ESB NEWS MAY EDITION 2023

ESB’s impact is recognised in the Chartered College of Teaching Journal

ESB is thrilled to have an article published in this month’s 18th online edition of the Chartered College of Teaching's peer-reviewed journal, 'Impact' .

Highlighting the impact of its external, employability-focused oracy assessments on Key Stage 3 learners, the article can be accessed below.

‘ A unique opportunity in the curriculum for students to have genuine agency over their choices and outcome’: A study of the impact on learners of employability focused, externally assessed Level 1 and Level 2 speaking and listening qualifications.

( Please note, in order to access the full article, you will need to be a member of the Chartered College of Teaching or please contact business@esbuk.org for a copy).

The published article is based on data collated from three of our secondary schools who face disadvantage and who have benefitted from the support of ESB’s Christabel Burniston Fund. This data forms the basis of ESB’s recently launched 2021-2022 National Impact Report. More detailed information on the Report can be found on Page 10.

Abstract from the article ….

This study investigates the impact of preparing for an external, employability-focused oracy assessment on a cohort of learners in Key Stage 3. A total of 561 learners in three secondary schools in England prepared for a Speech for Employability pathway in a Level 1 or Level 2 ESB Award in Speech in 2021-22 and data was collected from learners and teachers to measure the impact of the assessment preparation and process. After quantitative and thematic analysis, data from this cohort showed that the most impactful aspects of this focus on oracy for employability were the agency given to learners through their preparation and topic choices, and the importance of having ‘real-world’ experiences to build employability skills through externally assessed qualifications.

Written by: ESB's Product Developer, Lauren Kearney and Product Development Manager, Anthea Wilson

Says Tina, “We are thrilled to have our work recognised in such a prestigious journal, using data from our 2021-22 National Impact Report to demonstrate the impact to learners of schools investing in ESB qualifications that focus on oracy . "We wanted to add to the growing National Research Base about the impact of focusing on speaking and listening skills, particularly in ESB’s case, through a form of assessment that provides a confidence-boosting accredited qualification.”

8