going into year 10 and ks4 curriculum changes

[frangipan]

Hi
My DS 15 is going into yr 10 on Wednesday so will be starting GCSE's. If I understand it correctly the new curriculum changes for key stage 4 come in to effect from September 2015. Does anyone know how these changes will effect him (and all the other children) with regards to studying for their GCSE's? I'm just a bit concerned that they are guinea pigs for all this curriculum 'meddling' and his education will be negatively affected.

Thank you

[noblegiraffe]

Y10 are doing old-style GCSEs, graded A* A B C etc. They will be linear and all exams will be sat at the end of Y11.

It's the year after that will get the weird new GCSEs graded 9-1.

They'll be hit by the A-level changes though.

[cricketballs]

on the plus side for your DS; we have just had our first cohort through on linear (no module exams) so we are more experienced at the issues that came up for these students

[crazymum53]

If I understand it correctly the new curriculum changes for key stage 4 come in to effect from September 2015.
This will affect children starting KS4 courses in September 2015 i.e. the new Y9 and these GCSE exams will start in May/June 2017. Current Y10s will be taking linear exam GCSEs with exams at the end of Y11.

[frangipan]

thank you all for your replies. I also have a DS 12 who has just gone in to year 8 so he will be taking GCSE'S under the new grading system then. DS1 has chosen triple science as one of his options, so he spent the whole of yr 9 studying biology only for the early entry to scrapped. Never mind.

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

DD2 Y9 today! Also wants to know if she gets new GCSEs (in sept 16) and will it be all subjects?

[frangipan]

The A level changes just appear to be going back to how I took my A levels, i.e an exam at the end of a two year course.

[frangipan]

Elephants yes she will if I am reading crazymums post correctly.

[Unexpected]

I thought the first year through the "new" GCSEs (exams in 2016) were only going to have the new numbered grades in English and Maths and the other subjects would still be A-E or whatever. Must admit I read that some time ago, and it may well have changed since then. As DS1's GCSEs changed in scope while he was actually studying them, and in some cases after he had already done the exams - yes, English Language I'm looking at you - I have just given up reading about the changes which will affect DS2 as the Govt keep changing their mind and introducing new tweaks all the time.

[frangipan]

unexpected if that is the case then DS1 would sit GCSE's with the new grading system. . I don't think the government even know....

[Unexpected]

Sorry, sorry got the year wrong - 2017!

[crazymum53]

To be honest once I realised that current Y10s wouldn't be taking the new GCSEs I haven't looked into it much further but think that unexpected is correct and that current Y9s may be taking a mixture of old and new style GCSEs.

[noblegiraffe]

Current Y9 will be getting newly graded GCSEs in English, English lit and maths, and normal GCSEs in everything else.

Current y8 will also get new GCSEs in sciences, languages, history and geography, normal GCSEs in everything else.

From then, no one is really clear about what will happen to the other GCSEs.

Current Y11 will be sitting decoupled A-levels from sept 2015 in selected subjects, (so no AS unless they take it as a standalone qualification) unless Labour win the General Election in May 2015, as they have pledged to reverse this policy.

Not confusing at all.

[smokepole]

Why can't we have non political education experts deciding on curriculum and the types of exams taken. The most important thing though is that we have clarity , not this' I'm taking my ball home' approach from the political parties.

If they had half a brain between them, they would say this is what were are going to do for the next 15 years ' we will review in 10 years'. They should also give a run in time of 3-4 years to change any system.

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

Crap, so DD2 gets done out of a nice shiny A/A* in her best subject (English) and gets messed about in Maths that she pretends she can't do.

She can, it's just she's always played second fiddle to the same boy, whi' s really good (and who's DM is a maths teacher)

[crazymum53]

smokepole I agree, but understand that the former education secretary did ask for advice from experts on curriculum changes and then just ignored their recommendations.