Anglia Examinations News
November 2023 Newsletter
Words from Alice Osman, Chief Examiner, Anglia Examinations
John Ryder
24/11/1935 – 11/11/2023
This month, we experienced the sad loss of John Ryder, who passed away after a short illness. Not only was he my very dear Dad, ‘JR’ was the Anglia artist/ illustrator for the past 20 years and you will all recognise his work from the First Step, Junior, Primary and Preliminary papers. He was drawing for Anglia until two months ago. He said it gave him a reason to go to the drawing board, and he loved doing it.
I received an email this week from my very good friend and mentor, who most of you know well, Liz Bangs-Jones, who was the heartbeat of Anglia for so many years. Below is part of the email she sent. I couldn’t have put it any better myself, so wanted to share her words as a tribute to ‘JR'.
"I loved your father’s drawings for Anglia. They were so perfect: sweet and retro without being old-fashioned, clean without being boring, accurate without being dull, well composed without looking contrived or unnatural, fun and funny without being silly. They were a window onto a world that I bet not only every candidate at some level of their consciousness wished they lived in, but every time I saw one, I wished I lived in it too. They professionalized Anglia and put the company into a completely different league than any we could have bought had he not taken on the role.
They are, by a wide margin, the best illustrations of any English tests anywhere on the market. The illustrations did more than anything else about the look of the papers to brand Anglia as a true, honest, thoughtful, genuine, nice, diligent, conscientious, solid, kind, genuine, human, individual, helpful, optimistic and very special exam company and that's because he was all those things and it showed in his work."
The Anglia family being as strong as it is, many of you have already been in touch. Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind messages- they have been a huge help. As for the impact on Anglia, fortunately, we have a huge bank of ‘JR’ artwork, which we will continue to use in the years to come.
Alice
Anglia Spain
Invigilator Session
On November 17th, Anglia Spain conducted a very successful online session to train 16 new invigilators from all over Spain, preparing them for their crucial roles during the upcoming Anglia Exams sessions. Through engaging discussions and an interactive presentation, the newly trained invigilators gained invaluable insights and skills. We are confident that their training will contribute to the truly efficient administration of the exams, ensuring a smooth experience for all candidates and organisers.
Standardisation Session
On November 11th, we hosted our annual standardisation session, drawing speaking examiners from across Latin America and Spain. Led by Karen Griffiths - Deputy Principal Examiner from Anglia UK, the session focused on updating and enhancing their professional development. This collaborative effort ensures consistently high standards in our assessments. We extend our appreciation to all participants for their dedication to excellence and continuous improvement in our speaking assessment processes.
Meetings with potential partners
Anglia Spain, under the leadership of Estefanía Krogulec - Country Manager - and Adriana Pérez - Deputy Country Manager, has been actively engaging in meetings with potential partners across Spain.
These sessions have focused on introducing our comprehensive set of exams, addressing enquiries, and fostering enthusiasm for collaboration. Most excitingly, some partners have already joined the Anglia family, reflecting the success of our outreach efforts. We are committed to expanding and enhancing our network, making Anglia an even bigger and better community.
Special thanks to our Administrative team
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to thank our exceptional administrative team for their commitment and remarkable problem-solving skills.
Their dedication and diligence have not only resolved challenges efficiently but have also contributed significantly to the overall success of our endeavours. We are fortunate to have such a talented and devoted administrative team.
Thank you, Carlos, María Jesús and María Elena, for being an integral part of the Anglia Spain family.
Anglia Netherlands
News from Anglia, Netherlands
On Wednesday, the 22nd of November, we met the Anglia Coordinators at University College Windesheim in Zwolle. We had interesting group conversations about the pros of using Anglia at their school. They shared their best practices and were informed about the extra online support Optima can offer.
In the second workshop, we focused on European internationalisation by joining the Building Bridges Program with Erasmus+ subsidies.
Thank you, Alice, for the online presentation of the upcoming revisions in 2025.
November Exams Session
The November session was well organised at Groene Hart Leerpark, where Angela Koopal did her flying inspection. She visited the school to monitor the examination process and share her tips and tricks to run a smooth exam session.