the driving seat in choosing the type of trainingto suit their needs, not have it determined for them. Startingand running apprenticeship programmes was easier for largerorganisations and more support was needed to get SMEs involved.The SMEs present expressed particular concern about making sureteaching is relevant to their trade and the potential administrativeburden around funding.As well as helping to create exciting new apprenticeships thatmeet employer needs, OCR was particularly interested to listen tofeedback on specific issues such as improving standards of Englishand maths, the grading system and the assessment of competenceat the end of an apprenticeship.Charlotte Bosworth, OCR Director of Skills and Employment, said:“Thanks to a very stimulating discussion and a genuine sharing ofknowledge by all those involved in implementing apprenticeships,this breakfast event produced lots of exciting ideas on makingapprenticeships work. The issue of maths is key and, as a providerof a range of maths qualifications, OCR hopes to inform the debateabout how to achieve the rise in standards that is required.”Liam Byrne MP commented: “When it comes to apprenticeships,the government has focused on quantity over quality, yet thefuture of this country depends on achieving both. The OCR eventwas a brilliant opportunity to pool expertise and discuss the waysin which we can achieve this. This work is vital if we’re to createaccessible opportunities for young people and address the UK’sskills gap.”Cambridge Technicals go internationalThe Ministry of Education and Human Resources in Mauritius istaking advantage of the expertise of both OCR and its sister examboard, Cambridge International Examinations, to offer a newqualification, the Higher School Certificate Professional, whichrecognises the academic and vocational achievement of 18-yearolds.Alongside Cambridge International A Levels, young Mauritianswill now have the opportunity to take OCR’s Level 3 CambridgeTechnical vocational qualifications. In March, a delegation from theMauritius Exams Syndicate visited schools in England includingLong Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge (pictured right), to seehow the Cambridge Technical in IT is delivered. The Chief Executiveof Cambridge International Examinations, Michael O’Sullivan, andOCR’s Head of International Projects, Dominique Slade, visitedMauritius in May to formally celebrate the new HSC ‘Pro’ initiativewith the Mauritian Minister of Education and the head of theMauritius Exams Syndicate.OCR’s Dominique Slade (centre) took a delegation from the MauritiusExams Syndicate to meet students taking the Cambridge Technical in ITat Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge.6 OCR AGENDA Summer 2014

NEWSHelping young peopleto be ‘work-ready’In March, the Leeds-based socialenterprise, Ahead Partnership,with the help of Lord Nash,Parliamentary Under-Secretaryof State for Schools, launchedthe expansion of ‘Make theGrade’, its programme whichbrings together schools andemployers.Make the Grade successfullyprovides schools withemployability and skillsdevelopment activities involvinglocal employers from differentsectors. The Ahead Partnershipworks in partnership with over200 employers, including manyhousehold names. With newfunding from the Big LotteryFund, it aims to expand Makethe Grade from a regional to anational programme.Ahead CEO Stephanie Burrasapproached OCR to getinvolved in the expansion of thescheme. As part of the plans,OCR is now working with theAhead Partnership to build aplacement programme whichprovides meaningful workexperience to a young personthat is relevant and beneficialto all involved. By mappingemployer-led challengesagainst OCR’s Employability andEntrepreneurship qualifications,young people not onlycomplete worthwhile activitiesfor the employer, but also havean opportunity to achieverelevant qualifications.The key features of theplacement programme echothe recommendations of therecent UKCES report, ‘Not JustMaking Tea’, which stressed theimportance of meaningful workexperience, with a focus on arealistic work context.A two-week pilot programmewhich OCR has helped to set uptakes place in July. If successful,this will be rolled out for a largernumber of schools next year.www.aheadpartnership.org.ukWhy ‘being entrepreneurial’ is topof the leagueOCR’s ‘Being Entrepreneurial’qualification has recentlybeen used by The PremierLeague to support itsannual Enterprise Challengein which 23 participatingfootball clubs strive to workwith hard-to-reach youngstersand help them gain a footholdin the world of business, workand employability. Someparticipating students have alsotaken the opportunity to