What You Need To Know About Curriculum Reform
What exactly is it, and how will it affect young people and their studies?
Basically, the reforms have been introduced as a response to the criticism that the current 14-18 qualification suite was ‘too easy’, or didn’t equip young people with the skills they require before they enter the workplace – resulting in employment-based skills shortages.
Data from our 2016 report Career Big Data: Mining young people’s interests and choices to improve outcomes has also highlighted the skills young people believe they need to improve in order to access the careers in which they are interested.
The results showed that young people recognise the value and importance of strong maths skills and know they need to continue to develop in this area to appeal to employers.
But in exploring and shortlisting careers, STEM careers remain among the lowest picked. In exploring careers only four of the most popular were associated with STEM, and these are either related to biological sciences or information technology.
Looking at shortlisted careers, again only four STEM careers feature in this year’s top 50.
Addressing the weaknesses in this area has been a focus for UK government for a number of years, not just because of labour market shortfalls but also because STEM skills are important to all young people in developing life skills, regardless of the career they choose.
Grades have also been an issue. I’m sure we all read the news features repeated every August that report the continual rise in GCSE and A-Level grades, followed by the predictable cry of, ‘they’re too easy!’
Curriculum reform was born out of the desire to challenge these perceived issues, and these are the changes that have been made.
GCSEs
The most visual, immediately noticeable, and possibly the most problematic reform, is the change to the GCSE grading system.
No longer will they be graded A*-G. In order to reduce the number of students receiving A* grades, the new GCSEs will now be graded 9-1, with 9 being the highest and 1 the lowest. U will still represent ungraded.
The most obvious issue here concerns comparisons with the old/current grading system (8 different grade levels are now becoming 9). What, for example, is the new equivalent to a grade C? This could cause problems for employers and universities when they are comparing applications.
In brief, the current thinking regarding equivalency is as follows; A* = 8/9, C = 4/5, D-G = 3-1.
So, where universities or employers were asking for a GCSE Grades A*-C, the new equivalent will appear to be 9–4. But only time will tell the success of these changes.
As well as a change in the grading system, GCSEs are also becoming more linear, with an exam at the end of the two-year study period. This is a return to the more traditional early GCSE/O-Level format, last seen in the 1980s. This final exam will be the only assessment.
There will be no tiering in the new curriculum (except in maths and languages). Everyone will be taught the same curriculum, at the same level.
A-Levels
The biggest immediate change to the new A-Level is the fact that A-Levels and AS-Levels have now been ‘de-coupled’. AS-Levels now constitute a standalone, separate qualification, and do not count towards an A-Level grade.
Once a student has completed an AS-Level, they can then go on and study that subject at A-Level, but this is different to the previous relationship.
Previously, AS-Levels constituted 50% of an A-Level UCAS tariff; but the new UCAS tariff counts for only 40%. So the continued value of AS-Levels is a question which is bound to be raised.
Like the new GCSEs, these new A-Levels will be linear, with an exam at the end. This exam will be the only assessment (some coursework assessment will be allowed in certain subjects, but a 20% maximum content bar has been set).
However, the level of ‘challenge’ will be broadly similar – it is not anticipated that A-Levels will become more difficult, or pitched at a higher educational level.
BTECs
These are also undergoing reform. The changes are as follows:
• There will be more external assessment – at least 33%
• There will be more core mandatory units – at least 50%
• You will now only be allowed one resit
• The maths and English requirement will be strengthened
• Level 3 BTECs will be split into Applied, General, and Technical.
Damian Mawdsley is sales and marketing manager for CASCAID
