CEA case study - Matthew Yeo

Dr Matthew Yeo is Head of History and Head of Bedales Assessed Courses at Bedales School.

I work at Bedales, a fiercely independent boarding school in Hampshire; the school has a long tradition of thinking radically about its teaching and learning, including designing and awarding its own qualifications at GCSE equivalent, known as the Bedales Assessed Courses. Alongside BACs in History, Geography and English Literature, students can undertake qualifications in Outdoor Work (animal husbandry, country crafts and artisan skills) and in Global Awareness. I have been the Head of BACs (as well as Head of History) for the last four years, charged with ensuring rigour, distinctiveness and intellectual defensibility across the 14-16 curriculum.

I wanted a professional development course that gave me an intellectual and practical insight into the wider issues surrounding assessment design and award, and in tying assessment to classroom practice. I came across the CIEA by accident when I was looking for some guidance about statistical modelling for examinations, and Ali McCree suggested that I might be interested in the CEA. I’m very grateful to the CIEA for the course, and to my school for supporting it financially. I’m therefore a very proud FCIEA, and look forward to advocating for the highest standards of assessment.

The CEA course, with its mix of teachers, examiners and people from the boards, provided a really broad and refreshing opportunity to discuss assessment in detail. Assessment design and planning needs time to think about it; a two-day course provided such a chance with thoughtful colleagues.

Both the online and the face to face aspects of the course were great; the online stuff is always easy to do from the comfort of your own home, but the face-to-face stuff was really powerful. As a teacher, one usually goes on courses with other teachers from within your field or sector. The CEA course, with its mix of teachers, examiners and people from the boards, provided a really broad and refreshing opportunity to discuss assessment in detail. Assessment design and planning needs time to think about it; a two-day course provided such a chance with thoughtful colleagues.

I really enjoyed undertaking the case study and portfolio, which was on the introduction of timed terminal assessments in our BAC courses, which had historically been assessed almost entirely by coursework. It was clear that the BACs were not preparing students effectively for the new challenges of A Level exams, with their emphasis on terminal exams in Year 13. How we might introduce timed terminal assessment without vitiating the BACs in their ethos and as qualifications was a challenging enterprise, but I thoroughly enjoyed reflecting on it.

My favourite part of the course was the face-to face training in Bath; two days talking assessment with people in a variety of roles is a genuinely challenging and enjoyable experience – and, in my case, a good opportunity to reflect on how I use assessment for learning in my professional practice.

The course impacted on my practice as it has had a real effect in my ability to troubleshoot problems in the assessment of the BACs, and in making assessment work more effectively within lessons and for our students as they face up to the challenges of A Level. It’s given me a confidence to carry out statistical analysis of student performance – and in predicting it – and that’s proved invaluable when managing the transition to 9-1 grades from letters.

I would definitely advise others to embark on CEA training as it provides a genuine confidence in one’s work in assessment, and provides real opportunities for development and reflection. As the market for qualifications diversifies, it’s really important that schools and teachers have the critical toolkit to make judgements about assessment planning and awarding. I thoroughly recommend it!

I would definitely advise others to embark on CEA training as it provides a genuine confidence in one’s work in assessment, and provides real opportunities for development and reflection. As the market for qualifications diversifies, it’s really important that schools and teachers have the critical toolkit to make judgements about assessment planning and awarding.