obtainthe OCR qualification as a formalrecognition of a successfullearning achievement. Morethan 3,000 young people agedbetween 14 and 19 took partthis year as team membersin the challenge with 40 ofthe selected semi-finalistsworking towards the Level 2qualification.This year’s EnterpriseChallenge asked teams ofyoung people what theywould do to develop a club’sfan base in Africa and the USAwith each team ‘pitching’ theirbusiness proposals to an expertjudging panel at an event inLondon. Building a worldwidefan base is a strategic businessobjective for many leadingclubs as they seek to capitaliseupon the global popularity ofEnglish football’s top tier. Thewinning team was named asthe West Ham United Kicks. Aspart of winning the EnterpriseChallenge, the studentsreceived an iPad mini each andwill have the opportunity tomeet the Premier League’s ChiefExecutive Richard Scudamoreand the Prime Minister’senterprise adviser Lord Youngat 10 Downing Street later thisyear.Charlotte Bosworth, Headof Skills and Employment atOCR commented: “The ‘BeingEntrepreneurial’ qualificationhas had a significant impactsince launch with manyteaching institutions interestedin its innovative content andapproach. We are delighted tohave supported the PremierLeague Enterprise Challengeby providing a qualificationthat can encourage youngpeople to think about theworld of business and obtainthe essential transferable skillswhich will be vital for whatevercareer path they take.“It is vital to embedentrepreneurial mind setsand attributes so learnersunderstand the importanceand role of self-belief, takinginitiative, understandingrisk-taking, demonstratingdetermination, and having theright attitude towards failure.Such mind sets are invaluablewhen it comes to developinga successful career and weare delighted that our newqualification was selected bythe Premier League to play animportant role in helping toinspire our next generation ofbudding entrepreneurs.”Peta Bistany, Director ofPlanning and Projects at ThePremier League, added: “ThePremier League clubs use theirposition of popularity to workclosely with local communitiesEnrichingCambridgeTechnicalsEver since the launch ofCambridge Technicalsin 2012, OCR has addedindustry-relevant contentand resources.OCR is now working withRicher Sounds, the hi-fi,cinema and TV equipmentretailer, to produce a rangeof new learning resourcesfor students of CambridgeTechnicals in Business.Company founder andowner, Julian Richer, isrenowned for his capacityfor motivation andentrepreneurship. Thenew resources will offer aninvaluable insight into theworkings of this successfulUK business.From September, casestudies based on detailedinterviews with key peopleacross different areas ofRicher Sounds will beavailable. The case studieswill cover:• how Richer Sounds uses arange of marketing tools ina fast-changing market• the use of a trial day as partof the recruitment process• how staff performanceis managed through aunique self-developeddashboard tool.Keep an eye on theCambridge Technical inBusiness webpages inSeptember for these relevantnew resources.and engage fans in meaningfulactivity. Through the EnterpriseChallenge, supported by OCR,we’re encouraging youngpeople to develop valuable skillsfor the future and teach them inan innovative way.”OCR AGENDA Summer 20147

INTERVIEW / STEPHEN DREWStephen Drew became headteacher of Brentwood CountyHigh School in Essex in September 2012. A school of about1400 pupils aged 11 to 18 and 200 staff, Brentwood recentlyacquired academy status, after being rated Good by Ofstedearlier this year.A history teacher by training, “Mr Drew” shot to fame in thefly-on-the-wall Channel 4 documentary Educating Essex whenhe was deputy head of Passmores Academy in Harlow. He hasrecently embraced television again to address the issue of tacklingthe behaviour of young pupils faced with exclusion from school.Here he tells agenda about his own career and the challenges hefaces as a headteacher.What has been your path into yourcurrent role?I trained to teach at the Institute ofEducation in 1997, with most of mytraining in Tower Hamlets. I taught forfour years at Stowupland High Schoolin Suffolk before moving to be head ofhistory at Passmores in Harlow in 2002. AtPassmores, I was head of department, headof faculty, assistant headteacher and finallydeputy headteacher from 2008. I becameheadteacher of Brentwood County HighSchool in September 2012.What do you like about working in thefield of education?Working with young people is a privilege.Schools are special places where we getthe chance to improve the lives of youngpeople in a unique way. What happens tous when we go to school affects us for therest of our lives. Every