Assessment Innovation Fund (AIF) with NCFE

NCFE, one of the largest awarding bodies in the country, are sponsoring us to undertake an 18-month research project testing the impact of immersive online story-based English and Maths assessments as an alternative to traditional assessments. This comes at a time where there is an impetus for change to the current exam system and provides us with an exciting opportunity to be part of this wave of change.

The project is the brainchild of Sophie Maxwell (Founder of Really NEET) and the result of 6 years of canvassing to demonstrate a need for an alternative assessment style, that better meets the needs of learners with special educational needs. David Gallagher, CEO of NCFE shared the vision and introduced the NCFE Assessment Innovation Fund to support projects with a similar focus and ambition.

Our project offers online English and Math’s assessments that combine the principles of gaming, escape rooms and story-based assessment to create an immersive and engaging experience that allows learners to thrive whilst reducing anxiety around the exam environment. We have focused on all elements of accessibility when developing our assessments and believe this is they key to success for our target demographic.

We are working with KENSA, a Midlands based technology partner to develop the concept, and platform on which the assessments will run. KENSA are bringing the ideas to life whilst simultaneously ensuring that the platform can capture data for a mass market.

We are also working collaboratively with 5 educational settings spread Nationally. These settings represent a breadth of learner experience and reflect the needs of young people up and down the country.