More on the comparability of international GCSEs and GCSEs
Further analysis in response to claims that GCSE reforms have favoured pupils in independent schools.
GCSE results day 2017: Good news about resits in English
[This post was updated at 18.15 on 24th August 2017 to amend 2016 figures for maths] One bit of good news from this year’s GCSE results is that the percentages of 17-year-olds in England achieving A*-C grades in English have gone up. However, working out by just how much they have improved is made slightly [...]
GCSE results day 2017: It’s all about the (lack of) money, money, money
In England, the government has been trying to push schools into raising entries in the so-called EBacc subjects through its accountability metrics: the percentage entering and achieving the EBacc, and Progress 8. This is one reason why subject entries have been changing so much in recent years. However, another reason why they are changing is [...]
GCSE results day 2017: The key trends in entries and results
We have the first set of results under the new 9-1 GCSEs Maths, English language and English literature form the first wave of GCSEs to be reformed in England, with 9-1 numerical grades awarded instead of letters. In the new, ‘fat’ maths GCSE – so-called, because of the extra content that’s been added to it [...]
Are more pupils really taking arts subjects?
Schools Week last week published a handy summary of Ofqual’s release of summer 2017 examination entry statistics. It notes that entries in EBacc subjects have risen whilst entries in other subjects have fallen. This raises the question of whether the EBacc is crowding other subjects out of the curriculum. In defence of the EBacc, Schools [...]