Tuesday, 3 May 2011

Useful Dates for Summer Assessment Window

Some useful dates for ICT exams and coursework in the coming assessment window...

GCSE ICT : A reminder that the deadline for the submission of centre marks and the receipt of coursework is the May 15th 2011. The date of the unit 1 exam is Monday 13th June. The date of the unit 3 exam is Thursday 16th June.


IGCSE ICT : The secure data files for 4IT0/02 will be available to download from the IGCSE ICT pages from the 10th May. The date of the 4IT0/01 exam is Thursday 16th June. The 4IT0/02 one week examination window begins on Monday 20th June.

GCE Applied ICT : 23rd May is the start of the examination windows for 6953, 6957 and 6959. 6953 - Unit 3 The Knowledge Worker has a 5 day window ending on 27th May. 6957 - Unit 7 Using Database Software has a 4 week window ending on 17th June. 6959 - Unit 9 Communications and Networks has a 4 week window ending on 17th June. The deadline for the submission of centre marks and the receipt of coursework unit samples is the May 15th 2011.

DiDA : The deadline for the submission of centre marks and the receipt of coursework for D101, D201, D102 and D202 (unaccredited units) is May 15th 2011. The deadline for the remaining units (and all OSCA-accredited units) is the June 15th.

Thursday, 7 April 2011

GCE Applied ICT

Quick reminder of the details of this summers exam series for 6953, 6957 and 6959.

Pre Release and Practice Data Files

The Practice Data Files for 6959 May 2011 are now available to download. The Pre Release Scenario for 6953, 6957 and 6959 are also available to download from the GCE Applied ICT web pages. You will find this material by navigating to the "Assessment Materials" category and refining your search to "Pre Release Material Summer 2011". You might find it useful to provide your students with this information to digest over the Easter holidays.

Live Data Files

The Live Data Files for 6953 and 6957 will be available to download from the GCE Applied ICT website from the 27th April.

Exam Dates

23rd May is the start of the examination windows 6953, 6957 and 6959.

6953 - Unit 3 The Knowledge Worker has a 5 day window ending on 27th May.
6957 - Unit 7 Using Database Software has a 4 week window ending on 17th June.
6959 - Unit 9 Communications and Networks has a 4 week window ending on 17th June.

I can confirm that due to this years half term dates the window for 6957 and 6959 has been extended to 4 weeks. Remember to read the ICE Document and to notify us of your schedule before the 22nd April.

GCE Applied ICT Accreditation

I have had some recent enquires about the availability of GCE Applied ICT. I can confirm that this course is accredited until 2013. This means that the last certification will be in the Summer of 2014. Any centres offering GCE Applied ICT can recruit students on a two year program in September 2011 and September 2012. We are currently considering options for A Level ICT and I will provide you with further updates on this as they become available.

Thursday, 10 March 2011

ICT in the News

You might also be interested in the monthly ICT in the News updates that I post on the Edexcel ICT Subject Page. The purpose of these updates is to support your delivery of our ICT qualifications by providing access to a collection of ICT news stories in one place. You can access this month's useful news stories in the March edition of the update. Remember to check back as the the content is updated as more interesting stories become available. You can also access older updates from the ICT Subject Update archive. You can also access interesting news stories by following me on Twitter @ICTSubAdvisor or by joining our GCSE ICT Facebook group.

Wednesday, 2 February 2011

Edexcel Functional Skills ICT - March Window

If you are preparing students to sit Functional Skills ICT in the March window, the following dates are relevant...

Functional Skills ICT - March 2011 Window

Entry Deadline - 25/02/2011
Test Week - 21/03/2011 to 25/03/2011
Results Issued - 29/04/2011

Those of you intending to sit the exam in an upcoming window might find the following Instructions for the Conduct of Examinations (ICE Document) useful.

We have a series of free resources available to support your delivery of Functional Skills ICT. This scheme of work includes skill-building activities and useful hints and tips - to help your students succeed in the test. You can view and download this content on the Functional ICT pages.

Friday, 28 January 2011

Edexcel GCSE ICT 2010 - More Tea Time Briefings!

GCSE ICT 2010 - New tea time briefings announced.

Im pleased to report two more Tea Time Briefings to support your delivery of the GCSE ICT 2010. These free, online meetings are designed to support your delivery of the Unit 2 controlled assessment.

