English Speaking Board (International) Ltd

Category: Oracy

  • ESB International to help shape the future of oracy education in England

    The Oracy Education Commission represents a pivotal moment for the oracy movement. Chaired by Geoff Barton, the Commission aims to provide a framework for national entitlement to oracy education at all stages of the curriculum in England.

    Commission Chair @RealGeoffBarton tells us why the Commission matters for students

    The Awarding Organisation of the Year, English Speaking Board (International) Ltd., has long been a leader in the national conversation for mainstream oracy adoption. As both a member of The Oracy Network, and contributor to the Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group’s inquiry ‘Speak for Change’, ESB International has been at the forefront of the oracy movement since 1953 and will continue to be for many years to come.

    Through its National Impact Report, we recognise beyond any doubt the importance of assessing acquired oracy skills in young people. Teachers spoke to us of the huge impact our qualifications have at both Primary and Secondary level, with notable factors including drastically improved confidence, the ability to work well in a group and collaborating strongly with others as well the ‘real-life’ transferable skills that learners could take home, to the next step phase of their education and eventually to the workplace.

    With the Commission’s final report due in September 2024, ESB International looks forward to providing the Commission with its full input as we look to collectively shape the future of oracy education in England.

  • Easier to use ESB Speech Specifications

    ESB has taken steps to improve its Speech Specifications for 2022 in response to listening to new centres and the information they find helpful. The speech specifications which have been refreshed include Pre-entry to Level 3 (Grade 8) assessments.

    The improvements include:

    • A new page detailing the benefits of improving learners’ oracy skills, the benefits our assessments can have in terms of curriculum design, and the benefits of our group-based assessments.
    • A new page describing the skills and advantages afforded by each section of the qualification including presenting, reading aloud and critical reviews.
    • A link to a sample selection of resources (with more resources to follow as we develop them).
    • An updated page showing how each qualification links to the National Curriculum, with links that direct the reader to the specific segment of the National Curriculum.
    • Clarification on the use of ‘Standard English’ in ESB International assessments.
    • Updated Assessment Overview pages, with clearer, more contemporary and relevant example topics.
    • Updated and simplified information on Assessment and Grading, providing more clarity on weighting, reports and certificates.
    • Our pathways specifications have been redesigned to make them easier to navigate.

    We want to make our assessments as easy as possible to deliver and these Speech Specifications’ improvements should give teachers a clearer starting point as they embark on teaching ESB Speech Assessments to their learners. Our purpose is to support all learners to possess the oracy skills they need in order to achieve their aspirations. Our new Specifications are the first step to giving learners the opportunities to develop and demonstrate their Oracy skills and build their confidence to lead full and productive lives.

    ESB Chief Assessor, Ben Jackson

    The full list of qualifications with new specifications are:

    ESB Pre-Entry Level Award in Speech

    ESB Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 1)

    ESB Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 2)

    ESB Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 3)

    ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 1)

    ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2) – Speech for Employability

    ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2) – Speech to Perform

    ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2) – Speech to Inform

    ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2) – Speech to Connect

    ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 3)

    ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) – Speech for Employability

    ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) – Speech to Perform

    ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) – Speech to Inform

    ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) – Speech to Connect

    ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 5a Drama Focus)

    ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 5b Presentation Focus)

    ESB Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grade 6)

    ESB Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grade 8)

    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.

  • Happy National Poetry Day

    It’s National Poetry Day and what better way to celebrate than looking back at some of our wonderful learners’ renditions.

    Poetry is one key component in many of our Graded Examinations in Speech assessments for learners in Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 5. Encouraging learners to enjoy this use of creative language helps to develop the skills to recite creative language from memory.

    The fee of these assessments range from £30.00 at Entry Level to the maximum price of £54.00 per learner at Advanced Level. Please note that financial support may be available for some centres. If you would like to find our more about the financial support that ESB could offer your centre, please visit our Funding page or email us today.

    Says Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw:

    Here at ESB, we strongly believe that poetry is a great way to improve a learner’s overall confidence and communication skills. The memory and presentation skills involved gives them essential life skills, enabling them to thrive in education, training and employment.

    For further information about our Speech assessments, please click here. Alternatively, if you still have unanswered questions or you would like to become an ESB centre, please contact our Business Development Team. We’d love to hear from you.

    Preparing today’s learner for tomorrow’s world is something ESB is passionate about. Help your learners to reach their potential by taking our assessments today!

  • Welcome back to all of our UK based centres – Academic Year 2021-22

    Thank you so much to all our centres that booked assessments with us last year. We all worked hard so that your learners could achieve, in spite of the continuing challenges. I want to thank the head office team, our assessors and markers for their part in making that happen for you and your learners.

    As we are starting the new academic year, I wanted to update you on our position for face to face assessing for all our Skills for Life and Speech qualifications occurring in the UK. It is our intention that for the academic year 21-22,face to face assessing will return for all these speaking and listening assessments. However, should public health guidance change, or a local situation emerge ESB will be able to consider using adapted assessments again (remote assessing) as Ofqual has allowed us to adapt in this way, if necessary.

    We will be releasing an ESB News later in the term so we can share all the activity that is happening in the ESB English language and Oracy world.

    I earnestly hope that this year is a year full of potential and positivity for you at your centre.

    Best wishes,

    Tina Renshaw, CEO