Awarding learners in summer 2020

During summer 2020 we provided updates on this page to support our centres to keep learning and assessments progressing during this period. We worked closely with the regulators to develop an appropriate approach for each of our affected qualifications and to ensure a fair and equitable solution for learners due to complete their qualifications this summer

We have now returned to our usual RAC and direct Entry results submissions processes.
The information on this page is retained for reference use only. 

For more details on the process for the academic year 2020-21 please visit our Supporting Centres in 2020-2021 page.

In some limited cases, claims under the ERF can still be made. If you have any learners who cannot be awarded using our normal procedures, please contact us to find out if they are eligible and how to proceed.

Access to HE Diplomas

Access to HE students have received calculated grades in line with QAA guidance for all those due to complete by 31 July 2020. These results have been confirmed and uploaded to UCAS. The appeals process has now concluded in line with QAA timescales. Students due to complete after 31 July 2020 will be awarded under the QAA Regulatory Framework and all processes and procedures associated with this.

Students who do not feel that their estimated grades reflect their expected performance have the option to chose to sit their assessments at the earliest reasonable opportunity (when all providers are operating normally). The QAA website offers information about sitting assessments for students who received calculated grades from 20 March 2020 and were awarded a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma in July 2020.

Information for providers

Information for your students

All other qualifications (Ofqual and Qualification Wales)

Our Regulators have implemented a temporary extraordinary regulatory framework that sets out how qualifications will be awarded for learners who have assessments to complete during the summer of 2020.

The extraordinary regulatory framework approach will involve either calculated results or adapted or delayed assessments.

The ERF was put in place to ensure learners were not disadvantaged and the regulators were clear that the changes were only temporary. The ERF is in place until 31st July 2020.

Determining Calculated Results

Guidance on making decisions on “Centre Assessment Grades” (CAG) is provided for units/qualifications covered by the “calculated result” approach as outlined in Ofqual’s Extraordinary Regulatory Framework.

The calculation of results followed the three-step process illustrated below.

  1. Centre assessment grade / AO calculated grade – generated by the centre for each unit or qualification.
  2. Quality assurance by the awarding organisation of the overall calculated result.
  3. A check of overall qualification level outcomes and results profile, to confirm results are in line with expectations. Drawing on evidence Gateway Qualifications’ holds including historic centre and qualification data.

Minimum Evidence Threshold

The quality assurance process and the overall checks on outcomes are both important parts of the process because they ensure that for each learner, Centres had at least one piece of valid trusted evidence that demonstrates progress towards the assessment requirements of the unit/qualification.

We may determine that there is insufficient trusted evidence to safely award a result:

  • where there is little or no learner evidence
  • insufficient trust in the centre assessment grade
  • little opportunity or evidence to quality assure the centre assessment grade

Where it is deemed there is insufficient evidence, Centres are encouraged to use the flexibility of our qualifications and on-demand assessments to provide learners with the opportunity to complete their assessment at their earliest convenience.

Appeals

Our published appeals process still applies.

Learners: You should speak to your college or training provider if you think you might have reason to appeal and they can submit an appeal on your behalf.

If you have concerns about bias, discrimination or something else that suggests that your college or training provider did not behave with care or integrity when determining a centre assessment grade or providing evidence to the awarding organisation, you should normally raise these concerns with them in the first instance.

You may Ofqual’s student guide to appeals helpful if you are considering whether or not to make an appeal.

Student guide to appeals and malpractice or maladministration complaints: summer 2020 (Ofqual)

Centres: may appeal to Gateway Qualifications where it believes Gateway Qualifications has not followed due process.

Alternative Assessment Dates

All of our qualifications offer flexible assessment dates and our externally set assessment are available to book on-demand. Centres are therefore free to undertake alternative assessments at the earliest opportunity as appropriate to their learners and local situation.

Learners should speak to their college or training provider to find out when a new assessment can be undertaken.

Our guidance

Following on from our webinar as planned we are pleased to be able to publish our:

Supporting Guidance: Exceptional arrangements for assessment and grading in Summer 2020

Tutor/Assessor Checklist

Centre Declaration – Microsoft Forms

Claiming Results Guidance

Webinar: Awarding Qualifications in Summer 2020 – Admin

Please take the following steps to ensure that learners are awarded at the end of the academic year.

What you need to do

1. Check whether qualifications are in scope and the mitigation agreed: ASAP

Using Ofqual’s interactive Summer 2020 Qualification Explainer Tool, search for a specific regulated qualification to find out how results will be generated for the majority of learners.

