Are you teaching the new GCSE in English and maths this year in FE?
Exams regulator Ofqual has confirmed how grading will work in 2017 when the first qualification will be awarded. GCSEs will be graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the top grade. The numbering approach will mean:
* Broadly the same proportion of students will achieve a grade 4 and above as currently receive a grade C.
* About the same proportion of students will achieve a grade 7 and above as currently receive an A and above.
* For each exam, the top 20 per cent of those who get grade 7 or above will get a grade 9 - the very highest performers.
* The bottom of grade 1 will be aligned with the bottom of grade G.
Grade 5 - which will be classed as a “good” pass - will be positioned to encompass the top third of marks for a C and the bottom third of marks for a B. This will mean that it will be of a more demanding standard than the present grade C, and broadly in line with what the best available evidence tells us is the average Pisa (Programme for international Student Assessment) performance in countries such as Finland, Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
The new maths GCSE will be tiered, with grades 4 and 5 available through both tiers.
How will the new grading system affect staff and students?
The key to understanding the new system lies in not simply equating number grades with letter grades in a grid. This is a completely new approach, and the way we think about assessment must mirror this. Feedback on work, essays and exercises should be Smart and skill- or target-driven, with specific areas for improvement. At the end of this feedback, a numbered grade should be given.
It is the same with any system - learners need to know how they are performing and how they can improve in relation to bands and mark schemes. Numbers are not useful if they are in isolation, without constructive feedback on how the learner can improve: what do they need to do to improve and how do they get there? There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that grading can be degrading, so perhaps use the numbering system alongside an effort grade or number.
How should we rethink assessment after the loss of coursework?
Coursework does not now count towards the final grade, although there will be a speaking and listening element in English.
What the change means is that there will be a constant need to revisit and recap on learning, making timed examination work more critical than ever. Similar to the linear A level, there needs to be revisiting of topics, with learning being approached as a journey or continuum over time.
How do we fit a two-year course into one year?
The new course will need to be differentiated for students who are resitting it in one year. Targeted support and intervention will be necessary. Teaching-assistant support and one-to-one teaching is critical with students who are resitting English and maths GCSE in an FE context.
What will be required for tracking, monitoring and targeted intervention?
The numbered grading system and assessment criteria need to be made visible to your students. Under the new system, staff will be required to monitor and track targeted interventions for those learners who are not achieving grade 5.
The use of a RAG (red, amber or green) spreadsheet is critical here in identifying students who are not meeting grade 5 standards or making sufficient progress.
Keep in touch with your head of department so that extra support is in place for those who are not progressing as hoped.
Fresh approach
So there we have it. Of course, we will not find out the numbered grade boundaries until the summer of 2017. I would urge staff to thoroughly standardise and moderate marking and assessment in terms of exam work, mock papers and so on. Remember, don’t just try to apply the new numbered grades to the old system. A fresh approach is needed.
Mark Chutter is head of English at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College
