GCSE - problem or solution for post-16?

Politics and GCSE are this week's theme.  It started when Ofqual released a clear and pretty unambiguous diagram that showed GCSE 9-1 level 4 was equivalent to grade C. But then Nicky Morgan said level 5 should be considered a good pass.

And then Tristram Hunt of Labour questioned whether the whole thing should be reviewed during this parliament before the CBI finally weighed in last week with direct comments saying GCSEs should be scrapped within 5 years.

Read the full article by Jonathan Wells of ForSkills here.

New GCSE grades

Confused about the new GCSE grades?

Nicky Morgan today said that the new grade 5 would be equivalent to a “good pass” at GCSE.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33139954

But just 2 weeks ago, Ofqual released this diagram which clearly suggests that grade 4 is equivalent to a grade C, the grade the Government uses for a “good pass”.  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/431441/2015-06-02-postcard-new-gcse-grading-structure.pdf

So under the new grading system we appear now to have a “pass = 4 = current  C” and “good pass = 5 = top C”.  So which is it?  I suppose it will depend on how Ofsted and/or the Government decide on which grade will be used in league tables, thereby determining where schools are placed in relative performance.

And where does this leave Functional Skills, surely if grade 5 becomes the standard, then it makes the case even stronger for Functional Skills to be the qualification of choice for vocational learners and those for whom a practical qualification in English and maths is better than a fail at GCSE. 

A Level 2 Functional Skills pass will always be seen by employers as much more valuable than a GCSE fail.

Post-16 maths and English

Quite a lot to cover in this week's Maths andEnglish newsletter for the post-16 sector, much of it to do with GCSE!

GCSE is taking on ever more importance, particularly in FE Colleges where learners on full time study programmes with an existing grade D GCSE are expected to keep re-sitting until they pass.  We have two reports about this, a link to Radio 4's Today programme and report from SGS College published in the Bristol Post.

Are your students spending hours doing "dry as ditchwater" GCSE assessments?  Don't, try the newly re-designed and re-launched GCSE assessment from ForSKills - details below.

Capita are running a Post-16 Maths and English conference in London on 8th July - we have links to this. 

This week's free videos are below - maths is all about Percentages and English is suffixes - both key parts of the GCSE curriculum too!

As always, feel free to contact Jonathan Wells, the editor of this newsletter on 0191 3055045 or jonathan@forskills.co.uk