GCSE (from 2010)English - J350

Controlled assessment is coursework in a supervised environment or classroom and will be replacing traditional coursework in English GCSEs from September 2010 under different levels of control. Controlled assessment has been introduced by QCA to address some of the issues raised on coursework reviews, such as plagiarism.

In English and English Language, controlled assessment will be worth 60% of a candidate's final mark. In English Literature, it will account for 25% of a candidate's final mark.

There are a number of reasons. Firstly, it allows learners the opportunity to produce an original response without the drawbacks of 'over-preparation'. It also allows greater freedom, while still allowing centres more control than is offered in examined units. Your centre decides when your learners do the assessment, and you can contextualise tasks to meet your own learners' needs.

Another advantage is that you can be confident that work is authentic, which will mean improved reliability and validity.

This is done by awarding bodies, except for speaking and listening, where guidance will be offered. Tasks will change every year, and will be released in the late spring to allow you to prepare for teaching them in the following academic year. Texts will remain in place for longer periods. We've consulted widely with you on the range of controlled assessment tasks to ensure there is an appropriate range for a variety of learners and to help limit the resource implications of annually changing tasks on your department.

Different tasks will have different amounts of time allocated to them, and centres will be informed about these by the awarding body. You will be advised of the amount of time you should spend preparing learners for each task, as well as a set time limit for completion of the final response after formal teaching has stopped.

Although the time for completing the final response will be set, centres can decide when this time is allocated, and how to split the time. For example if four hours are allowed, you may wish to have learners use this as one session, or split the time up throughout several different sessions (e.g. four one-hour sessions). This allows centres to work controlled assessment around their existing timetables.

The task can be completed in Years 9, 10 or 11, but you must make sure that you do the correct task for that year. You can complete the task at any point in the academic year, provided that you meet the deadline for submission.

The final response to the task must be closely supervised, either by the class teacher or another supervisor. It is up to you whether you wish to use your classrooms or make other arrangements. If you choose to divide the allowed time between several sessions, centres must ensure that all work is handed in at the end of each session and held securely. Learners may bring notes in with them to these final response sessions, and teachers must not comment or give feedback on the work while it is being completed.

Yes, if facilities exist for them to do this securely. Internet access must be disconnected and work must be stored securely so that the learner cannot access it between sessions. The same supervision rules apply as above.

Teachers will mark it, much as they do now, using mark schemes supplied by the awarding body. We will provide extensive support for the tasks that are set in that year. Work will then be moderated by the awarding body.

Rest assured that we will provide extensive guidance on controlled assessment at all stages of the process. We will also help centres in specific tasks that are being set for a particular year.

Some specimen controlled assessment tasks will be available in early July as part of the specimen material available for the new specification.