Major changes are planned for GCSE system changes that will affect us all whether we are parents, employers or students. We interviewed many people and found out many interesting things.
Here are some of the most important changes:
- The English and Maths grades have been changed from F-A* to 1-9 allowing for an extra grade for high achievers and to separate it from the old GCSEs.
- The scrapping of coursework in nearly all subjects
- The end of module tests
- Limiting the amount of students allowed to resit exams
As well as numerous curriculum changes - such as the increased amount of British writers being studied in English. We interviewed the teachers in our school and got a mixed response. Generally teachers felt frustration for not having a say in these changes however some said that they positively impacted their teaching. The English department felt that lack of diversity in writers on the syllabus was constraining. The maths department said that the new GCSEs simplified the exam system as high achieving students would not have to take the further maths GCSE.
These are just some of the concerns and opinions voiced by the APS teaching staff. A general consensus was that the abolition of coursework was a bad thing, however an ex-GCSE student we interviewed said that coursework was ,”repetitive and dull” . That said we do not know what the majority of students thought.
As part of the BBC school report we were invited to broadcasting house to both take a tour and appear on the Vanessa Feltz show. We learnt many things about professional broadcasting and some met some of the most incredible people who worked behind the scenes. Despite of some hard questioning, the team managed to hold their own and raise some tough issues for the education minister, who refused to attend. Altogether, an inspiring day out!
We would like to thank Mr. Bonham-Carter, Mr. Creamer and Ms. O`Neil for helping us create this article.