Author: Liam Morton

ESB is taking its qualifications’ certificates for its ESOL International centres and their learners to the next level by moving to an innovative Electronic Certificate service.

The Digital Certificates Web is a holistic secure document system, creating a self-service secure web portal for learners and centres to access their awarding documents.

Placing learners at the forefront of its assessments, the service allows centres and their learners to view their e-certificates online, and on any online device, 24/7/365 days a year.

Celebrating the introduction of its newly launched “e-certificate first” service, ESB’s Chief Executive Tina Renshaw, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to provide an even better service for our centres and learners! Our e-certificates are fully secure and can be viewed and downloaded through our secure portal.

“Preparing today’s learner for tomorrow’s world is something we are passionate about here at ESB. Learners receive a fully recognised certificate highlighting their achievement, but we never think of it as simply a ‘certificate’, it’s more like a golden ticket to help them progress on every step of their journey!”

Why e-certs first?

The benefits and security features of digital certificates ensure verification of authenticity and maintain the highest levels of protection against fraudulent attack, including:

• QR Code Scanning Technology / Smart Verify (2D Barcode). Easily access, scan and verify e-certificates on a smartphone or any other online device. Each electronic certificate contains a Smart Verify Code; a QR code which, when scanned using a device such as a mobile phone camera, redirects you to the Smart Verify Portal. This then displays the electronic certificate and provides crucial information about whether the document is valid, has expired or has been cancelled.
  
• Environmentally-friendly and reduce our carbon footprint.

ESB’s e-certificates are available for both paper-based and online assessments and e-certificate portals are available for the following groups:

Learners’ Portal: A hub where ESB learners can directly access their e-certificates, order one free printed copy, and ‘connect’ and share their e-certificates with Employers and Education Providers. 

Centres’ Portal: A hub for the staff of ESB centres to view their learners’ e-certificates. It also comes with the added bonus of enabling centres to print and download e-certificates for presentation events or for auditing purposes.

Third-Party Portal: A hub for Employers and Education Providers to connect with learners and view their e-certificates. 

Learners can still receive printed certificates, if they wish. The Learner Portal also permits learners to order one free printed certificate, in addition to their e-certificate. Printed copies are also extremely secure, containing their own security features such as a bespoke hologram overprinted with corporate colours/logo on controlled watermarked paper together with a unique security design, audit numbering, thermochromic ink and microtext. 

Please watch the video below for an introduction into how ESB’s learner e-certificate portal works:

If you as one of our centres would like to be part of our “e-certificates first” programme, please contact a member of our Customer Experience Team at customer@esbuk.org. 

Here at ESB, we want to support all learners to possess the oracy and English language skills they need in order to achieve their aspirations, boosting progression and employability.

One of our loyal centres, the Wilson Stuart School, a Special Academy located in Birmingham has voiced its positive views on the quality and value of our qualifications for learners with special educational needs and disabilities in a letter of support for continued Government funding.

Trish Bowden, Director of English & Communication at Wilson Stuart School states, “Each of these qualifications has provided the correct level of content and challenge for our adult learners, particularly those with speech, language, and communication needs.

“The emphasis on adult outcomes has always been beneficial: phone calls, interviews, CV writing, answering questions and responding to others appropriately and listening skills – many of our adults achieve supported, paid employment and for others volunteering in the community becomes more achievable – so these qualifications have been invaluable in preparing them for employability and volunteering.

“We have also found the visits from the external examiners to be another invaluable part of the process – the interaction with an unfamiliar person provides another ‘real life’ experience in a very constructive way.”

ESB Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw adds, “I was thrilled to read this letter of support for the case to Government to continue funding these qualifications as part of a Government Review of the ESFA funding program and to hear about the fantastic impact that our assessments continue to have on our learners. These qualifications support learners to develop key communication skills which remove barriers to learning by enabling access to a wide range of curricula, building relationships and a sense of belonging, developing self-esteem and a positive self-identity.”

If you wish to read the full letter of support for funding of our qualifications for learners with special educational needs and disabilities, please click here.

Our purpose is to support all learners to possess the oracy skills they need in order to achieve their aspirations. Particularly in that purpose we seek to realise the potential of all by closing the disadvantage gap. ESB International is dedicated to the outcome that this group of learners have the opportunities to develop and demonstrate their Oracy skills and build their confidence to lead full and productive lives.

Interested in our Speech qualifications? There is no time like the present, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today! Read about the qualifications that we have on offer here, or alternatively if you simply wish to have an informal chat about our qualifications, please contact a member of the Product Development Team at product@esbuk.org.

One happy Centre! Junior Prep School of the Year finalist The Hampshire School Chelsea was delighted with their recent ESB training session. Ahead of their assessments, teachers from the school attended a virtual qualification training session delivered by our Senior Speech Assessor, Lulu Dale.

Charis King, Head of Drama, says: “Thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant and energetic training! It was incredibly helpful and enjoyable. I’m so grateful to have so many new activities and ideas and I’m really looking forward to sharing these with our form tutors and children. Our Head, Dr Edmonds is very pleased that we are integrating ESB into the curriculum.”

At ESB, we aim to ensure all centres and learners feel supported from the outset right through to completion of their ESB journey, ensuring all learners develop and enhance their oracy skills in an encouraging environment, focusing on their personal growth and confidence.

Enabling our learners to develop the lifelong skills that they demonstrate in their ESB assessments, in the most effective way possible, is of paramount importance to us and we offer bespoke training for centres at all levels. But our support and guidance for centres doesn’t stop there! Our registered centres are also able to access resources and teacher guides to assist them in preparation for each qualification along the way.

Says Lulu, “ I really enjoyed leading the session! I love inspiring teachers with ideas and showing them how to use the criterion to support the teaching and learning process. It is so exciting to be part of their pupils’ learning journeys. Together, we are helping to give them a voice and to develop communication skills which will serve them both in the classroom and in to their lives beyond.”

ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, adds, “We really welcome this positive feedback. All centre feedback is carefully considered and valued as it keeps us in touch with our centres and ultimately gives us the knowledge to provide the best service we can. We support our teachers whether they are very skilled or new to explicit Oracy teaching. Our external assessment is a validation of the teaching that has occurred as well as providing feedback to the learners for the Oracy skills and knowledge they have demonstrated.”

Delivering training sessions to centres is just the beginning of their learners’ ESB journey…..

Our speech qualifications build confidence in learners, which is key to unlocking their potential and raising achievement. Preparing today’s learner for tomorrow’s world is something we are passionate about.

Are you interested in finding out more about the type of training sessions available to your centre? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing business@esbuk.org.

If you would like further information about the speech qualifications that we provide, please click here.