UK Education News – Week of September 10th, 2023

Latymer Upper School Leads the Way, Sparking a Potential Trend Among Private Institutions

Latymer Upper School, a private school in London, has announced plans to abandon most GCSEs and introduce its own set of qualifications for students. Starting in 2027, the school will only offer GCSEs in English and maths. Students will instead be assessed through Latymer’s custom-designed qualifications, details of which have yet to be announced. This move aims to free up teaching time and provide a more comprehensive educational experience. It follows a similar decision by Bedales School in East Hampshire. Experts predict that more private schools are likely to adopt this trend, while state schools are expected to continue with GCSEs.

Critics argue that abandoning GCSEs could deprive students of valuable standardised assessments and question whether this is in the best interest of students. The new Latymer qualifications will include a mix of assessment methods such as oral exams, group work, and traditional written tests. The announcement has reignited conversations about the need for GCSE reform, especially in light of the pandemic’s disruptions to education.

Proposed Measures Aim to Boost Vocational Training and Rethink University Funding

A group of 30 Tory MPs from the New Conservatives group is proposing to deny student loans to school leavers who fail to pass GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or obtain at least three Es at A-level. The aim is to deter students from enrolling in low-quality university courses that do not offer value for money and are heavily subsidised by government funds. The MPs argue that many such courses do not result in employable skills and burden the taxpayer with unpaid loan debt. More than a quarter of students are currently unable to meet the £25,000 salary threshold required to start repaying their loans a decade after graduating.

The proposal also suggests a reform of the loan repayment system, introducing a fixed monthly repayment amount of £45 after a three-year grace period, and special repayment terms for certain employment sectors. The MPs believe that these changes could reduce university enrollment by 15%. They advocate for redirecting the savings into a massive expansion of apprenticeships, similar to the German model, which has a 54% completion rate compared to the UK’s 10%. The report indicates that these proposed changes enjoy popular support among parents, according to recent surveys.

Young Prodigy Aspires to Work for Formula One and Sets Eyes on Higher Papers

Nine-year-old Harry Clark from Sheffield has astonishingly passed his GCSE maths exam with a grade 5, the highest possible grade for the foundation level exam he took. Despite still being in primary school, Harry was able to sit for the exam through a private company in Doncaster. He aspires to work for a Formula One team in the future. Harry described the exam as “relatively easy” and is already looking forward to taking the higher papers. He lost only 15 marks on his exam, ending up with a total of 225 marks.

His achievement cost his dad, Richard Clark, £250 as a promised reward for the highest grade. Harry already owns an A-level textbook and is considering taking the exam but is not in a rush to do so. His father revealed that Harry had been good at maths from an early age and they decided to take the leap last year, leading to this extraordinary result.

Decline in Top A-level Grades Observed, Especially Steep in England

A significant decline in top A-level grades has been reported in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a sharper drop seen in England. The percentage of A* and A grades went down to 27.2%, nearly reverting to pre-pandemic levels. England alone saw its top grades decline from 35.9% in 2022 to 26.5% in 2023. This year’s adjustment is part of a plan to normalise grading following the spikes in 2020 and 2021, when exams were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the general decline, 79% of 18-year-olds secured a spot at their first-choice university, although this figure is lower than last year’s. Another 9% of the students are in the clearing process, seeking alternative university courses. Vocational T-level pass rates stand at 90.5% in England, with 69.2% achieving a merit or higher.

The grade normalisation has been met with mixed feelings, as it is not indicative of individual student performance but part of a larger recalibration effort. Concerns remain about the impact of this recalibration on students, especially given the ongoing disruptions due to COVID-19 and teacher strikes. Nonetheless, authorities argue that the adjustment is essential for maintaining the credibility of the grading system.

Read – Are A-levels Getting Easier?

Unprecedented Drop in A-level Grades Causes UCAS Website Crash and Scramble for University Clearing

The drop in A-level Grades has caused widespread panic among students, evidenced by the crashing of the Ucas website on results day, which further complicated efforts to secure university placements. The number of students admitted to UK degree courses fell by 2.6% compared to last year.

The Education Secretary defended the drop, stating that the UK Government was correct in returning to pre-pandemic grading standards. However, critics argue that the change has resulted in a sharp fall in top grades, which they attribute not to student underperformance but to the grading system’s adjustment. Concerns are also raised about increased competition for university slots due to a rise in the 18-year-old population and international demand.

Overall, 414,940 applicants secured a university or college placement, down from 425,830 last year. Despite the downturn, 79% of the applicants were accepted into their first-choice university, an increase compared to 74% in 2019.

A-level Students Navigate a Flawed Governmental Approach Amid Pandemic Struggles

Leo David Crown mentions that for many students, the last formal exams they took were their Sats in Year 6. Given the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the expectation for these students to perform as if nothing has changed seems unrealistic and harsh.

The toll the pandemic has taken on students’ mental health and education is enormous. It’s unfair that they are then expected to perform in a high-stakes testing environment.

There is a critique that the government treated this batch of students like a “statistical experiment,” disregarding the real-life consequences for those who are falling through the cracks in an already strained system.

Alexander Cameron criticises the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, for undermining the exam system by suggesting that no one would care about the A-level results ten years later. This, he argues, diminishes the value of a qualification considered the “gold standard” and may add to the anxieties students already face.