Jun23466 Leading Innovators in Educational Assessments 2023 – UK For more than a century, the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) has been at the heart of the independent sector. Celebrated and renowned as a global provider of innovative assessments, ISEB strives to put the pupil at the heart of all qualifications, championing project-based learning opportunities, encouraging student-directed study and the development of emotional resilience alongside academic rigour. Celebrating 120 years in 2023-24, the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) was founded in 1903 to produce and deliver the Common Entrance (CE) and Common Academic Scholarship (CASE) examinations, used as part of admissions processed by leading UK independent senior schools from 1904 to today. ISEB is a patron of the Heads’ Conference (HMC), the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) and the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), three leading bodies in the independent education sector. Since its inception in the 1900s ISEB has grown to offer a range of products and qualifications used by schools and families to support the admissions journey from prep or junior school to senior school. Today, ISEB is perhaps best known for the Common Pre-Tests, one of the leading 11+ online entrance tests used by senior schools as part of the admissions process. The adaptive Pre-Tests were developed by ISEB in partnership with Century Tech and are used by leading independent senior schools in the UK from Eton, Harrow and Pangbourne to Benenden, Wellington and Charterhouse. The ISEB Pre-Tests also put emphasis on pupil wellbeing and support for pupils with SEND; the tests are age-standardised for the cohort and results are shared with multiple senior schools, so children need only take the tests once in any academic year. The test player also features a variety of customisable functions such as colour overlays and font sizing and the adaptive mechanism ensures pupils are presented with questions that enable them to demonstrate their ability and potential without damaging confidence and self-esteem. Recently ISEB again embarked on a collaborative project with Century Tech and Bond, Oxford University Press, to develop a new test preparation platform for the ISEB Pre-Tests, Bond Online Premium Plus. The platform features over 10,000 questions directly tailored to the framework of the tests with the most up-to-date topics covered for 2023-24. As the only ISEB-endorsed test practice platform, Bond Online Premium Plus provides the most accurate preparation experience for pupils, encouraging and supporting the formation of healthy revision habits. In line with ISEB’s commitment to pupil wellbeing at all stages of the assessment and admissions journey, the exam board of the independent sector has also developed the Parent Power Toolkit, in partnership Tooled Up Education. The toolkit is available from ISEB’s online shop and contains a variety of resources, activities and materials designed to support the whole family in navigating their admissions journey and effectively managing periods of change and stress. In recent years, ISEB has further expanded its provision of qualifications and assessments for schools in the UK and internationally. This includes the ISEB Project Qualification (iPQ), a creative and engaging project-based, pupil-directed qualification designed to champion the process not just the outcome. Submissions received for the iPQ have been hugely diverse and innovative with schools adopting and implementing the qualification in a myriad of unique ways. Projects have ranged from practical constructions, including a working trebuchet, through to school-wide sustainability initiatives as demonstrated by Cottesmore School, and community-focused projects raising money for charities, such as Usikimye in Kenya with Kenton College. The sky really is the limit with the iPQ. Perhaps better than anyone ISEB understands the ways in which education and qualifications have developed over the last century and will continue to do so well into the next 120 years. By working together with leading academics and industry partners, ISEB remains ahead of the curve evaluating and piloting new concepts and practices in line with its commitment to pair innovation with heritage. This includes producing conferences and events exploring digital assessments with AQA and being the first UK exam board to adopt Adaptive Comparative Judgement in practice. After more than a century in operation, the upcoming academic year will be one of celebration and recognition for ISEB, however, the pace of development and innovation will remain high. The renowned and experienced company continues to draw on its history and experience to provide assessments, qualifications, and resources that effectively challenge and encourage pupils to be the best they can be. For its continued excellence and innovation, the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) has been awarded Leading Innovators in Educational Assessments, UK, in the Education and Training Awards 2023. We congratulate the organisation on this achievement and look forward to seeing how its plans unfold in the years ahead. Contact: Zoe Webber Company: ISEB Ltd Web Address: www.iseb.co.uk
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