Ofqual has published its Corporate Plan, which sets out the organisation’s goals and objectives for the next three years.
The plan will cover the period 2016-19 and builds on work undertaken over the past 12 months. It focuses on the maintenance of assessment standards, reform in both general and other qualifications and effective use of the organisation’s resources.
Commenting on the publication, Amanda Spielman, Ofqual’s chair and interim chief regulator, said: “The context for qualifications always has to be considered carefully; qualifications are the mirror of education, not the education itself. We set our objectives in the light of feedback about how formal assessments influence education.
“For many people the most visible aspect of our work in 2016 will be the continuing focus on general qualification reform: accreditation of new qualifications and also decisions about changes to exam reviews and appeals; and about how exam boards will set GCSE grades 9-1.
“This plan shows that there is in fact a great deal more going on. We continue to hold awarding organisations to account for the validity of their qualifications, and to take action where we find problems. We continue to work on ways of improving fairness and increasing transparency.”
The government has confirmed that they will not be extending their Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) grants, after five years of allocating money to public sector buildings, such as schools, to replace inefficient heating systems.
Scotland has seen an increase in the number of young people in work, training or further study nine months after they have left school, at 93.1 per cent in 2023-24.
The Scottish government have expanded their childcare provision through several projects backed by Access to Childcare Funding, which will see almost £1.5 million distributed across seven initiatives over the next two years.