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Ian David Scholefield, Examiner for GCE and GCSE, and a D&T teacher, shares the benefits of his role as a Moderator.
Tell us about your role as a moderator? I currently Moderate for Pearson across both GCE and GCSE qualifications. Moderation work tends to take about six weeks during the summer term, it’s just a matter of making sure that I am on task when my allocations arrive. Working as a Moderator fits around my full time job as a teacher.
For example, I may moderate work from one centre in the morning and then continue my moderation work in the evening. Having been an examiner for 16 years I have been able to develop a community of people I can work with, from a range of schools which means there is always someone to draw expertise from.
What benefits does being a moderator bring to your career? Working with Pearson as a moderator has allowed me to develop as a teacher. It has allowed me to learn and understand the specifications as they are introduced, it has also allowed me to develop these within the school that I work in. In terms of my development within Pearson, I have managed to move on from examining GCSE to AS and then onto A2.
How does working as a moderator advantage your school? The work I do with Pearson is certainly advantageous for the school. It means that I am able to offer the standard to our students that the exam board are looking for. It also means that I am able to inform colleagues within the school of how to apply the standard of what they are assessing with students. My school support me in terms of working with Pearson because it allows me to develop what I do within the classroom. Pearson pays for teacher release which makes life easier for the school.
How are new moderators supported when they first start? When I first started working with Pearson I had only been teaching for two years, quite daunting really, but at the time you have great access to a team leader and principal examiner, who will be there to support you through the moderating process. New moderators will also be put into a team with experienced individuals within them, so there is always someone on hand to share ideas with, talk things through and ensure you are applying the correct standards to the work.
What advice would you give to people thinking about becoming a moderator? If you were thinking of becoming a moderator, first of all I would say plan your time and find out about your subject; the training that Pearson offers takes you through the initial processes and is great, it gives you every confidence that there are team leaders and principal examiners, as well as staff from Pearson, who are there to help and guide you. Certainly don’t be put off by what you may think is a daunting task at first. There is always somebody on hand to help you.
Pearson is currently recruiting Examiners and Moderators to work across its GCSE and GCE subjects. Visit the company website at edexcel.com/aarecruitment to find out more.
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