Thank you for this Chris.
With best wishes.
Michael
Michael Potts, ESOL Co-ordinator,
Adult Learning Service, CYPS,
London Borough of Newham
Beckton Globe, 1 Kingsford Way, London E6 5JQ
Tel: (020) 8430 2000 x 38204 Int: 38204
DDI: (020) 3373 8204
From: Chris Taylor [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 10 September 2010 13:36
To: Michael Potts; [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: "Relevant progress" for citizenship requirements
Dear Michael
You may know that NIACE published the original Citizenship
Materials for ESOL Learners and the 2010 update. As a result, I
am in pretty frequent contact with the policy lead at the UKBA office in
London. I can confirm Naomi is right. It is definitely progress
through ONE level not two.
The UKBA official you spoke to was wrong, the Reading and
Writing modules are not acceptable for ILR and Citizenship. The
regulations require the Speaking and Listening unit or the entire ESOL
qualification, at any Entry Level.
Hope this is helpful,
With best wishes
Chris
Chris Taylor
Programme Director - ESOL
NIACE
21 De Montfort Street
Leicester
LE1 7GE
email: [log in to unmask]
office: 0116 204 4267
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message
board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Potts
Sent: 10 September 2010 13:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Relevant progress" for citizenship requirements
Dear Naomi,
Thank you for this information. Likewise with your college, the
initial assessment used for Newham Adult Learning Service describes the
starting point and not the achieved point of a prospective learner, including
those with no literacy skills in L1(Non-lit) and literate L1 learners that have
no/ insufficient English to work at E1 (pre-entry) for which dedicated classes
are provided for each.
As a result of the recent changes, I had understood that a
learner had to progress through two levels and have indeed advised a
prospective learner from one of the Kent bordering south London boroughs
(Newham is in east London) who has been unable to access ESOL closer to home
for citizenship purposes that this was the case. From what your experience has
shown, the position seems to have remained unchanged in that successfully
progressing through one level is sufficient.
I have just checked on the UKBA website regarding "relevant
progress" and have copied in that part:-
To demonstrate 'relevant progress', your college must confirm
that you have progressed by at least one level from the level at which you were
assessed at the beginning of the course that led to your relevant
qualification. For example, if you were initially assessed by your college as
being below Entry 1 level, you must obtain an ESOL (speaking and listening)
qualification at Entry 1 level or above. UKBA "ESOL
course in English with citizenship" page.
The confusion appears to be the wording "…
progressed by at least one level from the level at which you were assessed at
the beginning of the course that led to your relevant qualification." This is then mitigated by the following sentence.
I did speak to the UKBA over a year ago regarding the submission
of an exam certificate for reading and writing as opposed to speaking and
listening(S&L occurs in the first semester here, Sep- Feb; R&W,
Feb-Jul) to demonstrate the learner's competence. The response was that this
would be acceptable as it was assumed that to pass that, the learner must be
able to speak(!)
With best wishes.
Michael
Michael Potts, ESOL Co-ordinator,
Adult Learning Service, CYPS,
London Borough of Newham
Beckton Globe, 1 Kingsford Way, London E6 5JQ
Tel: (020) 8430 2000 x 38204 Int: 38204
DDI: (020) 3373 8204
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message
board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Naomi Nikhata
Sent: 09 September 2010 09:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Relevant progress" for citizenship requirements
Hi
All
We
have rung the Home Office and they too, seemed confused!
However,
I have signed several of the new letters and my learners have been successful
in obtaining their citizenship. I have basically included a narrative of their
studies whilst at my institution. When we do initial assessments we determine
what level they are, and then they go into a class at that level. I have
clarified this for the H.O by explaining that when we assessed someone and say
that they are ready for an E2 class, for example, that does not mean that they
are already at that level, but that by the end of the course, they should be
competent in the skills at E2 to pass the exam. This seems to be enough to
satisfy the HO as it would appear that they do not have a true understanding of
ESOL levels & the process of I.A. etc.
We
have been informed that if they then go on to complete a qual at that level
that that is enough evidence to show progression and that it is not necessary
for the learner to then enrol onto the next level and complete that. They are
only interested in the S&L quals although I have included details of any
other ESOL quals they have done also. Original certificates then need including
with the application along with the signed and stamped letter. As I said
earlier, we sign a lot of these letters at my college, I personally have
probably done over a dozen since the new changes and so far they have been
successful, so good luck!
Regards
Naomi
Naomi
Nikhata
Advanced
Teaching Practitioner
Basic
Skills, ESOL & Life Skills
The
Hub
Doncaster
College
Chappell
Drive
Doncaster
DN1
2RF
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message
board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Catrin Ashton
Sent: 09 September 2010 08:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Relevant progress" for citizenship requirements
Hi,
I'm getting a bit confused. Can anyone confirm that evidence of progression and
a qualification in Speaking and Listening is enough, or whether they need a
full certificate?
thanks,
Catrin
From: Salmond Adrian
<[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, 8 September, 2010 13:42:31
Subject: Re: "Relevant progress" for citizenship requirements
My understanding is that by “below Entry 1” they mean
not yet competent at Entry 1 and working towards Entry 1
“At Entry 1” = competent at Entry 1 and working towards
Entry 2
“At Entry 2” = competent at Entry 2 and working towards
Entry 3
I presume this would be the same whether a learner is emerging or
consolidating.
Interesting that it can only be in Speaking &
Listening...
Adrian Salmond
Education Co-ordinator
Therapy and Education (MSU)
John Howard Centre
12 Kenworthy Road
London
E9 5TD
tel. 020 8510 2468
[log in to unmask]
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message
board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gail
Treves-Brown
Sent: 08 September 2010 12:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: "Relevant progress" for citizenship requirements
I'm interested to hear experience and comments on the
"relevant progress" requirement for ESOL with citizenship, introduced
in April.
I'm looking at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/part1/ paragraph
33F
At initial assessment, all the colleges which I have worked
at have assessed learners according to the level they are working towards, eg
an E2 learner is a learner who is working towards E2, rather than one who has
achieved this.
Do the new regulations mean that for a learner who is
working towards E2, we should instead be saying that the learner is "at
entry 1". Does it make any difference whether the learner is emerging or
consolidating E2?
Or do we assess an emerging E2 learner is "at entry
2" and they have to achieve E3 speaking and listening?
What does it mean to be "below entry 1"?
What are you doing in practice? Have institutions made any
changes to their initial assessment practices or documentation to satisfy this
requirement?
Do learners need a copy of their initial assessment to
include in their application, or is it enough just to state the level of the
assessment on the template letter?
Has any specific guidance been issued to ESOL providers?
Many thanks.
Gail Treves-Brown
Slough Borough Council
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