Summer ESB News

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ESB News

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Message fromour Chief Executive

Oracy and Social Mobility

GDPR

Meet the all-newCustomer Experience Team

In the Spotlight: An Interviewwith IanWollington

We’re rebranding our Speech Portfolio

The Culture Bridge (TCB)

ESB Remembers…

2018 Young Speakers of the Year Showcase

Tina Whiteside steps down fromESB

“Who done it?”: ESB teambuilding day

COVER PHOTO Business Development Adviser, Alison Coates and Hrishi Venkatesh

Designed and edited by Debbie Bassett and Liam Morton

communications@esbuk.org

I’m delighted to welcome you to this edition of ESB News , keeping you up-to-date with our various projects and giving you the opportunity to hear from some of our valued assessors, centres and learners. Exciting conversations are happening about oracy at the moment. I had the pleasure of attending the recent Westminster conference hosted by Emma Hardy MP. ESB was present as a representative from a key group of oracy and Spoken Language organisations. The purpose of the event was to hear from parliamentarians, young people and organisations about how we achieve a significant focus on oracy as part of progress in social mobility. Two of our ESB graduates Hrishi Venkatesh & Khurram Ishfaq spoke about their journeys. It was fantastic to see a surge of interest around the importance of oracy contributing to achievement for all. Find out more about the conference (p.4). As you are probably aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) changes recently came into force, so I thought it important to share with you the steps ESB is taking to ensure we meet the requirements for protecting the personal data and special personal data that we control and process (p.6). I have written to all of our centres and issued new Centre Agreements which outline our responsibilities in relation to this.

I am proud to reintroduce you to one of our key associates ,The Culture Bridge (TCB) and the work it is doing to promote ESBinChina internationally. Find out more about our flourishing relationship with TCB (p.10). After a fantastic celebratory day last year, we are looking forward to our 2018 Young Speakers of the Year Showcase (p.14). Here you can find out how learners are nominated, what to expect on the day and how you can get involved. I am pleased to announce that we will be freezing our centre fees for 2018-2019 at the same rate as last year’s. At ESB we really appreciate people’s loyalties and hope that you choose to stay with us for future bookings. We are always open to feedback, and would love to hear your opinion on what you would like to see in ESB News , so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes, Tina

Entering the Houses of Parliament is a bit like passing through airport security. You have to negotiate the same sort of body scanners you come across at Terminal 1! We didn’t board a plane, but we did end up ‘flying high’ after taking part in Emma Hardy MP’s ‘Speaking up for Speaking’ – an event celebrating oracy and exploring the link with social mobility. groundbreaking event alongside other leaders in communication. Former ESB learners, Hrishi Venkatesh and Khurram Ishfaq were chosen to represent ESB at Westminster on this auspicious occasion, and if they did feel nervous, they hid it well. Hrishi, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, first came across ESB when he was seven-years-old, taking numerous ESB assessments at his local state school, and achieving several Distinctions. Now 19, Hrishi is reading ESB Chief Executive Tina Renshaw and I were delighted to co-organise this

Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Hull. Khurram came to ESB a little later. His school, St Thomas More Catholic Academy in Stoke, is one of the schools supported by the Stoke LEA/ESB alliance. As Head Boy, Khurram recently delivered a speech on social mobility in Stoke to parents and teachers, and ESB invited him to share his talk again at Westminster. In our committee room it was standing room only, as organisations such as The English Speaking Union, Voice 21, LKMco and Reclaim joined with Emma, and specially invited guests, to celebrate the communication skills of our young people. We were delighted to be joined by our Chair, Pippa Quarrell and Honorary Treasurer, Richard Ellis. Also invited was Executive Head, Anthony David (pictured right), who spoke about how his pupils benefit from ESB qualifications.

