Addressing the Bard

Together with the Scottish Poetry Library, we recently launched a unique new Burns anthology, Addressing the Bard, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

The anthology of 12 new pieces of writing by contemporary poets, and writers, including Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Nobel prize winner Seamus Heaney and Scottish favourite Liz Lochhead, will show how the work of Burns influences their thinking and creativity.

The anthology has been edited by Douglas Gifford, Emeritus Professor of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.

Writing in Gaelic, Scots and English, the poets also offer illuminating comment on Burns's poems and how they chose to address the Bard. This approach will deliver this poetry to readers in fresh and lively ways, and enable them to grasp that living poets have a dialogue with their predecessors and also with their readers. It will also illustrate the relevance of Burns to contemporary Scotland.

We have distributed this new anthology free in class sets to secondary schools, colleges and prisons throughout Scotland. Supporting teaching resources will be provided by Learning and Teaching Scotland on their website.

SQA Chairman Mr Graham Houston said, 'SQA is delighted to have worked in partnership with the Scottish Poetry Library to support Addressing the Bard, as part of our Homecoming Scotland celebrations. We hope that teachers, lecturers and learners of all ages will enjoy reading it and be able to use it to enhance learning and understanding of the works of our national bard.'

Scottish Poetry Library Director, Dr Robyn Marsack said, 'The poets take Burns's poems as their starting point and move outwards to our tumultuous present circumstance and the everlasting concerns of affection, loss, democracy, and language. From an elegy to an otter and a serious look at the credit crunch to a celebration of female friendship and a swingeing satire on current politics, these poems brilliantly address themes local and universal.'

Scottish sofware company to give teachers e-asy access to assessment tools

Intrallect, a Linlithgow-based software design company, has won the contract to develop Scotland's National Assessment Resource, Minister for Schools and Skills Keith Brown MSP, recently announced.

Currently Learning and Teaching Scotland and SQA operate a number of manual and online assessment systems, to allow teachers to judge the knowledge and understanding of young learners.

The National Assessment Resource will provide the education profession with a single online assessment system. It will act as a store of assessment resources, a tool for the development of new resources, and a coherent infrastructure for assessment within Curriculum for Excellence.

Mr Brown said: 'Good assessment is integral to the rich educational experience we want for all our children and young people; ensuring parents, pupils and teachers get the feedback they need to make the right choices about learning. That is why we are working to develop a coherent system of assessment which values the learning and skills every young person will need in the modern world. The National Assessment Resource is an important part of the infrastructure to support Curriculum for Excellence. By ensuring the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence are embedded in our assessment framework we can help children to achieve their potential.'

SQA Chief Executive Dr Janet Brown said, 'This is an exciting development in the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence, which SQA welcomes. The National Assessment Resource is a great example of partnership working between SQA and LTS. This unique system will deliver real benefits to the way teachers and lecturers delivering Curriculum for Excellence use, create and store assessment materials.'

e-portfolio pioneers

Earlier in the year, Learning Assistant, a user-friendly e-portfolio and e-assessment solution for training centres delivering Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs), which SQA has endorsed, ran a competition asking assessors using the technology to nominate the learner they felt had benefitted most from the use of the e-portfolio.

The response was tremendous. Two of the winning pioneers from Scottish colleges were a student at Angus College doing Business and Administration at SVQ Level 2 and a student from Shetland College doing Childcare Learning and Development at SVQ Level 2.

Scottish Social Services Learning Networks

The Scottish Social Services Learning Networks support the workforce learning and development of the Social Services Sector.

They work to enable partnerships, to share knowledge and experience, and to facilitate sharing of resources across the social services sector. In order to meet the ongoing learning and development needs of the sector, the Learning Networks act as a catalyst for change.

Each Learning Network provides an effective forum to enable workforce learning and development to better meet the needs of service users and carers.

For further information please visit their web site at  www.learningnetworks.org.uk

Register of Exercise Professionals

We are delighted to announce that the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) has now recognised SQA qualifications in Fitness. When candidates complete a Higher National Certificate in Fitness and Exercise they will receive entry to REPs Level 2.  When candidates complete a National Progression Award in Fitness they will receive entry to REPs level 1. The existing Scottish Vocational Qualification level 2 in Instructing Exercise and Fitness gives entry to REPs level 2.

