My school was one of two halves as the catchment area is probably the largest in the central belt so we have some pretty rough and ready area's in there. So I too had some people in my classes that just didn't want to learn. They were usually seeded out of the classes that had the more high achievers.

 

I do partially agree with Craig though. I do think that those that aren't more academically gifted should be encouraged to take vocational courses to help them build a solid career. As for CV work, that is something that should be built into social education. The items like business plans, I would be aiming more at those at the end of apprenticeships gained off the back of the vocational courses and then as an add on course in final year for those who aren't overly interested in university.

Michael Gove just makes me despair, yet another attempt at reforms without really consulting teachers/pupils. The idea that history should be British history also really upsets me, I do a history degree now and by year 9 I was sick of rehashing 18th-20th century Britain, my interest in the subject was sparked thanks to a study of global history, particularly Russian history and 20th century Chinese history. I think had my GCSE consisted of exclusively British history as well I may have lost interest in the subject...

 

I think that GCSE's just test a range of skills and a coursework (or controlled assessment) to exam balance of 25/75 helps play to all pupils strengths. Some of the most intelligent people I know used to excel at coursework but then find it difficult to perform well in exams due to stress.

 

Also how does grading from 1-8 make any difference from grading A*-G :huh:

Also how does grading from 1-8 make any difference from grading A*-G :huh:

It allows for adjustment if grade inflation occurs. It's why A* was introduced, but that's beginning to show signs of grade inflation as well - and creating an A** would start to get ridiculous.

It allows for adjustment if grade inflation occurs. It's why A* was introduced, but that's beginning to show signs of grade inflation as well - and creating an A** would start to get ridiculous.

 

Oooh so they can just add a 9 or a 10!?

 

Will this run alongside the NC levels 1-8 that they have in place for KS1-3? Or will a 1 at GCSE be higher than an 8 at KS3? (although actually I think an 8 at KS3 is similar to a B at GCSE already so that would be a bit silly :P ).

Or they could, yanno, just not have any grade inflation at all:

 

http://www.sevenoaksschool.org/Websites/sevenoaks/images/Academic/ibgraph.png

(worldwide it isn't rising at all)

Easier said than done, but it's been shown as possible!

Oooh so they can just add a 9 or a 10!?

 

Will this run alongside the NC levels 1-8 that they have in place for KS1-3? Or will a 1 at GCSE be higher than an 8 at KS3? (although actually I think an 8 at KS3 is similar to a B at GCSE already so that would be a bit silly :P ).

It means that someone who gets an 8 one year could be considered inferior to someone who gets a 9 the following year when the reason for that is that there were only eight grades available when the first student did their exams. Unless employers keep a record of when the grades change, the whole thing will be a nonsense.

Or they could, yanno, just not have any grade inflation at all:

 

http://www.sevenoaksschool.org/Websites/sevenoaks/images/Academic/ibgraph.png

(worldwide it isn't rising at all)

Easier said than done, but it's been shown as possible!

 

Maybe A-Level students are just cleverer :kink:

 

Totes not still bitter that you got to do the IB or anything <\3

Edited June 13, 201312 yr by _Nīck_

Or they could, yanno, just not have any grade inflation at all:

 

http://www.sevenoaksschool.org/Websites/sevenoaks/images/Academic/ibgraph.png

(worldwide it isn't rising at all)

Easier said than done, but it's been shown as possible!

That doesn't necessarily prove anything. I think that it has become easier to predict what will be in the exam and, therefore, it has been easier for teachers to teach to the exam. If an exam is about regurgitating facts then it is relatively easy for a teacher to make sure their students can do that. Exams should test whether students understand the subject.

Maybe A-Level students are just cleverer :kink:

 

Totes not still bitter that you got to do the IB or anything <\3

HA, I was gonna say! :D

 

That doesn't necessarily prove anything. I think that it has become easier to predict what will be in the exam and, therefore, it has been easier for teachers to teach to the exam. If an exam is about regurgitating facts then it is relatively easy for a teacher to make sure their students can do that. Exams should test whether students understand the subject.

You're right that it doesn't prove too much: it doesn't guarantee that the calibre required for a certain grade won't change from year to year and so there may still be a lack of consisteny. But it does guarantee that a steady x% of every cohort will gain a certain grade from year to year, rather than, for example, an A Grade being for the top 10% in 1990 and then for the top 25% in 2010.