2. Collate evidence and make judgements: 1st – 21st June

Collate and assess the evidence available during this 3-week window to support judgements for a results claim. For each learner, you should consider at least one piece of valid evidence that demonstrates progress towards the assessment requirements of the component/unit. See from page 10 of the Supporting Guidance or our Awarding Qualifications – Next Steps webinar slides for help on the steps of evidence.

Centres will also need to follow an internal quality assurance process (including standardisation) prior to submitting.

Download our Tutor/Assessor Checklist to help you get started.

3. Complete Centre Declaration: Prior to claims being submitted

Submit a Centre Declaration Form entry to us at Gateway Qualifications.

4. Submit results by 3rd July

We have been mindful in keeping the claiming process as close to normal as possible, to reduce the burden on our centres, whether you claim results by RAC or Direct Entry. Step-by-step details on how to submit results and evidence to us can be found in our Claiming Results Guidance.

5. Respond to queries/requests for samples

We will conduct quality assurance checks and may contact you for further information and/or samples.

Watch our Awarding Learners in Summer 2020 – Next Steps webinar

We will continue to update this Awarding Page, so please check our website, social media and email regularly for the latest information.

Ofqual has also published guidance for Centres:

Ofqual Guidance for Centres

Frequently Asked Questions – Awarding 2020

Awarding 2020 - Process
Is there any particular paperwork we will need to complete?

We have worked hard to keep the paperwork burden to a minimum.

When submitting your claims, the RAC has had an additional column added to complete your evidence types. If you use Direct Entry Results, there is an additional form for you to download called ERF Supplementary Evidence. Guidance on accessing and submitting the form can be found in our Claiming Results guidance.

In addition to completing the submission, there is a Head of Centre Declaration to complete. An optional tutor/assessor checklist is provided to assist you.

If centres have delivered and assessed as normal during the lockdown does that mean that we claim as usual or will it have to go through these new processes?

Claims can be made as per the usual process as long as the learners’ work can be authenticated, has been assessed and quality assured.

If I am submitting a certificate claim as business as usual, will the claim be processed in the normal way?

Please submit claims in the usual way.  We are undertaking checks for all certificate claims as we need to establish which are business as usual claims and which are claims being made under the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework.  This has meant that we have had to make a temporary change to Quartzweb for all certificate claims (both DCS and non-DCS) to enable us to make these checks before claims are processed.

Who needs to sign the Centre Declaration form?

The person in your organisation that is responsible for ensuring the requirements set out in the Centre declaration have been met. This is likely to be the Head of Centre or a senior manager with responsibility for quality assurance.

Is there a minimum percentage of units out of the total that will need to have been completed in order for the learner to pass?

No there isn’t, you just need to ensure that the evidence meets the minimum threshold.

Will centres who have not yet achieved DCS be disadvantaged?

No, all claims will follow the same internal quality assurance process by Gateway Qualifications.

How long do we need to keep learners' work for possible later EQA as this may be extended this year?

You should retain all evidence for the usual 3 year period as outlined in the Centre Handbook.

What is the deadline for submitting calculated grades?

All claims should have been submitted to us by 3rd July 2020. If you did not meet this deadline, please contact us as soon as possible for further advice.

Can we calculate the writing unit for ESOL if the learners did not start the unit?

Only if you have sufficient evidence of their written work. For example, if they have demonstrated writing when preparing a portfolio for another unit, then you may be able to use this as evidence.

Is there a process for appeals?

Yes, our published appeals process still applies. Learners may appeal to their centre where they feel an inaccurate centre assessed grade has been made. Centres may appeal to Gateway Qualifications where it believes Gateway Qualifications has not followed due process.

Awarding 2020 - Evidence
What is the minimum evidence threshold?

There is no fixed minimum evidence threshold. You should gather the appropriate amount of evidence that demonstrates why you have the judgement you have made about each unit for each learner. This will vary depending on the size and level of the unit and the amount of prior teaching on the course. We will judge each case on its merits and will ask for further evidence if we feel it is needed.

The amount of evidence needed to meet the minimum threshold is likely to be greatest when you are relying on type 3 evidence, and least when relying on type 1, since type 1 evidence is stronger evidence.

Can I use current practice tests as evidence for ESOL?

Yes, if learners have previously completed practice tests, whether from Gateway Qualifications or another ESOL Awarding Organisation, and you can authenticate the work, you can use these as evidence.

Do we need evidence for units due for submission after 20th March or are we calculating those units?

If learner work completed after 20th March is available then this can be used towards the centre assessed grade (providing it is authenticated). If there is no work available then centres should consider other evidence available to inform a centre assessed grade.

What about unit(s) where we do not have any evidence?