Professor Dame Alison Peacock summed up the thoughts and feelings in the room very well when she said, “There is nothing

Also speaking were Nadhim Zahawi, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education, Geoff Barton, General Secretary, the Association of School & College Leaders (ASCL), Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chartered College’s Chief Executive, and a number of parliamentarians who had expressed an interest in oracy. The audience listened to speeches from young people from ESB, The English Speaking Union, School 21, and the charity Reclaim, on what oracy meant to them, and the difference it has made to their lives. Following the speeches, Emma chaired a whole-room discussion with a focus on the next steps for oracy. Following the great success of this event, which was subsequently featured in the TES and Schools Week, Emma intends to form an Oracy-focused all party parliamentary group in the coming months. ESB will be at the forefront of this, and any other work that champions the value of oracy.

more valuable than giving young people a platform for a chance to be heard and for them to speak passionately about what interests them.” This was echoed by Hrishi when he spoke of how gaining ESB qualifications made him feel. He said, “I had an unparalleled sense of achievement with every ESB qualification I got – it was a brilliant confidence boost for me.”

Alison Coates Business Development Adviser

As we’re sure you are all now aware, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on the 25 th of May, 2018. In response to these changes, ESB has updated both its Centre Agreement and privacy policy to ensure we are GDPR compliant. ESB has always been committed to protecting the data of its centres. However, our new policies carefully detail how we process and manage your personal information. We have also stated in full disclosure why we need to collect this information from you; how it is used and how it is stored.

Our updated Centre Agreement also gives centres far more freedom with regards to how they receive news from ESB. Centres can now choose if they want to opt-in to receive ESB marketing material via email, post, phone- or even not at all. If you have any general queries in response to GDPR and how it may affect you, please contact GDPR@esbuk.org and a member of our team will respond to your enquiry carefully and promptly.

Thank you for your cooperation.

What can ESB do for your ESOL students?

Speaking & Listening Exams

External Assessment

You will receive your candidates’ speaking and listening results just 5 working days after final assessment date.

Speaking and listening assessments are assessed externally by ESB. Individual candidates receive a written report.

Quick Turnaround

Assessments can be booked up to 4 weeks before the assessment date so you can enter your candidates when they are ready.

Dates for the assessments are chosen by you meaning you can organise assessment dates around your timetable.

Online Resources

Speaking & Listening videos are available on our YouTube channel for classroom practice and mock assessments.

All ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are based on the ESOL core curriculum and are regulated by Ofqual

Contact jackie.johnson@esbuk.org www.esbuk.org

T. +44 1695 573439 | F. +44 1695 228003 | E. esbesol@esbuk.org | www.esbuk.org

The role of my team is to effectively administer the assessment process across all clients, from bookings right through to certification. Our key clients are Europalso, ESBinItaly, ESOL Skills for Life centres and Speech UK and International centres. The CX Team meet the demands and different requirements for each client. We are heavily focused on establishing a strong standard operating procedure for every single process.

to ensure our service is as efficient as it can be.

I have designated three leads in my team across three clients:

Jen Simmons

CX Officer (UK Lead)

Kirsty Grainger

CX Officer (ESBinItaly Lead)

Jacqui Lee

Senior CX Officer

Isabel Bryant

Jacqui’s role is to study our processes and continuously identify improvements or alternative solutions,

CX Officer (Europalso Lead)

This means there is a dedicated point of contact and responsibility for each client, helping to provide a more bespoke customer service for each area of the business.

clients, so we’re really putting our preparation into practice! It is my ambition for our team to provide outstanding customer service, whilst continuously learning and developing along the way. I’m proud of what we have achieved so far, and I’m looking forward to the future of my team.

Sheena Singleton

Quality Assurance Officer

Sue Roberts Customer Experience Manager

As Quality Assurance Officer, Sheena is responsible for maintaining and monitoring compliance across the whole organisation. We are currently at our peak period, with over 14,000 examination papers arriving from Greece as well as a surge in exam bookings for our UK

ESB: Tell us about your centre, what are your learners like? IW: City Lit has 27,000 students across the year and 53,000 enrolments. It offers a whole range of courses from essential skills through to business and the arts. We have a wide range of ESOL learners: 25% of them are unemployed, while many of them are migrant workers, and others are refugees. ESB: What is a typical progression route for City Lit ESOL Learners? IW: We focus on employability and expression in our department to encourage natural progression, and we find that they often correlate. We work with a number of employers and run some bespoke courses with them. Whilst this focus on employment-based vocabulary is important, the everyday ‘water cooler’ conversation is just as crucial to progression. Everyone’s progression route is different, so at City Lit we try to create a portfolio of flexible courses to suit their lives.

