Mike Goddard, OCR History Subject Advisor

Here at OCR we’ve had lots of queries from centres in recent weeks about marking coursework, or non-exam assessment (NEA). For History, this means unit Y100.

There have been questions about how to apply the mark scheme. This isn’t surprising as it hasn’t been assessed for two years, so a larger number of teachers than normal will be submitting marks for moderation for the first time. We’ve also had questions about administrative requirements, and most particularly about whether any allowances should be made when marking for the abnormal and difficult circumstances many students have had to contend with while completing their assignments. 

Regarding that last point, the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) has recently released guidance, which makes it clear that all NEA must be marked in the same way as before the pandemic disruption. This is really important, as it will help ensure that all students’ work is marked to the same standards. 

As the JCQ guidance also says, the 2022 grading process that takes place after marking, when the grade boundaries are set, will provide a safety net. So please don’t think that by marking your students’ work to pre-pandemic standards this year, you are in any way doing them an injustice. (For more on 2022 grading, please see this Ofqual article from September last year.) 

In the light of that recent JCQ announcement, and the queries we’ve had from you, we thought it would be helpful to provide a quick summary of the support available to ensure that you are marking to the correct standard.

Guides to applying the mark scheme

There are several resources that will help you have confidence in your application of the mark scheme for Y100:

• A free on-line marking course is available on OCR Train. This can be completed in your own time and includes a series of tests designed to ensure that you are correctly allocating levels to pieces of work. 
• There is also a useful video on YouTube, in which the principal moderator for Y100 talks through how to mark and annotate an example script.
• And we’ve also summarised top tips from the video on our website, along with a pdf of the script used in the video itself.
  
• We’ve also made a guide to assessing AO2 in particular, in response to centres asking us for more detail on how to assess the evaluation of primary sources in Y100. 
• Each year we run CPD sessions which include exemplar scripts as well as advice and guidance. You can access the materials from past courses on the CPD section of our website. 
• Finally, do refer to the reports on Y100 which are published after each series, which often include pointers on marking and annotation. You can access these on the Assessment section of our website.

Administrative points to remember

General information on NEA administration is available on our website. 

For A Level History specifically, there are a couple of points to remember: 

• All titles chosen by students entering Y100 this summer need to be formally approved by us (we ask you to submit them by the end of January). This is done by using the title proposal tool on our website. If you are not sure whether you have approval for all your students’ titles this year, please email us at history@ocr.org.uk and we’ll be happy to check! 
• There is a candidate cover sheet on the administration section of our History web pages. It is not compulsory to use this, but many teachers find it helpful. 
• There is advice about sending us work in section 9 of the Guide to Y100.

Looking forward to next year’s cohort

We hope that your students enjoy researching and writing their essays for Y100. The independent study remains an important part of A Level History, highly prized by higher education institutions. Each year we’re really impressed to see the range and diversity of titles submitted. 

Remember, there is support available for students when they come to think about their assignments:

• You and they can browse previously approved titles, for example by using a key word search, on the title proposal tool on our website. 
• There is an independent study guide aimed at students on our website, which details approaches students may wish to take. 
• Emily Oakes, in our subject advisor team, has previously written a blog with tips about carrying out research remotely for history NEA. 
• We recently published a guide to finding primary sources for 20th century British history topics. Aimed at students interested in researching the histories of equality and diversity in Britain, it has been compiled by Dr Marcus Collins of Loughborough University. 
• Finally, we will, as always, be offering CPD on Y100 in the next school year. Keep an eye on the Professional Development section of our website and be sure to have signed up for history updates (details below) to get details of when these become available.
  

Stay connected

If you have any questions, you can email us at history@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_History. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive information about resources and support.

About the author

Mike is a history subject advisor and has worked at OCR on the history portfolio since 2007. Previously he has held roles at Cambridge International Examinations and for an educational publisher. Mike has a degree in Economic and Social History from the University of York and a Masters in Modern History from UCL. In his spare time he enjoys crosswords and snooker.