The Qualifications and Credit Framework

The ISTD move to a new government qualifications framework

The ISTD is planning to move its qualifications into a new government framework for England, which links with those in Wales and Northern Ireland, during 2010 – the Qualifications and Credit Framework, known as the QCF.

What is it?
The QCF is the new government framework that sets out how all regulated vocational qualifications are structured, titled and quality assured. It is replacing the existing National Qualifications Framework across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which is set to close for registrations for vocational qualifications at the end of 2010. The QCF is already up and running. All current ISTD accredited qualifications will be moved across to keep them all in one system, especially as the Grades underpin the vocational work.

At present, it can be hard for parents and employers to understand all the different types of qualifications (regardless of subject) that learners hold – what level they are, how long they take to complete, what content they cover, and how they compare to other qualifications. The new framework will help present qualifications in a way that is easy to understand and measure.

The new framework is made up of units, which are linked together with rules of combination, to make qualifications.

Credit and level
Every unit and qualification in the framework will have a credit value (one credit represents 10 learning hours, showing how much time it takes to complete) and a level between Entry level and level 8 (showing how difficult it is).

There are three sizes of qualifications in the QCF:
• Awards (1 to 12 credits)
• Certificates (13 to 36 credits)
• Diplomas (37 credits or more).
So in the new framework you can have an award at level 1 or an award at level 8.

This is because the qualification type 'award, certificate, diploma' represents the size of a qualification, not how difficult it is.

Above: A table illustrating the QCF qualification credit and level scoring

Each qualification title will contain the following:
• the level of the qualification (from Entry level at the bottom to level 8 at the top);
• the size of qualification (award/certificate/diploma);
• details indicating the content of the qualification.

Simply by looking at the title of a qualification you will be able to see how difficult it is, how long it will take the average learner to complete, and its general content. To understand the level of difficulty of the units and qualifications in the new framework it might be helpful to know that GCSEs (grade A*– C) are level 2, GCE A levels are level 3 and a PhD is a level 8. These are exactly the same levels as the existing National Qualifications Framework.

Rules of combination
Under the QCF framework, qualifications can be made up of a combination of mandatory and optional units.

The credit and units required to complete a qualification are set out by the rules of combination. These 'rules' are agreed in close consultation with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and by the awarding organisation that will offer qualifications. For dance the SSC is Creative and Cultural Skills and they have supported this move by the ISTD with the regulator Ofqual. We will be working with Creative and Cultural Skills on future development of any qualifications to gain their support.

Depending on the rules of combination, QCF qualifications can be made up of units from different levels, and the level of the majority then determines the level of the qualification.

What does all this mean for ISTD qualifications?
The dance content of the syllabi and the examinations formats will not change. Technically, the ISTD Graded and Vocational Graded Examinations in Dance are single unit qualifications, in that they are all about dance performance, examined at one point, by one examiner.

However, we have taken the opportunity to look at the levels of the Vocational Grades, and so, after comparison exercises we have agreed with the other dance awarding bodies who have similar qualifications, that we are all moving Intermediate Vocational Graded Examinations in Dance to Level 3, and the Advanced 1 and Advanced 2 to Level 4. Intermediate Foundation remains at Level 2. This reflects the real demand on the candidates, and will be helpful in our negotiations with UCAS.

At the same time, we will be changing the description of the results awarding for all Grades and Vocational Grades as part of the resubmission for all these on to the QCF. The results will still be indicated line by line on the report sheet by number as now, in sections, but the final result will be shown as Distinction, Merit or Pass, equivalent to exactly the same marking bands as A, B or C respectively. This will all be explained on the back of the report sheet. We are sure many of our teachers, both in the UK and internationally, will be happy with this change.

In addition, to meet the requirements of the QCF, we have to indicate the level and the size of the qualifications in the title, so the wording on the certificate will be a little longer. For example a Grade1 Modern Theatre, which is currently shown as ‘Foundation Graded Examination in Dance – grade 1: Modern Theatre, will now be shown as ‘Level 1 Award in Graded Examination in Dance: Grade1 Modern Theatre’. We appreciate its wording is longer, but this is a condition of the QCF, which will apply to all the approved dance awarding bodies in exactly the same format. We will still refer to them in the same way as we have done in the past on our application forms and so on.

While this transition is taking place, our qualifications accreditation on the current NQF has been extended to the end of December 2010. We also expect at this moment to move the Foundation in Dance Instruction and the Certificate in Dance Education across during the year. The exact date of changeover for all qualifications is not yet clear, but we will inform you via the website and in the next edition of DANCE.

In practical terms, it will make no difference to you or your candidates in their studies. However, we hope you will like the small change we have made to the description of our results.

Bigger news is that as a consequence, we are changing the design of ISTD certificates to meet the need for new wording and more space as well as a prevention against reproduction. We will be introducing these as we move to the QCF. You can read more about our new certificates below.

Safe Certification

New, more secure ISTD certificates

We all value our certificates and take pride in the talent and effort that went into gaining our awards. The ISTD understands the particular value that our Members and their students place in their ISTD certificates.

Unfortunately, with rapid advances in technology, it is now much easier for unscrupulous individuals to attempt to illegally reproduce or alter these official documents. We have been reviewing the security of our certificates in an effort to prevent such malpractice and to also improve the design and quality of our secure documents.

We are implementing a new system that will ensure both the paper stock of the certificates and the way in which they are printed will vastly reduce the possibility of malpractice and provide a full audit trail. This not only guarantees the integrity of an ISTD certificate, but also maintains the value of our qualifications and training.

Above: An example of the new, more secure, certificates

The new certificates incorporate a recommended range of advanced security features, including a number of overt features that provide immediate protection against fraud, and covert features that give further detailed protection. Some of the overt features include: watermarked security certificate paper; a heat reactive spot that allows for instant certificate certification; hologram overprinted with the ISTD colours and logo to prevent hologram tampering; and a unique security design created with high level banknote graphic software that increases the protection against counterfeiting. These features not only improve the security of our certificates, but have also allowed us to highlight the ISTD logo and brand within an elegant new design.

We believe our new certificates will better reflect the time and resources invested by our Members and your students in working towards and gaining ISTD qualifications and deliver a genuine increase in both their quality and security.

Cynthia Pease