The Education Secretary and Ofqual, the Examinations Regulator, announced that only English (Language and Literature) and Maths GCSE will now be prepared for first teaching from 2015 and other subjects including languages introduced in 2016.
The main features of the proposed new courses are outlined below.
All subjects
- Replacement of A*-G grades with a new numerical scale with 8 as the highest and 1 as the lowest grade
- Assessment by end of course examination rather than coursework or controlled assessment in most cases
- Linear rather than modular course design
- Discontinuation of foundation and higher tiered papers to have a single exam paper for all candidates in all subjects apart from mathematics and sciences
- Removal of opportunity to resit individual
- Greater focus on a broad range of texts including ‘highquality written texts from a range of centuries’
- Candidates expected to demonstrate literacy to support them in employment and to progression to learning English at a higher level
- Speaking and listening will not contribute to GCSE grades but will be separately reported on certificates then changes will take place from summer 2014
- A greater range of writing skills to be required
- Marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar will increase to 20 per cent of the overall exam
- Exams will include ‘unseen’ texts
- Candidates expected to use ‘standard English’
- A greater range of texts, including whole texts, from ‘keyperiods’, to include:
- At least one play by Shakespeare
- A selection of representative Romantic poetry
- At least one 19thCentury novel
- A selection of poetrysince 1850
- British fiction or drama since the first world war
- Candidates examined on ‘unseen’ as well as set texts
- Students encouraged to read for pleasure and draw upon awide range of reading in responding to assessments
Mathematics
- Focus on teaching fluency, mathematical reasoning and problem solving
- Candidates apply mathematical knowledge to familiar and unfamiliar problems in both real-world and mathematical contexts
- Prepares students for maths study at a higher level and for numeracy skills for life and work
- Ofqual consulting on models for differentiated assessment, including for those students intending to take A levels in STEM subjects, with overlapping tiers or ‘core’ models with ‘extensions’
- Specified content for ‘higher achieving students’
- Proposed changes will apply to biology, chemistry and physics single awards and combined science double award.
- Combined double award will have ‘appropriate spread’ of ‘essential subject content’ across the three scientific disciplines based on proposed new science National Curriculum for KS4
- All science routes to contain explicit requirements for application of mathematical understanding
- Physics requirements to include new expectations for the recall and application of key formulae
All Subjects
- Expectation that courses will be of two years’ duration
- A stronger focus on literacy and numeracy
- Students not achieving a ‘pass’ in English and mathematics will be required to study the subjects post-16
- Consultation to 20August on subject content and assessment objectives by DfE
- Parallel Ofqual consultation on regulatory requirements
- Includes focus on:
- human and physical geography, including people and environment
- location and place knowledge
- geographical skills and fieldwork
- Candidates expected to apply geographical knowledge, skills and understanding to real world contexts, including fieldwork, and to contemporary situations and issues
- Greater emphasis on the geography of the UK
- Candidates must carry out fieldwork in at least two contrasting environments beyond the school grounds
- Fieldwork assessed by externally marked exam
- Students to learn more about British history as well as the history of the wider world
- A greater emphasis on the selection, recall and application of historical knowledge and understanding
- Consideration being given to an historical investigation resulting in an extended essay, which would not form part of the final GCSE grade, but would have its successful completion reported
Modern Languages
- Four equally weighted assessment objectives:
- listening
- reading
- speaking
- writing
- Introduction of abridged or adapted literary texts
- Reform will be from 2016 but consultation taking placenow
- Ofqual to consult separately in future on assessment ofspeaking and listening
- Two equally weighted assessment objectives:
- linguistic competence
- cultural competence
- Reform will be from 2016
Members’ comments on the proposals
- Comments can be forwarded to Helen Hill at:
- Change is always an issue in qualification reform. Changes should have the appropriate lead times for schools and teachers to prepare. They should also be properly trialled and evaluated to ensure that candidates are able to deal with any design problems inherent in theexam
- The NUT’s final response to the DfE’s consultation to GCSE subject content is on the NUT website at:
Table of main changes (Sept 13)_HH13 September 2013
Created: 13 September 2013/MV
Revised: 13 September 2013/CA