ESB: What is your current role? IW: I’m Head of Programme for Essential Skills at City Lit in London. Essential Skills are the universal skills which form the bedrock to other competencies. In our department we orient our courses according to the principles of participation, progression and expression, and develop skills which can be applied inside and outside the workplace. IW: I have been involved with ESOL since 2001, so nearly 20 years now. The fact that we are beings of language continues to fascinate me. Language is simultaneously something alien but where we have to find a home. This interplay between being displaced and placed by language is something at the heart of ESOL in a multitude of ways. This is very much exemplified in ESOL. ESB: What attracted you to ESOL?

provider; it creates a focus and source of motivation for the learner.

ESB: What makes learning at City Lit a positive experience? IW: We have a great student centre, where learners can get free careers advice and guidance, financial help and access to computers and resources. However, what really lies at the core of City Lit is the quality of teaching. Across the whole college we try to understand learning as a task-based experience, which is a benefit to everyone. ESB: Why do you choose ESB’s ESOL Skills for Life qualifications? IW: The assessments take place in pairs, which mirrors the way our classes work at City Lit, so our learners feel comfortable in this environment, eliciting natural communication with their classmates. On the other hand, presentations are prepared at Levels 1 and 2. This form of structured and discursive speech is a valuable skill to learn, as it offers a different style of communication to the everyday, saying something meaningful or forming an argument. I also feel that it is beneficial having an assessment from outside of the

ESB: What are your hopes for the future of ESOL? If you could wave a magic wand, what would you wish for your learners? IW: I would like to see the declared ‘hostile environment’ for immigrants which values exchange and a plurality of experiences. I feel that ESOL is very much part of that ethos, and if it were given more scope to flourish, the positivity it could bring to communities is boundless. Find out more about City Lit here: https:// www.citylit.ac.uk/ Explore our ESOL Skills for Life qualifications here: https://esbuk.org/ qualifications/filter/ eyJyZXN1bHRfcGFnZSI6InF1YWxpZmljYXRp b25zXC9maWx0ZXIjZmlsdGVyLWFsaWduIiw iY2F0ZWdvcnkiOiIxNSJ9#filter-align

We are delighted to announce the rebranding of our portfolio of Graded Examinations in Speech qualifications. From September 2018, our qualification titles will be more relevant and straightforward for teachers, parents and learners, which will help us to further achieve our goal of recognising and encouraging the potential of all.

Below is a table that shows our existing qualification titles and rebranded qualification titles:

Existing Qualification Title

Rebranded Qualification Title

Early Steps to Junior Grades in Speech Step 1 – Speaking Together Early Steps to Junior Grades in Speech Step 2 – Speaking Out ESB Graded Examinations in Speech: Introductory (Junior Introductory)

ESB Early Steps – Step 1 (Speaking Together)

ESB Early Steps – Step 2 (Speaking Out) ESB Pre-Entry Level Award in Speech

Junior Grade 1 (Entry Level)

ESB Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 1)

Junior Grade 2 (Entry Level)

ESB Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 2)

Junior Grade 3 (Entry Level)

ESB Entry Level Award in Speech (Entry 3)

ESB Level 1 Award in Graded Examination in Speech: Junior Medallion (Grade 1) ESB Level 1 Award in Graded Examination in Speech: Senior Introductory Communication (Grade 2) ESB Level 1 Award in Graded Examination in Speech: Senior 1 (Grade 3) ESB Level 2 Certificate in Graded Examination in Speech: Senior 2 (Grade 4) ESB Level 2 Certificate in Graded Examination in Speech: Senior 3 (Grade 5) ESB Level 3 Certificate in Graded Examination in Speech: Senior Proficiency (Grade 6) ESB Level 3 Certificate in Graded Examination in Speech: Spoken English (Grade 8)

ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 1)

ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2)

ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 3)

ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4)

ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 5)

ESB Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grade 6)

ESB Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grade 8)

We are also categorising our Graded Examinations in Speech based on Key Stages and qualification levels, to help teachers identify which level is most appropriate for their learners. Our portfolio of Graded Examinations in Speech is available at five different levels. These are the qualifications that sit within each category:

And these are the Key Stages each category covers:

We would like to reassure you that there are no changes to your learners’ experience of the assessment. You should prepare learners for the assessment as they have done in the past and an assessor will continue to grade in the same way. We at ESB are fully committed to stretching the most able and least confident, and we hope you are excited about this development as we are. We strongly believe that the rebranding of our qualification portfolio of Graded Examinations in Speech is a positive step, which will help us effectively meet the needs of our centres and learners in the 21st century.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Product Development at: product@esbuk.org

The Culture Bridge (TCB) was founded by Jon Fearon-Jones in November 2011 to act as a bridge between different countries, languages and cultures. Originally, TCB operated out of Macau, China, as a cultural and educational exchange programme. In 2016, TCB changed its structure and relocated to Cambridge in the UK. It became a UK community interest group but still kept its roots in social enterprise and cultural exchange. In March 2017, ESB and TCB began working closely to assess whether China was a market that could embrace speech and cultural exchange, and the signs have been positive so far. The Shanghai Concord Bilingual School are the first school to join ESB and TCB partnership and it will incorporate ESB assessments into

Tina Renshaw is extremely positive about the partnership, saying: “Expanding the ESB’s reach further internationally has long been an ambition, but thanks to our relationship with The Culture Bridge this has now become a reality. Having ESB’s awarded qualifications available in one of the most prominent international markets is a major step forward for us.”

Says Jon, “Encouraging different cultures to engage with each other and explore different languages is our primary objective. The range of benefits created from having Chinese

its 2018-19 curriculum. ESB’s Chief Executive

learners engage with ESB qualifications are countless.”

15 www.TheCultureBridge.org

We were humbled and delighted to receive a generous donation left in Sheila’s will. Sheila was a dedicated ESB assessor from 1986 before taking on the role of Coordinator for the Certification of Achievement, and was a Public Speaker and Magistrate. A keen golfer, Sheila was also Captain of her local golf club.

Her thoughtful donation has been put into our Christabel Burniston Fund to extend our charitable outreach. If you would like to make a donation to ESB, or to find out more about our Christabel Burniston Fund, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at deborah.bassett@esbuk.org , or visit https://esbuk.org/home/about-esb/

“Bette, affectionately known as Betty, was a steadfast supporter of ESB. She was an assessor, both in the UK, Spain and Malta, a member of the then Committee of Management and has been Representative for Scotland. Her passion for the Scots language manifested itself in the three books she produced: A Hantle o Verse and Anther Hantle o Verse with Michael Elder and, most recently, Singing in My Lug . She was a wonderfully moving reader of Scots verse and entertained many an ESB conference. A trained actor, Betty performed on the amateur stage, most notably as Elizabeth I in Bolt’s ‘Vivat Vivat Regina’ and worked as a correspondent for BBC Highland. Betty was known for her boundless energy and on retirement she completed a Degree in History of Art and Literature, studied Gaelic at Sabhal Ostaig in Skye and learned to play the Clarsach with some accomplishment.

At her funeral one of her granddaughters recited one of Betty’s favourite Scottish poems:

Nan, na I wunna pairt wi’ that I downa gi’e it up O’Scotlan’s hamely mither tongue I canna quat the grup It’s bedded in my very he’rt Ye needna rive an’ rung It’s in my e’e an’ on my tongue An’ singing in my lug

Richard Ellis Honourary Treasurer

It’s that time of year again at ESB where we are making preparations for our Young Speakers of the Year Showcase. As last year’s event was such a positive, prestigious occasion, ESB will again be hosting the showcase at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Liverpool’s iconic Waterfront on Saturday, 17th November 2018. A selection of outstanding Speech learners from schools all around the UK will be chosen from a pool of nominations from our assessors. They will be invited to perform their winning talk, reading or poem to an audience of teachers, assessors, family and friends following a drinks reception and lunch. Each of the winners will be presented with a trophy and certificate to take home with them.

