Changes to curriculum
and assessment
A guide for parents
Introduction
Since 2014, there have been changes to the curriculum and assessment at Key Stage 3
following the government’s decision to abolish National Curriculum Levels. As a result,
all secondary schools in England and Wales were required to put in place their own 1116 assessment framework, detailing how student progress and attainment will be
tracked and reported. Additionally, significant changes have been made to the GCSE
examinations with the removal of controlled assessment in the majority of subjects, all
examinations being taken at the end of Year 11, one tier of entry for many subjects, a
change in grading system and additional rigour and challenge with some A level content
being included at this earlier stage.
Changes are still happening in stages and they affect different subjects at different
times. Therefore, we have put together this document to inform parents how the
changes may impact upon their child.
A new Key Stage 3 curriculum started in September 2014 and it is now being taught to
all students. There are still no national tests at the end of Key Stage 3 and so students
have their progress assessed by their teachers as part of the new assessment
framework before moving on to GCSE. The school has reviewed its assessment,
recording and reporting policy in accordance with these changes and we are gradually
phasing in the new grading structure in line with the new GCSEs.
GCSE
The main features of the new GCSEs are:

GCSE grades are to change from A*-G judgements to a new 9-1 system, with 9
representing an A**. The Department for Education has set the ‘good’ pass as a
5

Assessment will mainly be by examination, with other types of assessment used
only where they are needed to test essential skills

There will be a more demanding, rigorous content, which has been developed by
the government and examination boards

Courses will no longer be divided into different modules and students will take all
examinations in one series at the end of Year 11
The new GCSE English and maths courses started in September 2015.
GCSE English language

A requirement to include a high quality, challenging 19th-century, 20th-century,
21st-century text in each exam series

An unseen literature, literary non-fiction and non-fiction texts in each examination
series

100% terminal assessment – two examination papers in each GCSE with a total
assessment time of 3.5 hours

An increased emphasis on analysis and evaluation and on providing appropriate
supporting textual reference

Synthesis of information from different texts is now a requirement

In writing, there is increased weighting and emphasis on technical accuracy

Assessment journey – questions of graduated challenge through the paper
GCSE English literature

100% terminal examination

The examinations have no tiers

The examinations are closed book

Students must study: one play by Shakespeare; one 19th-century novel; a
selection of poetry since 1789, including representative Romantic poetry; fiction
or drama from the British Isles from 1914 onwards

There must be a minimum of two unseen texts on the examination and they must
be compared
GCSE maths

100% terminal examination – three examination papers with an assessment time
of 4.5 hours

Two calculator and one non-calculator paper

A mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step
problems. The mathematical demand increases as a student progresses through
the paper

Students need to be able to use and apply standard techniques; reason, interpret
and communicate mathematically; solve problems within mathematics and in
other contexts
GCSE reforms timeline

Phase 1: English language, English literature & mathematics. First teaching
September 2015, first results summer 2017 9-1 grading

Phase 2: subjects include art and design, citizenship studies, computer science,
dance, drama, food preparation and nutrition, geography, history, music, modern
foreign languages (French, Spanish), physical education, religious studies and
sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, double science). First teaching September
2016, first results summer 2018 9-1 grading

Phase 3: subjects include business, design and technology, media studies,
psychology, sociology, statistics. First teaching September 2017, first results
summer 2019 9-1 grading
Assessment
The most important goal of assessment is to help students make progress with their
learning. Grades by themselves tell students how they compare to others but they do
not tell them anything about what they need to do to improve their work or deepen their
understanding. They need feedback based on an assessment of their work. Feedback
in each subject is the most important part of our assessment framework detailing what
steps the students need to take in order to make the necessary improvements.
Progress
Every child at Blythe Bridge High School & Sixth Form arrives having reached a
different level of attainment in English & maths. It is important that we take into account
their starting point in setting learning goals and measuring progress. In our system,
progress takes account of how well each student is doing in each subject compared to
where they started. All students have scope to make at least good progress regardless
of where they start.
The process
In order to place the emphasis on the most powerful aspects of assessment our
conversations with students and our reporting to parents focus on progress and next
steps. However, behind those conversations we have allocated each student to what we
call a tier (starting point) based on his or her Key Stage 2 outcomes. Nine tiers cover
our cohort effectively and match the new 9-1 grading system. Tiers 1,2,8 and 9
represent relatively few students; tiers 3,4,5,6 and 7 are our core cohorts. The tier
represents the expected level of attainment by that student in Key Stage 4 if they
progress as anticipated. So a student assigned to tier 5 is expected to reach at least a
numerate of a 5 (a ‘good’ pass) by the end of Year 11.
A student allocated a tier 3 in the example below is expected to reach a numerate 3 by
the end of Year 11. If that student reaches a numerate 5, they will have made
exceptional progress in relation to their starting point. Similarly, a tier 3 student reaching
a numerate 2 will have made below expected progress.
These profiles are not used to label students and students themselves have not been
told about them. They sit in the background of our data system to help teachers to
award appropriate grades at various assessment points in the year.
Reporting to parents
Parents receive regular reports during the year. We have arranged our reporting
schedule so that our key assessments, progress evenings and formal written reports
are spread evenly throughout the year.
Students’ reported progress per subject is measured against their Key Stage 2
outcomes and what they are expected to attain by the end of Key Stage 4 if they were
to make expected progress. Their performance is reported in terms of how they are
progressing in all aspects of their course; it combines elements of rigorous assessment,
homework and professional judgement and is a point from which students can, and
should progress.
Their performance is reported as:
Exceptional, Good, Expected, Below Expected Progress or Well Below
Expected Progress
For example, a student coming in with an average Key Stage 2 outcome equivalent to
the old 4b should attain a numerate 5 by the end of Key Stage 4 if they are to make
expected progress over the five years. Anything above a 5, will be good or exceptional
progress dependent upon the grade achieved. Essentially this student’s target will be at
least a 5 by the end of Year 11 so it will be a 5 in all years. All subject areas have their
own assessment grids which map against Key Stage 4 criteria and this is used to
assess students’ progress six times per year.
At Key Stage 3 the students are not aware of their targets as they are not yet taking
GCSEs. Targets are shared with students from Year 10 and maybe higher than the tier
Effort
Behaviour
Homework
they were allocated according to the progress made over Key Stage 3.
English
Good progress
2
3
2
Mathematics
Exceptional
progress
1
2
2
Science
Expected progress
2
2
2
Art
Expected progress
2
2
2
Computer Studies
Good progress
2
2
2
Design & Technology
Expected progress
1
2
2
Geography
Good progress
1
1
1
History
Below expected
progress
2
1
2
Music
Well below
expected progress
3
2
4
PE
Expected progress
1
1
2
Philosophy & Ethics
Good progress
1
1
1
Spanish
Expected progress
1
2
2
Teacher
Spring 3
Olympic values
Friendship
Excellence
Respect
Paralympic values
Courage
Equality
Determination
Inspiration
Blythe Bridge High School & Sixth Form, Cheadle Road, Blythe Bridge. Staffordshire, ST11 9PW.
Tel@01782 392519. Email: [email protected]