The English subject community has reacted angrily to proposals that would mean speaking and listening assessments no longer count towards students’ final GCSE grade.
Exams watchdog Ofqual has launched a consultation on changes to GCSE English and English language which would see final grades calculated from the written papers and the reading and writing controlled assessments only.
The National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE), said the proposal was “essentially a downgrading of the importance of speaking and listening skills”, while former children’s laureate Michael Rosen labelled it a “massively backward step”.
The proposals, which apply in England only, include a requirement for exam boards to report speaking and listening achievement separately on the GCSE certificate.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here