SQA Qualifications Manager, Paul Gallacher, said that 'This process will enable the sport industry to give recognition to our candidates wherever they choose to work in Scotland, the UK and Europe.  It certainly shows the quality of these SQA Fitness awards while giving SQA a competitive edge.'

The Register is a system of self-regulation for all instructors, coaches, trainers and teachers involved in the exercise and fitness industry. The Register creates a framework within which individual instructors can achieve the highest standards of professionalism, linked to best practice in the exercise and fitness industry. Registration is achieved and maintained through the gaining of qualifications and training which are nationally recognised and which are linked to the National Occupational Standards for exercise and fitness.

The Register independently demonstrates that fitness professionals are competent and qualified to do their job. It is a central feature of the professionalism of the industry that is essential to giving customers, users, the public and partners in the medical professions, the necessary level of confidence in the quality of services provided by fitness professionals.

Registration signifies that an exercise and fitness professional has met certain standards of good practice. The Register encourages a properly qualified base of exercise professionals who:

• have gained recognised and approved qualifications
• can demonstrate competence in their working environment
• are committed to Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• have appropriate public liability insurance for the level at which they are working
• demonstrate commitment to the industry Code of Ethical Practice

Jean Ann Marnoch, the Registrar for REPs stated, 'I am delighted that SQA qualifications are mapping to the register and that Scottish students will benefit from the dedicated efforts of SQA staff who have made this possible.'

Scotland's Colleges Annual Awards - Nominate Today!!

We are delighted to be sponsoring the 2009 Scotland's Colleges Annual Awards in November. We are sponsoring the 'Professional Learning and Enhancement' Award.

Celebrating their tenth year, these Awards are open to all of Scotland's 43 colleges and are a great opportunity to recognise the effort made by colleges to improve the learner experience.

The awards ceremony will follow Scotland's Colleges Next Practice and Innovation Conference on Tuesday 24 November. The aim of the conference is to revisit the fundamental values of the college sector through the positive contributions that colleges make to two key aspects: community development and economic growth.




The award categories are:

• Student Learning - looking for successful staff contributions in a student's (or group of students') experience at college or a learning centre
• Professional Learning and Enhancement - looking for ways in which a college has used creative and innovative approaches to the development of its staff which has led to a significant difference to the quality of college services
• Partnership Working - looking for ways in which a college or colleges have worked in partnership with other organisations to make a difference to enterprise, economic, community or workforce development
• Customer Service - demonstrate achievement of high standards of customer service to individuals and/or organisations that interact within the college and college community
• Promoting Equality and Diversity -  looking for ways in which a college has promoted diversity well beyond the requirements of equalities legislation in securing a culture in which difference is understood and respected
• International Activity - demonstrate ways in which the college has responded to the increasing significance of the international agenda

The closing date for entries is Friday 9 October.

Nominate Today!!

2009 Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards - Nominate Today!!

SQA are delighted to be the sponsor of the 2009 Modern Apprenticeship Awards.

Apprentices, learning providers, colleges and employers have contributed significantly to the development of the Modern Apprenticeship programme in Scotland. The 2009 Awards will showcase those who have, through their involvement in Modern Apprenticeships, demonstrated initiative, enterprise and outstanding commitment to the improvement of skills development for the Scottish economy.

Now in their 8th year, the Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards are a celebration of the high standards being reached by many employees, employers and learning providers involved in Modern Apprenticeships.

This year's ceremony will take place on Wednesday 9 December 2009 at the Radisson Hotel Glasgow. This will be a glittering occasion where each finalist will be a VIP guest and each winner will receive a specially designed awards trophy. The Awards will be profiled in national and local press and promoted through Skills Development Scotland.
 
Nominations are now open in the nine award categories:

• Apprentice of the Year - Traditional sector - aged 16-19
• Apprentice of the Year - Traditional sector - aged 20 or over
• Apprentice of the Year - Non Traditional sector - aged 16-19
• Apprentice of the Year - Non Traditional sector - aged 20 or over
• Small Employers - less than 50 employees
• Medium Employers - between 50 and 249 employees
• Large Employers - over 250 employees
• Partnership
• Learning Provider

Nominate Today!!

