Category Archives: Assessment

The exam boards have published their draft specifications for the A-level sciences – albeit with huge caveats about them not yet being accredited by Ofqual. @Bio_Joe has helpfully put together a comparison for the A-level biology specs, so I’ve used his basic structure … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Ramblings of a Teacher:
I happen to think that National Curriculum levels are okay. There, I said it. Not perfect, but not quite the work of the devil, either. It’s true that their use has too often…

Originally posted on Distant Ramblings on the Horizon:
Some very short thoughts and some questions on the demise of levels. Quo  vadis KS2 SATS? I mean, if there’s no such thing as nationally benchmarked levels, what’s the point? How will…

Levels are toast. It’s considered ignoble to celebrate another’s defeat or demise, but excuse me if I turn up at this wake in a clown suit, doing the robot and yodelling. Today the DfE announced, in their casual, oh did … Continue reading →

Originally posted on The Modern Miss:
Following the announcement by Michael Gove that, in future, GCSEs will no longer have a coursework element, the reaction from teachers has been swift and vocal. In the main, the comments have been negative,…

Originally posted on MissAngry:
There is a lot about at the moment on today’s new GCSE curriculum proposals. Controlled assessment is going, modular exams are going. Well thank heaven for that. I was beginning to wonder if my own GCSE…

Next week, across England children in year 1 will undergo the Phonics screening check, a test portrayed by the government as a way of identifying those at risk of falling behind in their early reading skills. Today my colleague Pete Yeomans and contact Stephen Lockyer shared … Continue reading →

Originally posted on mylifeasacynicalteacher:
I do not subscribe to the view that you should not criticize something unless you have a solution or better idea. I think that is a ridiculous notion that is often used to shut down discussion…