English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. has updated its Malpractice and Maladministration Policy as part of its review process to ensure all procedures and practices continue to meet the required legislative and regulatory compliance.
ESB is committed to taking all reasonable steps to present the occurrence of any malpractice or maladministration in the development, delivery and award of qualifications.
You can access the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy here. You can access the Sanctions Policy here (p.10).
English Speaking Board (International)’s centres come in all shapes and sizes, from all over the world, but it’s not often we find ESB assessments taking place underneath a castle.
Park Lane International School in Prague is unique as it stands tucked away beneath the walls of the city’s breathtaking castle, close to the historic Old Town.
ESB Assessor, Julia Ward flew out to the Czech Republic to assess the learners, and was blown away by the talent and dedication shown by the youngsters in their presentations and poetry recitals.
Says Julia,
It was a delight to see the pupils carry out their ESB assessments with such confidence and skill, as well as hearing how much they enjoyed the experience afterwards!
Siobhan Woodruff, English Teacher at the school says,
Prior to the examination, the pupils were a bundle of nerves, but nobody would have believed that they were nervous when watching the actual presentations – they looked and sounded like supremely confident young adults.
Please click here to see Park Lane International School’s website.
English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. has improved the single unit ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) to give teachers and learners more options and flexibility to explore oracy in the classroom.
Speech Pathways
Adding new pathway options will provide teachers with more options and the flexibility to explore oracy in the classroom in different contexts to suit the needs of their learners.
ESB surveyed over 160 centres in relation to its portfolio of Speech qualifications. The results showed that schools would like greater choice for their learners and more opportunities for advancing their communication skills. ESB responded to this feedback by working on redesigning the ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4).
The updated and improved qualification will contain three exciting new units for teachers to choose from. Please click here to see these pathway options in full.
The new options include using speech to inform an audience, for performance, or for employability. The addition of these pathways options were formulated to ensure ESB’s portfolio of Speech qualifications remain relevant and accessible to all learners.
ESB has begun piloting the pathways qualification in a number of centres to see how teachers and learners respond to the new options before its launch in September 2019.
Effective communication is crucial for young people in achieving success in education, employment and life, and ESB strive to ensure every learner is given the opportunity to realise their potential through oracy.
The Education Secretary addressed the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership conference in London this morning to stress the importance of instilling confidence and character in every child.
Damian Hinds, Secretary of State for Education
Hinds declared that he wishes to “call time” on the phrase “public-school confidence”, arguing that such confidence should not be reserved for privately educated children only.
Hinds went on to present his “five foundations to build character”: sport, creativity, performing, volunteering and membership and the world of work. He promises to increase schools’ access to these activities, ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to test themselves from a range of activities which all contribute to their overall character and resilience.
With oracy skills playing a major role in all of Hinds’ “five foundations to build character” the initiative is warmly welcomed by English Speaking Board (International). ESB’s qualifications are specifically designed to boost pupils’ confidence through oracy.
Says Tina Renshaw, Chief Executive,
We strongly support the Education Secretary’s speech on “rethinking resilience” in schools. Our qualifications give young people the opportunity they need to realise their talent and self-worth, as well as giving them a structure of how to speak clearly and with confidence. We are excited to see character education spark interest in government decisions.
It was a delight to see the pupils carry out their ESB assessments with such confidence and skill, as well as hearing how much they enjoyed the experience afterwards!