day is a new chanceto be better. Young people never cease tosurprise you, to energise you, to challengeyou or to entertain you. Most of all though,young people make you endlessly proudof what they can achieve. I love the factthat our young people prove the doubtersand the cynics wrong every single day withtheir hard work, responsible attitude anddedication to success.Who do you admire in your field?There are so many amazing teachers andheadteachers in our schools who I aminspired by every day. Tom Sherrington(@headteacherguru) is a headteacherwho writes with great clarity on teachingand learning. Ross Morrison-McGill (@TeacherToolkit) is a deputy headteacherwho has a profound understandingof what makes schools succeed. PhilBeadle (@PhilBeadle) is a fantastic Englishteacher whose passion, teaching skill anddedication to young people is secondto none. I also have to highlight the twobrilliant headteachers who I worked for atPassmores, Kevin Sadler and Vic Goddard.Their inspiring leadership influenced megreatly.Was your own experience of educationa positive one and what lessons didyou learn from it?I loved school. I am not sure that my ownteachers always loved having me in theirclassrooms however. I learned that as ayoung person you only get one chance atyour education and sometimes you needthe adults around you, both teachers andparents, to help you to ensure that you donot waste that chance. I have learned thatteachers and parents have an absoluteresponsibility to support young people tosucceed. We must always remember thatwe are the adults and that this means thatwe must never accept second best eitherfrom a young person or from ourselves.What do you do when – if – you havetime off?I enjoy time with my family. I play rugbyevery Saturday for Bishop’s Stortford RugbyClub. On a Sunday evening, I play five a sidefootball with friends. I am a member of theBritish Museum and pay regular visits.I enjoy cycling and walking. As a family, weenjoy visiting great cities. This summer weare going to Warsaw, Prague and Budapest.I particularly love camping, but I am startingto understand that my teenage childrenand my wife are not as keen as I am!If you weren’t a teacher, what wouldyou be?All the things I would want to do would notbring me an income.Travelling the world’s key historical sites isnot something that qualifies as a job! I reallyhave no idea what else I would do if I wasnot a teacher.What are the greatest challenges facedby schools such as your own over thenext five years?Aside from the financial challenges that areincreasingly becoming desperate for manyschools, the issues of changes to curriculaand exams are key. With the DfE decidingthat there should be complete change tothe curriculum in all Key Stages and at thesame time making radical changes to theexams system, schools face an absurd levelof change.This situation is compounded by theinability of the various political parties toagree that any changes currently beingintroduced in 2014 will remain in place afterthe election in 2015. To me, the issue is notwhat changes are made, it is about schoolsactually being able to know what is goingto happen and what work we need to do.As a headteacher, how do you knowwhen you are doing a good job?When my students, parents, staff andgovernors tell me that they are happy withwhat we are achieving as a school. Praisefrom Ofsted, the Department for Education,the media and politicians are valuablebut are a secondary issue. The job of theheadteacher is to serve your communityand your stakeholders.8 OCR AGENDA Summer 2014

INTERVIEW / STEPHEN DREWWhat achievement are you proudest of?Being given the chance to be aheadteacher for the first time in 2012.I aspired to headship from the earliestdays of my teaching career. I believe in themoral purpose of what I do as a teacher.The chance to support a school of youngpeople, parents, staff, governors and awider local community to be the very bestthey can be is something I am proud ofevery single day.If you were stuck in a lift with agovernment minister, what threethings would you ask for on behalf ofyour school?I would ask for a period of peace and quietin which we can deal with all the changesrequired of us before another new set ofprobably contradictory changes are dreamtup. I would ask for ministers to adopt a defaultposition of being positive about youngpeople rather than pandering to a media thatdelights in demonising young people all ofthe time. Finally I would ask for the money topay for a 4G artificial pitch for my students tobe built over a single weekend!“I love the fact thatour young peopleprove the doubtersand the cynics wrongevery single day withtheir hard work,responsible attitudeand dedication tosuccess.”OCR AGENDA Summer 20149

