Hello, this is a short introduction to the new suite of BTEC Tech Award qualifications
from 2022.
My name is Paul Webster and I'm a senior subject advisor here at Pearson.
If you're new to Tech Awards, let's briefly look at what they are and who they've been
designed for.
BTEC Tech Awards are broad Level 1 / Level 2 qualifications in non EBacc subjects for
Key Stage 4 learners in schools across England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
This means they are graded across Level 1 and Level 2 to recognise the achievements
of all learners.
Please note that some subjects are not available in Wales.
You can find full details on our website.
Tech Awards complement a programme of GCSE study with applied and hands on learning,
giving learners a taste of the vocational sector, developing both sector specific and
transferable skills, and most of all, giving them the confidence to progress.
They're the same size as GCSEs at 120 guided learning hours designed to encourage learners
to take the next steps to Key Stage 5 study.
The new Tech Awards from 2022 meet New DFE technical requirements and have been approved
for inclusion in performance tables from 2024.
They also count in the open group of Progress 8.
They're assessed using a combination of assignments, practical tasks, and written assessments to
suit vocational teaching and learning.
All creative subjects are assessed through practical assignments and external assessment
is task based rather than written examination.
Why have we developed the new Tech Awards?
In September 2020, the DFE published new technical guidance for Key Stage 4 qualifications to
be included in 2024 performance tables in England.
This guidance applies to Key Stage 4 Technical Award qualifications across all awarding bodies.
To meet the new DFE requirements, we redeveloped eight of our legacy Tech Awards.
We also revised Sport Activity and Fitness, bringing together excellent content from the
BTEC First and the current Tech Award to create the new Tech Award in Sport.
We've also developed 2 new Tech Awards in Construction and Animal Care, which are largely
based on content that teachers told us they wanted to retain from our current BTEC First
in these subjects.
This is our suite of new Tech Awards, approved for 2024 performance tables.
BTEC Tech Awards cover the widest variety of subjects available from any award in organisation,
and each qualification is assessed in a way that is highly relevant to each sector.
Will the redeveloped Tech Awards be a big change if you're teaching the previous specifications?
Our teaching and learning content has remained largely the same for most subjects, with changes
made to increase clarity and enhance delivery and assessment.
We've retained many features of the previous specifications that our teaching community
told us they liked, such as the simple and clear 3 component structure of our current
Tech Awards in most subjects.
We already meet the new DFE requirement for externally assessed components to contribute
40% to the qualification grade.
So there's no change there.
However, there is a new terminal assessment rule, meaning the externally assessed component
must now be taken at the end of the programme.
The biggest changes under new DFE requirements impact on the internally assessed components.
All assessments must now be marked numerically using mark schemes rather than graded using
pass, merit and distinction criteria, and centre assessment will be moderated rather
than standards verified.
Also, the assignments used for summative internal assessment must now be set by the awarding
organisations rather than by the teacher/assessor.
Whether you're new to Tech Awards or moving from a previous qualification, our training
programmes, wide range of complementary and published resources and team of subject expert
advisors will make sure you're fully supported at every stage.
Each Tech Award is made up of three mandatory components, with the exception of the redeveloped
Art and Design Practice, which has been reduced to two components.
Flexibility is built into the component content for subjects that include specialist routes,
allowing you to deliver them as relevant to your learners.
Components one and two are each worth 30% of the qualification grade.
They are internally assessed using Pearson Set Assignments marked by you and moderated
by Pearson.
Component 3 is worth 40% of the qualification and is externally assessed by Pearson.
All three components are available for assessment twice per academic year, giving you more flexibility
to devise a delivery model that works for your learners and their programme of study.
Please note that in Creative Sector subjects there is only one external assessment series
per year and in Art and Design Practice both the internal and external components are available
for assessment once per year.
To meet new requirements for the internal assessments to be set by the awarding organisation,
we have developed new Person Set Assignments, or PSAs.
For most subjects the PSAs are based on current authorised assignment briefs, so they'll be
familiar.
