The government has announced it will cut GCSE exam time by up to three hours per student.
The final report from a curriculum and assessment review – commissioned by Labour last year, and the biggest of its kind for a decade – recommends cutting the overall volume of exams at Key Stage 4 by 10%, ruling the current amount as “excessive”.
It also calls for the introduction of new maths and English tests in Year 8 to help teachers identify learning gaps sooner, the addition of mandatory citizenship lessons in primary schools, and a major overhaul of the Key Stage 2 grammar, punctuation, and spelling test.
AI among new subjects
The reforms to the national curriculum will also include a focus on AI and data science for post-16 students.
For the first time, primary-aged children will be taught how to spot fake news and identify misinformation and disinformation. This will help them develop their critical thinking skills and protect them when online.
Primary pupils will also learn more about the fundamentals of money. The review recognises that children are now consumers often before they reach secondary school.
A new compulsory reading test in Year 8 will be introduced. This will be in addition to a writing assessment in Year 6, as well as SATs, to identify pupils who need extra support.
Education reporter
Are more exams the only way standards can be improved?
Primary colleagues have said SATs are not the best way to assess children. Previously, primary teachers have taken industrial action over this issue.
There is a danger this additional exam will exacerbate an exam factory culture which already exists in many schools. As a former secondary school teacher and parent I have seen first-hand how many hours of exams the system expects fifteen and sixteen-year-olds to do for their GCSEs.
There has been a huge rise in issues in young people’s mental health and the topic of exams is one of huge stress for young people. To introduce another compulsory exam seems rather short-sighted.
Exams are not the only way to drive up standards for young people and improve their life chances. Is the new system setting up another opportunity to fail?
Schools will also be expected to work towards offering triple science GCSE as standard.
This comes alongside the government exploring a new qualification for 16-18 year olds in data science and AI, with a view to encourage more young people into science and tech careers.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the changes “will help young people step boldly into the future, with the knowledge to achieve and the skills to thrive as the world around us continues to rapidly evolve”.
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Additionally, the government will publish an oracy framework to help ensure more young people become confident and effective speakers, building on the success of existing reading and writing frameworks.
It is also committed to ensuring all pupils retain access to sport and the arts.
