Reforming Key Stage 4
Qualifications
Consultation Response Form
The closing date is: 10 December 2012
Your comments must reach us by that date.
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Name
Jocelyn Wyburd
Organisation (if applicable) University Council of Modern Languages
Address:
www.ucml.ac.uk / [email protected]
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Please mark the box that best describes you as a respondent.
School
College
Academy
Higher Education
Institute
Further Education
Institute
Local
Authority
Subject Association
Parent
Student
Union
HT/Teacher
Employer-Business
Sector
Awarding
Organisations
Governor
Other
Higher Education subject association – University Council of Modern
Languages represents all departments/faculties of languages in UK Higher
Education. I am responding as the elected Vice Chair, with responsibility for
liaison with other educational sectors.
Title
1 Do you agree that the new qualifications should not be called "GCSEs"?
x Agree
Disagree
Not sure
Comments:
There needs to be a distinction between new qualifications and old reflected
in the name
2 a) Do you agree that the new qualifications should be called English
Baccalaureate Certificates?
Agree
x Disagree
Not sure
Comments:
A Baccalaureate is commonly understood as the equivalent of a level 3
rather than level 2 qualification (cf the French Baccalaureate and the
International Baccalaureate). The term Baccalaureate is therefore
misleading.
Is it also understood that no Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish schools would
ever want to enter pupils for these qualifications? Unless this is so, the
concept of them being called ‘English’ is also problematic.
2 b) If not, what alternative title should be adopted?
Comments:
No strong views.
Secondary School Certificates? SSCs?
It is also not clear in the consultation what thought has been given to what
the eventual replacements for GCSEs in subjects other than those currently
listed/counted towards the ‘English Baccalaureate’ would be called.
High expectation of performance and accurate grading
3 Do you agree with our expectations for grading structures, set out in
paragraphs 5.4 to 5.5?
x Agree
Disagree
Not sure
Comments:
Clear grading related to transparent descriptions of what grades mean in
terms of attainment is vital to HE.
4 Do you believe that we should insist on a common grading structure for
all English Baccalaureate Certificates or should we allow Awarding
Organisations the freedom to innovate?
x
Common Grading
Structure
Freedom to
innovate
Other
Comments:
There is the danger that different subjects, offered by different awarding
bodies would be graded in different ways causing confusion to employers
and HEIs if full freedom to innovate is offered.
Comparability is also important across subjects (and therefore potentially
across awarding bodies). There has been evidence in the past of ‘severe
grading’ affecting languages GCSEs negatively and we would not want this
to continue through a lack of comparability in new structures.
No tiering
5 Do you agree that it will be possible to end tiering for the full range of
subjects that we will be creating new qualifications for?
x Yes
No
Not Sure
Comments:
Grade capping through tiering is not a useful tool and candidates should be
given chances to outperform expectations which are currently capped by
decisions on the level at which they are entered.
6 Are there particular approaches to examinations which might be needed to
make this possible for some subjects?
x Yes
No
Not Sure
Comments:
Languages: examinations should be structured to differentiate performance
by output. Currently, candidates entered at foundation level only may not
have the opportunity to demonstrate some aspects of language learning only
tested in higher level exams. We would like to see all pupils encouraged to
cover the whole curriculum and to be given the chance to demonstrate the
skills they have achieved, through inclusion of more open-ended question
sets.
Assessed 100% by examination, or minimising reliance on internal
assessment
7 a) We intend that English Baccalaureate Certificates should be assessed
100% by externally marked examinations. Do you agree?
All
English
mathematics
sciences
history
geography
x languages
None
Comments:
We agree for languages – especially if the internal conduct but external
examining of speaking tests is continued. Cannot comment for other
subjects.
7 b) If not, which aspects of English, mathematics, the sciences, history,
geography or language do you believe absolutely require internal assessment
to fully demonstrate the skills required, and why?
Comments:
Size requirement for syllabus
8 Should our expectation be that English Baccalaureate Certificates take the
same amount of curriculum time as the current GCSEs? Or should schools
be expected to place greater curriculum emphasis on teaching the core
subjects?
Same amount of
curriculum time
Greater curriculum
emphasis
x Other
Comments:
We would not want study of other subjects to be limited by excess
concentration on the so-called EBC subjects. However, there are concerns
that in many schools insufficient curriculum time is currently given to
languages and this may need to be rectified in recommendations.
Examination aids
9 Which examinations aids do you consider necessary to allow students to
fully demonstrate the knowledge and skills required?
