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The name of our awarding organisation is changing from Edexcel to ����app from April 2013.

As you may know, ����app has been the parent company of the awarding organisation Edexcel since 2003. In 2010, the legal name of the Edexcel awarding organisation became ����app Education Limited - although, with the agreement of the regulator, we continued to use the name Edexcel for our awarding activities on the understanding that we would move to ����app in the near future.

In summer 2010, the awarding organisation EDI plc also became part of ����app. From April 2013, all qualifications that would have been regulated as part of EDI will be the responsibility of ����app Education Limited.

With this in mind, we've decided that now is the right time to apply the ����app name to all of our awarding activities.

So, from 3 April 2013, our awarding organisation listing on the Register for Regulated Qualifications is ‘����app’ rather than Edexcel. All ����app qualifications will begin with ����app in their title, followed by our existing brands (BTEC, Edexcel, EDI and LCCI). An Edexcel GCSE in Mathematics will be a ����app Edexcel GCSE in Mathematics; similarly, the title of a BTEC qualification will be '����app BTEC Level 2 in Art and Design', for example.

What does this mean for you?

In practical terms, this now means:

• On the Register of Regulated Qualifications our qualifications will be listed under ����app as the awarding organisation, although Edexcel, BTEC, EDI and LCCI will be searchable in the qualification title box.
• We’re in the process of changing all ����app Education Limited qualification titles so they start with the preface ‘����app’ on RITs (Ofqual's regulated qualifications listing system). We’ll continue to use the names Edexcel, BTEC, LCCI and others, but prefaced by ����app to make it clear who the awarding organisation is in official titles. You’ll see these changes to qualification titles over time on a range of documents, including specifications, sample assessment materials and certificates.
• If you're in Scotland, you may also notice some changes to our qualification titles. ����app Education Limited qualifications offered in Scotland will start with '����app'. However, there will be no titling change to Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs), as these don't carry the awarding organisation name.
• Some documents and letters you’d previously have received from Edexcel will now be from ����app.
• Employees and consultants supporting our awarding organisation, such as Assessment Associates, will no longer be described as working ‘for Edexcel’, but as working for ����app Qualifications Services. This reflects the fact that these employees work to support our full range of products, not just those from Edexcel.

You’ll notice changes to reflect our new approach over the next few months, although some things (our web presence for example) will take longer to change. We hope you'll bear with us as we continue to work towards a single identity for our awarding organisation.

Frequently asked questions

Does Edexcel still exist?
Yes. Edexcel is a product brand from ����app. BTEC, EDI and LCCI are also product brands from ����app. The business unit within ����app that was known as Edexcel is now ����app Qualification Services.

What is ����app Qualification Services?
����app Qualification Services is the department and teams within ����app that develop and support the full range of Edexcel, BTEC and EDI qualifications.

Are your qualifications still accredited in the same way?
Yes.

Will your qualifications still be recognised by universities and employers?
Yes.

How does this affect qualifications in Scotland?
The Scottish Qualifications Authority also recognises our awarding organisation name as ����app. Scottish BTECs will now have ����app in the official title and existing Edexcel qualifications will also have ����app in the official title. There will be no titling change to Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) as these do not carry the awarding organisation name.

How will ����app support me to deliver qualifications?
We’ll continue to use the existing systems to deliver Edexcel and BTEC qualifications. Edexcel Online will continue as a service for administrators, providing support at every stage of the qualification cycle. We’re currently working to bring together all our ����app systems to improve and streamline the way we communicate with you, and we’ll keep you updated and involved as we make progress with this.

Can I still use ResultsPlus?
Yes. Your Edexcel Online username and password will continue to give you access to ResultsPlus.