FEATURE / APPRENTICESHIPSMAKINGAPPRENTICESHIPSWORK AN EMPLOYER-LED APPROACHCASE STUDYWHATWHEREWHENWHOLEADING TOA model of close collaboration between an employer, a college and OCROne year Mercato data engineering apprenticeshipBirmingham Metropolitan College (BMET)August 2013 – August 2014Nine apprentices started in August 2013, ranging in age from 16 up to 27Level 3 Diploma in OCR’s Cambridge Technicals in IT (Smarter Technology pathway)THE EMPLOYERMercatoSoftware technology company,BirminghamFrom its base in what was once theheartland of traditional industry inBirmingham, Mercato Solutions Ltd isnow leading the way in a 21st centuryrevolution, the handling of big data.The company is one of three closelyinter-linked SMEs, (Mercato Solutions Ltd,Probrand Ltd and Icomm Technologies Ltd),employing a total of 230+ people. It hasgrown rapidly in the last 14 years throughits ability to deliver innovative technologysolutions to data management problemsand to offer this data handling expertise tocustomers, including IBM, Capita, and theWelsh Government.The innovative company is continuallyexploring ways to find ‘work- ready’employees and embarked on its firstapprenticeship programme in summer 2013.Mercato’s Director of Marketing SteveBushell says: “Apprentices are the seeds ofthe future. As both a school governor andas a technology industry representative onthe Birmingham Skills Board, it is absolutelyclear that business and education have towork more closely together to overcomethe clear gap in the supply of the workreadypeople we need. I am in favour ofa model where employers are involvedin training their workforce throughapprenticeships, not relying on colleges oruniversities to educate people in isolation.“As the data handling technology sectorhas expanded, Mercato uncovered ashortage of the type of staff it needs. Afterdiscussions with Birmingham MetropolitanCollege’s (BMET’s) Clive Davies, Mercatomade the decision to commit to a one yearapprenticeship programme that upskilledpeople in ‘data implementation’, preciselythe skills it needed for the growing bigdata industry. Mercato’s radical technology,which has won the Queen’s Award forInnovation, sits on software known asKnowledgeKube. This implementationplatform is enabling the apprenticesto become ‘data implementers’ whoare developing and automating highlycomplex workflow and business processsolutions, without having to write a singleline of code.Steve explains: “We want qualifications andlearning to be as meaningful and relevantas possible. When we heard that theapprentices would take OCR’s CambridgeTechnicals in IT course, with someadditional new IBM ‘Smarter Technology’units, we knew that this would be a great fitand too good an opportunity to miss.”Mercato and BMET intentionally recruitedpeople for the new apprenticeshipprogramme that came from a variety ofdifferent backgrounds, that were ‘blankcanvases’, with little experience in IT.“Thanks to our close working relationshipwith BMET and OCR’s flexibility in creatinga bespoke curriculum,” Steve continues,“we’ve made sure that what the apprenticesstudy is aligned to our needs. And we’vefound that we can mould the apprenticesto be the ‘data implementers’ we needwithin a surprisingly short time.”“Here at Mercato, we really see thevalue in apprenticeships. I do think thatemployers need to shed some of theirmisconceptions. We pay the people onthe course above the minimum wage. Weare realistic of course – not everyone willcomplete the apprenticeship programmeas it is demanding. My rule of thumb is80/20 to complete. But some exceedour expectations. Take Jonathan Burns(read below) for example, he is alreadycommitted to joining us full time, as he hassuch an aptitude for the data handling workand is helping BMET to improve the coursethrough his data management skills.”10 OCR AGENDA Summer 2014

FEATURE / APPRENTICESHIPSTHE APPRENTICEJonathan Burns“My future is in IT” declares 28-year-oldJonathan Burns. From working in thesecurity industry up to 18 months ago,Jonathan’s career has changed dramaticallysince his innate talent for IT was discovered.After taking a short course in basic IT atBMET, his potential was spotted by BMET’sClive Davies who encouraged him to applyfor the upcoming Mercato Apprenticeshipcourse. Along with eight others, someof whom were straight from school andothers from a variety of work backgrounds,including McDonalds, Jonathan started theapprenticeship in August 2013.For the one year Diploma programme, theapprentices’ week is split 50/50 betweenstudying at the College for the first half ofeach week and working at Mercato’s officesin the second half.Jonathan comments; “The balance isfantastic. Our college tutor Clive Davies isvery enthusiastic and we are learning somuch. We all work hard and we’re totallycommitted, even if that means we haveto be a bit more business-like and havea stronger work ethic than some otherstudents at the college.” The parts of theCambridge Technicals in IT Diploma coursethat Jonathan has enjoyed most have beenthe specialist IBM Smarter Technology unitswhich complement the data engineeringwork he has been doing at Mercato. He’salso really enjoyed the course units onbusiness skills.