Key Facts:

• New qualification – the diploma – starting to be taught this September.
• Functional skills to be come an essential element of Maths, English & ICT (students not able to achieve above a ‘C’ grade without passing this element)
• Number of units at ‘A’ Level being reduced from 6 to 4 – more open-ended questions and a new A* grade.
• Coursework will effectively cease in its current form. Being replaced by ‘controlled assessment’ that can be taken at discretion of teachers.

Timeline of changes:

(click for larger version)

Diplomas:

The first five diplomas on offer will be:

• Creative and Media
• Construction and the Built Environment
• Engineering
• Information Technology
• Society, Health & Development

These will be offered at Level 1 (Foundation), Level 2 (Higher) and Level 3 (Advanced). Expectation that diplomas will be available in 17 subjects by 2011 and to all students by 2013. Students will have 600 guided learning hours for Level 1 diplomas and 800 hours for Level 2. Intention is that they will be taken alongside the statutory National Curriculum.

• Level 1 diploma = 5 GCSEs (D-G)
• Level 2 diploma = 7 GCSEs (A*-C)

Level 3 diploma comparable to 3 ‘A’ Levels – 1,080 guided learning hours.

Functional Skills:

The first teaching of functional skills as part of English, Maths & ICT courses will take place in 2010. Pilots have been going on since 2007.

• English: explaining information (speech & writing), understanding instructions, analysing presentation of information (& assessing its usefulness). May involve an oral presentation/contribution to discussions.
• Maths: capability to solve problems, development of analytical and reasoning skills, and ability to identify errors and inconsistencies.
• ICT: students expected to feel confident in finding, selecting and collecting information. Need to be able to apply it ‘safely’ to learning.

Controlled Assessment:

There are two different stages to the new controlled assessments:

1. Research and data collection (can take place under limited levels of supervision “to encourage out-of-classroom learning”)
2. Production of final piece of work (under formal supervision)

Flexible Assessment:

Move from ‘linear assessment’ (exams at end of two years) to ‘unitised qualifications’ (exams as you go along, with retakes). However, QCA rules state that 40% of assessment must happen at the end of the course and only one re-sit of each assessment is allowed.

More information:

• Teachernet (see 14-19, Secondary, Functional Skills)
• Ofqual.gov.uk (new examinations regulator – see launch brochure, guide for GCSE students, guide for ‘A’ Level students)
• GCSEchanges.com (OCR’s portal)

(image credit: standing there riding arrows by zen @ flickr)