Accelerating Progress: English
About this course
What is it?
ASDAN’s Accelerating Progress course in English has been designed to support students at GCSE in England. It has a special focus on helping learners gain a 4 or a 5, which promotes their progression on to post-16 education as well as helping them succeed in training, apprenticeships or employment.
The current English GCSE specification is broader, more challenging and requires greater whole-text understanding. This extra degree of difficulty means that certain students will require more support to help them secure a pass. Accelerating Progress is designed to boost attainment for all learners based on the current subject specification.
The programme has been written by a practising English specialist with experience in helping learners make good progress and realise their full potential.
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Course details
Through Accelerating Progress programmes, students complete engaging challenges, collect evidence of their work and identify skills development.
The course supports development of the key skills that hold learners back from gaining a grade 4 or 5. They were selected following teacher feedback, exam script analysis and reviewing the outcomes from a range of students in Years 10 and 11. These skills are:
- understanding the purpose of a text
- understanding the audience a text is written for
- explaining the effects of language and structure
- understanding writers’ choices, such as point of view
- being able to retrieve information
The course will challenge students to develop higher-order reading and critical thinking skills. This will support learners in formulating and expressing their own opinions – one of the key requirements of the new GCSE.
The personalised learning aspect (the way in which the learner has choice over challenges) boosts engagement, motivation and enthusiasm. Experience shows that students who have choice in the classroom are more likely to take ownership of their learning.
Learners can access the course in two ways:
- Learner workbook: Learners can complete challenges in the learner workbook and gather additional evidence in their portfolio. The workbooks include space for tutors to log feedback, with record of progress page to demonstrate students’ progress throughout the course. Download sample pages from the Accelerating Progress English learner workbook.
- E-portfolio: Each learner will receive a login for the e-portfolio, where they will be able to view challenges, upload evidence and access resources. The e-portfolio shows learners’ recent activity and which challenge they need to move on to next.
Learner resources
Electronic copies of a wide range of learner resources such as worksheets and templates are provided when you purchase a copy of the tutor support manual, along with challenge walk-throughs offering a step-by-step guide to each challenge.
Tutor support manual
A tutor support manual is available for the Accelerating Progress English course. These resources have been designed to support experienced practitioners as well as non-specialists in delivering the courses.
The manual includes detailed tutor notes for each challenge and information on subject-specific skills development. Print copies of the manuals include an electronic version, which contains learner resources.
Who is it for?
The course has been designed for learners in Years 10 and 11 in England. In addition, the course can be used to:
- support post-16 students retaking GCSE English
- help Year 9s explore the more challenging aspects of the specification before starting GCSEs
How can it be delivered?
This flexible course can be delivered in a variety of ways, including during after-school intervention sessions and for students retaking their English GCSE in Years 12 and 13.
One of the many advantages to the Accelerating Progress course is that it has been designed so that non-specialists, as well as fully qualified English teachers, can deliver it. The nature of the course means it can be delivered by a wide variety of school staff, which gives schools more options for delivery.
Facts and Figures
- Supports attainment in key Progress 8 subjects
- Internally moderated
- Each Accelerating Progress course accredits 10-100 hours of activities
- Offers progression to other ASDAN courses, including the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) at Levels 1 and 2
1. Purchase Learner Workbooks or Logins
Each learner will require their own workbook or e-portfolio login to access the Accelerating Progress programmes.
When purchasing e-portfolio learner registrations, tutors can also request a free tutor login so that they can explore the e-portfolio system.
A free PDF certificate is included in the price of each learner workbook or login. Printed certificates are available from ASDAN at an additional cost of £2.35 per certificate, plus P&P.
2. Purchase Tutor Support Manuals
Tutor support manuals available to purchase below.
Please email design@asdan.org.uk to request digital copies.
3. Plan and deliver
Tutors should work with learners to plan which modules, sections and challenges they are going to complete and over what time frame.
If using the e-portfolio, tutors should manage their learners and assign challenges via the tutor portal: tutor.asdan.org.uk. Learners can log in to their e-portolio at eportfolio.asdan.org.uk where they can access challenges and supporting resources, tick off completed challenges, upload their evidence and identify skills development.
4. Check and moderate
Accelerating Progress is internally moderated.
The documents in the course resources below will support you in carrying out internal moderation.
5. Claim learner certificates
Please take care when confirming learner details as the certificates will be generated automatically from the information you submit.
Certificates will be despatched within 20 working days of receipt of the certificate request form to your centre's Accelerating Progress Coordinator. ASDAN reserves the right to request samples of candidates' portfolios for quality assurance purposes.
6. Progression to other ASDAN courses
Accelerating Progress certificates are credit rated and these ASDAN credits can be used towards other ASDAN programmes and qualifications.
- up to 6 credits can be used towards the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) qualification at Levels 1 and 2
- up to 3 credits can be used towards the Bronze Personal Development Programme
- up to 6 credits can be used towards the Silver and Gold Personal Development Programmes
For more information on either of these progression routes, please contact your ASDAN regional representative for advice.
Costs
All costs shown below are per candidate, unless otherwise stated. Each learner will need their own copy of the student book.
Books or registrations purchased for Accelerating Progress: English are valid for three years from the date of purchase.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Accelerating Progress tutor support manual (per course) | £174 +VAT |
| Accelerating Progress learner workbook (per learner, per course) | £17.20 +VAT |
| Learner registrations | £12 |
| Accelerating Progress PDF certificate | Free |
| Accelerating Progress printed and foiled certificate (optional, per learner, per course) | £3.50 |
Products can be purchased below.
