Site Notes and Changes

BCATS News Update – October 2017

Well, it’s Term 4 and the beginning of the last, frenetic dash towards the end of the year.

Thank you to everyone who contacted me after the last ‘BCATS News Update’, either to be added to the email list, or with feedback. Your feedback helped inform the following guides, which are now available.

  • Stage 3 BCATS Project; Guide for Level 3 BCATS Unit Standards.  This is an expansion of the ‘Stage 3 BCATS Project’ section of the Assessment Guidelines for Level 3 BCATS Unit Standards and is the result of feedback since its release.  The Guide is intended to help visualise how a project could look in a school and in a workplace setting.   
  • BCITO Gateway Programmes; Guide for Schools.  This is an advance copy, which we will update once the published version is available.  The content will remain the same.

Speaking of feedback… We’ve constructed the Level 3 BCATS unit standards in the manner we have largely as a result of feedback from Teachers and Gateway Co-ordinators, who want better options for Year 13 students, and from employers who want work-ready students.

The suite's flexibility allows for recognition of practical projects that align with any of the numerous BCATS industries and trades, and are suitable for both Technology and Gateway programmes.

With next year being the roll-out of the Level 3 BCATS unit standards, we’re hoping to introduce school cluster moderation workshops.  These will include opportunities to discuss and build support and confidence with Stage 3 BCATS projects - more information on these soon. They will complement a new BCITO tool, which will next year enable you to share projects with other teachers in a digital environment.

BCATS News Update – July 2017

It is with pleasure that I can inform you that the first resources for Level 3 BCATS, the Assessment Guidelines for Level 3 BCATS Unit Standards and the Assessment Record Sheets, have been added to the BConstructive website. Student resources will be added as they are finalised over the coming months.

One of the exciting things about Level 3 BCATS is its flexibility; students can receive recognition for projects in any of the numerous BCATS industries and trades.  The resources BCITO is producing are thus necessarily non-prescriptive and provide guidance rather than ‘model answers’. 

Teachers who have offered Level 3 BCATS unit standards this year have students undertaking an impressive array of projects.  Next year we will have a new website that will enable you to log in to share these with other teachers.

Through the grapevine, I have heard that many teachers would like more-regular updates on what we’re doing with BCATS.  I’ll endeavour to provide you with 4-6 weekly emails. Please let me know if someone else at your school should also receive these emails or if you prefer not to receive them.

Changes to Site - 22 December 2016

The Level 1 and 2 BCATS resources have been updated to meet the changes made to the unit standards. These resources have a footer of December 2016. Please use the updated unit standards and resources for your 2017 classes. 

If you have previously downloaded, saved and/or printed resources, please destroy them and use the new ones.

Changes to Site - 17 December 2012

Home page, Level 1 and Level 2 National Certificate pages edited to reflect revisions to the qualifications. Files linked to from these pages also updated to reflect qualification revisions and expiring unit standards. Qualification diagrams changed to reflect revised qualifications.

Links to expired unit standards and resources removed from Level 1 Resources page.

Change to Resource - 6 September 2011

Slight correction  to the Student Resource file for unit 24352.

Changes to Site - 15 March 2011

Site updated to reflect changes in 2011 including, removal of references to Creative trades ITO, updating of references/links to accreditation (now Consent to Assess), Moderation and removal of redundant pages.

Changes to Site - 20 July 2010

Slight changes (for spelling and typos) to the Teachers Info files for the following level 2 units -- 24353, 24361, 24360, 22607 and 25334.

Changes to Site - 14 December 09

All resources replaced to reflect version 2 of the qualifications that take effect from January 2010.

Changes to Site - 15 July 09

Newsletter page created. Accessible via yellow menu to left of this page.

Changes to Site - 1 July 09

2008 Review page created. Accessible via yellow menu to left of this page.

Changes to Resources - 4 February 09

Unit 12927 Hand tools
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 2 & 3 added.
Student resource page 25. Bullet point 4 added to oilstone notes.
Student worksheet Q 2.h Question has been reworded.
Student worksheet Q 5.h Question has been reworded.
Worksheet model answers Answers to Q 2 g & h changed.
Worksheet model answers Answer to Q 5 h changed.

Unit 12932 Garden furniture
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 2 & 3 added.
Student worksheet and model answers Q 2.h Question has been reworded. 

Unit 12933 Concrete works
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 2 & 3 added.

Unit 12935 Timber deck
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for element 2 added.
Worksheet model answers Q 1 change to answer for the number of sheets required.

Unit 12936 Non-consent building
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for element 2 added.
Worksheet model answers Q 1 change to answer for the amount of decking required.
Student resource page 7, change to wording in bullet point 5.
Student resource page 7, change to wording in bullet point 7.
Student resource. Additional information has been added to the plans for the Garden Shed at the end of the resource.
Worksheet model answers Q 2 change to the model answer.

Unit 12937 Pergola
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 2 & 3 added.

Unit 12938 Paving
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for element 2 added.

Unit 24350 Portable power tools
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 2 & 3 added.
Student worksheet and model answers. A belt sander and biscuit cutter have been added to question 1.

Unit 24351 Fixed machinery
Student resource. References to a grinding wheel have been removed from drill press (page 31) and horizontal borer (page 37).
Worksheet model answers question 5. The dust mask has been removed from required list of PPE.

Unit 24352 Safe working L1
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 1 & 2 added.

Unit 24353 Sketches and drawing
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 1 & 2 added.
Worksheet model answers. Changes to answers for questions 4, 6 & 9.
Student worksheet and model answers. Two symbols added to question 12.

Unit 24354 Safe working L2
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for element 2 added.

Unit 24355 Materials
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for element 1 added.

Unit 24356 Workshop processes
Assessment schedule. Observation columns for elements 2, 3, 4 & 5 added.

Qualification Structure
A table containing the number, title, level and credit value for all of the unit standards that make up the two qualifications, has been added to the Level 1 and Level 2 qualification structures.

Changes to Qualification - 28 May 08

The qualifications have been registered by NZQA and are now on their website. The qualification diagrams on this site have been updated and, from them, links established to the NZQA site so users can examine/download the formal qualification documents.

Changes to Resources - 12 May 08

Unit 22129 (Fence and Gate)
Assessment Schedule modified to clarify evidence required for PC1.1.

Unit 12939 (Retaining Wall)
Worksheet, Model Answers and Assessment Schedule modified for edited question to ensure unit standard coverage.

Unit 24357 (Communication)
Assessment schedule corrected to remove reference to a non-existant PC.

Unit 12933 (Concrete)
Worksheet and Model Answers clarified and calculation of model answer corrected.