More Choices, More Chances

Recently we have been working alongside a range of learning providers to produce case studies highlighting activities being undertaken in the context of More Choices, More Chances. All the case studies are based around the assessment and flexible delivery of SQA qualifications covering a broad range of learning and vocational areas. To help  demonstrate partnership approaches not all of the learning providers are SQA centres, those who are not are working in partnership with schools, colleges, training providers or voluntary sector organisations. You can find all the case studies on the More Choices, More Chances webpages with more being developed over the coming months.

Alongside this work we have also undertaken work to identify a number of qualifications that can be used to support and complement the broad range of programmes designed to increase learner choice and opportunity. This will help signpost centres to existing qualifications. It is also anticipated that the qualifications identified will help to increase the range of choice and opportunity available to young people through the delivery of 16+ Learning Choices. We will continue to add qualifications to the list but in the meantime you can find the current list on the More Choices, More Chances webpages.

When you visit the More Choices, More Chances webpages you will also notice a link to the newly launched employability Awards at SCQF Level 3 and 4 which are designed to prepare candidates to enter the world of work.

Celebrating Homecoming - Scotland and Me

Our final event to celebrate Scotland's Homecoming Year 2009 will be our spectacular Scotland and Me - A Celebration.

Scotland and Me Competition - Finalists
Judging has been ongoing over the summer and we are pleased to announce that the finalists are:

• Tina Lin from Hutchesons' Grammar School
• Karen McCafferty from Glasgow College of Nautical Studies
• Scott Mackay from Stow College

The competition winner will be announced on Friday 30 October at the star awards ceremony. The entries from the three finalists will be showcased at our Scotland and Me celebration event in Glasgow on 23 November at the Radisson Hotel, Argyle Street, Glasgow between 1pm-5pm.

This is a drop-in event so you can come for as long as you want.

SQA qualifications that support Scottish life and culture will be featured along with some of the magnificent entries received for our Scotland and Me creative competition.

An exhibition space will host the best entries received for the competition. These will be displayed in five themed areas reflecting the Homecoming theme of Robert Burns, Great Scottish Minds and Innovations, Ancestry, Golf and Whisky. The winning competition entry will be on display too!

In the performance space dance, music, poetry and fashion will be delivered by some of Scotland's hottest young talent (Admission to performance events will be strictly on a first come basis on the day).

Our staff will be on hand to showcase a range of SQA qualifications from across all curriculum areas that support Scottish life, culture and society. This will include Gaelic, rural skills, design and Higher National qualifications.

Details of performance times and students being featured in the exhibition space will be available online from early November - please check back for details.

Admission to this spectacular event is free of charge. Admission tickets will be available to download from this site soon, so please keep checking this website regularly.

Come along and be inspired!

Find out more

star awards 2009

Our annual star awards are a unique way to celebrate the success, triumph, achievement and recognition of the best in Scottish education and training and it will not be long now until the winners for 2009 are announced. The ceremony takes place at the end of October in Edinburgh.

Many thanks to all of those you nominated an individual or an organisation for one of these prestigious awards. Once again we received a tremendous number of nominations from across Scotland. The judges had a difficult job to select the finalists in each category. Details of the finalists are available on our star webpages.

Our star awards ceremony is also an opportunity to present our premier award, The Fellowship of SQA, to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to education and training in Scotland. This year we are delighted to announce that the Fellowship will go to Dr Judith McClure and Judith Gillespie.

Find out more about the star awards

British Nutrition Foundation conference

Our Hospitality Qualifications Development Team recently attended the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) conference at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.
 
These annual conferences are an opportunity for teachers to learn about our work and that of the BNF, Food Standards Agency and Learning and Teaching Scotland. The conference was attended by more than 300 teachers, mainly secondary Home Economics teachers but also some from primary schools, Universities and Colleges.

The patron of the BNF is Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, KG GCVO, and she took time out from her stay in Scotland to make the opening address to the delegates.  HRH Princess Royal talked about the need to educate youngsters, both in theory and in practice and about food - start when young and give them the knowledge needed to make informed choices regarding their diet.