You should take a holistic view of the learner and what you have seen them achieve so far, and what their ability is, and make a judgement on whether you could reasonably expect the learner to have completed that unit successfully. In this scenario you will be drawing on evidence of achievement on other units.

Where students have not completed their final assessment - do we need to collect all the evidence completed to date?

You need to identify and record the evidence available and make a professional judgement as to whether the learner has met the minimum evidence threshold.

What will happen if the students have the work so we cannot access?

You should take a holistic view of the learner and what you have seen them achieve so far, and what their ability is, and make a judgement on whether you could reasonably expect the learner to have completed that unit successfully. In this scenario you will be drawing on evidence of achievement on other units. We may still need to access this work at some point, therefore you need to ensure there will be evidence available.

Most of our units were completed prior to the 20th March, however a few learners had amendments/pieces of work (from one or two units) to complete after this date. All have completed the work required, so there is no calculation involved and all have been IV'd. Do they come under 1b or 2b, the centre has DCS.

This would be Type 1 evidence. Please claim following the usual process.

If I have a learner who has completed the knowledge element of a unit but has not yet been assessed on an observed element, how can I evidence this?

You should take a holistic view of the learner and what you have seen them achieve so far, and what their ability is, and make a judgement on whether you could reasonably expect the learner to have completed that unit successfully. In this scenario you will be drawing on evidence of achievement on other units. We may still need to access this work at some point, therefore you need to ensure there will be evidence available.

Should we attempt calculation for the ESOL writing skill, for example,if the writing unit teaching and learning never started due to beginning of lockdown?

Only if you have some evidence of their written work, for example if they have demonstrated writing when preparing a portfolio for another unit, then you may be able to use this as evidence.

If ESOL learners practiced Speaking and Listening before the lockdown but were not able to sit the exam, can we use the evidence collected before the lockdown?

Yes as long as the evidence is strong and meets the minimum evidence threshold.

For reading re-takes, can we use past failed papers and the learning upto now to decide how likely they are to pass?

Yes.

If you have only Category 2 and 3, can a CAG still be provided for a learners?

Yes as long as the minimum evidence threshold is met.

If a unit has been taught using remote access but no assessment/assignments have been completed, how will the units be awarded?

You should take a holistic view of the learner and what you have seen them achieve so far, and what their ability is, and make a judgement on whether you could reasonably expect the learner to have completed that unit successfully. In this scenario you will be drawing on evidence of achievement on other units. We may still need to access this work at some point, therefore you need to ensure there will be evidence available.

How can I authenticate work/evidence provided after 20 March?

You will be familiar with the learners and the type of work they will produce, their style of writing etc. and this should support your ability to make a judgement on authenticity.

Do we need to submit the evidence?

No, but please make sure the evidence is available as we may need to sample it.

Can I use a learner's performance on other units to put towards the achievement of another unit(s)?

Yes, this is most appropriate where the units are comparable, or assessing similar knowledge or skills.

What evidence can be used towards the different evidence types?

Examples of evidence might include (this list is not exhaustive):

  • Work products in a portfolio
  • Learner accounts of activities
  • Completed worksheets
  • Completed assignments
  • Witness testimonies
  • Completed homework
  • Records of Zoom meetings
  • Practice tests
  • Outputs of creative tasks set
  • Print-outs of work completed
  • Work completed in class
  • Records of completed simulated activities
  • Records of question and answer sessions
  • Knowledge tests
  • Reflective statements
Learner work is in centres that are locked down so I am not able to access this but tutors know what evidence is in the centre. Can we state we have this evidence without physically seeing it?

Yes, as long you know and have a record of the completed evidence and able to make a professional judgement as to whether the learner has met the minimum evidence threshold. However, we may request a sample at some stage in the process, therefore it is important that work is accessed as soon as you are able.

How do we grade work which was set before the 20th March then worked on and completed remotely - is this a CAG or actual grade?

This is a centre assessed grade. You will need to ensure that the learner work completed after 20th March can be authenticated.

Awarding 2020 - Quality Assurance
Our normal EQA visits require us to provide a sample of portfolios. Will we need to provide portfolios still to show completion of work upto 20th March?

All certificate claims will be subject to quality assurance checks by us. Should we require further information and/or a sample we will contact the centre.

For work submitted during lockdown, should that work be IQA'd in the same way as before lockdown?

Only if you have been able to deliver and assess work as business as usual.

Are External Quality Assurers still planning to do a remote visit?

Yes, these will go ahead.

Will you still look to sample evidence from Type 1 or will the emphasis be on Type 2 and 3 category evidence?

We will sample across the evidence types.