Comments:
Consideration could be given to the use of bilingual dictionaries in written
(but not spoken) language exams. Dictionary use is an important skill in itself
which should be taught more proactively within the curriculum and usage
would therefore not be inappropriate. Linguistic competence is not merely
judged on the basis of vocabulary memorisation, but on the ability to
manipulate language structures, select appropriate lexical items and to use
appropriate registers. Some performance is currently hampered by lack of
memory/knowledge of individual lexical items while concentration should be
given to broader linguistic challenges of comprehension and production. If
exams are structured appropriately, minimal dictionary use would be
possible within the time available anyway. However, this requires further and
deeper discussion.
Subject suites
10 Do you agree that these are appropriate subject suites? If not, what would
you change?
x Yes
No
Not Sure
Comments:
They look appropriate to us as non-specialists in these fields.
11 Is there also a need for a combined science option covering elements of all
three sciences?
Yes
No
x Not Sure
Comments:
Track Record
12 What qualities should we look for in English Baccalaureate Certificates that
will provide evidence that they will support students to be able to compete
internationally?
Comments:
In languages, there has been considerable European research (e.g.
SurveyLang) on second language competence levels of school pupils and
indicators for the UK (England) are consistently lower than those in other
countries (for most of whom the first foreign language studied is English). If
our KS4 qualifications are to be comparable internationally, they should at
least reflect the level of competence in languages that our neighbours
achieve in English at the same level. This is a major challenge for our whole
education system, not only for the qualifications under consideration here.
The KS2 initiative for languages is key to this, as is managing progression
from KS2 to KS3 if such standards are to be reached.
Assurance of literacy and numeracy
13 Do you agree that we should place a particular emphasis on the successful
English language and mathematics qualifications providing the best
assurance of literacy and numeracy?
Agree
Disagree
x Not sure
Comments:
Up to a point. But the study of languages (modern and ancient) also provides
assurance of and enhances literacy skills. This is often overlooked. We
consider that there are or should be vital links in the ways that literacy skills
(including stronger emphasis on linguistic awareness/grammar/structures)
are taught in the English language curriculum and reinforced in the curricula
for other languages to the mutual benefit of both.
Employer skills surveys (including CBI, 2012, cited) also demonstrate high
levels of dissatisfaction in the language and intercultural skills (higher than
their dissatisfaction in numeracy and literacy!!) of school leavers and
graduates and concentration only on English and Mathematics risks ignoring
these factors.
School and Post-16 institution Support
14 In order to allow effective teaching and administration of examinations,
what support do you think Awarding Organisations should be:
a) Required to offer?
Comments:
Clear marking criteria and marking schemes.
Clear indications of how learning outcomes will be assessed and how higher
levels of performance will be rewarded.
Past/sample papers are important so that candidates know what to expect of
them in terms of the balance of task/question types, layout etc.
For languages:
Training in the conduct of speaking tests.
A range of topics/situations within which candidates will be expected to
demonstrate their language skills and a range of functions which candidates
will be expected to be able to manipulate.
(It is vital that these represent a range rather than a closed set of specific
situations and contexts so that candidates and their teachers are given the
opportunity to construct language curricula which are relevant, creative and
engaging, which is often not the case in respect of teaching to the current
GCSE.)
14 b) Prevented from offering?
Comments:
For Languages:
Vocabulary lists.
Overly prescriptive topics.
Excessive ‘closed’ sample questions.
15 How can Awarding Organisations eliminate any unnecessary burdens on
schools and post-16 institutions relating to the administration of English
Baccalaureate Certificates?
Comments:
If examinations are to be 100% externally assessed, some administration will
be lower than for current controlled assessments anyway
The challenge in languages will always be the conduct of the speaking tests
in schools and this needs careful consideration by the relevant awarding
body.
Qualification supports progression of lower achievers
16 Which groups of students do you think would benefit from a "Statement of
Achievement" provided by their school?
Comments:
Statements of achievement could be useful for all students, not only those
who are not entered for the new qualifications . There are concerns,
however, about lower achieving students having only a statement of
achievement but no qualifications at all. This still needs to be tackled.
Statements of achievement for those who do gain qualifications can be
compiled from statements from the awarding body of what that achievement
means in respect of the grade awarded etc.
17 How should we ensure that all students who would benefit from a
"Statement of Achievement" are provided with one?
Comments:
With so many schools opting out of local authority control (Free Schools /
Academies etc) it is difficult to know what powers there are to insist that
these be provided by all schools as a matter of course.
Equalities
18 a) Do you believe any of the proposals in this document have the potential
to have a disproportionate impact, adverse or positive, on specific pupil
groups?
Adverse impact
Positive impact
x Both
No impact
Comments:
Raising the status of languages within the qualifications framework will have
a positive impact on a range of pupils whose first/home/heritage language is
not English, as multilingualism should become more highly valued within the
school system.
