B D S EDUCATIONWorking with Horses in Harness

Accredited Qualifications

Awards Board who we are

Linda Tate Chairman

Chief external verifier

Stephanie Evans Qualification

Development officerData Protection

ManagerHon.Sec.

Angela Sixsmith-Council Member

BDS Judge

Cheryl GroverHeavy HorseNVQ Assessor

Elizabeth KellyCouncil member

A.C. N-Ireland

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Awards Board Legal Responsibility

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Parliament

Candidate Ofqual

Awards Board

BDS Council

Who is responsible to Awards Boards

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Assessors may be spot checked by

Ofqual

Awards Board

BDS Office(administratio

n)

BDS Assessors

Approved Training Provider/

yards

Assessors and Training Providersmust take responsibility for

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Quality, Integrity and Fairness of Assessment

Health and Safety

Child Protection

First Aid

BDS Education Programme Aims

Raise the profile of, and standards in, harness horse driving

Increase skills base and value achievements

Ensure Society keeps ahead of government legislation especially Health & Safety

Leisure activity, sport, exhibition and passenger carrying work

Assisting to preserve the use of Heavy Horses in agriculture and forestry operations

Recognised UK qualifications employable in EU and USA

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BDS Education Programme - Outcomes of Aims

• BDS members benefit from higher standards from our training/assessing base

• BDS members achieve and enhance their abilities – transferable skills

• Raises the profile of harness horse driving sector for both light and heavy horses in all aspects of safety of others and horse welfare

• Maintain and increase the Society’s income

• Provide national qualifications to wider-spectrum candidates

• Allows colleges and schools to locate funding streams as accredited programme

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BDS Education Programme

Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) examinations

Offered to:BDS grass-root members and Non-membersColleges and Schools (14-19)

To develop horse driving skills and knowledge as:

a recreational activity and sportpreserving heritage skills ie the horse in agricultureemployment in the horse industrycommercial users

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BDS Education Programme – Establishments

BDS approved Training Centres/Yards offer :

a) teaching and training for young people and adults

(grass-root members or non-members)

b) teaching and training 14-19 year olds from schools and colleges This may be day-release training or residential course training

(similar to a Junior Whip Camp) or a combination of both

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BDS Education ProgrammeSome of the Examinations

Harness Horse Groom’s Diploma

Diploma in Principles of Training Horses to Harness

Basic Driving Skills Certificate

Diploma in Working with Horses in agriculture and land-based activities

Driving and working with Harness Horses Diploma

Assistant Harness Horse Trainer’s Diploma

Road Safety Certificate for Singles – recreational drivers

Road Safety Certificate for Pairs – recreational drivers

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BDS Education Programme – Glossary

BDS Awards Board and Training Board created separately in December 2007.

Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) regulates all qualifications in the UK and is directly responsible to Parliament

Ofqual recognises BDS Awards Board

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BDS Education Programme – Glossary LANTRA (land-based training organisation) is the Sector Skills Council

(SSC) for the equine industries and other environmental sectors.

ULN (Unique Learning Number) – all learners will be registered and a number allocated which is a life-time number

GLH (Guided Learning Hours) formal teaching hours per qualification including homework, assignment production, visits, external lectures and assessment

RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) – accreditation of previous BDS tests to the new QCF examinations – extra units may have to be taken to complete the transfer.

BDS Training Providers include the LHHIs, Preliminary Teachers and Support Officers

BDS Assessors and Verifiers will maintain the high standards of assessment for development of high-calibre QCF qualifications

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BDS Education Programme Levels Level Entry for those with no previous equine experience

(in development) Level one – progression from entry level (in development ) Level two Harness Horse Groom’s ( currently available)Level three Harness Horse Driver’s (replacing Preliminary

+ incorporating the BDS Road Driving Safety Certificate; currently available)

Level four Recreational Driver( in progress, to replace intermediate) )

Level four Professional Drivers (currently available) Level five ( teams & tandems – to be developed)

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The following BDS teaching titles will be replaced by new titles:

BDS Preliminary Teacher – new title : BDS Level 3 Teacher

If you have this level you may teach anything below and up to this level BDS Level 4 teacher can teach up to this level and below

including unknown pairs LHHI – new title: BDS LHHI, Level 5 can teach up to this level and below, including teams and tandems New category of BDS HHHI – Level 5 Heavy Harness Horse Instructor

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BDS Education ProgrammeTeaching Levels

BDS Education Programme - Awards and Levels

Each level of the QCF qualification is divided into: Award (1 to 12 credits) Certificate ( 13 to 37 credits) Diploma (38 + credits)

At Level 2 the learner is always assisting a driver/head-lad/head-girl or acting under supervision either off road or on the public highway

At Level 3 the learner is the driver of, or training, horses for work off road or on the public highway.

