Blogs

"During Michael Gove's tenure as Secretary of State, he introduced major changes to the year-11 examination system and the way performance tables are compiled. To say these changes have been hugely rushed is an understatement, as several of the key changes have been introduced during the last two years, that is, after schools had started teaching the courses! The changes include removing so-called "low-value vocational equivalents" from tables, ending modular examinations and making performance tables rely on a pupil's first result and not as previously their best result from more than one entry. Also, the continuing pressure to implement the EBacc has resulted in continuing revisions to patterns of entry. Examination developments need to be carefully thought through and implemented over a period of years, not as a knee-jerk response by a new government - in this case, the coalition government abandoned diplomas and "went back to basics" with the EBacc. This approach does a disservice to schools, learners and the country."