The key to re-thinking GCSEs is to consider their fundamental purpose. GCSEs, and their predecessor O-levels, were designed as an end point summative assessment of young people’s academic subject based attainment, at sixteen. However, young people are now required to stay in full-time education, start an apprenticeship/traineeship or spend 20+ hours a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training, until they are 18 years old. Sixteen is now a staging post rather than an end point.
Continue readingIt was a two week period like no other. In the absence of students actually sitting any examinations, grades were calculated by an algorithm, determined by schools (centres) and after much upheaval young people received the higher of the two grades. Privately entered candidates are still in limbo, vocational qualifications have yet to be confirmed and further and higher education have been left to sort out a complex admissions process. However, there are reasons to be cheerful.
Continue readingOfqual’s decision, to adopt a modified form of its proposal for grading GCSE and A-levels this Summer, has been met with consternation and in some cases despair. Their decision to put increased weighting on historical data is not the best (or least worst) option available. It’s more about statistical modelling than a humane approach to a complex and difficult situation.
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