[Ammi]

Exams regulator Ofqual has confirmed the changes it is making to GCSEs, in what it calls the biggest shake-up in exams in England for a generation.

A new grading system will use numbers instead of letters and coursework is being scrapped for most subjects

The changes will be in stages, starting with pupils taking GCSE exams in 2017 - those who will be 13 before the end of the current school year.

English and maths will be the first subjects affected.

Pupils will begin studying the new courses in English language, English literature and maths from autumn 2015.

And about 20 other popular GCSE subjects will be revamped in the same way, ready for teaching a year later, in 2016, with the first exams for those taken in 2018

The changes apply to England only. Wales is planning its own GCSE shake-up, but Northern Ireland is not planning any changes. Scotland has its own exams system.

While they come in, pupils in England will have some exams graded with numbers and some with letters, leading teaching unions to warn this will be confusing for pupils, parents and employers

Exams will be graded from one to nine, with nine being the highest. Pupils who fail will be awarded a "U" for an "unclassified" result.

All exams will be taken after two years of study, rather than in modules taken at various stages over two years, meaning a return to the format of O-levels, which pre-dated GCSEs.

And there will be more marks awarded for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

The head of Ofqual, Glenys Stacey, said the changes were "fundamental".

"This is the biggest change in a generation," she said. "They [GCSEs] have been around for over 25 years but now we are seeing fresh content, a different structure, high-quality assessment coming in.

"It's a significant change for students and for schools."

Ms Stacey said the move to a numerical system meant a new grade was being added and that would help examiners distinguish between candidates' performance - especially at the top grades.

She suggested that the move away from traditional grades might be hard for some people to understand, but was important.

"The new qualifications will be significantly different and we need to signal this clearly," she said.

At the same time, the government is confirming changes to what has to be studied in English language, English literature and maths, because the overhaul in exams covers both what is studied and how it is assessed

It says in English literature, students will have to "study whole texts in detail, covering a range of literature including Shakespeare, 19th Century novels, Romantic poetry and other high-quality fiction and drama".

The new maths exam will cover more topics and be more challenging, the government says.

Ofqual is keeping the present arrangement where pupils can be entered for either a higher- or lower-tier paper in maths, depending on their ability.

But in English, that division has been scrapped and one exam will be taken by all.

At the moment, students who are entered for easier papers can be awarded only the maximum of a C grade

Head teachers' representative, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), gave what it said was a "cautious welcome" to the changes.

Deputy general secretary Malcolm Trobe said: "There is much to welcome in today's announcement, especially the measured approach Ofqual has taken to this significant task.

"We have always agreed that GCSE can be improved to better prepare students to meet the needs of the world we live in today. But the constant tinkering with GCSEs we have had in the past has not been helpful."

But the National Union of Teachers said the move to a numerical system would be confusing and that there had not been enough consultation with teachers.

General secretary Christine Blower said: "Tiering, re-sit opportunities, modules and coursework all have their role to play in getting the very best out of all learners.

"We are glad that Ofqual hasn't ruled out tiering and non-exam assessment altogether and will monitor closely the subject-by-subject decisions that Ofqual now makes."

[Benjamin]

I don't get why they need to change the grading system from letters to numbers? How is that helping to improve GCSE's?

[Ammi]

..for me the worst part is taking out coursework completely on a lot of subject..I know that it will still be there in the art subjects but it just places more stress on young people at a very worrying/stressful time for them anyway and especially those who, exams aren't something they're stronger at, so they already build up that fear of them..and fear/worry is the worst thing to hinder a performance anyway...at least before they could rely on their course work, which could be excellent for a portion of their grades...

[arista]

"Exams will be graded from one to nine,
with nine being the highest.
Pupils who fail will be awarded a "U" for an "unclassified" result."

That sounds Cool.

[Kizzy]

I feel it's a positive, not sure how it will benefit the unqualified staff at free schools I don't know..

[Ammi]

..I have to say that in my area at least, there are no unqualified staff who teach..or any more than in a state school...higher level teaching assistants are qualified to take lesson, and sometimes they take specific subject lessons because of their particular knowledge of it...and also to ‘substitute’ as they are a cheaper option than substitute teachers but that happens in state schools all the time anyway...things can sometimes happen at too short notice to get a substitute as well..qualified teachers whose experience in a particular subject and who have to sometimes cover another subject/class for whatever reason see themselves as unqualified in those cases and that’s just a case of it not being an ideal world etc....to become a higher level as a teaching assistant, the qualifications are lengthy and extensive and they also have years of training through working in schools....whether other schools in the country, either free or state employ unqualified staff in a full time teaching role and what their reasons are for this, I have no idea..but I'm sure they have them...

