CAVA News

 The CAVA Board is pleased to announce that Emily Ross has been appointed as the next CEO of CAVA, following an extensive recruitment process. Emily has been an integral part of CAVA’s journey over the past 16 years, since she joined the team as an Administrative Officer in June 2008. She moved through the ranks in the organisation, progressing to Office Manager, then Quality Manager, and more recently as Deputy CEO. Her focus on continuous improvement and high-quality service for members has continually pushed the organisation to grow and develop over the years. Emily holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education Studies from the University of Cambridge and a Masters in English from Anglia Ruskin University. CAVA’s Chair, Gavin Tash, shared: “The CAVA Board and I are delighted to appoint Emily. Following a rigorous recruitment process, we felt Emily has the right blend of experience and knowledge of CAVA, as well as an innovative approach to take CAVA forward. Emily has been a hug...

 The Cambridge Assessment Network conference delved into the dynamic landscape of digital assessment, exploring its opportunities and challenges while prompting attendees to envision its future trajectory. Sarah Hughes, Research and Thought Leadership Lead at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, alongside Imogen Casebourne, Innovation Research Lead at DEFI Innovation Lab, University of Cambridge, shared their research, forecasting potential directions for assessment. They outlined four key drivers propelling change: climate change, AI-driven personalised learning, immersive assessment experiences, and the promotion of human flourishing and well-being. The implications for assessment professionals are profound, necessitating the fusion of learning and assessment with digital technologies while upholding the integrity and quality of future assessments. By projecting forward from the envisioned landscape of 2050 to the present day, participants were encouraged to identify acti...

Today, as we celebrate World Earth Day, CAVA reaffirms our commitment to fostering environmental awareness and sustainability through education. Since its start in 1970, World Earth Day has served as a global platform to address the impact of pollution, industrial development, and other environmental concerns. This year, the focus is on reducing plastic production by 60% by 2040, underscoring the urgency of environmental conservation. Learn more about this initiative on  earthday.org . CAVA's Commitment to Sustainability CAVA recognises the global challenge with regard to our changing environment, and the impact that our actions have upon it. For this reason CAVA is committed to operate according to strong ethical values, in a way that we achieve excellent results today, without compromising the needs of tomorrow. Through our Net Zero strategy, we operate as a lean organisation, limiting our consumption and waste. Each year, CAVA offsets any essential emissions through investments ...

  Exploring the forefront of digital education, the  Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI)  event offered profound insights into the intersection of technology and education. These insights resonate with Access to Higher Education Diplomas, addressing crucial aspects of personalised teaching and learning, human-centric approaches and strategic planning in the age of Generative AI. One of the highlights of the event was Dr. Alina von Davier's presentation on Duolingo's innovative framework for flexible test design using AI. It was particularly fascinating to learn how AI can interact in real time with test takers, guiding writing tasks and assessing abilities based on responses. This marks a significant leap in personalised learning assessment which they term PET-CAT Personalised Ensemble Test (PET) - Computerised Adaptive Test (CAT). As this framework continues to develop, we can envision how such tailored technologies could cater to the diverse learning needs of ad...

 Nottingham College’s Access to HE Diploma (Criminal Justice and Policing Studies) has been acknowledged for consistently going out of their way to engage their students and immerse them in the real-world application of their studies. These efforts are having a direct impact on students’ retention on the course, their overall grades, and their successful progression to higher education. One way they have engaged their students is with a range of different enrichment opportunities at notable locations such as Nottingham Crown Court, Shrewsbury Prison and Mansfield Police Station. These trips offer a firsthand look at the legal process in action, allowing students to envision a future within the legal landscape. Students have had the opportunity to explore a decommissioned prison as well as a commissioned prison and talk to inmates. These opportunities are integral components of Nottingham College’s Access to HE Diploma (Criminal Justice and Policing Studies), designed to spark a pas...

 To support our aim in offering a full package of support for our Access to HE providers, CAVA is pleased to share that we are creating a Resource Library in 2024-25. The library aims to support the creation of content for Access to HE Diplomas, and the use of resources for online delivery. The library will house resources used by our providers to support teaching and learning. Resources include but are not limited to: formative assessments (handouts, workbooks, quizzes, interactive activities) lecture notes/presentations; instructional materials signposts to textbooks and reference materials signposts to journal articles; podcasts; videos signposts to workshops; online courses case studies surveys and feedback forms enrichment activity ideas interaction / engagement activities. From May 2024, providers will be encouraged to share their delivery and assessment resources. We aim to populate the Library by the end of the Summer term and launch the Library for use at the beginning of ...

It is with a profound mix of emotions that I share my transition from the role of CEO at CAVA over the next six months. I will be moving on to build my own coaching and consulting business. Serving as the CEO of this fantastic organisation for more than four years has been a privilege and honour. Together, we have accomplished remarkable milestones during a period of unprecedented turbulence and worked tirelessly to advance our mission of enabling adults to achieve their aspirations through education. I want to assure you that the CAVA Board and I are working closely to ensure a seamless transition that safeguards the continuity of CAVA’s operations. Recruitment is now open for the new CEO to take CAVA forward to our next stage of development. The CAVA Board is seeking a leader who shares our passion, possesses excellent strategic and operational skills, and has a proven track record of inspiring positive change. Please refer to the recruitment pack for detailed information on the role...

There are 1.3 million people in England with a learning disability, including over 950,000 adults aged 18 and above. In the past few years, more students are facing additional barriers to their learning due to factors such as the cost of living crisis and the impacts COVID 19. We have identified three of our providers who each have a high focus on students with learning barriers, and have demonstrated good practice by supporting all of their students, especially those with additional needs. Access Creative College, Nottingham College and Truro and Penwith College are just three of our members who demonstrate excellent work with their Access to HE Diploma students. Below are a few of the different support measures they put in place with their students. Access Creative College Access Creative College  is dedicated to supporting their students, especially those facing additional learning barriers. This support begins right from the open days, where Learning Support Managers (LSMs) and...