Living with the Land – new Sixth Form course

In an article for The Independent Schools Magazine, Bedales Director of Learning & Innovation, Alistair McConville, discusses Bedales’ groundbreaking move into awarding its own qualifications at Level 3 (sixth form).

Fifteen years ago, Bedales launched BACs (Bedales Assessed Courses) as an alternative to GCSE in non-core subjects, having found the latter too prescriptive in content and narrow in assessment methods. Alistair explains that Bedalians have since found BACs valuable currency, and that visitors have asked when the school will introduce its own advanced qualifications. He says: “We held back because of a sense that universities would want to see some externally validated grades. We also held back from seeking Ofqual [The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation] accreditation for our BACs, since we wanted to retain as much autonomy as possible over them.”

The BAC in Outdoor Work – covering a suite of rural and farming skills and culminating in a major project – has been hugely popular, and there has always been a clamour for a sixth form continuation. Accordingly, Bedales set out to create its own Level 3 course - Living With the Land - as well as seeking accreditation from Ofqual. The result is a course that revolves around the twin pillars of sustainability – food and shelter – building on the practical and theoretical foundations of the Outdoor Work BAC, and retaining assessment via portfolio, project, and viva.

Alistair comments: “Ofqual has been open to the idea, and supportive. The bar for success is high, however: Ofqual seeks to ensure that an awarding institution has the structures in place to remain a going concern so that no students might be left stranded, and the wherewithal to manage conflicts of interests and appeals, and ensure consistent awarding.

The first Living With the Land cohort is signed up for September 2020, and the school hopes to secure the right to accredit the first graduates with a Level 3 badge. Alistair concludes: “As we expected, feedback on our first submission to Ofqual requires us to do more work, and we will draw upon their commentary and a renewed offer of support to get us over the line.”

The full article can be read here (click to page 4).

The Independent Schools Magazine | Bedales Outdoor Work | Alistair McConville | Ofqual