Minutes from the Communication Consortium meeting

23 September 2014 at The Lift, Angel, Islington

Attendees:

  • Gill Haynes, Chair
  • Lucy Allen, Candle
  • Julia Ammon, British Stammering Association
  • Julia Caird, Kids Company
  • Beth Cardwell, AVUK
  • Katie Caryer, Communication Matters
  • Alison Coates, English Speaking Board
  • Trish Davidson, CENMAC
  • Sue Denny, BATOD
  • Kate Fitch, Sense
  • Anita Grover, AVUK
  • Catherine Harris, Communication Matters
  • Mary Hartshorne, I CAN
  • Jenny Herd, 1Voice
  • Lorna Lloyd, Commtap
  • John Parrott, NAPLIC
  • Anna Reeves, ACE Centres
  • Vicky Roe, SMIRA
  • Lysa Schwartz, Makaton
  • Julie Wagge, Symbol Trust
  • Jo Williams, Language for Learning

Guests:

  • Julie Swan, Ofqual
  • Caroline Wright, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

TCT staff:

  • Anne Fox
  • Lisa Morgan
  • Jo Bolton
  • Laura Steuart Fothringham
  • Jenni Taylor

Apologies:

  • Liz Elks, Elklan CIC
  • Anne Worsfold, Cued Speech Association

Full Consortium meeting
Activity / Lead
  • Before the 1st item on the agenda a new book, Tackling Selective Mutism: A Guide for Professionals and Parents, edited by Benita Rae Smith and Alice Sluckin of SMIRA, was circulated for members to see. There’s a story in the newsletter with further details about this new publication.
  • Laura also introduced the Commitment quotograph activity and asked members to fill a comment sheet in after the meeting to help in the 1st birthday celebrations. You can access this template here if you’d like to complete one now. Send us a photo of the quote (or of you holding it!) and we’ll tweet it on 5th November when we celebrate the Commitment’s birthday!

Ofqual: Consultation on the conduct, marking and grading of spoken language skills in GSCE English/English Language
Julie Swan led a discussion on this latest Ofqual consultation
  • It has already been decided that spoken language will be graded separately – Ofqual is now seeking views on the conduct, marking and grading of this assessment
  • The new GCSE English language qualification will be offered beginning in 2015, so first awarded in summer 2017
  • Regarding the conduct of the assessment, Ofqual are asking whether it should be recorded, and if so whether this should just be an audio recording or audio and visual
  • There was consensus from members that it should be recorded and that this should be audio and visual
  • Members expressed concerns about the reasonable adjustments that would be made for children who don’t communicate orally, who use symbol systems or other forms of AAC, or who may not be comfortable being filmed in school but perhaps could be at home
  • The current thinking is that those using just BSL would not take part in this assessment as BSL is a language in its own right and therefore not appropriate to assess as part of the English language qualification but that students who use sign supported English would and should take part in the assessment
  • Concern that 10 minutes is not a reasonable amount of time for anyone to demonstrate a core skill regardless of whether they have additional difficulties and that other assessments looking at different aspects of spoken language skills should also be included in the GCSE- Julie asked that The Trust elaborate on this in our response
  • Ofqual is also seeking views on the number of grades that are used in the assessment – they are proposing three ‘pass’ grades along with ‘an outcome to indicate performance below the minimum standard’.
  • Currently there is a 5-1 grade for the speaking and listening component alongside the A*-G for the written assessment, but when the new written assessment comes in it will be graded 9-1 and there is a concern about having two numerical grades
  • They are interested in views on not only the number of grades, but the terminology used to describe them
  • There was consensus that a pass/fail approach as is suggested in the consultation is unacceptable.
  • Students do not have to pass the spoken language assessment in order to be awarded a grade for the written exam – but there can’t be any advantage to non-entry rather than a poor grade on the spoken assessment; Ofqual suggest recording non-entry on the certificate
  • There was a question about whether students would have to meet all the criteria listed to pass as some were inappropriate for some students such as those around tone for students who use AAC devices – Julia responded that it would be a ‘best fit’
  • Lisa Morgan noted that it’s important that students have the opportunity to demonstrate a range of skills in a range of situations, and not just be judged on their presentation skills; and also that spoken language should be treated as equally important to written and hence be marked in a similar way – and it’s essential that schools don’t opt out because it counts less
  • Anne – we know that it is possible to apply as much rigour to assessing spoken language as to written
  • Vicky Roe noted that a ‘fail’ grade can imply that someone can’t communicate at all
  • Catherine Harris – it’s important to take into consideration that there is a big difference in the number of words per minute between normal speech and that of AAC users
  • The Trust used the points raised in this discussion to build on the draft response. The final response we submitted on Friday 26th September can be found here for more detail.

