Ethnic Minority Achievement
City and Guilds Pitman IESOL exams 2007 - 2008
- What? What is a Pitman IESOL exam? It's an exam specially designed to test speakers of other languages' English level in listening, reading and writing (there is also a separate optional speaking exam). There are 6 levels and some universities recognise the higher levels as proof of competency in English for applicants whose first language is not English. Successful students receive a City and Guilds certificate.
- Where? St. Peter's High School, Gloucester is an approved Centre for Pitman exams and this is where EAL students sit the exams.
- Who? Who should take this exam? Late EAL arrivals in Year 10/11 who are unlikely to obtain an English GCSE pass; students who may not take SATs English - to measure progress in a more appropriate way; those who want to go on to further education. Last school year 35 students from a variety of Gloucestershire schools were entered for different levels and the results were excellent with 10 first class passes!
- When? Exams are held a couple of times a year at St. Peter's and students can be entered just 2 or 3 weeks before the exam date. Results are usually through in 6 weeks.
- How? How do I go about organising students in my school to do the exams? Either speak to the EMA teacher in your school or contact READS to find out more. The cost of the exam depends on the level and the number of students taking the exam but a rough guide is around £25.
- Why? Why should I encourage EAL students to take these exams? They are a way of showing progress in learning English, which may not be so apparent through other tests. They are easy to prepare for - students only really need to practise past papers and address the language and grammar skills needed for everyday studying and working in the UK. READS can supply resources to help students prepare and there are also online resources available. But probably the best reason is that EAL students ENJOY the exams because they can actually demonstrate their language skills and achieve at the level that is right for them!
Dorry Evans
Y11 2008 EAL students from Cirencester Deer Park School returned to receive their Pitman ESOL certificates at the school's annual Awards Evening in November. The certificates were presented by past pupil Peter Reed, who was a gold medallist in the Olympics in Beijing in 2008.
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