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Continuing to successfully engage our learners through online assessments, we are pleased to report that 60 learners from Bournemouth Collegiate School, Dorset, recently undertook their ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 3).

ESB’s adapted online assessments give the closest experience to learners’ usual face to face assessments. By welcoming the ‘new norm’ and adopting a ‘can do’ attitude to the whole process, both ESB’s assessor, Jillian Evans and teacher Rhiannon Lawton were able to achieve the best outcome for the learners over the three days of assessment.

Rhiannon Lawton says, “Jillian Evans was utterly incredible and really went above and beyond for my students in challenging circumstances.”

Equally full of praise for the learners who were committed to their assessments and for Rhiannon’s dedication to preparing the learners for their assessment, Jillian adds: “ ‘It was a very busy three days. The success of the assessment depended on understanding that the key was to help the candidates feel as confident as possible in a virtual setting and on supporting the member of staff who had put in so much time and effort preparing the candidates. It really was a very positive experience where the learners were able to showcase what they could do. There was a real sense of achievement at the close of each session.”

Tina Renshaw, ESB’s Chief Executive says, “ESB would like to give 3 cheers to Jillian and all our trusted and experienced assessors who have adapted so wonderfully to the online assessment challenges posed by the current situation. They are fantastic and we are very proud of them all!”

Our supportive Speech assessments aim to improve oracy and literacy skills whilst inspiring a level of confidence which learners can carry with them throughout life. By raising achievement and enriching learning by promoting clear, effective communication, ESB prepares learners for their progression in school, further and higher education and the world of work. With more employers now seeking social and problem-solving skills, communications skills are vital for personal and professional success.

ESB continues to keep learners achieving with its delivery of online assessments.

During a recent online assessment at Shropshire’s Old Hall School, all learners were in high spirits at the prospect of this new experience and displayed great enthusiasm during their ESB’s Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 2). 

One learner, unable to attend the assessment on the day, was given the opportunity to present his talk at a later date to ESB assessors – Sunil Naphray – demonstrating our flexibility during this pandemic. 

James Thorpe, the Director of Music at the Old Hall School says: ‘All of the children came out of the exam beaming and talking about how much they enjoyed the experience which is exactly what we hope for. Many of our more reserved children have already said that they would ‘love to do it again’ – a ringing endorsement if ever there was one.’

ESB Assessors on the day, Louise Fox and Sunil Naphray were overwhelmed with the exceptional standard of Old Hall School’s learners.

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Sunil says: ‘It was a great honour and privilege to have undertaken ESB assessments at such a marvellous school. The children were outstanding and coped really well with the adaptive assessment via Google Meets. Equally so, the supporting staff were tremendous and worked extremely well with myself to ensure the children had a great experience. The children will continue making great strides in the learning from their ESB. Well done!’

Louise adds: ‘The children were extremely well prepared, full of energy and, enthusiastic for their new online assessment. They all embraced the experience and brought in some super visual aids to complement their talks. A positive and encouraging day was had by all!’

For further information about our adapted assessments, please click here.

We are thrilled that our wide range of accessible qualifications and assessments continue to be an enjoyable experience for our learners, developing confident communication and boosting progression and employability.

The Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry ‘Speak for Change’ has today released its Interim Report highlighting its initial findings and emerging recommendations.

Proud to support and be part of the Oracy APPG’s inquiry championing the value of good speaking and listening skills and the need for oracy skills to be reflected in educational policy making and curriculum development, ESB wholeheartedly endorses these findings.

Reiterating a statement by our Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, which is included in the report, Tina affirms, “What has always been evident to us is the centrality of oracy in achievement – commensurate with literacy and numeracy. They are the building blocks of effective learning, participation, economic achievement and development.”

APPG’s vision for oracy

The report highlights that overall, almost all respondents agree that oracy should have a higher status than it currently does.  Contributions to the Oracy Inquiry have enabled the APPG to develop six principles that it believes should underpin oracy education in all schools in the future:

• a clear definition of oracy, understood by everyone
• evidence-based policy making that recognises oracy’s critical importance
• a consistent approach to oracy in schools
• explicit oracy teaching that is purposeful, well-planned and supported
• inclusion, ensuring that all pupils benefit, including those with additional learning needs
• partnership with parents, families and communities.

In response to ideas submitted to the Inquiry to date, the Inquiry uncovers a number of possible ways forward. Please click here to view the Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Interim Report. It outlines suggestions which are by no means final, rather, they serve to summarise the ideas submitted to the Inquiry so far. The suggestions capture how the system might change, in order to better support school leaders and teachers.

The report highlights that what is needed is:

1) Better support for teachers
2) Greater recognition of oracy within policy and guidance
3) Raised expectations

The Interim Report concludes that the case for oracy continues to build. Many teachers are developing innovative and effective oracy in their classrooms. However, while most teachers intuitively recognise oracy’s value and importance, barriers persist inhibiting its uptake in schools. This means provision is patchy and young people have unequal access to quality oracy opportunities.

The Oracy APPG welcomes feedback on the suggestions emerging from their Inquiry about possible ways forward and these can be shared with the APPG via:

• Website: https://www.oracyappg.org.uk/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppgOracy / @AppgOracy
• Email: inquiry@oracyappg.org.uk

ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw says: “I am delighted with these initial findings together with the emerging recommendations to pave the way forward to improve oracy education in schools and I am thrilled to continue to have the opportunity to advocate the place of our unique assessments as being a valid pathway of promoting oracy in schools.

“English Speaking Board’s assessment methodology is an authentic one in the assessment of spoken English and speaking and listening. How we assess reflects the values learned by effective communication: each learner is treated as an individual who has individual interests and an individual temperament. Clarity of communication and an ability to express thoughts simply, sincerely and persuasively, are qualities needed by everyone in this specialised, competitive world. For whatever the industrial, professional or social responsibilities are, every individual will have to inform, instruct, listen, explain, question, interpret, disagree and advise.

“At ESB, we believe oracy skills are at the heart of the learning experience. Our qualifications build confidence in learners, which is key to unlocking learners’ potential and raising achievement.  Our Speech assessments help learners to develop key oracy skills. They are encouraged to develop their audibility of voice, choice of vocabulary and use of pace to communicate a message or information effectively.” 

Please watch the video below demonstrating oracy skills.

A final report will be published in Spring 2021.

Following on from our previous update at the end of November and ESB’s decision to move all UK-based assessments to a remote, online delivery, we have now taken the decision to extend this until the end of January 2021. However, if you would prefer a face-to-face assessment in January, please contact the office to request this at the earliest opportunity: customer@esbuk.org or 01695 573439.

It is important that we continue to place our centres and assessors at the heart of any decisions and at this stage, we still do not know what restrictions or tier systems will be in place in January across the UK. We have already offered these adaptations since June and the learners, assessors and teachers found them to be valid, reliable and a positive experience.

Detailed information about each qualification, how we are adapting it, and what centres and learners need to do to prepare for remote assessments, when assessments cannot be held in person with the assessor coming to the centre, are set out in the guidance documents below:-

If you have any questions about these guidance documents or delivering adapted assessments, please email product@esbuk.org.

We are ready to work with centres to provide the style of preferred assessment, within Government guidelines, and are here to assist you in the preparation of your learners for their assessments in the spring and summer terms. If you would prefer a face-to-face assessment in January, please contact the office to request this at the earliest opportunity: customer@esbuk.org or 01695 573439.

Not only do our qualifications build learners’ confidence and boost progression and employability, but they are also built with our learners’ interests at heart, ensuring an enjoyable learning experience.