Will this change affect learners in any way?
No. There will be no impact on learners or the way you register a learner for a qualification. However, over time you'll see changes to the title of the qualification on documents and certificates as ����app qualifications will begin with ����app in the title, followed by our existing brands like BTEC, Edexcel, EDI and LCCI. For example, an Edexcel GCSE in Mathematics will be a ����app Edexcel GCSE in Mathematics; similarly, the title of a BTEC qualification will be '����app BTEC Level 2 in Art and Design'.

Am I still an Edexcel, BTEC or EDI Approved Centre?
Yes. Nothing is changing in the way we approve centres to deliver our qualifications, and you’ll continue to be an Edexcel, BTEC or EDI Approved Centre.

����app UK president Rod Bristow had this to say about the government proposals to reform vocational qualifications for 16-19 year olds in England.

Rod said:

“At a time when the demands of higher education and the needs of employers are changing rapidly, it is right that we should be reviewing vocational qualifications, just as we are academic qualifications. Young people deserve assurance that the qualifications they take in school or at college will give them the knowledge and skills they need to go on and meet their ambitions, and will not close off opportunities.

“There is clear evidence that those who achieve high-quality vocational qualifications go on to excel in higher education as well as in work. We should be aiming to build on that success.

Nearly one hundred thousand young people progress to university study with a BTEC every year, and the data demonstrates that vocational qualifications lead to educational progress, greater employability and higher earnings.”
“Our goal is to create world class vocational qualifications which empower young people to progress and to compete with their peers globally, in higher education and in work.”

����app UK president Rod Bristow has commented on the judgment from the High Court in relation to the 2012 GCSE English results.

He said:

“We understand this has been a time of uncertainty for students, teachers and parents. We are pleased that the courts have investigated the evidence thoroughly and found that our awarding processes were rigorous and fair.

“Yet there is much to be learned from the events of this summer. We will now focus on working even more closely with the regulator, government, higher education and employers to secure the confidence of students, parents and teachers in the values and standards of our exam system.”

Following Michael Gove’s speech on curriculum, exam and accountability reform for GCSEs, ����app UK president Rod Bristow added to the debate.

Rod said:

"We must encourage all young people to have high educational aspirations, and raise the standards bar to match and exceed the best in the world. At ����app we have been working hard on developing new World Class Qualifications which deliver these standards and we will press on with this work in order to make a contribution to the new GCSEs outlined by Michael Gove today.

"We also look forward to contributing to the debate on future accountability measures. For too long, accountability measures have risked capping our young people's aspirations and we look forward to the opportunity to help shape a better system."

Here’s what we had to say after Michael Gove wrote to Ofqual about future changes to A Levels, including the development of new standalone AS levels.

A ����app spokesperson said:

“����app is pleased that students will retain the opportunity to study a greater breadth of subjects past age 16 with the retention of an AS qualification.

“We support greater involvement of Higher Education institutions in the new qualifications, and this will be particularly important to build recognition of a new AS as well as to ensure that A level continues to be held in high regard. ����app is already working with a range of stakeholders from higher education and industry on our A level development, to ensure they prepare young people for further study at university, vocational courses and employment.

“We will now work with the regulator to fully understand the implications of the changes and we welcome the sensible delay to the start date to 2015 to enable a smooth transition.”

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In September 2012, the Department for Education launched a consultation on plans to develop new qualifications for Key Stage 4. Here’s our response.

����app UK president Rod Bristow said:

“����app has argued that action is required to secure the public confidence in the strength and purpose of our education system, and ensure that we are being as ambitious as possible for all young people. This was further reinforced by our extensive consultation with teachers, students, parents and policy makers ‘Leading on Standards’.

“British schoolchildren must be confident that the qualifications they work so hard to achieve will enable them to go on and succeed in their lives. This requires a global perspective, a focus on the future and wide consultation to develop an exam system which is rigorous, inclusive and equips children with the kind of skills and aptitudes they will need in the modern world.

“����app are already working with an international panel of assessment experts, the teaching profession, employers and learners to develop English, Maths and Science qualifications which will motivate young people, adapt best practice from around the world, and help all young people to develop the knowledge and skills they need to compete with their peers globally.

