We offer a range of subject specific Professional Development events, which take you from an overview of the qualifications, through to first teach and exam preparation. Events include:
Understanding the NEA - these events will help you to understand, mark and prepare NEA.
'How to mark a mock' workshops - have the chance to practise applying a mark scheme to examples of real candidate work, hear tips on how to standardise across a cohort, and to ask questions of our experienced examiners.
Understanding the Assessment: exam preparation - looking ahead to the 2021 exam series, this event will offer detailed and constructive feedback into where students struggled in previous series and on how you can support your current cohort.
Making the Grade Twilight sessions - tailored to a convenient after-school session and fitting around the teaching day, these events will demonstrate how students can progress from one grade to the next and will offer opportunities to mark real student work and engage with the Lead Moderator.
Ask the Subject Advisor/Examiner/Moderator - an online Q&A webinar for you to ask questions about the specification and assessment of the qualification.
First Teaching: everything you need to know to get started - these subject specific events are a one-stop shop for all your needs in understanding the specification and the mark scheme, as well as the array of resources and support that are available to support you.
Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals FAQs
We're getting a few questions about assessed grades.
Please check out our updatedFAQsfor more information on what an assessed grade is and who is eligible for one with Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals.
Teacher Networks - spaces still available
We've still got some spaces available on our December Teacher Network events for Science, English and Geography.
Science (2 Dec) - our focus will be on support for mock examinations, the A Level PAG tracker, key resources to help teaching and we'll update you on plans for summer 2021 assessments.
English(7 Dec) for A Level English Language and Literature, (8 Dec) for A Level English Literature and (15Dec) for A Level English Language - we'll be discussing key approaches to components and sharing ideas on delivering the course.
Geography(9 Dec) - looking at the A Level Independent Investigation, sharing support and resources. We'll also focus on fieldwork, data presentation and analysis along with marking and moderation.
We hope to see you there virtually!
Results day - autumn 2020 exam series
Just a reminder that results days for the Autumn 2020 exam series are as follows, with restricted results released the day before:
17 December – AS, A Level and Core Maths
14 January – GCSE English Language and Mathematics only
28 January - Cambridge Nationals moderated units
11 February – all other GCSE subjects
You can also download our handy info sheet, which describes the November 2020 series post-results services, including fees and deadlines.
Natural History - keeping you updated
Back in October, we submitted our proposal for a GCSE in Natural History to the Department for Education (DfE). If the DfE decide to take our proposal forward, they will launch their own consultation. We'll keep you up to date on progress.
Our proposal is based on our consultation and we've created a report and infographic summarising the key findings.
We're also delighted to share some views from our guest contributors.
Wendy Litherland, Director of Sustainability at St Christopher's CE High School and Sixth Form, discusses the positive impact the recent lockdown has had on the attitudes of students and parents towards nature and outdoors. Wendy argues that students, now more than ever, are ready for a Natural History GCSE.
Elena Lengthorn, Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester, explains there is a growing body of scientific evidence that confirms the importance and value of theconnection between humans and nature. Elena believes there appears to be an appetite in young people to build a relationship with nature and perhaps studying GCSE Natural History could fill the existing gap.
Exams in Wales in 2021
We recently told you about the announcement that summer 2021 exams in Wales will be awarded on the basis of centre assessment grades.
Qualification Wales has confirmed that this does not apply to ‘designated’ general qualifications such as our GCSE, AS and A Level Classical Civilisation, or to our vocational qualifications.
Qualifications Wales has also confirmed the cancellation of exams for unitised GCSEs in Wales in January 2021.
For centres in Wales offering our vocational qualifications, such as Cambridge Nationals, or our general qualifications, exams will still go ahead in January 2021 and next summer to align with the approach of those qualifications in England.