Achievement in languages is central to the qualification. However language
study can be seen as ‘foreign’ and language use of relevance only for
overseas travel and high-flying ‘global’ careers. The result is sometimes that
languages are perceived as demotivating and irrelevant to some socioeconomic groups and risk potentially being obstructive to the achievement
of wider academic goals. But see 18b below.
18 b) If they have potential for an adverse impact, how can we reduce this?
Comments:
There is a strong burden on the languages qualification and the teaching
which leads to it to be much more relevant and inclusive in their approaches
than has been the case in the past. This could include encouragement of the
study of languages spoken in our multicultural society in addition to
languages of relevance to the global economy and professional/personal
mobility.
Implementation
19 Should we introduce reformed qualifications in all six English
Baccalaureate subjects for first teaching in secondary schools in 2015, or
should we have a phased approach, with English, mathematics and sciences
introduced first?
x In all six subjects from 2015
Phased approach
Other
Comments:
Although this might be difficult to achieve, we believe that there will be more
parity of esteem for the 6 subjects if they are all introduced together – even if
it means actually delaying all of them until they can be introduced well.
20 How best can we prepare schools for the transition to these reformed,
more rigorous qualifications?
Comments:
For languages:
As a result of the ‘haemorrhage’ in language teaching in KS4 over the past 8
years, there is a diminished and often under-motivated teaching base in
these subjects. Language teachers will, if the new qualifications represent a
real departure from GCSEs, need considerable professional development to
step back and look at new ways of delivering new curricula. Furthermore,
subject to outcomes from the KS2 consultation, there will need to be
considerable training provided on managing progression from KS2 to
maximise pupil learning and progression towards the new KS4 qualifications.
This training must be a major priority for government funding.
21 How long will schools need to prepare to teach these reformed
qualifications?
Up to 12 months
x 12 - 18 months
More than 18 months
Other
Comments:
This really depends on the availability of training for new approaches to
teaching, curriculum reform and the demands of the new qualifications.
Languages
22 Should all languages in which there is currently a GCSE be included in our
competition?
x Yes
No
Not Sure
Comments:
As mentioned above (18a and 18b) a wide range of languages of relevance
to multicultural Britain, as well as to employers in the global economy should
be offered as qualifications at this level. Ancient languages should also be
included alongside modern languages.
23 Should the number of languages for which English Baccalaureate
Certificates are identified be limited? If so, which languages should be
included?
Yes
x No
Not Sure
Comments:
We understand that there are practical and costly implications for Awarding
Bodies in administering examinations in languages for which there are few
entrants. However, the presence of languages as a central plank to the
reform of KS4 qualifications needs to be accompanied by a renewed drive to
communicate why languages are important educationally. This includes
valuing the languages spoken in our multicultural and diverse society as well
as the languages of relevance to employers and the global economy,
motivated by issues of socio-cultural cohesion and intercultural
understanding, in addition to the instrumentalism of languages as vital to a
skilled workforce and the UK economy.
24 Given the potential number of new languages qualifications to be
developed, should they be introduced to a later timescale than history and
geography English Baccalaureate Certificates?
Yes
No
x Not Sure
Comments:
Yes and no: ideally they would all happen at once, but for practical purposes
we believe one tranche could be introduced earlier (e.g. French, German,
Spanish, Latin, Mandarin, Arabic) – with others to follow.
We would not want all languages to have to be delayed and therefore
relegated below history and geography in terms of public perception of their
importance as academic subjects.
Post-16
25 Should we expect post-16 institutions to be ready to provide English
Baccalaureate Certificates at the same time as secondary schools?
x Yes
No
Not Sure
Comments:
There is an issue of equality of opportunity here. If the new qualifications do
indeed achieve the aims of being seen to be of higher quality and validity,
then post 16 candidates should have equal access to them from the moment
they are available.
26 How best can we support post-16 institutions to prepare to provide English
Baccalaureate Certificates?
Comments:
Training – in clusters with local secondary schools.
The issue of workforce deficit is surely a current challenge (implementation
of Wolf review) unrelated to the introduction of the new qualifications.
Choosing the best qualification in each subject
27 Do you agree that five years is an appropriate period for the new
qualifications to feature in the performance tables before the competition is
rerun?
Agree
Disagree
x Not sure
Comments:
At least 5 years?
28 Please let us have your views on responding to this call for evidence (e.g.
the number and type of questions, whether it was easy to find, understand,
complete etc.).
Comments:
All documentation was clear, easy to find and understand and the form is
easy to complete.
Thank you for taking the time to let us have your views. We do not intend to
acknowledge individual responses unless you place an 'X' in the box below.
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xYes
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