[Kizzy]

I'm sorry I don't really understand what you're saying there ammi.
My point is to acheive a more in depth exam result to achieve an A-C or 1-3 grade teachers will have to be qualified.
Support and substitute teachers have their place in schools, but for 13-16yr olds in the core subjects I would expect there to be a fully qualified member of staff in all schools.

[Scarlett.]

They change this **** that often that grades are starting to lose their meaning.

[RichardG]

While they come in, pupils in England will have have some exams graded with numbers and some with letters, leading teaching unions to warn this will be confusing for pupils, parents and employers

Thank god I've already completed my GCSEs last year... having a mix of both numbers and letters on my results certificate would send my OCD into overdrive!

I think GCSEs these days are greatly underestimated by some. I may have got a good set of results myself but I had to revise non stop all day every day for a good two months with a lot of casual revision before that to achieve them. They were in no way at all easy. Of course I have no experience with the older O level style exams to compare with but some subjects (eg history, maths, eng. lit) were particularly difficult for me AND most others and I'm just glad I've already done them before these changes take place!

[Kizzy]

There was a criticism that exams had been 'dumbed down' that is unfair on students to suggest they are not competent. The change hopefully is in the very specific areas of text included, and the specifics of exams being available to teachers to allow focus in one area neglecting the subject as a whole.

[Me. I Am Salman]

Originally Posted by RichardG

Thank god I've already completed my GCSEs last year... having a mix of both numbers and letters on my results certificate would send my OCD into overdrive!

I think GCSEs these days are greatly underestimated by some. I may have got a good set of results myself but I had to revise non stop all day every day for a good two months with a lot of casual revision before that to achieve them. They were in no way at all easy. Of course I have no experience with the older O level style exams to compare with but some subjects (eg history, maths, eng. lit) were particularly difficult for me AND most others and I'm just glad I've already done them before these changes take place!

I agree, whilst A-levels are obviously much harder I think I was more stressed out by GCSEs

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..for me the worst part is taking out coursework completely on a lot of subject..I know that it will still be there in the art subjects but it just places more stress on young people at a very worrying/stressful time for them anyway and especially those who, exams aren't something they're stronger at, so they already build up that fear of them..and fear/worry is the worst thing to hinder a performance anyway...at least before they could rely on their course work, which could be excellent for a portion of their grades...

They're changing our Junior Cert here from next year (which would be similar to your GCSEs) and they're doing the opposite of that. ATM the Junior cert is marked just on the final exams at the end of the 3 year cycle but from next year student will be graded on coursework and performance during the whole 3 year cycle

[T*]

I can't believe they've changed this, luckily I've dodged a bullet.

[Niall]

Yes, because pointless changes such as the move to numbered grading systems will really have such a profound effect on improving our exams system.

I don't really understand where they expect teachers to find the time to get through whole texts either. When I did my English GCSE a few years ago, we barely had time to read Of Mice And Men, and that's a tiny book...

[Kizzy]

Teachers managed it under the old O level system? I can't see it being a problem for fully qualified teachers, it's their job.
Of Mice and Men is only one book too, did you not have Educating Rita, The Usual Suspects and Romeo and Juliet to read too, or did you just watch the film?... Most did, and this is the issue.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by arista

"Exams will be graded from one to nine,
with nine being the highest.
Pupils who fail will be awarded a "U" for an "unclassified" result."

That sounds Cool.

They already have the 'U' result in place. It's always been there?


Also with English when I was at school we had to read Of Mice and Men, View From A Bridge, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord Of The Flies as well as huge proportion of WW2 poetry.

[Kizzy]

Ah forgot about the poetry, it was WW2 for lit and culture for language wasn't it?
My daughter went to a meeting at school and the teacher had been on a 'course', they were basically told which poem and what aspects to study to pass.
Sure enough the questions related to what the teacher had learnt on this 'course'... funny that.
Teachers should teach, not just funnel students through exam hoops to raise A-C attainment to improve funding.

[RichardG]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Teachers managed it under the old O level system? I can't see it being a problem for fully qualified teachers, it's their job.
Of Mice and Men is only one book too, did you not have Educating Rita, The Usual Suspects and Romeo and Juliet to read too, or did you just watch the film?... Most did, and this is the issue.

We read all of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird and 15 different poems in our two gcse years.