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16 December 2008 the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP Secretary of State

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16 December 2008 the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP Secretary of State Christopher Trinick DL Chairman 16 December 2008 The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP Qualifications and Secretary of State Curriculum Authority Department for Children, Schools & Families 83 Piccadilly Sanctuary Buildings London W1 J 8QA Great Smith Street Telephone: 020 7509 5555 London SW1P 2BT Minicom: 020 7509 6546 Email: info@qca,org.uk www.qca.org.uk National Curriculum Test delivery 2008: Lord Sutherland's Inquiry Thank you for your letter of today's date which accompanies the publication of Lord Sutherland's Inquiry. Can I first of all say that I very much appreciate the work that Lord Sutherland has done over the preceding weeks. The report is to be welcomed by the QCA because it provides an authoritative and clear analysis of the problems of the delivery of the national curriculum tests during the summer of 2008. We will in the coming days seek to begin to implement the recommendations, and learn the lessons from his report. I should also like to repeat the apology on behalf of the QCA to pupils, teachers and parents who were inconvenienced by late results this summer. The QCA Board met yesterday and has agreed how we move the organisation forward in preparation for not only next year's tests, but it's evolution into the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency. With this in mind in response to Lord Sutherland, we will get on with a number of key tasks. These are as follows: = Fully integrate the NMinto the QCA. NAA will be abolished and will not retain a separate identity or brand. Work on the transformation of QCA into QCDA - The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, which it is proposed will be formally established in the legislation that also creates Ofqual. All the important work undertaken now by NMin regard to national curriculum tests and support for other activities will be moved into the QCA management structure. The new QCDA structure will be based on the delivery of programme remits from Government INVESTOR 16 PEOPLE VAT reglstratlon No 706 7645 21 QCA IS an exempt char~tyunder the Chart~esAct 1993 QCA has begun the recruitment process for a new CEO to succeed Dr Ken Boston in due course As you say this will be the subject of further discussions with your department and indeed with DIUS. I would like to thank your officials for their support in our early work on these matters. We will submit to you a report on progress and high level action plan by 16 January. With regard to the delivery of KS2 national curriculum tests in 2009, these are of the highest priority and that is reflected in my third bullet point above. Indeed the preferred bidder Edexcel was announced yesterday. As you know, because of the performance of ETS last year, the short timetable does bring risks but we are doing all within our power to ensure successful delivery next summer. That will take the form of active project management and the use of escalation procedures. Indeed at the Board meeting yesterday the Chair of the Audit Committee requested our internal auditors to review these very procedures. Finally please be assured of my commitment to taking these changes forward. I am copying this letter to Kathleen Tattersall, Lord Sutherland and Barry Sheerman. .
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