TAG Developments agrees a three year deal with the UCL Academy in London which will see TAG's multi-award winning Managed Assessment Portfolio System (MAPS) deployed by the academy to support teaching and learning in a wide range of subject areas.

UCL Academy is a brand-new secondary school currently in the final phase of construction in Swiss Cottage, London, which is due to open its doors to a new intake of students from September 2012. The academy, which is supported by University College London, has chosen to adopt The International Middle Years Curriculum. The IMYC places specific focus on the value of student reflective journalling and collaborative activity to encourage personal consideration and the development of a deeper understanding of ideas and topics. MAPS has been specifically designed to support these approaches, as well as being fully supportive of Assessment for Learning, which is another key pillar of the IMYC. As a result the academy felt that MAPS would provide an essential 'back-bone' to support teaching and learning throughout the school, and work synergistically with the other administrative and learning systems being deployed.

Under the Bonnet: The Technology Behind the Project
The MAPS assessment platform was originally developed in partnership with Worcestershire Local Authority in the UK to support summative assessment for students aged 11-14 years. It has subsequently developed into the leading evidence based assessment solution for schools, colleges and universities, supporting formative and summative curriculum and qualification assessment across a wide range of subjects and with students aged 11-18 years, as well as vocational adult learning. MAPS is also used extensively to support qualification assessment by both Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examinations board (OCR) and the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) the UK's largest unitary accreditation body. The tool allows teachers to create activities that provide students with a mechanism for capturing project based learning in the classroom and so is ideal for supporting coursework and other learning scenarios where capturing and reflecting on the process of learning, rather than just the final outcome is important.

For further details please contact Karen Pernynes via karen.pernyes@sherston.com

Notes to the editor:
About TAG Developments http://www.tagdevelopments.com

TAG Developments is the e-assessment division of Sherston Software Ltd. Over the past decade, TAG has produced a number of innovative and highly exciting online community and e-portfolio solutions, including MAPS, the flagship, award winning online e-Portfolio based e-assessment and e-moderation system and Red Pen Tool, the revolutionary on-screen marking and annotation tool.

About MAPS http://www.maps-ict.com

About Sherston www.sherston.com
Sherston is a leading publisher of educational software both in the UK and internationally, with engaging and award-winning e-learning resources covering every part of the curriculum. Its outstanding reputation is built upon over 25 years of providing schools and nurseries with innovative educational technology products, designed to motivate children and boost their performance.

Sherston’s broad portfolio includes its flagship online products, www.planetsherston.com and www.earlyyearsworld.com, plus an extensive range of products that are Learning Platform/LMS ready, optimised for Android and iPad tablets and are CD-ROM/USB flash drive deliverable.