What the schools say

"We have 30 feeder primary schools and 7 took part in the INGOT programme last year as part of our Specialist Schools Community Plan. There is a marked difference in the capabilities of those that took part and those that did not. We now need a strategy to enable all our incoming learners to benefit, levelling up attainment."

-- Elaine Delahunt, Assistant Headteacher
Up Holland Mathematics, Computing and Music College

"The children in primary schools that have achieved their Entry Level INGOT certificates are now demanding that we offer the Level 1 in Year 7. There is a clear effect on motivation and practical support for cross phase transition".

-- Mark Greenwood, Assistant Headteacher
Our Lady's Catholic High Specialist Mathematics and Computing School

Who are we?

We are The Learning Machine Ltd (TLM). TLM is an Awarding Body Accredited by Ofqual, DELLS and CCEA, the regulators for qualifications in England Wales and Northern Ireland. TLM is endorsed by eskills, the Sector Skills Council for Business and IT that ensures qualifications meet the needs of industry and employers.

TLM is responsible for developing and managing a new and innovative family of qualifications called The INGOTs. The latest members of the INGOT family provide e-skill's  new National Vocational Qualification  for IT Users, the ITQ and we will be providing Functional Skills qualifications for September 2010.  We will produce further qualifications with other subject contexts in the near future and we will provide free on-line courses to support the qualifications for all. We have just won a 276,000 Euro grant for Transfer of Innovation for this purpose.

Philosophy

The INGOT assessment criteria start at the simplest level with certificates at every level in the National Frameworks starting with P-Scales for Special Schools and providing progression routes to the equivalent of GCSE A*-C grades. (Average attainment for 16 year olds in England is GCSE Grade C). The INGOT criteria are designed to enable self and peer assessment but an independent assessor accredited by The Learning Machine must verify the assessments before accredited awards can be made.

A key theme of the INGOTs is to enable learners to lower their costs by increasing their capability to exploit Open Systems, making maximum use of information and software applications that are freely and legally available from the internet. Having said this we don't force anyone to use any particular technologies. If you can match the criteria that is all that is needed. Reducing dependency and increasing technological self-sufficiency opens up very low cost learning to all, with the longer term potential to reduce costs for businesses making them more competitive. INGOTs combine the best aspects of academic learning with those of vocational training. We want to make learners ready for change and free them from dependency on individual commercial interests and that means higher level learning as well as basic skills. We want to empower them to make choices that can improve the quality of their lives and the competitiveness of their work places. We have plans to enable poorer people to get internet access and eventually provide a full and free on-line curriculum for schools (and adults who missed out on school) sustained by quality assurance in certification and community participation. It might take us some time but we have patience :-)

For more detailed information including the assessment criteria and how to interpret them, download the assessors handbook provides a complete guide to the current certificates, the assessment criteria and how they should be used. The basic assessment criteria are here.There will soon be a new handbook for the new qualifications based on the ITQ, the new National Vocational Qualification for IT Users.

Presentation about TLM and the INGOTs

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