GCSE results day 2020 is going to be a bit different. This year’s Year 11 were not able to sit the exams they had been preparing for. It remains to be seen what the grades will look like, and what that might mean for students due to sit exams in 2021.

With so much ambiguity around GCSE exams, how can teachers best prepare to teach GCSE courses in the coming academic year? There is one approach that I think could be useful, regardless of whether students sit their exams or not. 

We often motivate students by referring to their targets and regularly reminding them of the contents of the exam they are working towards. This is no surprise, given the data-driven nature of school judgement - and the fact that we all want our students to achieve the great results which will open doors for them. 

GCSEs: Stop teaching to the test

However, not only does too much “teaching to the test” inhibit the joy of learning, it can prevent schools from embedding a culture of valuing academic knowledge in and of itself. Instead, the subject is seen only as a passport to the next stage. 

No wonder lots of Year 11 pupils were devastated by the cancellation of their exams this year; to them, it seems that all their hard work has now been for nothing. In some schools, the importance of these exams has been drummed into them since the first day of Year 7.  

But what if the best way to get the highest grades for our students was, paradoxically, not to aim for them at all? We don’t need to aim for a grade 7, or 8, or 9, in order for students to get there. Instead, we should be aiming even higher. 

We can ensure students achieve amazing results by teaching to the very top - that is to say, aiming beyond the level of the highest grade by incorporating the advanced concepts and knowledge in our lessons that you might find in degree-level study. 

How to get top GCSE grades

Using this approach, we barely have to mention data or the exam at all, except in the final run-up to assessments. It means students are likely to get even better results, but they also realise that learning has intrinsic value as well as being a tool for passing exams. 

Here’s how to make it work:

1. Draw on advanced concepts

Incorporate the most advanced knowledge or concepts into lessons with any year group. Scaffold explanations, but don’t be afraid to teach Year 7 something you might normally reserve for Year 10 if it enriches your lesson.

2. Enrich your own subject knowledge

Embed a culture of excitement for learning and enthusiasm to continually develop knowledge by modelling this in your own practice. As a teacher, if you are continually striving to enrich your own subject knowledge, you will then be able to share that with students and pitch lessons to the very top. There is some fantastic CPD provided by teachers on Twitter and in books, but also try reading free open-access academic articles available online, and academic subject journals.

3. Stop modelling grade criteria

When writing a model answer, it doesn’t always need to be written to fit a particular grade; sometimes, try just writing it to the absolute best of your ability. You’ll be surprised how often you automatically hit the criteria for a top band answer, but at the same time, you’ll also be modelling what great academic writing looks like.

If students then try to write to the same level, they will automatically be closer to achieving a grade 8 or 9 without you needing to continually focus on grades. 

Use this strategy even for lower sets to avoid placing limitations on their achievement; you can support them to understand the response through scaffolding and you will help them to become better writers than if you simply gave them a ‘grade 5’ model.

4. Don’t be tied to the specification

Use the specification to inform your planning, but don’t feel the need to continually refer to it. Instead, talk about what makes an amazing essay, a fantastic story, or an incredibly persuasive speech, for instance.

In English, using model answers of “real” examples from real writers is a good strategy to move away from a narrowly exam-focused approach. (Jennifer Webb’s book, Teach Like a Writer, would be a great resource here.)

5. Stop handing out grades

Research suggests giving feedback without grades can be more effective for pupils’ progress in enabling them to focus solely on their areas for development.

Students shouldn’t be continually focusing on what they “need” for a grade 7, 8, or 9. Instead, they should be aiming to improve and develop in every single piece of work, while keeping the goal of aiming to become a better mathematician/fantastic academic writer/impressive French speaker/insightful historian (delete as appropriate!) in mind. 

Megan Mansworth is a teacher, former Leader of English and a PhD student. She tweets @meganmansworth