“I have been able to take what I learn incollege straight into my work at Mercato.In fact, I am now based full time at Mercatoas a data implementer and using thecompany’s data management software,(called KnowledgeKube), to improve theapprenticeship course. That’s the area of thebusiness that I’m hoping to make my futureat Mercato. The course has been great, it’sreally been about building and growing onthe job.”THE COLLEGEBirmingham MetropolitanCollegeBirmingham Metropolitan College (BMET)is one of the largest Colleges in the UK,with 14 campuses, providing further andhigher education courses across the WestMidlands. The College has strong links withemployers and provides apprenticeshipsspanning a range of sectors includinghairdressing, cookery and businessadministration.Clive Davies, the Assistant Director ofTechnical Innovation and Development atBMET, admits his college took a brave stepin creating the one year apprenticeshipprogramme for Mercato. It involvedworking with a different exam board (OCR),teaching new qualifications, working witha new industry partner and condensing atwo year course down to one year. He doesnot regret the decision however.“I am proud that we could innovate andwork in partnership to support a cuttingedge company that is at the heart ofthe growing IT hub around Birminghamleading the way in data engineering. Aspart of the trailblazer initiative, I was askedby e-skills UK to be part of a national teamlooking at different roles in the digitalindustries, particularly that of the dataengineer. An employer-led approach toapprenticeships is actually a great model,and one that operated successfully in thiscountry for many decades.”The choice of qualifications for theapprenticeship programme at BMET waskey. “OCR’s Cambridge Technicals in ITcourse is a fresh and exciting one to inspirelearners. I had worked closely with IBMbefore and I was really pleased that OCRwas able to provide a specialist option onsmarter ways of working with big data inthe form of new IBM Smarter Technologyunits which they added to the coreCambridge Technicals course. This makesthe design of the apprenticeship veryrelevant to Mercato’s needs.“I like the innovation that OCR isdemonstrating with the CambridgeTechnicals course with these specialistpathways and they are right to emphasisethe importance of work experience whichsome courses don’t require.“Our apprentices come to us for two and ahalf days a week and got through six unitsbefore Easter. The apprentices have beena highly motivated bunch – they’ve hadto be to cover the material required in thetime. But they have all proved themselvesup to the challenge and will be an asset toany company.”While this has been a pilot year for theMercato Apprenticeship at BMET, and thereare a few tweaks that Clive would makefor the second year, he is convinced thatthe apprenticeship is on the right track.“I believe we have now secured the rightapproach to preparing people for successin the workplace.”For further information visitwww.ocr.org.uk/apprenticeshipsOCR AGENDA Summer 201411

FEATURE / JOINT SURVEY WITH NUSA LEVEL REFORMS:WHAT STUDENTS THINKEarlier this year, OCR collaborated with the NUS in a survey askingstudents what they think about the reform of A Levels coming intoeffect from 2015. Although OCR has talked extensively with teachers anduniversity academics about qualification reform, this was the first timethat we had asked students directly for their opinions.More than 1750 students took part inthe joint survey which was conductedbetween January to March this year. NUSmembership begins at 16, so the surveyincorporated the views of those currentlytaking A Levels, as well as those who hadtaken them in the recent past. In additionto specific questions about exam reform,the survey also asked wider questionsabout careers guidance and advice.The results of the survey on students’views on A Levels reveal the concernsmany students feel in the face of change.Students want to make rational choicesabout what to take at A Level and beyond.The survey was a very useful exercise forOCR. We believe that exam boards canrespond by incorporating student feedbackinto the development of new A Levels andby making sure students, as key stakeholders,are kept informed about the changes.Key themes that emerged from the findings were:● Students want to make rational wellinformedchoices about what theystudy at Level 3.