Rebecca Simcox, Health and Social Care Subject Advisor

Here at OCR, we’ve received lots of queries from centres in recent weeks about marking and grading work for non-examined assessment (NEA). For Health and Social Care this means R033, R034 and R035.

There have been questions about how to apply the mark scheme – unsurprisingly so, given that it is a new course, in its first year, and for most centres the current series will be the first time they are assessing it and submitting marks for moderation. 

We’ve also had questions about administrative requirements, and for those that have already submitted work, for re-submissions as well as queries regarding adaptations.

Regarding that last point, hopefully you are aware that last summer the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) released guidance, which makes it clear that all NEA work 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.

In the light of that recent JCQ announcement, and the queries we’ve been receiving 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 J835:

• There are some free on-line marking courses available on OCR Train and on Teach Cambridge. There are two e-learning courses that can be completed in your own time, a general Cambridge Nationals course (Essentials for the NEA) and a subject-specific Health and Social Care course. This includes a series of tests designed to ensure that you are correctly allocating levels to pieces of work.
• Candidate style work is available on Teach Cambridge to help you view and understand applying the mark criteria.
• There will not be a moderators’ report after the January series but instead there will be a blog that offers tips and addresses misconceptions from the January moderation. This will be available on the public website in the coming weeks.
• You can book upcoming CPD events and review materials from past CPD events on the professional development area of our website and on the subject-specific area on Teach Cambridge. 

Assessment structure

The assessment of NEA units must be done in the same year that an assignment will be live. There will be two opportunities to submit, in January and May. Students can submit and re-submit in the same year on the same assignment. However, if a student would like to resubmit after the May deadline, they will need to submit on the new live assignment that will be released on 1 June every year.

Administrative points to remember

Information on NEA administration generally is available on our website.

For the Cambridge National in Health and Social Care, J835, please remember to have completed the following points to ensure you are ready for moderation:

• Students complete their set assignments
• Assessors complete summative marking and fill in a unit recording sheet (URS)
• Internal standardisation takes place
• Marks are internally agreed and submitted by your exams officer
• External moderation will be arranged.

Avoiding malpractice is still important: remember that this year you aren’t providing any additional support or marking more leniently. The package of student support means that the reduction in assessment will take into consideration the circumstances students have faced. Further details are available in our FAQs.

It is also important to ensure that the URS form is fully and correctly completed and the assessor clearly shows their reasoning for marks awarded. This is a chance to have a dialogue with the student but also demonstrate to the moderator marks awarded and why.

General support

The following resources will help you and your students understand and follow the requirements and process involved for Cambridge Nationals qualifications:

• A classroom poster in your classroom for students to understand how to reference work and avoid plagiarism. You can download this from the assessment section of the qualification webpage.
• A video presentation on how to complete the unit recording sheet for the Cambridge National in Information Technologies internally assessed unit.
• A resource on effective assessment practices to provide further help and support on generating and submitting students’ work for moderation.
• There are three unit-specific blogs available for R033, R034 and R035 to help support your teaching and delivery of the course. They can be found on the public website.

Stay connected

If you have any questions, you can email support@ocr.org.uk or read our FAQs, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_Health. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive information about resources and support. You can also engage with us and other teachers on the Community pages.

About the author

Rebecca is the newest member of the Health and Social Care and Child Development subject advisor team. Before joining OCR, Rebecca was a teacher in an all-girls secondary school in Birmingham for over 19 years. She taught a variety of subjects, including Health and Social Care, PSHE, PE, Sport and Dance and has a particular interest in health and wellbeing.