GCSEs exams changing again next year?

[Fairenuff]

My dd is year 10 in the first year of GCSEs and is doing her exams and controlled assessments throughout the year. Today she has been told that next year (year 11) they will take all their exams in June.

Has anyone heard anything about this? Is it changing back already?

[cricketballs]

if she has already been entered then no; the change in specs are for Spetember 2012 entry (i.e. current year 9s)

[roisin]

Lots of schools have been moving to early entry, modular courses etc, and had their fingers burned.

Students have been entered for modules and even full GCSEs in yr9 and early yr10. The exam boards published a report recently saying that early entry policies are not effective and it's better to sit the exams at the end after thorough preparation and time to mature.

Therefore many schools are reverting to terminal exams and linear (rather than modular) courses asap.

[Fairenuff]

She didn't do any modules in Year 9 but has done some controlled assessments and one chemistry exam this school year. She was given her chemistry result today and the teacher definitely told them they would take biology and physics this year, but next year, Year 11, there would be no exams at all until June .

[roisin]

I don't understand. Do you think this is a bad idea?

The norm in science at the moment is to do 3 exams in yr10 - which together form one GCSE. Schools can choose to take them in June or at an earlier sitting in the year (Nov or Jan depending on the exam board).

Then they do 3 more exams in yr11 - same options for two sittings.

[Tortu]

Well, Michael Gove is an idiot, yes.

However, his changes shouldn't impact on your DD. I'm guessing that what will happen (because it's quite similar in our school), is that the school had sensibly planned to get most of the CAs out of the way in Year 10. We would actually have very few modules in Year 11 anyway (I think only one in science), so most of the exams are only in June.

So in a rambly way, what I'm saying is that I think this is not unusual. It's just one way of structuring the course.

[Fairenuff]

No I don't think it's a bad idea if that's how it is set out from the start but I am surprised that they are changing it halfway through the two GCSE years. It would make sense to me if they started with the current Year 9 (as cricketballs said).

She did chemistry in Nov, will sit physics in March and biology in June this year.

Next year she will do all three in June.