An excerpt from Reforming GCSEs: The changing landscape, a summary of what’s planned for GCSEs from 2015.
Earlier this year the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual announced consultations on proposed changes to the content and structure of GCSEs taken by students in England. The new
GCSEs would be taught in schools from September 2015 and the first exams would take place in Summer 2017.
These consultations were the result of months of discussion with awarding organisations and other stakeholders after Education
Secretary Michael Gove announced his intention to reform GCSEs (but to abandon ‘one exam board per subject’ EBCs) in February.
At about the same time, the draft National Curriculum Programmes of Study for KS4 English, Maths and the sciences were published.
What does this mean for you?
Based on the most recent announcements from the
Government and Ofqual on 1 November 2013, here is a summary of current proposals for the new GCSEs.
Subjects current plans are now confirmed for new GCSEs for first teaching in September 2015 in:
- English Language
- English Literature
- Maths
New GCSEs in the sciences, History and Geography, as well as languages, are now scheduled for first teaching in September 2016.
Changes to assessment
Key structural features of the new GCSEs confirmed by Ofqual include:
- A new grading scale that uses the numbers 1–9 to identify levels of performance (with 9 being the top level). Where performance is below the minimum required to pass a GCSE, students will get a U.
- Tiering used only for subjects ‘where untiered papers will not allow students at the lower end of the ability range to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, or will not stretch the most able’. English Literature and English Language will be untiered. Maths will be tiered with an ‘improved overlapping tiers model’, with a foundation tier covering grades 1–5 and a higher tier covering grades 4–9.
- Linear GCSEs, with assessment to be taken at the end of the course in June. Re-sit opportunities in November for English Language and Maths only.
- Assessment by external exam only, except where non-exam assessment is the only way to provide valid assessment of the skills required. Maths, English Literature and English Language to be externally assessed. English Language to have a Speaking assessment that will be reported separately.
- The first assessment of new two-year GCSE courses that start in September 2015 will be in June 2017.
- New GCSEs in the sciences, History and Geography, as well as languages, are scheduled for first teaching in September 2016 with first assessment in 2018. The content for these subjects is due to be published in 2014.
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