The government and Ofqual have recently confirmed that from September 2015, new GCSEs and A Levels will be taught in schools and colleges across the country. From September 2017, all of these new qualifications will have been implemented.
Maths, English language and English literature will be the first new GCSEs to be studied in the next academic year, with other subjects following in 2016. The first results of these new GCSEs will be released in August 2017, reflecting the change to exam timetables specifying that learners will sit exams at the end of their course. Previously learners were able to sit assessments throughout the two-year period.
One of the biggest changes to GCSEs will be grading, moving from a lettered A*-F structure to a numbered 1-9 system to distinguish between pupils earning middle and higher grades.
The government has stated the new GCSEs will include “more demanding content, which has been developed by government and the exam boards,” further reinforcing the idea that GCSEs are becoming more difficult.
Another significant element of the new GCSEs is that assessments will primarily be through examinations, and that “other types of assessment used only where they are needed to test essential skills.”
The A Level reforms follow a similar vein, with the new A Levels introduced in the next academic year and a stronger focus on end-point examination. Furthermore, AS and A Levels will be decoupled, so AS results will no longer count towards an A Level.
Universities were given more influence in updating the content of the new A Levels than in previous years, suggesting they are still considered the normal route following the completion of A Level study.
At NCFE we recognise that for some, academic pathways are the most suitable, but many learners would benefit from a vocational, hands-on approach to learning. There’s growing evidence that vocational qualifications are just as valuable as traditional routes and that cannot be ignored.
The inclusion of universities in deciding the content of the new A Levels ignores the benefits that an alternative pathway such as an apprenticeship can bring to a learner. This excludes those who run other vocational options including employers and Further Education institutions. In order to prepare learners suitably for their future, they must be able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to succeed, whatever pathway they choose.