Alongside our Young Speakers, our ’Spirit of ESB’ Awards recognise learners who are showing great promise in their ESB assessments. We feel the most accurate way to identify these learners is to collect nominations from their teachers. Nominations will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:-  a candidate who has overcome obstacles to give an inspiring and/ or memorable assessment  a candidate who has raised awareness of an issue with significant understanding and compassion  a candidate who has made exceptional progress as a result of participating in this assessment

And can come from a range of learners:-

a candidate who is new to ESB assessment a candidate who has had a reasonable adjustment applied to allow them to access a qualification



 a candidate entered for any individual speech assessments – ICE, EAL Graded Exams, Graded examinations in speech, interview skills, debating etc. So, we are calling on you as our valued centres to come forward with a pupil you feel meets one or more of the above criteria, and we will consider them for our 2018 Spirit of ESB winners. To nominate a pupil for our Spirit of ESB Award, please send us the following: a video which best showcases the candidate’s potential - a simple phone recording is sufficient a brief explanation from you as to why the candidate should be nominated  

Please send all entries to deborah.bassett@esbuk.org.

Pupils aren't the only ones recognised at the Showcase. Our Burniston Bell Award rewards a teacher who has shown exceptional commitment to ESB. The winner, nominated by our assessors, will be awarded with a trophy and certificate, and will be invited to give an acceptance speech at the event. With plans already underway, we are excited to hear what our new Young Speakers will present at this year’s Showcase.

To find out more please email deborah.bassett@esbuk.org or call 01695 573 439 Ext.212.

“I have known Tina for many years, both as a teacher of ESB and as an assessor and have great respect for her. Over the years, I have learnt so much from Tina. She had a great gift for report writing and, on many occasions, I have turned to her reports to find the magic words or phrase needed for any grade. Always in control, in a firm but friendly way, Tina had a talent for drawing out the very best in candidates. Everyone I speak to, whether they be colleagues, teachers or indeed my own pupils who have been assessed by her, comment on her warm personality and say how lovely she is. Our founders wrote: “Assessors have the sensitivity to discern the presence of gifts in others and the skills to bring them to light” and Tina embodies this ESB spirit, which will live on in all those who have been inspired by her.” Roey Paige (ESB Assessor) says, "Tina is a bundle of energy, a tireless, glamorous assessor and colleague, who is always fun to be with”. Diana Lim (ESB Assessor) adds, “Number one must be Tina’s humour and story- telling which always brightened my day - and of course those leopard shoes!

So it is with love and thanks we say farewell to a much loved colleague but, as part of the ESB family we hope that she will stay in touch.

All ESB staff embraced their inner Sherlock Holmes at this year’s teambuilding day. The ESB Team was split into four smaller teams, who, by working together, were given the task of solving a fictional murder based on a number of clues and dubious characters. After interviewing a nosy cleaner and a corrupt solicitor, we pieced together the clues throughout the day to get closer to the truth. Although no one managed to get the whole story completely correct, it was a fun and entertaining day which really put our communication skills to the test!

The teambuilding day was held at Briar’s Hall near the ESB offices in Ormskirk and the activities were followed by a final regroup and celebratory drinks. The activity was designed to encourage cooperation and boost problem-solving skills. Staff members were asked to choose a team building activity before putting it to a vote.

English Speaking Board (International) Ltd.

9 Hattersley Court, Burscough Road, Ormskirk L39 2AY

T. +44 1695 573 439 | E. customer@esbuk.org | www.esbuk.org | twitter.com/esbuk

Registered in England Company no. 01269980 Registered as a Charity no. 272565

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