● They feel that the value thathigher education (HE) places onqualifications is critical in helpingthem make decisions about what tostudy.● The main concerns they have aboutchanges as a result of the reforms arethe decoupling of the AS, the focus onexams and the lack of opportunity forsecond chances.● A perception that new A Levels will beharder and as such they are less likelyto study STEM subjects.● A real concern that those studentswho may already be disadvantagedwill be even more so by the reforms.The students who took part:27%8%31%34%● Sixth Form● Universityundergraduates● FE Colleges● Others31%69%● Female● Male25%23%52%● 16 -18● 19 -23● 24+12 OCR AGENDA Summer 2014

FEATURE / JOINT SURVEY WITH NUSWhat students think about...THE ‘DECOUPLING’ OF THE ASRespondents expressed fears over the‘decoupling’ of the AS Level. (Currentlythe AS Level comprises 50% of a students’final grade. However under the reformsthe qualification will be completelyfreestanding.)Nearly three quarters (73%) of respondentswould only find the standalone AS Leveluseful if it was included in offers fromuniversities. The removal of feedback onacademic progress, currently provided byAS results, was identified by the majority ofstudents (61%) as a problem for studentsmaking rational decisions about whichcourses and universities to apply for.The implication is that in the new system,future sixth form students will follow a muchnarrower programme of study focused onjust three subjects rather than four.73 %would only pick a standalone AS ifuniversities included them in offersPOLAR analysis (Participation of Local Areasis a classification of areas across the UK)of the responses revealed big differencesin likely uptake of AS Level. Half of thosefrom areas with high participation in HEwould take an AS Level out of enjoyment orinterest. Yet only one in five from areas withlow participation would take an AS Level forthis purpose.60%Six in ten said that without ASresults as an indicator of progress,it would be more difficult to applyto university“We want to build successful new A Levels and make them work.The survey helps us to do that.“The results show us that students want to make rational,informed decisions about their subject choices at A Level andabout their future career paths.“There is still time for exams boards to incorporate changes intothe A Levels over the next three years of development, informedby the feedback we have received.We are looking, for instance, at extra feedback sessions and mockexams for students experiencing linear qualifications for the firsttime, and exploring alternatives that enrich the curriculum.”Sally Brown OCR Head of Policy (HE)8%Fewer than one in ten said thereforms would make A Levels moreattractive to studentsWhat students think about...LINEAR EXAMS AND SUBJECT CHOICESFrom September 2015, new A Levels willbe taught as linear qualifications, withassessment taking place at the end ofthe course only. Compared to the currentsystem, six in ten said that the reformed ALevels would not be better preparation foruniversity and almost seven in ten (68%)said they would be no better preparationfor a job.Over three quarters (76%) of surveyrespondents were opposed to A Levelsconsisting of exams only at the end of atwo year course. 69% said that the maindisadvantage of assessment in this formis that there will be no feedback on howwell they are doing until their course iscompleted. There was also considerableopposition to the reduction in theopportunity to resit the A Level, as studentswill have to wait a full year before they canresit. 89% said that this will unfairly penalisestudents who have faced significantupheaval in their education and need asecond chance.Subject choice patterns are likely to changein reformed qualifications. There was aperception that new A Levels will be harderand that students may choose to moveaway from STEM subjects. For example,32% of respondents who have taken orare taking mathematics currently said theywould be less likely or a lot less likely totake mathematics A Level ; for physics thisfigure is 53%. This has big implications forthe supply of A Level students to STEMuniversity courses and into employment.51% of students stated that the biggestinfluence on subject choice was ensuringthey were able to progress to theiruniversity or career of choice.32 %32% of respondents who havetaken or are taking maths currentlysaid they would be less likely totake a new maths A Level53 %For physics the figure is 53%OCR AGENDA Summer 201413

