Ofqual and Your Voice

Ofqual have released their proposals for the exams in 2021. This will impact students who are currently in year 10 and year 12 in England. They have given students, teachers and parents, a two-week window to voice their opinions during this consultation phase. The final decisions will be made once this has passed.

How will this impact students?

I am interested in science, so focused on this. The proposals state that there is no plan to reduce the contents of any of the courses at GCSE or A level. Students will need to learn the whole specification. There will still be exams and the style of the questions will not change. At GCSE there is no longer a requirement that students carry out the required practicals, instead they can watch demonstrations or view these practical online. They will still have to understand the steps in the process, how to evaluate results, how to present data, etc.

At AS and A level a similar situation exists for Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) – the specification will need to be covered. At A level, you will need show practical skills. This would have been started in year 12. When it comes to practical assessments one piece of practical evidence can count for one skill. This will reduced the number of practicals needed to meet the exam board’s requirements for your practical endorsement component.

What can parents do?

You need to encourage your children to keep track of all the topics they have covered and those that are still to be taught. The whole specification will still have to be learned in time for the exam next year in science subjects. Do read about other subjects.

Students will need to know their required practicals for science – Biology, Physics and Chemistry, even if they have not personally carried out the practicals; do encourage them to use online resources such as Youtube to master them.

I encourage you and your children to state how you feel about the proposals. The document is 60 pages in length and quite a challenge to read. There is an online link in the document that takes you to an online questionnaire. Both you and your children can have you say.

A link to the document can be found in the comment section of this post attached to this article. You have only 7 days before this window of opportunity closes.

How does this make you feel as a parent? Will this create more stress for your children?

#secondaryeducation  #GCSEs  #Alevels