Currently the BDS has concentrated on Levels 2 and 3 (these equate to an academic qualification at GCSE and ‘A’ Level). Level 4 (Professional Drivers) is being developed and incorporates the Code of Practice.

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BDS Education Programme – Learner’s Information Pack

The pack contains complete details of the Syllabus:- This is available to Learners on application to the BDS Office, on

payment of the required fee

purpose of qualification, 3 pathways and assessment criteria: Pathway A – mainstream driving a harness horse Pathway B – agricultural Pathway C – horse training

Candidate portfolio production and evidence certificates

Qualification structure

Each unit required to be assessed Credit values, Guided learning hours (GLH) and timings Learning outcome and assessment criteria Annex A – example evidence certificates Annex B - example of detailed task accounts eg assisting driver at a show

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BDS Education Programme –Assessor’s Information Pack

The pack contains complete details of the Learning outcomes, Assessment Criteria and Assessment methods:-

This is available to BDS Approved Assessor’s only on application to the BDS Office

Pathway A – mainstream driving a harness horse Pathway B – agricultural Pathway C – horse training

Candidate portfolio production and evidence certificates

Qualification structure and marksheets

Each unit required to be assessed Credit values, Guided learning hours (GLH) and timings Learning outcome and assessment criteria Annex A – example evidence certificates Annex B - example of detailed task accounts eg assisting driver at a show

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BDS Education Programme –Training Providers Information Pack /Manual

The pack contains complete details of the Syllabus:- This is available to BDS Approved Training Providers on application to the

BDS Office, on payment of the required fee

Training outcomes required to reach the Level for Assessment, 3 pathways and assessment criteria: Pathway A – mainstream driving a harness horse Pathway B – agricultural Pathway C – horse training

Training the Learner in portfolio production and evidence certificates

Qualification structure

Each unit required to be assessed Credit values, Guided learning hours (GLH) and timings Learning outcome and assessment criteria Annex A – example evidence certificates Annex B - example of detailed task accounts eg assisting driver at a show31/08/2011

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BDS Education Programme – Procedure

To register on a BDS course:

Contact the BDS office for registration application form - choose pathway Return completed form with registration fee and Workbook fee BDS office will generate your ULN BDS sends the relevant Learner Pack containing full details of course, units

and evidence certificates and Logbook/Workbook. Locate a BDS training provider from website list

Training Provider or Learner contacts BDS when candidates ready for assessment, and sends in an Application form for Final Assessment. BDS arranges date, venue and appoint assessor.

Where appropriate, Candidates submit all documentation (workbook, evidence certificates, diaries) to the BDS office at least four weeks prior to assessment.

Application for Final Assessment must be received by the BDS Office at least 4 weeks prior to the preferred Assessment date.

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BDS Education Programme – Assessor’s Notes

Sets out role and responsibilities of the particular unit

Key issue: Can the learner carry out all the tasks set and has the underpinning knowledge associated with each task

Lists the units required for the qualification

Specifies what horses and equipment are required for the assessment. If the candidate is using their own turnout (horse, harness, vehicle, etc), this MUST

meet the BDS standards for Assessment, and any equipment or horse regarded as unsuitable by the Assessor on the day of Assessment cannot be used, and the Candidate will forfeit the fee. Candidates are therefore recommended to have their equipment checked by a BDS Approved Training Provider prior to Assessment.

Describes in detail the assessment methods for each unit

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BDS Education Programme Assessment Tasks

A clear Pass must be obtained in each Task:- ‘ boarderline’ skills or knowledge will constitute Failure

Task 1 – Log Book and 5 written accounts

Task 2 – Submission of the required number of Evidence Certificates

Tasks 1 and 2 documentation submitted four weeks before assessment

Task 3 – Final practical examination plus oral questioning

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BDS Education Programme – And Finally !

The BDS Website will be revised with a dedicated Education page

Fees for the courses have been developed by the Finance Committee and shall be regularly reviewed

Pre-set examination dates will benefit the learner by having a proper time-schedule to progress along – also more viable for assessors

Qualifications are the endorsement of training not merely an end in themselves. Ofqual’s duty is to ensure the qualifications are correctly valued and understood. So it is for the BDS.

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