Summer 2022 NEA: GCSE, AS and A Level Design and Technology
31 March 2022
Karl Goodere-Dale, Design and Technology 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 Design and Technology.
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 Design and Technology:
- A free on-line marking course is available on OCR Train. This can be completed in your own time and includes a series of activities designed to ensure that you are correctly allocating levels to pieces of work.
- Our exemplar material will assist you on determining marking levels of the assessment grid for art and design component 01:
- Remember to use the NEA marking criteria for summer 2022:
- Finally, do refer to the moderators’ reports on component 01, which are published after each series, and which often include pointers on marking and annotation. You can access these on the Assessment section of the qualification webpages for GCSE, AS Level and A Level.
Administrative points to remember
General information on NEA administration is available on our website.
For Design and Technology specifically, there are a couple of points to remember:
- Remember to get all your students to complete the Candidate Declaration Form in for the qualification level they are studying. These are from the administration section of the webpage for GCSE, AS Level and A Level.
- There is a new Candidate Record Form (CRF) available for each qualification level:
Looking forward to next year’s cohort
We hope that you and your students are looking forward to the return of making a prototype. I know this brings with it more student excitement, engagement and for teachers a little more focus. However, each year we’re really impressed to see the range and diversity in the outcomes submitted for Design and Technology.
Remember, there is various support available for students when they come to think about their assignments:
- Make the most of the range of resources found in the “Planning and teaching” section on our qualification pages from SOWs, Topic area - delivery guides, terminology guides, teacher guides, twitter daily videos on techniques, candidate exemplars and so much more. There are even complete walk throughs of the specifications and marking activities using OCR Train.
- Don’t forget to browse through our “Student guide – Getting ready to start your NEA – Presentation” resources for GCSE, AS Level and A Level Design and Technology.
- Finally, we will, as always, be offering CPD courses, so keep an eye on the Professional Development section of our website. Be sure to have signed up for Design and Technology updates (details below) to get details of when these become available..
Stay connected
If you have any questions, you can email us at d&t@ocr.org.uk , call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_DesignTech. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive email information about resources and support.
About the author
Before joining OCR in September 2019, Karl taught creative subjects in both art and design technology for 12 years. With experience with a variety of roles in secondary schools, including as a head of department, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching creative subjects at GCSE, A Level and BTEC. He has also previously worked as one of our examiners.