The ASCL is calling for a new style of English and maths qualification ‘which can be taken by pupils at the point of readiness’.
A more humane GCSE system should be introduced so teenagers are not stuck in a “demoralising” cycle of retakes when they do not achieve a “standard pass” in English or maths, a headteachers’ union has urged.
While traditional A*-G grades are used in Northern Ireland and Wales, in England these have been replaced with a 9-1 system, where 9 is the highest. A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 is broadly equivalent to an A. “It is incredibly demoralising and instead of building confidence in the vital skills of literacy and numeracy, it has precisely the opposite effect.
Mr Barton added: “The answer is to develop a new style of English and maths qualification which can be taken by pupils at the point of readiness, which builds confidence, and which does not represent a cliff-edge over which many must fall.” In Wales and Northern Ireland, GCSE results are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until next year.
It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
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