Pupils ‘face demoralising cycle of retakes if they fail in maths and English GCSEs’

Below present guidelines pupils who fail to get a grade 4 in maths or English GCSE should retake the examination till they go away college. However the scenario might be worse this 12 months as rising numbers of youngsters are predicted to fail their exams due to a return to pre-pandemic grading requirements, consultants mentioned.

It comes as Motion for Kids at the moment revealed younger individuals referred to social care at any level of their childhood have been twice as more likely to fail the topics than their friends. The charity mentioned this can be a “worrying attainment hole” that should be urgently addressed.

Round 300,000 fewer prime GCSE grades are predicted to be awarded on Thursday, which might be a “shock” to pupils and their mother and father, in response to Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Training and Employment Analysis on the College of Buckingham.

Exams regulator Ofqual is intentionally decreasing outcomes to nearer 2019 ranges, after grades spiralled through the pandemic. It did the identical for A-levels, and outcomes printed final Thursday confirmed 73,000 fewer prime grades have been awarded than the earlier 12 months.

Learn Extra

Geoff Barton, normal secretary of the Affiliation of College and Faculty Leaders, mentioned: “The adjustment of GCSE grades this 12 months to 2019 requirements will imply that many extra college students don’t obtain not less than a grade 4 GCSE in English and maths. This in flip consigns many of those college students to a cycle of retakes in post-16 schooling during which giant numbers proceed to fall wanting Grade 4. It’s completely demoralising.”

He added: “Confidence in literacy and numeracy is of significant significance however the present system has the alternative impact on many college students.” Kevin Courtney, joint normal secretary of the Nationwide Training Union, mentioned: “It’s clear that GCSE retakes will not be the most effective technique of growing literacy and numeracy abilities. Forcing re-sits is demotivating for a lot of college students and the low go fee is a transparent signal of coverage failure. Educators know the weaknesses of the present system and have advised many alternate options, from purposeful abilities checks to modular assessments. The Authorities ought to re-think this outdated coverage.”

Professor Smithers mentioned grades in English and maths are among the many lowest for all 48 GCSE topics, and added: “The figures elevate in stark kind whether or not tuition in these central topics is nearly as good because it could possibly be. What’s putting is how few truly go second or third time round. It should be soul-destroying to repeatedly need to retake exams that you’ve got failed in, maybe a number of instances.

“There’s an pressing want for a coverage rethink. Politicians ought to watch out for projecting on to others the examine of what has been good for them.”

A spokeswoman for the Division for Training mentioned: “This 12 months GCSE grading is essentially returning to regular in keeping with plans set out by Ofqual virtually two years in the past, to make sure {qualifications} preserve their worth and college students get the alternatives they deserve.

“For college students gathering their outcomes, these alternatives might be higher than ever earlier than due to our model new T-levels, alongside A-levels and different vocational and technical {qualifications}.”