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.
ESB Senior Assessor, Lulu Dale
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.
I am now in a position to update you on what will be happening with our assessments following my email on the 21st January. We are of course delighted for our learners that centres are reopening in England on Monday 8th March and we can already see that our centres are booking their assessments for the rest of the academic year.
Today, both the Department of Education and Ofqual released a range of general details following the consultation about the impact of Covid and centre closures this academic year. The final new regulatory framework is not yet published as a further stage of consultation is commencing today, however, Awarding Organisations have been given permission to communicate with centres.
What does it mean for ESB International’s UK based centres and assessments?
Until the end of this term, ESB International’s Speech and ESOL Skills for Life Speaking and Listening assessments will continue to take place remotely. We use the video conferencing facility that centres habitually use and that your learners are used to.
Centres booking ESOL Skills for Life Reading or Writing assessments will need to manage these assessments within public health guidelines.
We will review offering face to face assessments again and share any updates with you ready for the beginning of the Summer Term.
Alternative arrangements or Teacher Assessed Grades:
The consultation about the impact of Covid and centre closures also dealt with a range of circumstances where centres may not be able to carry out assessments or had to cancel assessments and whether a form of teacher assessed grades (TAGs) could be used for learners affected by these circumstances. Teacher Assessed Grades will not occur under the same circumstances as the previous Centre Assessed Grades.
In relation to ESB centres and assessments, because we are an on demand model, occasions whereby Teacher Assessed Grades may need to be used will be minimal, as centres in most circumstances can rebook assessments which they may have had to cancel or delay. This position is in line with the outcomes of the initial consultation.
We envisage few circumstances where ESB centres may need to use Teacher Assessed Grades:
Where cancelled assessments cannot be rebooked as learners have finished their course
Where assessments cannot take place on public health grounds or remotely
(Teacher assessed grades will not apply to our Graded Examinations in Speech).
However, as the new regulatory framework that manages Teacher Assessed Grades has not yet been finalised or published, we do not have all the detail ready to share with you at this point. We envisage the release of that detail in late March. If you feel your circumstances may require the use of Teacher Assessed Grades as outlined above, please contact the Product Development team at product@esbuk.org to discuss things further.
So please do book your ESB assessments with confidence and as previously shared with you, detailed information about how we are adapting qualifications, and what centres and learners need to do to prepare for remote assessments are set out in the guidance documents below:-
If you have any questions about these guidance documents or delivering adapted assessments, again please contact the Product Development team at product@esbuk.org.
I greatly look forward to hearing the stories of your learners’ successes and I know the ESB team will be on hand to answer questions and support you with your assessments.
Thank you for your ongoing loyalty to ESB, we value it greatly.
Tina Renshaw Chief Executive English Speaking Board (International) Ltd.
Thrilled is an understatement! We are overwhelmed that our unique contribution to oracy and the positive impact that our assessments have on our learners is recognised and featured in such an inspirational and enlightening book, “Secondary Curriculum Transformed: Enabling All to Achieve”, written by two highly experienced leaders in Education, Meena Kumari Wood, Educational Consultant, Author & Trainer and Nick Haddon, Vice Principal at Guilsborough Academy.
Meena Kumari Wood
Nick Haddon
The evocative book highlights the compelling argument for a secondary curriculum that addresses the needs and aspirations of all students; the Human Capital Approach to secondary schools. Smiles were all around on the evening of the book launch with many influential educationalists in attendance, including the highly prominent Dame Alison Peacock, Founder and CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching and Les Walton CBE, Chair, AoEA.
With over 200 people registered for the event, also joining in the debate was David Didau, Author and Senior Lead Practitioner at Ormiston Academies. ESB recently began a fruitful relationship with Stoke on Trent’s Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews School who are focusing on their Year 9 learners’ Oracy skills. We do hope these learners are looking forward to their opportunities to be heard and we can’t wait to help guide them on their ESB Oracy journey.
We are delighted that our Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw was nominated to contribute to the book launch event, seizing the opportunity to offer ESB’s unique experiences to the oracy focus and our thoughts about ‘The Value Added: Assessing Oracy skills’ in a case study video. Please watch the video of Tina below outlining the four key themes that we believe are key to learners effectively developing oracy skills.
Here at ESB, our main aim is to help all individuals achieve their aspirations and this fantastic publication makes a compelling argument for a secondary curriculum that addresses the needs and aspirations of all students. Says Tina, “That the authors chose to showcase ESB’s contribution to Oracy in their book and on the future shape of the Secondary curriculum and to have the opportunity to showcase our Speech Pathways is fantastic. Greater flexibility and adaptability for young people to learn the relevant knowledge and key oracy skills they need for the evolving world of training and employment is now needed more than ever”.