According to Stephanie Valentine, Deputy Director General of the British Nutrition Foundation, 'There is some really terrific work going on in Home Economics lessons around Scotland.  We don't hear nearly enough about it!  These conferences provide a professional update for teachers dedicated enough to give up their time.  Teachers are a vital resource, but I feel confident that they will leave refreshed and inspired to make sure that all their teaching reflects current, accurate nutrition information.'

The BNF was established over 40 years ago and has developed a reputation for delivering objective, evidence-based information on food and nutrition in the context of health and lifestyle.

Find out more about our Home Economics qualifications

Global Ambitions: Scotland's International Future

We were delighted to support the Scottish Council for Development and Industry's Global Ambitions Conference at the beginning of the month. Improving Scotland's international performance and integrating our international activity will be key to growing our economy in the future.

This working event will examine Scotland's current position in the global community, share and exchange best practice in international trade and business development and provide practical, experienced based information and support to help Scottish businesses grow their international trade business.

As well as a having the opportunity to learn from a range of expert speakers, the conference will provide the opportunity to network with over 200 business delegates from a range of sectors of the Scottish economy.

There were excellent contributions from both the expert panel of speakers and delegates on how to maximise Scotland's international potential.  International Growth will continue to be a key priority for SCDI going forward and we will work with key partners across all sectors throughout Scotland to deliver on our ambitions.

Find out more

Rescue on the Clyde

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue recently hosted this year's 'Rescue on the Clyde' event, which included the Chief Fire Officers Association Conference and a Community Safety Exhibition, where visitors interacted with partner agencies to develop knowledge and awareness and receive advice and support. SQA attended this as an exhibitor.

The event included the themes of home safety, personal safety, money management, health promotion and road safety with a central focus on community fire safety. Community fire safety activities at the event included,

• Fire prevention theatre education plays
• Vintage Fire Appliances
• Fire fighter uniforms from throughout the times display 
• Interactive Safe/hazard house and competition 
• Active Learning Fire Appliance with interactive driving demonstration 
• Community Safety Advocates
• Opportunity to find out more about Home Fire Safety Visits 
• Education and advice on community fire safety

Find out more about our qualifications in community safety

Annual Review 2008-09

Our Annual Review 2008-09 is now available, highlighting some of our work over the last year. It has been a successful year for SQA thanks to the efforts of our staff, our partner organisations and the many education and training professionals throughout Scotland.

Read the review

Ministerial Approval of our new Corporate Plan 2009-12

Our Corporate Plan for 2009-12, developed to support the Scottish Government's National Outcomes, has recently received Ministerial approval.

Our Plan sets out our strategic direction for the next three years. Our corporate goals reflect our commitment to support the Scottish Government's Economic Strategy by the effective and efficient delivery of  qualifications and services that meet the changing needs of the Scottish economy and Scotland's learners.

Find out more (58 KB)

Updated SCQF Ready Reckoner

Our interactive Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) ready reckoner has recently been updated to include the new Scottish Baccalaureates and our Professional Development Awards. You can use the reckoner to check where SQA qualifications sit in the SCQF and access further information on each qualification type, as well as information specific to qualifications at each level.

Find out more

Bright Red Past Papers

Everyone wanting to do well in their exams remembers using Past Papers to help them practise! The candidates of 2010 and beyond will be using Official Past Papers published by Bright Red Publishing Ltd, an independent educational publisher selected by SQA to deliver the Papers to Scotland's students.

The Edinburgh-based company has been working with SQA and its examining teams throughout the summer to prepare the 77 different subject volumes for publication in September. 'We'd like to thank everyone at SQA who has supported us in ensuring the Past Papers are available in time to help students prepare well for exam success,' says Alan Grierson of Bright Red Publishing, who has managed the project from the outset. 'National Qualifications are a vital measure of the attainment of young Scots, and we are proud to be helping them achieve their potential.'

The Past Papers will be printed in Scotland on FSC paper and will be under full Scottish stewardship for the first time in many years.

For details of the 77 National Qualification subjects covered in the Official Past Paper range, please visit www.brightredpublishing.co.uk or www.sqa.org.uk