HISTORY BULLETIN

SPRING 2014

Issue 12

WELCOME We hope you will find this bulletin both useful and informative.

CONTENTS:

1.Introduction

2.Advanced Level update

3.GCSE update

4.Examiner vacancies

5.How to contact us

1.INTRODUCTION

This is the twelfth issue of this web-based bulletin, designed to keep teachers of WJEC history courses up to date with forthcoming developments.

Hopefully you will find this bulletin useful and please feel free to contact Phil Star, the Subject Officer for GCE History, Dylan Jones, the Subject Officer for GCSE History [from January 2014]or Greg Lewis, the Subject Support Officer, either by telephone or by e-mail. Contact details appear later.

  1. ADVANCED LEVEL UPDATE

EXAMINED ASSESSMENT

  • There are no changes to the content or to the assessment style of any units for 2014.
  • Please remember thatthe marking scheme for the HY4 options has been amended for use by examiners in the summer 2014 series. The changes to the marking schemefor HY4 are summarised as follows:
  1. The mark scheme for each essay answered in HY4 has now got an extra level, making five levels in total. The additional level has been added to differentiate at the higher end of the mark scheme.
  1. All five levels in the marking schemes have been divided into sub-levels, similar in style to the recent changes in the HY1 and HY2 mark schemes.
  1. The indicative content that enhances each marking scheme has been separated and now follows each generic marking scheme.
  • Specimen assessment material containing the revised marking schemes is available on the GCE pages of the WJEC website at

UNIT HY3

  • Electronic mark input for Unit HY3 will continue in 2014. School exams officers will again be able to give more details about the system and its working. The system will be live in April once final entries have been confirmed. Details of your allocated moderator will be found on the electronic mark input system after you have entered all the marks. Address labels can be printed off.
  • Regarding the sample for HY3, please remember:

-If the entry for HY3 is 10 or less, you still send all work off

-if the entry is over 10, the electronic mark input scheme will select the sample for you after you have entered all the marks for your candidates

-you should still complete and send to the moderator the HY3a form containing the details of your selected sample. This form is available each year on the A level history website.

-you should still complete send to the moderator the HY3b form to show authorisation of the work.

  • You are asked to submit your HY3 work to the moderator by Friday May 2nd 2014AT THE LATEST.
  • Virtually all centres have had their HY3 questions, source packs and mark schemes approved for the cycle 2014-2017. Thanks are expressed to Heads of Department for meeting the deadline of November 30th and also to Chief Moderators Albert Gilbey and Dylan Rees for their constructive and prompt feedback to centres.

KEY DATES FOR ADVANCED LEVEL 2014

  • The calendar for examinations for 2014 has been published by the Joint Council for Examinations. It is available on the WJEC website in the Exam Officers section.
  • There will be an examination series for Advanced Level units in January 2014. This will be for students in Wales only and will be limited to those who are in the second year of their GCE course. This will be the last January examination series for GCE History.

JANUARY SERIES

Examination of Unit HY1 Monday 13th January 2014

Examination of Unit HY4 Wednesday 15th January 2014

Examination of Unit HY2 Tuesday 21st January 2014

SUMMER SERIES

HY3 samples to moderator Friday 2nd May 2014

Examination of Unit HY1 Wednesday 14th May 2014

Examination of Unit HY2 Thursday 22nd May 2014

Examination of Unit HY4 Monday 2nd June 2014

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

  • The Westminster Government is progressing with its plans to change subject criteria for GCE examinations in twelve facilitating subjects in England. This includes GCE History.The consultation on the new criteria for GCE History has finished and the criteria are now almost finalised. Work will begin to develop thesenew specifications for teaching in England early in 2014. The A level course will be fully linear with no unitisation, but a stand-alone AS qualification will be available. The new courses will be taught from September 2015 and first awarded in summer 2017.
  • The Welsh Government is committed to the same criteria with regard the content of GCE History specification but is still consulting on the extent of unitisation and the position of AS History. Decisions with regard to these issues are expected early in 2014. The timescale is also likely to be the same.

ADVANCED LEVEL CPD

  • Following regulator guidance to all awarding bodies regarding face-to-face CPD, examination review from summer 2013 has been provided throughonline material. This hasbeen available for all externally assessed subjects from the middle of November. GCE History feedback focuses on the revised HY2 examinations. Various examples of candidate answers and examiner comments can be found by visiting the review site at
  • Very recent clarification of the regulations from the examinations regulators means that it is possible to utilise WJEC subject officers and Principal Examiners to deliver face-to-face CPD on new GCE specifications. It is planned to hold a series of introductory CPD meetings on the new specifications in the autumn of 2014.
  1. GCSE UPDATE
  • WJEC is pleased to announce the appointment of an additional Subject Officer for History. The person appointed is Dylan Jones, currently teaching at Cardiff High School, and who will begin his new post in January 2014. He will work alongside Phil Star and Greg Lewis, assuming initial responsibility for GCSE History. Queries regarding GCSE history should be directed to Dylan. Phil Star will deal mainly with issues connected with GCE History.
  • Please remember that any students that are ‘cashing-in’ for their GCSE History award in 2014 are following the legacy specification.[These will be mostly in Year 11]
  • Any students that are ‘cashing-in’ for their GCSE History award in 2015 should be following the strengthened specification. [These will be mostly in Year 10]
  • The amended specification and accompanying sample assessment materials can be found on the GCSE History page of our website
  • In September 2013, centres were sent a circular about the availability of Unit 3 examination papers in 2014.

