GCSE and Higher results show worsening gap between richer and poorer pupils: pandemic assessment shows we should reconsider exams: DGLimages/Shutterstock The difference in average GCSE English and maths results between poorer and richer pupils – the so-called “attainment gap” – is the largest in England in over a decade, according to a recent government analysis. …
Many GCSE students still aren’t taking modern foreign languages – how to motivate them to consider it: Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock Figures for GCSEs taken in 2023 show that entries for GCSEs in languages have increased slightly from last year. Despite this, the number of pupils taking a modern foreign language stands at less than 60% of …
GCSE results 2023: how the qualification is failing disadvantaged young people: All the teenagers collecting their GCSE results this year have overcome significant difficulties. Their secondary school education has been thrown into upheaval by COVID-19: they have faced cancelled classes, have had to learn from home, have dealt with the social isolation and uncertainty of …
Manchester Baccalaureate: how the proposed vocational GCSE route would work – and the pitfalls it must avoid: Juice Flair/Shutterstock From September 2024, GCSE pupils in Greater Manchester may be able to embark on a educational pathway created specifically for them. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, announced his plans to introduce a Manchester Baccalaureate …
Breastfeeding linked to higher GCSE results: how to understand the nuance behind the numbers – and the lack of support for parents: kryzhov/Shutterstock Recently published research has found a link between breastfeeding for longer and higher GCSE grades. We know from previous research that across a whole population, breastfeeding can help support health and development. …
How a new GCSE in natural history can help us towards a greener future: The UK’s education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, has announced the launch of a GCSE in natural history, a key part of helping bring back the study of plants and animals into the lives of young people. Long championed by the environmentalist Mary …
The great pandemic GCSE and A-level experiment: what if we never went back to the old system?: EPA/Andy Rain The cancellation of exams due to the pandemic has meant that 2021 has been a year of hurried experimentation in school assessment. But despite claims of grade inflation under the temporary system deployed this year, it’s …
GCSE and A-level results have seen record grade inflation – here’s why that doesn’t matter: Exam results are upon us. After the 2020 debacle which saw exams cancelled due to COVID and the first set of algorithm-generated results quickly overturned following complaints of unfairness, what teachers and young people really needed in 2021 was confidence …
GCSE and A-level teacher assessments: benefits of replacing exams undermined by lack of transparency: NuPenDekDee/Shutterstock In January, UK education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that GCSE and A-level exams in England would not go ahead. Now, Williamson has outlined further information about how assessments for pupils will take place. Teachers’ judgements will be at the heart …
A-level and GCSE cancellation: a missed opportunity to rethink assessment: Lincoln Beddoe/Shutterstock GCSE and A-level exams in England have been cancelled, opening the door to a repeat of the confusion that marked the award of grades in 2020. The cancellation of exams in March 2020 in England was followed by the realisation that an algorithm …
Wales cancels 2021 A-level and GCSE exams: other UK nations should follow suit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock The education minister for Wales, Kirsty Williams, has announced that Welsh school pupils will not take GCSE and A-level exams in 2021. Instead, externally set and marked classroom assessments, which can be taken within a broad window of time, …
GCSE results: why bright, poor students fail to achieve top grades: shutterstock The fourth Thursday in August is a day that is anticipated with equal measures of hope and trepidation by hundreds of thousands of young people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is when the results of GCSE examinations are released. These exams …