Support for the Consortium
Lysa Schwartz updated on plans for two programmes of support for the Consortium
  • At the last meeting there wasn’t a consensus about the programme of support for building the evidence base so we’re taking a mixed approach, but your thoughts are still welcome and we’d like to know if you’re interested, so please email Laura at by Thursday, 23rdOctober.
  • The brief for the second programme of support – involving developing a better understanding of how VCS SLCN services are listed on Local Offers and best practice around this, and guidance for members on getting their services listed – has been published on the Trust website, with work expected to start in November
/ LS
Update on the Reforms (Anne’s presentation can be found here)
  • The Children and Families Act Task Group has come to an end, but we now have the Reforms Reference Group in its place – this group, which any member is welcome to join, will support implementation and monitoring
  • The Group is currently looking at Communicating the Code, a resource the Trust is developing that consists of a series of factsheets in a standard template on different areas of the Code
  • The reference group is also feeding into our proposal to do a termlysurvey on implementation on the model of the earlier survey we did about preparedness for the Reforms, and collect qualitative data from Consortium members and Local Champions
  • We’re developing our relationship with health through the Communication Council and a relationship with NHS England particularly, and will be reaching out to all CCGs, sending them the joint commissioning report and a short briefing about SLCN and the importance of communication
  • The Trust is also working on the application of the reforms to children and young people in relevant youth accommodation aged 18 and under.
  • Jo represents the Trust on a CDC/DfE working group focussed on this
  • There will be a consultation beginning in mid-October, and we’re hosting a roundtable on SLCN in the youth justice sector in November that will help us feed into the consultation – please let Jo know if you have an interest in attending –
/ AF
Updates from the Trust
Programme Board update from Lysa Schwartz and Anna Reeves
  • Lysa and Anna suggested ring fencing some time to discuss goals as a Consortium, as a sector, what your expectations are of Anna and Lysa as Consortium representatives on the Programme Board; how best to harness the Consortium’s input in the Trust’s work – please give some thought to the areas of work and whether you understand all the Trust’s work; what should we cover
  • Jenny Herd noted there has been no discussion of governance arrangements for three years
Update on future planning from Anne
  • the Trust’s DfE contract runs out in March 2015 but there is a 2 year extension clause; we have submitted an outline of our proposed work should they extend the contract, and the DfE should come back with more detail within the next month
Update on election strategy from Anne
  • The general election will take place in May 2015 – The Programme Board has approved our strategy (below) – the goals are approved but the specific policy asks have yet to be confirmed. See Anne’s presentation here and the strategy summary here.
  • We want to influence those likely to form the next government - any links you may have to people, support, events that may be useful in this work would be most welcome
  • We are receiving limited policy support from Whitehouse because of our funding restrictions, so if anyone thinks they can help with policy, if you have a Parliamentary/policy team – please let us know
  • Please also let Anne know who your MPs are and if you would be happy to be in touch with them
  • Please also let Anne know if you have any events happening between now and the election
/ AR
LS
AF
The next Communication Consortium meeting will take place on Tuesday, 9th December at the Lift

23 September 2014 Communication Consortium meeting minutes