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GCSE and A-level exams – now a marathon and not a sprint!
The recent announcement by the government that GCSE and A-level examinations will not take place this summer should not be a surprise to many people, given the raging pandemic and the inconsistency in the quality of education young people from different schools have received. One thing that this has created, however, is the confusion in the mind of many teenagers, as some of them, and perhaps some parents too, wrongly interpret this situation as “no assessment”. The nature of examination […]
Relax, Rejoice, Reflect and Re-energise, and let’s look forward to 2021 with optimism
Relax, Rejoice, Reflect and Re-energise, and let’s look forward to 2021 with optimism The three Rs is a concept that is well-known in children’s education as reading, writing and arithmetic (okay, two of them don’t actually start with an r when you write them, it’s just the way you pronounce them, but 3 Rs rhymes nicely). There is an extra r here, making it four Rs – with each r standing for something completely different. In this rather challenging time, […]
Outstanding performance by the top primary schools in the state sector – how do the state secondary schools compare to independent schools?
In the secondary school Parent Power, published by the Sunday Times this week, the tremendous success achieved by state primary schools is sadly not replicated by state secondary schools. In the primary school version, the top ten in the country more or less match the top ten in the private sector. I was flabbergasted to see that most of the top schools in the state primary sector were in areas of very high economic deprivation and they are not academically […]
Yes, GCSE and A-level will ‘definitely’ go ahead next summer; however…
This morning, England’s Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, confirmed that next summer’s examinations will be going ahead as planned, albeit some minor changes. There has been a mixed reception to this confirmation, as many think this is the right decision, whilst others are still crying foul. Those who are opposed to the exams going ahead are basing their argument on what they perceive as unfairness due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the education of millions of […]
The Magic of High Expectations – how some inner-city schools are outperforming top private schools…
There was a rather surprising set of statistics in the Parent Power guide for primary schools that was published by the Sunday Times yesterday. The top state primary school scored 346 out of 360 (96%) in the SATS result for Reading, Writing and Maths. This score by Mayflower School in the East End of London matches exactly that of the very top prep school – Guildford High Junior School in the opulence of Surrey, where the fees are as high […]
Continued Academic Progress for Teenagers irrespective of the Pandemic
Dear Caring Parent Re: Continued academic progress for teenagers irrespective of the pandemic I hope you and the family are well and keeping safe. Now that many schools have a mixture of in-person and online learning, I trust your child is managing the transition from the older norm to the new learning environment well. The purpose of this message is to do three things: discuss matters surrounding the current situation with respect to schools, exams and the pandemic. Present some facts, […]
Advice for a caring parent – how to ensure that all the hullabaloo surrounding GCSE and A-level does not leave your child short-changed!
There is a lot in the media at present about young people and their education, as society grapples with how to deal with the situation we find ourselves in at present. Since the start of the pandemic – with school closure for half of the year and variation in the quality of education provided by schools – the gap that existed between teenagers from different demographics has widened further. It is very easy to blame everything on coronavirus, and how […]
Hurrah, Justice for A-level students – aspiration and ambition respected at last!
Hurrah, Justice for A-level students – aspiration and ambition respected at last! Well done to those young people who stood up for what is just and won the right to allow their teacher’s predicted grade to count. For many it may be too late, as they’ve already accepted an offer they considered to be second best. I very much hope that the universities will be more flexible and have the leniency to allow candidates who now have the grades to […]
A-level grades misallocation – Injustice due to lack of individuality
Nothing can be more individualistic than examinations. The idea of using some algorithm without rigorous evaluation of individual students is not only insensitive and unjust, but grossly inadequate. Hence, the way in which A-level grades have awarded this year is unfit for purpose. I could not believe my ears and eyes when I heard on places like the BBC or Channel 4 the extent of the misallocation of A-level grades. Reading in the Sunday Times of the case of a […]
Should the pandemic limit young people’s option to five GCSEs?
Should the pandemic limit young people’s option to five GCSEs? According to the Sunday Times, the government released a set of guidelines about the 2021 GCSE examinations on 2nd July. They are recommending that, in exceptional circumstances, pupils may be allowed to take as few as five GCSEs. This is in recognition of the lost time as a result of the lockdown and school closure following the COVID-19 pandemic. Alan Smithers – a renowned professor of education at the University […]
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