The review of curriculum and assessment will support changing the current “inflexible approach” to GCSE maths and English resits, school leaders have been told.
Professor Becky Francis, who is leading the review, told the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) conference that, in the most recent round of GCSE resits, only around 50 out of 3,400 17-year-olds who had got a grade 2 in maths went on to achieve a pass.
The review, commissioned by the government, will make recommendations to support more young people to make good progress post-16, she added, saying that these will be reflected in the government’s skills White Paper, which is expected imminently.
Professor Francis said the review will recommend more efforts to “narrow the pipeline” of young people not getting the grade 4 they need to pass their maths and English GCSEs when they are 16.
While the review will support the policy of young people continuing to study maths and English post-16, she said that analysis points to a need for a “more nuanced, evidence-driven approach” to students retaking maths and English post-16, “rather than an inflexible approach”.
“Do you know that in 2024, of the 3,400 17-year-olds with a grade 2 in GCSE maths who were re-entered in November, only around 50 of them achieved a grade 4,” she told the conference. “That’s around 1.5 per cent - the vast majority achieved another grade 2.
“The cost, both to young people’s morale and to the public purse, must be significant. So we’re making recommendations which we hope will better support more young people to make good progress post-16, and these will be reflected in the forthcoming skills White Paper.”
GCSE resits policy criticised
Currently students who do not achieve a grade 4 in maths and English GCSE at 16 are required to continue studying post-16 to pass the exams.
The policy is regularly criticised by sector leaders, and recently the Commons Education Select Committee said the policy was not working for the majority and urged the government to change it.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the mandatory retake policy “simply hasn’t worked” and is a “grinding experience” for students who continue to fall short, which erodes their confidence.
“It is very clear that a new approach is needed, and it is pleasing to hear that this is on the cards,” he added.
“The challenge will be to develop a policy which gives every student the best possible opportunity of a qualification of which they can be proud and provides pathways into higher education, apprenticeships and careers.”
During her speech at the conference, Professor Francis also highlighted the need for an alternative to A levels and T levels.
She said: “Our interim report was clear that we see the need for a third vocational pathway alongside the academic and technical pathways offered by A levels and T levels.
“Our final report will share details of our vision for the nature of these vocational qualifications. We even came up with a name, no prizes for guessing what it is,” she added.
The curriculum review’s final report is expected to be published in the next few weeks.
Professor Francis has written for Vlog today outlining the key lessons learned through the review process.
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