Ofqual’s statutory objectives

3.1The Act gives us five objectives. They are:

The qualifications standards objective

3.2The qualifications standards objective is to secure that regulated qualifications:

  1. give a reliable indication of knowledge, skills and understanding, and
  2. indicate a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable regulated qualifications.

3.3We intend, when pursuing the standards objective, to apply to regulated qualifications the same range of principles that we will apply to national curriculum assessments:

  • validity
  • reliability
  • comparability
  • manageability
  • minimising bias.

These terms are defined in Annexe B.

The assessment standards objective

3.4The assessment standards objective is to promote the development and implementation of regulated assessment arrangements5 which –

  1. give a reliable indication of achievement, and
  2. indicate a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable assessments.

The public confidence objective

3.5The public confidence objective is to promote public confidence in regulated qualifications and regulated assessment arrangements.

The awareness objective

3.6The awareness objective is to promote awareness and understanding of:

  1. the range of regulated qualifications available,
  2. the benefits of regulated qualifications to learners, employers and institutions within the higher education sector, and
  3. the benefits of recognition to bodies awarding or authenticating qualifications.

The efficiency objective

3.7The efficiency objective is to secure that regulated qualifications are provided efficiently and in particular that any relevant sums payable to a body awarding or authenticating a qualification in respect of which the body is recognised represent value for money.

  1. This relates to statutory national curriculum and EYFS assessments [↩]

RSS feed of comments One Response to “Ofqual’s statutory objectives”

  1. Leonie Allister says:
    February 17, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    I think it is essential that any framework for recognition of qualifications in public/private sector workplace should have exceptions and be used as a guideline only. I give my own experience as an example. I have been working in the field of graphic design and media for over 20 years and would now like to change my career to become a teacher, a job that I think would be extremely rewarding. I also believe I would be a great teacher. However, in 1985 I passed a HND course in Graphic Design (having also done O levels, A levels and a foundation course). Sadly because a HND does not equate to a Degree I cannot access PGCE/teacher training. I order to apply for a PGCE I would need to complete a ‘top-up’ year on a degree course related to my HND. Of course this would be a ridiculous waste of my time as I am likely to know infinitely more than most degree course tutors in my field because I have 20+ years of experience, skills and knowledge and have run my own very successful design company for almost 20 years. Hence I am barred from becoming a teacher which is disappointing for me and also a missed chance for the pupils who would benefit from my knowledge and experience and my energy and enthusiasm for wanting to teach.
    I understand there needs to be guidance on requirements for entering the profession at a particular time but it seems a shame to lose some fantastic teachers because the required qualifications are so rigid. Equally there are teachers who are be ‘qualified’ on paper but who have questionable teaching skills… I have certainly had experience of that scenario.
    So you need to have some flexibility in your qualification requirements to take into account skills and experience gained over time and through other areas (like volunteering/governance etc).

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