Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) was a charity, and an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department for Education. In England and Northern Ireland, the QCDA maintained and developed the National Curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations, advising the minister formerly known as the Secretary of State for Education on these matters.
| Executive Non-Departmental Public Body overview | |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 3 October 2011 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | England |
| Headquarters | Earlsdon Park, Butts Lane, Coventry |
| Parent department | Department for Education |
Regulatory functions regarding examination and assessment boards have been transferred to Ofqual, an independent regulator.
Education and qualifications in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government and their agencies. In Scotland, for example, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is the responsible body.
In May 2010 the Secretary of State announced his intention to promote legislation that would transfer obligations of the QCDA to Ofqual. The newly formed Standards and Testing Agency took on the functions of the agency 3 October 2011. QCDA's Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Hall, is also a member of the Executive Board of the British examination board AQA.