-Candidates in their second year of the current linear or unitised course or those who are ‘cashing-in’ to receive a final grade for GCSE History will sit the existing style of examination papers in 2014. The examination codes for these optional papers remains the same as in previous years:

4284/01 / The development of Germany, 1919-1991
4284/02 / Developing relations in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, 1919-2000
4284/03 / The development of the USA, 1929-2000
4284/04 / The development of Wales, 1900-2000
4285/01 / Crime and punishment in Wales and England, 1530-present
4285/02 / Changes in Health and Medicine, 1345-present

-Candidates who are in the first year of following the strengthened unitised course (available only in Wales) can enter for Unit 3 only in 2014. They will sit the strengthened Unit 3 examination papers, examples of which are outlined in the specimen assessment materials. The examination codes for these optional papers are different and will be as follows:

4373/01 / The development of Germany, 1919-1991
4373/02 / Developing relations in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, 1919-2000
4373/03 / The development of the USA, 1930-2000
4373/04 / The development of Wales, 1900-2000
4383/01 / Crime and punishment in Wales and England, 1530-present
4383/02 / Changes in Health and Medicine, 1345-present

SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS TEACHING THE STRENGTHENED SPECIFICATION

  • A revised teacher guide for the strengthened specification is now available on the GCSE History page of our website
  • WJEC has produced some filmed CPD material to enhance the introduction of the strengthened GCSE History specification. The presentations can be found by following the link available on the GCSE History page of our website Please note that this material is only available through the internet and cannot be downloaded. Thanks are expressed to Menai Jones of Ysgol David Hughes for her help in producing the Welsh medium version of this material.
  • Work continues to produce electronic resources on the following options:
  • Depression, War and Recovery in Wales and England, 1930-1951
  • Changes in South Africa, 1948-1994
  • Austerity, Affluence and Discontent in the United Kingdom, 1951-1979
  • The development of Germany, 1919-1991

It is still anticipated that these resources will be available in the spring of 2014. They will be available bilingually.

KEY DATES FOR GCSE 2014

Centres are urged to remember the early slot chosen this year for the Unit 3 examination.

Controlled assessment samples to moderator

Friday 2nd May 2014

Unit 3 exam Friday May 16th 2014

(Both legacy and strengthened will be available at the same time. Please ensure that candidates sit the right one !)

Units 1 and 2 exams Monday 2ndJune 2014

  1. In 2015, it is hoped to utilise all three available examination slots for GCSE History. This was never possible before, with Units 1 and 2 examined in the same style. In 2015 therefore, there will be a separate examinations for Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3. More details will follow once the Joint Council for Qualificatiosn has set the timetable.

GCSE CPD

  • Due to the prohibition of using individuals who have access to confidential assessment materials delivering CPD to teachers, WJEC has produced some filmed material to enhance the introduction of the strengthened GCSE History specification. This replicates the advice that would have been discussed at the live CPD events. As mentioned above, the presentations can be found by following the link available on the GCSE History page of our website Please note that this material is only available through the internet and cannot be downloaded.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

  • The Westminster Government is progressing with its plans to change subject criteria for GCSE examinations in several essential subjects in England. This includes GCSE History. The consultation on the new criteria for GCSE History has finished and the final nature of the criteria is being discussed. Work will begin to develop these new specifications for teaching in England some time in 2014. The specifications will be fully linear. The new courses will be taught from September 2016 and first awarded in summer 2018. Further details will be relayed to teachers once they have been finalised.
  • The Welsh Government is committed to an element of reform of GCSE level qualifications but as yet no decisions have been announced regarding the future of GCSE History in Wales. The Welsh Government established a task group on The Cwricwlwm Cymreig, history and the story of Waleswhich reported to September 2013. The final report recommended that ‘a proportion of Welsh history should be an integrated and compulsory element of every GCSE History specification offered in Wales.’ [Recommendation 5 page 22]. Further details will be relayed to teachers once they have been finalised.
  1. EXAMINER VACANCIES

The number of centres entering candidates for WJEC History courses continues to grow. There are usually vacancies for examining and moderating in History at all levels. This year, there will also be a need to examine both the GCSE legacy Unit 3 and the strengthened Unit 3 together. If you are interested in examining for WJEC, you can apply online by downloading an application form from the WJEC home page. Alternatively e-mail the appropriate section for the application form required:

Advanced level:

GCSE:

  1. HOW TO CONTACT US

Subject Officer for GCE History

Phil Star:02920

Subject Officer for GCSE History

Dylan Jones: 02920 265071

Subject Support Officer

Greg Lewis: 02920

Feedback and contact is always welcome !

Good luck and best wishes.

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