New and old nc levels?

[nicknamerunout]

How do new levels 1-9 works as comparing to old levels 1c-7a? Not sure if I have asked the question in the right way. Anyway explain if you can please.

[Tinuviel]

Levels 1-9 are for the new GCSE exams. They are not connected to NC levels, which have 'gone' but not been replaced with a national system. Some schools are sticking with NC levels; others are using their own system.

[MaraThonbar]

There are no new NC levels. Some schools are yet to phase them out, others have introduced their own systems. Levels 1-9 will be for GCSEs as explained above. The new English and Maths GCSEs start from September, so for the current year 9, and Science will start September 2016.

[nicknamerunout]

So GCSEs are / will continue to stay? Just wonder what to expect for my yr7dd when she s in yr9 and yr11. Sorry but I am very ignorant about the secondary system!

[titchy]

NC Levels were only used to the end of KS3 - so year 9 normally, or year 9 of your school does 3 year GCSEs. After that most schools use GCSE grades, so these will be 1-9 for your dd (9 is the best).

And yes GCSEs are here to stay!

[nicknamerunout]

Thanks but what s the pass mark for GCSEs say = to the old grade c? 4 or 5 something like that?

[titchy]

I believe grade 5-9 is likely to be indicative of current A* to C.

[MaraThonbar]

9 will supposedly be slightly higher than the current A*.

[nicknamerunout]

I wonder what the school league table will look like next year? Should it be replacing say 5 A-C with 5 (4-5). What about A levels grades are they remaining as A-C-E-U?

[titchy]

nickname - league tables will look the same for a few more years - this years yr 9 will have Maths and English graded using the new 1-9 scale; the rest will be graded the same as now. This years yr 8 will have all GCSEs graded 1-9 - so when the league tables include the summer 2018 results (so January 2019) they will presumably included % of grades 5-9 rather than % of C-A*.

A Level grades are not changing, although they are being decoupled from ASs.

[UpNorthAgain]

nicknamerunout you are surely not expecting the DFE to have cascaded well thought out information to schools so that we professionals can plan ahead? Nobody even knows for certain what is happening with the great AS / A2 'decoupling' initiative . God knows what it will be like when your DD is in Y9 and Y11.

[Mostlyjustaluker]

Like up north said the dfe don't know what they are doing next week never mind in a few years time. There is an election soon so it could all change at any time x

[Mostlyjustaluker]

The kiss was accidental,but your are all welcome to it.

[PastSellByDate]

this may help: www.gov.uk/government/news/setting-standards-for-new-gcses-in-2017

I'm just a parent - but what the government seem to be saying is that the new grade 5 on GCSEs is slightly higher than old grade C standard (in a clear as mud statement they say it's equivalent to upper third performance at old Grade C and bottom third performance at old Grade B - but is also internationally equivalent of 'average' for PISA countries).

I think several things are going on:

Universities are pleaing for a more rigorous system with a narrower range of A* candidates - to help with selection at elite universities.

What passed for average 'C' performance in England was slightly below standard C internationally

general desire to raise requirements - which includes primary where the new threshold is NC L4b - see www.gov.uk/government/news/package-of-primary-school-measures-will-raise-ambition-and-standards - scroll down to Level 4 data.

Basically the bar has been raised for a number of reasons.

HTH