 

I'm off on a 2am ramble here and I haven't read up on this or anything. This is my mind wandering, so don't listen to me too much, but altering the grade system to add on grades further down the line in anticipation of grade inflation seems ridiculous to me. Part of the reason why grade inflation occurs in the first place is because it is expected to occur (in a similar way as price inflation, actually! <3): if the proportion getting top grades has been rising over the past few years, then a marker in a certain year would be wanting to dish out more top grades than the previous year in order to stay in line with their colleagues (consistency between markers is even more important).

 

So adding more grades would make it clear that they've 'given in' to grade inflation and just letting it happen, which could accelerate it even further. Rigour and comparing exam scripts from the present with those years ago and of the same grade (so it helps if curricula and exam format don't change, although I appreciate that sometimes they should do) are what's needed to alleviate the problem.

 

The rest I'm either unsure or pleased about. Even if the outcomes are good, it annoys me that the motivation for this seems to be down to Gove's rose-tinted fetishism towards the 50's. And I'm not sure if those are the 1850's or the 1950's but EITHER WAY.

Imagine if we got into a situation where we had 13s and 14s kicking about :o! They tackled A Level grade inflation with the top grades last year and although people felt harshly done by due to the marking becoming more strict if they carry on like that then surely we'll have less of a problem with grade inflation!

 

I also think that grade inflation is partly caused by increased emphasis on exams - it is now seen as vital to get a C and english and maths and many students work hard to achieve that, could it not partly be to do with the fact that more importance is placed on academic study today?

Imagine if we got into a situation where we had 13s and 14s kicking about :o! They tackled A Level grade inflation with the top grades last year and although people felt harshly done by due to the marking becoming more strict if they carry on like that then surely we'll have less of a problem with grade inflation!

 

I also think that grade inflation is partly caused by increased emphasis on exams - it is now seen as vital to get a C and english and maths and many students work hard to achieve that, could it not partly be to do with the fact that more importance is placed on academic study today?

 

At the risk of sounding like an old fogie, back in the early 70's getting an A was very difficult - not because we were thicker back then or there was less emphasis on exams. The less academically inclined were hived off to do CSE's (and could acheive grade 1's in that equivalent to an O level/GCE pass) and everyone else took GCE's. The percentage of high grades was quite low, we didn't have advantages like the internet research or coursework marks contributing (there was this thing called a library where you queued to get books) and getting a grade 2 or 3 wasnt seen as being a failure in terms of getting into University or polytechnic or college (or employers) because only the very smartest students got a Grade 1 or A.

 

Clearly we weren't dummer in those days, so the only other factor (other than easier marking, advance guessing of questions, coursework) must be ability of teachers: maybe they actually ARE better these days than they used to be and that helps learning....

I'm so glad I'm just over the border and can keep GCSEs (my subject isn't even available in England anyway). Reforms may be needed but they also need to be thought out a lot more.

 

I heard this morning that apparently teachers are failing to teach students the skills they need blah blah blah, it's increasingly easy to blame things on teachers. The government place so much on exam results and then criticize teachers for teaching to an exam. I would love to be able to teach my students a lot more in my subject but I have limited lessons with them and a hefty exam paper they need to be able to complete.

What do you teach, T Boy?

I teach Welsh as a second language so no one in England studies it anyway! I doubt Gove would be aware of its existence.

I'm so glad I'm just over the border and can keep GCSEs (my subject isn't even available in England anyway). Reforms may be needed but they also need to be thought out a lot more.

 

I heard this morning that apparently teachers are failing to teach students the skills they need blah blah blah, it's increasingly easy to blame things on teachers. The government place so much on exam results and then criticize teachers for teaching to an exam. I would love to be able to teach my students a lot more in my subject but I have limited lessons with them and a hefty exam paper they need to be able to complete.

That sums up this government far too much. They go ahead with changes with little or no consultation and with no evidence that the changes will work. When GCSEs were introduced it was after proper consultation and there was a good deal of consensus. They were also introduced in a reasonable timescale. Gove sometimes goes through the motions of consultation but just dismisses anyone who disagrees with him with personal abuse and he just rushes ahead with whatever he was planing to do anyway. That might not matter too much if he was changing the way the department orders paper clips but these changes will affect children's whole future.