“After a period of significant uncertainty, we welcome the clarity the Government has now given as to their intended approach to reform. It is vital that we now have an open and consultative process which helps formulate a clear plan for ensuring continuing improvement and investment in examinations over time.

“Over half a million pupils take core GCSE exams every year, and the process of replacing it needs to be carefully managed. ����app are committed to being a partner in supporting schools and learners through any period of transition, and we are pleased to see that the timetable outlined reflects the need for an adequate period to prepare teachers and learners for any change.”

Here’s our statement in response to September 2012 press reports on the subject of GCSE English grade boundaries.

A spokesperson for ����app said:

“The letters which have been leaked to the press today reflect a moment in time during extensive discussions with the regulator this summer. Following these we went on to make a decision on grade boundaries for English GCSE, which we consider fair to learners and which we stand by as right.

“We understand that the ongoing debate is unsettling to students and we want to give reassurance that we have done everything in our power to represent their interests.

“In setting grade boundaries, our responsibilities are two-fold. First, to maintain standards year-on-year for our qualifications, so that similar candidate performance is rewarded comparably over time. Second, to work with Ofqual and other awarding organisations to ensure a nationally-maintained standard, so that students of different cohorts and different awarding organisations are treated comparably.

“We have been consistent in stating that grade boundaries for Edexcel GCSE English this year were the subject of lengthy discussion both with Ofqual and the other awarding organisations. With the introduction of new specifications, all awarding organisations needed to make changes to their January boundaries for June to ensure standards were maintained year on year. We also considered reissuing grades for students who took units in January.

“The letters which have emerged in the press and have been discussed in select committee today are part of that discussion.

“At the time these letters were issued, other awarding organisations had already taken decisions on changes to their grade boundaries and had those decisions accepted by Ofqual. Given the relatively small number of students who take English with Edexcel, the grade boundary decisions of other awarding organisations have a larger impact on national results than our own.

“We felt that the original grade boundary changes suggested by Ofqual, based on prediction data and the decisions of other awarding organisations, would not enable us to adequately reflect student work in their grades. After extensive discussion with Ofqual we agreed a June grade boundary which took account of our concerns to recognise the candidate performance our examiners observed. This reported results slightly above original Ofqual predictions.

“We are therefore satisfied that the final grade boundary we set for June enabled us to fairly reward learners as well as uphold the standard of the GCSE.

“The letters which have emerged in the press give a partial picture of the discussions between Edexcel and Ofqual. We therefore feel it is important to publish the full set of letters in order to give a full picture of what was agreed.”

At ����app, we’re launching a higher education college - becoming the first FTSE 100 company to directly deliver degrees in the UK.

The college is seeking to recruit the brightest and most entrepreneurial students and equip them with the knowledge and skills employers seek.

The college has worked with a range of businesses to design a unique style of business degree. The ����app Business and Enterprise degree course will focus on preparing students for the world of business and has been developed in conjunction with BT, Cisco, the Peter Jones Foundation and Atos. Students will graduate with a BSc (Hons) degree validated by Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, part of the University of London. Students will study in a corporate environment at ����app’s offices in London or Manchester and also take part in a residential at Royal Holloway’s campus. The degree includes a guaranteed internship programme and a company-based mentor for every student.

����app College is currently recruiting a small cohort of pioneers to start in September, ready for the main launch in September 2013. Applicants will undergo an Oxbridge style assessment day which includes an interview and aptitude test. While standard entry requirements are ABB at A-Level (or equivalent), the college is using the assessment day to consider students with potential, looking at their ability and motivation, and not just their previous academic success.

Tuition fees are set at £6,500 per year for the three year programme. ����app is offering ‘Performance Scholarships’ to cover the course fees for the very brightest.