Featuring the positive impact of our Pathways Qualifications in Chapter 10, the importance of the development of oracy skills and the expression of vocabulary being central to the notion of engaging with cultural capital is highlighted. These should lie at the heart of a curriculum’s intent. Please read the paragraph that has been included in Chapter 10 outlining the positive impact that our assessments have on our learners’ development of oracy skills.
‘The English Speaking Board 9 focuses on communication skills mapped to the relevant National Core Curriculum requirements through Pathways in Spoken English at Key Stages 3 and 4 leading to ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4). A Pathways Project saw a dramatic increase in learners achieving the KS3 criteria: discussing language and meaning, expressing own ideas and high competency in using Standard English competently.
The ‘Connect, Inform, Perform and Employability’ Pathways contain specific oracy skills for each context. ‘Connect’ allows students to develop their literacy and analytical skills, through a biographical talk, a chosen poem or drama piece and includes being able to respond to audience questions. ‘Inform’ can be focused on a KS3 topic in any subject. Students may give a personal interest talk, review a news piece and give a persuasive speech, within a political, economic, environmental or social context. ‘Perform’ allows students to unlock their creativity through the performance of a self-composition or performance of an established work. ‘Employability’ supports those who wish to deepen their understanding of a career and to prepare for the job market.’
We are delighted to take part in the book launch for 'Secondary Curriculum Transformed' (M. Wood & N. Haddon) where our CEO, Tina Renshaw, will be discussing the value of assessing oracy skills. #transformingcurriculum
— English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. (@ESBUK) February 18, 2021
Our ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) Pathways qualification gives more options for Years 9 and 10 students to explore oracy in the classroom. Learners can develop their oracy skills in a way that suits them, playing to their strengths and interests. For further details of this qualification, please click here.
We are also pleased to announce that the ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2) pathways-based qualification which is mapped to National Curriculum requirements in Spoken English at Key Stage 3, provides similar opportunities for KS3 learners. Please click here for additional information.
Tina says: “Congratulations to both Meena and Nick for the recent publication of their influential book. What a refreshing read! I am so thrilled that oracy is starting to be recognised as a priority in education and curriculum development. I am even more delighted that ESB assessments have been recognised as a successful tool in developing these oracy skills.
“Here at ESB, we assess oracy skills for a living. There are four key themes that we would like to contribute to the debate on oracy. Firstly, we think what’s absolutely valuable in oracy skills and the way that we assess them is own choice. In a secondary context, all of the learners choose what to talk about.
“Secondly, we assess both Speaking and Listening. Learners are assessed in a group context and answer questions from their peers and our assessors about the things that they’ve chosen to talk about or to recite. We think that this interaction is key for an authentic experience of both Speaking and Listening; things that learners will likely experience in a work context and study context.
“We believe oracy provides a gateway, not only to improved reading and writing, but also to learning across the whole curriculum. Learners develop essential life skills that impact them well beyond the classroom, such as research, analysis, critical thinking, listening skills and the effective use of vocabulary. We can’t forget also about the verbal skills of talking to people, e.g. improving on pace, pause, emphasis and volume.
“Finally, there is a key skill that we think is absolutely central to a learner’s personal development, and that’s confidence. The fact that learners have an expert assessor who is going to listen to what they’ve prepared, what they have to say and what is unique to them with the added bonus of providing them with feedback in a form of a personalised report; makes it an extraordinary experience for all our learners. Our personalised reports highlight the skills that learners have developed well, skills that they may need to work on, as well as getting a final outcome, in terms of a qualification level.
“Our centres tell us that our particular method of assessment is a really valuable contribution to making sure that oracy skills can be accredited in a range of educational settings and are an authentic experience that young people are going to undergo in the world of work and the world of further study.”
Here at ESB, we love to talk and listen. If you would like to join the conversation about oracy, please email tina.renshaw@esbuk.org. We do hope we hear from you!
ESB is delighted to hear the announcement made by BookTrust that a free copy of an anthology of children’s books by black British authors is to be provided to every primary school in England together with free curriculum resources from August onwards.
The collection of stories, Happy Here, is a collaboration between Book Trust, publisher Knights Of and the charity Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) and is aimed at children aged seven and older.
ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw says, “What a fantastic gift to primary schools! We wholeheartedly support this initiative and the fantastic aim to enhance the diversity of voices published in children’s literature.
“We look forward to hearing our learners choose to read some of these stories in their assessments and to hear this rich diversity of voices”.
Our 12,000 learners who annually achieve an ESB speech qualification are asked to select a favourite book and prepare an excerpt to read as part of their assessment as demonstrated below.
Books play an important role in shaping children’s lives: they open up new worlds, experiences and perspectives, as well as developing vocabulary. As we ask our learners to read out loud from a favourite book and introduce why they chose it, ESB encourages the development of confidence in reading aloud, clear and audible speech, vocal variety, vocabulary, word sounds and blending, and at the same time hopefully instils in them a love of reading for pleasure.
If any schools would like to know more about our Speech qualifications, please contact our Product Development team at product@esbuk.org.