"Giving Good Test Buddy Feedback" and "Making the most of End-of-activity Reviews" can be booked now and details can be found on the Edexcel ICT Subject Page and on the Facebook group. These sessions may fill up fast so take some time to consider the content and book your place soon.

The Facebook group is an excellent way to find out about these events as they are announced and also to contact other teachers delivering the same course. Please take some time to join the group today.

Friday, 26 November 2010

GCSE ICT 2010 Tea Time Briefings

Tea time briefings are short online sessions that help us to offer solutions to common issues. We provide free online sessions just after school where you can sit with a cup of coffee and watch and listen to help inform your delivery.

We have just released details of two more Tea Time briefings. These free, online events have proved very popular so far. They give you the opportunity to sit down with a cup of coffee and take in some useful information to aid your delivery of the new GCSE. The next two sessions are entitled...

GCSE ICT 10 - Making Movies. A beginners guide to creating small projects using Windows Movie Maker, to support your creation of a "Movie" as part of the Unit 2 controlled assessment.

GCSE ICT 10 - What about the Admin? Your guide to the administrative processes vital to the smooth delivery of the new GCSE ICT 2010. Covering topics such as entries, single resit rule, terminal assessment rule and controlled assessment.

This events have just been confirmed and further details and instructions on how to book will appear on the "What's On" section of our ICT Homepage in the next few hours.

Monday, 8 November 2010

Another BTEC Update!

BTEC IT Users (ITQ)

The following training events are taking place this month for centres delivering the BTEC IT Users (ITQ).

25/11/2010 - Get Ready to Teach BTEC IT Users (ITQ) Level 2 - Online Event - Ref 10ONQ01/01
30/11/2010 - Get Ready to Teach BTEC IT Users (ITQ) Level 2 - Online Event - Ref 10ONQ01/02

To book a place on these events please contact the team on 0844 576 0027.

BTEC Lead Internal Verifiers (LIV)

The process of accreditation for LIVs is well under way but I thought I would take this opportunity to remind you of how the process works. This is of particular interest to centres new to BTECs.

Guide to BTEC LIV Accreditation

BTEC Parents Guide

Parents play a major role in guiding young students’ choices when they leave school. This guide has been produced to provide parents with the information they need on BTEC qualifications. This BTEC Parents Guide may help when discussing the vocational pathway with the parents of your learners.

Friday, 22 October 2010

BTEC Update

Level 2 BTEC First in IT Published Resources
The First in IT Student Book publishes next week and covers 16 units, including the new Unit 1 & 2. You can order an evaluation copy and access the sample chapters on the BTEC Level 2 resource pages. You can also access sample content from the Teaching Resource Pack before it's publication in December.

Level 2 & 3 BTEC IT (QCF) LIV Accreditation
The first Accreditation Window is open with the online induction now available. The Preparation and Practice activity will be available on Monday [October 25th] and the formal assessed exercise will be available between November 15th and December 3rd.
To get started, please ensure that you have the appropriate access to Edexcel Online and register on OSCA2 against the sectors and programmes for which you are responsible.
If you are new to BTEC and feel that you might prefer to attend a face-to-face Lead IV induction session, then please get in touch and I will see if anything is being organised in your region.
You can read more about the timelines on the ICT Community Pages.

Thursday, 2 September 2010

Back to School!

If you are reading this then your summer holidays are over and it's back to work.
If so I hope you enjoyed the break and I look forward to working with you this year.

I'd like to kick off the academic year with some excellent news for schools delivering DiDA.
The DiDA 2010 SPBs are now available to download from the DiDA website.

Thanks to all your queries about the release date being in October and a lot of badgering from me, we have been able to move the publication forward. You can start delivering the new SPBs with your new cohort immediately.

As usual you can get me on ICTSubjectAdvisor@EdexcelExperts.co.uk if you have any thoughts or questions.

Gareth

Monday, 12 July 2010

Edexcel Functional ICT, 5 day window accredited!

I am pleased to announce that our Functional Skills ICT qualification has been accredited at all levels from September 2010. One very welcome aspect is the inclusion of our 5 day assessment windows available at four oppertunities throughout the academic year. This affords you the flexibility to allow your learners to sit the assessment anytime between Monday morning and Friday afternoon. The assessment windows for Functional ICT will be available in; November, January, March and June.

You can read more about Functional ICT and view the accredited specification and Sample Assessment Materials on our Functional ICT pages