COMMENTWHAT’S THE FUTUREFOR THE REFORMED ‘AS’?PAUL STEER, OCR DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND STRATEGY,CONSIDERS THE ISSUECome September 2015, teachers will bedelivering the first batch of reformed,linear A Levels. The new AS is a ‘decoupled’qualification that can be taken part waythrough an A Level programme but whichwon’t contribute to the final A Level grade.People have begun to ask questions aboutthe purpose of the new AS – is there reallyany point in students taking it? The jury isstill out on this one. Talking to teachers and awide range of stakeholders reveals that mostpeople remain undecided. There is a strongelement of ‘wait and see’, and this is probablythe right view to take – the arguments forand against are finely balanced.Co-teachability is one of the issues thatmany are attempting to grapple with. Theregulator has made a co-teachable AS arequirement. This means that the same classof pupils can be taught both the AS and theA Level in their first year, with the AS beingthe point of termination for some pupils,while others go on to take the full A Levelat the end of their second year. Superficially,this looks like business as usual but thelinear nature of the A Level introducessome important structural changes. The ALevel syllabus covers two years’ worth ofstudy time and anything learned in thosetwo years may come up in the final exams.This means that content studied for theAS may be assessed again in the A Level.Furthermore, the AS is notionally set at aslightly lower level of demand, designed forpupils who have only been studying for oneyear. In other words, the new A Level is nolonger a game of two halves.The challenge of teaching two terminalexams side by side with different pointsof termination will be greater for somesubjects than others. The best way to thinkthis through is to review the exam boards’draft syllabuses for AS and A Level, to lookat how they have structured the content,and the advice and guidance provided.Of course, there are others who neverliked the AS in the first place. They accuseit of wasting valuable teaching time withexams and revision. They also believe thatthe ‘modular’ nature of the current A Levelscompartmentalises learning into silos thatlimit pupils’ opportunities to make linksbetween topics across the whole syllabus.Measuring progress is another issue. Pupilsand teachers like to do this. So do thepeople who manage the teachers. The AShas become an important measurementpoint. The reliability of AS as a predictor ofA Level performance is very high, but thisis not surprising when it comprises 50% ofthe final A Level grade. The correlation ofperformance between AS and the linear ALevel may prove less reliable.The AS is often cited as a powerfulmechanism for building confidence.Students who are unsure about a subjectbecause they perceive it as challenging(eg physics), or have not studied it before(eg psychology), may be persuaded totake it because they have the option of‘giving it a go’ for a year. The NUS/OCRsurvey of students (see page 12) reveals53% of A Level Physics students do justthat. Worryingly, the survey also suggeststhat the role of AS in boosting confidence ismost critical for those students who live inareas where few young people progress touniversity.So long as universities use AS results toinform admissions, it seems inevitablethe AS will continue to be taught. As theHE ‘market’ evolves however, there maybe increasing disparity between entryrequirements. Under the new process, thenumber of UCAS points an AS attracts willgo down – to less than half an A Level.Some have interpreted this as a sinistersignal from HE but it is probably just theresult of applying the formula.Universities have been outspoken insupport of retaining AS in its current‘coupled’ format. Its reliability as a predictorof final grades is valued, as is evidenceof its contribution to social mobility andaccess. But the imperative to offer equalityof access could become problematic.Universities will have to consider how totreat applicants fairly who have attendedinstitutions that no longer offer the AS.The current AS extends breadth by allowingfour subjects to be studied in the firstyear, giving students the opportunity toexplore a wider range of disciplines thanmight otherwise be the case. Even withthe current AS, A Level programmes arerelatively narrow and specialist whencompared with the broader baccalaureatestyleapproaches in other parts of theworld, so people need to think twice beforeditching the AS if that means narrowingthings down to three subjects.If an institution decides to withdraw