ESB News - Autumn-Winter 2021 v7

Message from our Chief Executive

CEO

ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw welcomes you to our Autumn/Winter edition of ESB News

As we progress into the 2021-22 academic year, I’m delighted to welcome you to this Autumn/Winter edition of ESB News. Following your well-deserved summer break, we wanted to get back in touch to tell you about our plans for the coming months. Firstly, I wanted to update you on our position for face to face assessing for all our Skills for Life and Speech qualifications occurring in the UK. It is our intention that for the academic year 21-22, face to face assessing will return for all these speaking and listening assessments. However, should public health guidance change, or a local situation emerge ESB will be able to consider using adapted assessments again (remote assessing) as Ofqual has allowed us to adapt in this way, if necessary. Secondly, regarding our position for assessing our Speech qualifications occurring internationally, it is our intention that adapted assessments (remote synchronous assessing) will be the primary method of assessing for these qualifications. Ofqual has allowed us to continue to adapt in this way, which is still necessary given the challenges of international travel. Remote synchronous assessing will continue to be offered to you at the prices advertised on our website for the UK based learners. We hope, of course, to be able to offer face to face assessing as well once the situation changes and for this, we will use the advertised speech international booking and pricing structure. However, for the meantime it is remote assessing only. Thirdly, we are excited to remind you about our 70/70 Campaign which aims to reach learners facing disadvantage due to socio-economic factors, disability and migration status. You can read about how our campaign has already supported learners from the Rainbow Education Multi-Academy Trust and there is also news about the work we are doing for our learners

with special educational needs and disabilities to make sure that our speech portfolio really allows these disadvantaged learners to achieve their potential which is central to what we do here at ESB. This edition will also highlight new opportunities that we can provide for your ESOL Skills for Life learners to enable them to further develop their English Language skills through our ESOL International portfolio of qualifications. Please see if any of these qualifications will suit your learners. In recognition of the challenges many schools and centres have been facing over the past 18 months, we have taken the positive step of reducing our minimum booking fee for centres wishing to enrol their learners for Primary Age Speech and Group Speaking assessments. At ESB, we really appreciate the loyalty of our centres, so this is our way of giving something back. You will also be able to read two stories from friends of ESB, who met our Founder, Christabel Burniston, at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. These two stories highlight just how ESB’s reach continues to have a positive impact on its learners. We do hope that you will enjoy reading this ESB News and feel that it keeps you up to date with what’s happening. We would love to hear from you about anything you would like to see, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. On behalf of all the team, we hope you have a really good and successful Autumn/Winter term. Best wishes, Tina

In Memory of ESB Friend, Patsy Musto

It was with great sadness that ESB recently learnt of the passing of ESB ambassador Patsy Musto. Our condolences go to her family and friends.

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