As we prepare for the first numerical GCSE grades, Ian Toone is concerned that there is still too much confusion over the new system

Education secretary Justine Greening’s letter to the Education Select Committee, attempting to clarify which of the new 9 to 1 GCSE grades constitutes a pass, seems to have triggered even more confusion and controversy.

If I’ve understood it correctly, a grade 4 is a standard pass, with which candidates should be content as, if achieved in English and maths, it means that they won’t need to retake these post-16 and it should enable them to cross the threshold into further study or employment in the same way that the former C grade facilitated such transitions.

However, for school accountability purposes, a grade 4 will not be good enough; instead, a grade 5 (a “strong pass”) will be needed, at least in EBacc subjects, to show that a school is meeting government expectations. This denigrates the value of a grade 4. Already, we are seeing some universities asking for grade 5, or even 6, for entry to some courses.

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