or limitAS availability, what could it do with the spaceleft on the curriculum? Could a refreshed andmore inclusive Extended Project Qualificationoffer a new kind of breadth – especially if itwere brought forward a year? Could CoreMaths offer something vital to students whohave selected largely arts-based subjects?What about activities that take people intothe community? And surely it is time to lookat the extensive vocational provision on offer,especially with newly established governmentpolicies which have brought in new TechLevels and Applied General qualifications.Now is the time for each institution toconsider carefully what its curriculum offershould look like, to study the new draft ALevel syllabuses and other qualificationson offer, to keep one eye on the moneyand funding, and the other on universityadmissions policies, whilst all the timebearing in mind the impact of the changeson young people and the decisions theymight take.Email your comments to agenda@ocr.org.uk14 OCR AGENDA Summer 2014

NOTICEBOARDJOIN OCR AT THESE EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCESSUMMER 2014JULY4-6Association for theTeaching of PsychologyAnnual Conference2014Loughborough UniversityCome and meet our OCR subjectspecialists at this three-dayannual conference for teachers ofpsychology. The conference will offerupdating sessions, presentationsand workshops on teaching andlearning, as well as opportunitiesto share good practice.www.atpconference.org.uk7OCR Conference:Computing – Across theCurriculumUniversity of Warwick,CoventryThis full day conference will provideyou with practical resourcesand training in how to integratecomputing into subject areas suchas art, history, languages, maths,music and science. Each sessionwill bring alive computing in actionwithin the school curriculum, withboth presentations and practicaldemonstrations showcasing howcomputing can and will influenceother school subjects now and in thefuture. This course supports all OCRGCSE Computing teachers.www.ocr.org.uk/events/view/computing-across-thecurriculum-201410OCR HistoryConference: TudorEngland – Rebellion,Controversies andElizabethHampton Court PalaceNew for 2014! OCR’s one dayTudor Conference brings togetherpresentations by experts on theperiod, who will consider afresh keyelements of Tudor times. This courseis for you if you teach the period andyou’re looking to develop your ownknowledge of the subject and torefresh and enliven your lessons withnew insights, regardless of whichawarding body or specification youteach.www.ocr.org.uk/events/view/ocr-history-conferencetudor-england-rebellioncontroversies-and-elizabeth11-13Schools History Project26th Annual ConferenceLeeds Trinity UniversityVisit OCR on Stand 8 where oursubject specialists will be availableto answer questions on our historyqualifications and to provide thelatest on the GCSE and A Levelreforms. The SHP conference offers awide range of inspiring workshops,plenary sessions, fringe events and aresources exhibition.http://schoolshistoryproject.org.uk/conference/confcurrent/index.htm17Westminster EducationForumGlaziers Hall, London SE1Stephen Diston, Subject TeamManager for Science at OCR, will bejoining a panel discussing ‘ReformedA and AS Level sciences: content,delivery and preparation for HigherEducation’, scheduled to run from11.00am -11.50am. The panel is partof Westminster Education Forum’sprogramme of morning talks onGCSE and A Level reform.www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forumsTo join OCR atthese events, visitwww.ocr.org.uk/eventsOCR AGENDA Summer 201415

314GCSEREFORMA LEVELInteract with our newresources for A Levelsand GCSEs from 2015Our new resources are designed to demonstrate the types of teaching and learningsupport we’ll be developing over the next year to support you with the newA Levels and GCSEs for first teaching in September 2015. We’re also developingexciting new functionality to help you explore and use our resource materials.Explore our resources and watch our film on the new functionality we’redeveloping at ocr.org.uk/reformresourcesHLi BeOCR Customer Contact Centre4497914419Vocational qualificationsTelephone 024 76 851509Facsimile 024 76 851633Email vocational.qualifications@ocr.org.ukGeneral qualificationsTelephone 01223 553998Facsimile 01223 552627Email general.qualifications@ocr.org.ukFor staff training purposes and as part of our quality assurance programme your call may be recorded or monitored. © OCR 2014 Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations is a Company Limited by Guarantee.Registered in England. Registered office 1 Hills Road, Cambridge CB1 2EU. Registered company number 3484466. OCR is an exempt charity.