The ����app Business degree is flexible and students have the choice of three routes, enabling them to choose the one that best fits their lifestyle. The traditional three year mode follows the same yearly pattern as traditional universities; alternatively students can choose to accelerate over the summer and complete in only two years; and finally students can combine work and study and complete in only four years.

Commenting, Roxanne Stockwell, Managing Director, ����app College, said:

“Given its academic publishing heritage and over 150 years of commercial experience, ����app is uniquely placed to develop and deliver degrees that combine a solid academic foundation with meeting business and employer needs.

“Our degrees are designed by business, delivered with business, for students who are serious about succeeding in business.

“We have a network of blue chip industry relationships, many of whom are working with us on the design and delivery of our degree programmes. This gives us an inherent understanding of the modern business environment and employer needs. Our degrees will therefore embed professional work experience, business skills and etiquette, with significant and relevant input from our industry partners.”

����app is to bring together an international panel of assessment and education experts to support the development of a new gold standard qualification for age 16.

����app, which has a presence in education provision and support in over 70 countries, plans to work with the group to set out a blueprint for assessments which are

• Internationally benchmarked and rigorous
• Designed to cater for all ability levels and set high expectations for all
• Relevant for the changing landscape of the 21st century

The Panel will be chaired by ����app’s Chief Education Advisor Sir Michael Barber, one of the world’s leading education experts and will include representatives from the OECD, Harvard, University of Durham, the National Institute of Education Singapore, University of Warwick, as well as Peter Hill, formerly Chief Executive of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority and Secretary General of Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority.

����app is committed to working with the Panel to create a new suite of qualifications, initially in the key subjects of English, Mathematics and the Sciences.

The company also plans to share the insights and suggestions of the Panel with the Department for Education and others to inform ongoing discussions about the reform of GCSEs and A levels.

Rod Bristow, President of ����app UK, said:

“The Government has this summer started a hugely important debate about whether what we are teaching and testing in our schools is doing our children justice.

“We are working with some of the world’s most eminent academic institutions and respected authorities in assessment to look beyond the UK to determine what excellence looks like internationally, and how we can embed it in the UK.

“It is vital that qualifications are of the right standard to help people progress and prosper in the 21st century. All young people should be reaching for a standard which will set them apart from the rest of the world in the ambition and relevance of what they know and can do.”

Sir Michael Barber, ����app’s Chief Education Advisor, and Chair of the Expert Group on World Class Qualifications, said:

“The UK Government has set an ambitious agenda for the reform of education, with a particular focus on qualifications and assessment. They have been the first to turn to international data and comparators to diagnose the issues and problems they see in the system.

“The gold standard is not what happened in the 1950s in England, it is what is already happening in Singapore and Hong Kong and Ontario and Alberta. The gold standard is being set by the best education systems ready for the 21st century.

“As an international education company ����app is uniquely placed to draw on our own work with Governments around the world and bring together the best and brightest in seeking to improve the quality and effectiveness of our qualifications.

“A crucial part of this work will be a new focus on using technology to make assessments more accurate and personalised. If we crack this, then we will be in position where the UK is ahead of the pack on educational innovation and reform.”

Andreas Schleicher, Special Advisor on Education to the OECD, said:

“Through PISA, OECD have set the current gold standard in international comparative assessment. This is important because Governments are able to really understand the impact of investment and reform they are making.

“In a global economy, it is no longer improvement by national standards alone, but the best performing education systems internationally that are the benchmark for success.

“What’s exciting about this programme is that it seeks to create a new approach to national assessment that will allow Government to compare performance with the best performing education systems globally”.

Peter Hill said:

“We shouldn’t lose sight of the high regard the UK’s examination system is held in. However it is absolutely right to push the envelope on what can be achieved.

“Education systems must embrace the significant opportunity to design assessments which are more rigorous and reliable in testing the skills higher education and employers want.

“Even in its early stages, this work is grappling with the tough question as to how we can set a standard for education which encompasses the new and fast changing skills needs of the 21st century, and extends the opportunity to achieve them to all.”