“Further division” in the education system could be created if private schools do not choose to take the Advanced British Standard (ABS), an exam board has warned.
AQA has said there is a danger of throwing away the international respect associated with A levels if they are replaced with the ABS, in its response to a DfE consultation.
“We foresee that should A levels be dispensed with in the state sector, independent schools could simply continue to take them, creating further division in our education system,” the exam board said.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment urged the DfE last week to keep the “A level” name in place owing to the qualification’s “respect, recognition and success”.
ABS: Concerns about breadth of study
AQA added that, while the aims of the ABS to deliver a wider breadth and depth of study are “laudable”, the ABS as currently envisaged “may struggle to deliver this”.
It said “limited” additional guided-learning hours means additional content risks being “light-touch or superficial”.
Students selecting A levels and other qualifications that the ABS would replace will need reassurance their qualifications will still have currency if changes are made, AQA told the DfE.
Unions have already raised concerns about how the additional teaching hours under the ABS would affect teacher workload, particularly when the sector is struggling with recruitment and retention.
The government plans to introduce the ABS over the next decade to replace A levels and T levels. The plan would bring academic and vocational courses together into one qualification.
Under the ABS proposals, students would take major and minor subjects, which must include both maths and English. The three major subjects would include around 90 per cent of current A-level content.
In addition to this, AQA said that the proposed structure of majors and minors could add up to the equivalent of three A levels and an AS level.
“This raises the question of whether this represents increased breadth after all,” the exam board said.
It also criticised plans to make “majors” 90 per cent of current A-level content as undermining “one of the core strengths of our current system”.
Benefits of focusing on pre-16 reform
The Association of School and College Leaders suggested in its response that it would be better to start curriculum reform focusing on key stage 4 to address the issue of students becoming stuck in cycles of resits.
”Even more benefits could be realised by focusing on the 14-16 phase, or even 11-16,” AQA said.
It added that the GCSE resit policy leaves many young people disengaged as they repeatedly study for maths and English qualifications they are not likely to achieve.
Teacher training programmes may also find challenges in effectively training teachers and supporting them with increased teaching hours, AQA said.
Teacher training at secondary level may need to be more cross-disciplinary to build links across subjects and help with shortages.
The exam board recommended staff training would need to focus on supporting growing mental health needs and supporting pupils with SEND or lower prior attainment who may have to take a broader range of subjects than they would have previously.
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