They're released twice a year for download from our website, well in advance of moderation
windows, which run from December to January and May to June, giving you time to prepare
before sharing the PSAs with learners and allowing for different programmes of delivery
to fit in flexibly with your timetable.
Please note that Art and Design Practice PSAs are released once per year due to its two-component
structure.
Each assignment will be based on a vocational scenario or context and contain a set of tasks
that will prompt learners to engage with the taught content and produce evidence for assessment.
While the vocational scenario or context changes in each PSA, the assessment tasks will always
assess skills and knowledge in a consistent way.
So you and your learners will be well prepared for the PSA, no matter when you choose to
offer it.
To address the requirement for assessment to be applied through numerical marking, we
have developed level-based mark schemes for internal assessment which are based on the
current learning aims in most cases.
As the tasks in the PSAs will always assess knowledge, understanding and skills in the
same way, the mark schemes will never change, and you'll find it easy to apply them and
standardise across your marketing team.
You can watch our bite size video on applying the new mark schemes and we will deliver full
assessment, training and release annual standardisation materials to support you in accurate internal
assessment.
Unlike the current pass merit and distinction grading method, numerical marking allows for
more compensation within a component.
Stronger and weaker performance against the learning aims are now totalled for a single
result in mark.
This makes each component and the overall qualification fully compensatory, meaning
learners can achieve a grade through any combination of marks from any component.
Although the previous Tech Awards had some compensation at component level, the new BTEC
Tech Awards are fully compensatory.
Further to this, there are no longer minimum grade requirements in any component, so a
result of Unclassified or U in any of the components will no longer prevent a learner
from achieving the qualification provided they've gained sufficient marks elsewhere
in the qualification.
This gives your learners more opportunities to achieve and better captures their true
ability.
And we have a unique moderation process for Tech Awards, which includes direct feedback
from the moderator.
Following the feedback, you will have the opportunity to adjust marking where necessary,
allowing you to address any issues before they impact on learners’ results.
This means fewer surprises on results day compared to a traditional moderation process.
You can watch our bitesize videos on the new moderation and Quality Assurance processes,
and we also deliver full assessment training which covers these processes.
In addition to these changes, you'll be happy to hear that we've taken the opportunity through
this redevelopment to streamline our Quality Assurance processes.
We've significantly reduced the administration required for you to deliver and assess the
Tech Awards by up to 65% based on an average class of 30 learners.
You can find all the information about our refreshed Quality Assurance process, including
a quick guide, full centre guide, bitesize videos, and links to training sessions in
the Quality Assurance section of the Pearson website.
So in summary, we've retained the current simple 3 component structure and straightforward
assessment model.
Assessments are available twice per academic year, giving you more flexibility to devise
a delivery model that works for your learners and their programme of study.
We've retained and made improvements to the teaching and learning content and have developed
engaging assignments for internal assessment.
Assessment within components and across the qualification is compensatory giving your
learners more opportunities to achieve grades that truly reflect their ability.
And our new streamlined Quality Assurance processes will significantly reduce the administration
required for you to deliver and assess the Tech Awards by approximately 65%.
Here's the timeline of Key dates for the new Tech Awards.
All approved specifications and sample assessments are available on the Tech Awards section of
our website now.
The first teaching of the new Tech Awards will be September 2022.
The first moderation of internally assessed components will run from December 2022 to
January 2023, with the exception of Art and Design Practice, which will first run in May,
June 2023.
The first external assessment and opportunity for certification of all subjects will be
January 2024, with the exception of the creative subjects, which will be may June 2024.
And finally we will be providing the same full range of complementary and paid for support
and resources you've come to expect from BTEC, with updates based on your feedback.
We'll run an annual programme of teacher training and provide centre standardisation materials
to make sure you are fully supported to deliver and assess your Tech Award.
Our full range of published resources, including student books, teacher packs, revision guides,
and workbooks, have been carefully developed to help you deliver engaging teaching and
to prepare your students for assessment.
And of course we have an expert team of Subject Advisors to answer any questions you might
have along the way.
At Pearson, we're proud of our BTEC qualifications and the package of support we provide as you
teach and assess your learners.
Thank you very much for listening.
If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We're here to support you every step along the way.