I'm just getting my head round Gove's changes to the exam system- and I am even mor horrified than I thought I would be!

[curlew]

The three things that leap out at me are 1)all year 11s have to do 8 GCSEs of which 5 have to be EBacc subjects, which will be a real struggle for many, 2) no more tiered papers, so one exam for all, so kids for whom a C is a real achievement have to sit a paper which has also to cater for the effortless A*, and 3)only the first attempt at an exam counts for the league tables. This means for a school like ours, where the vast majority of students are middle/low ability, and where we have always let many have a "practice go" early, won't be able to- because the risk to the school is too great.

I agree with OYBBK - I work with primary aged children who are operating below expectations and they can make progress with a small steps approach, with loads of consolidation and lots of adult guidance. But this takes time and I can only help them make this progress because we focus on literacy and maths and have a high adult:pupil ratio.

If schools didn't have to teach the NC to all children, then more children could have basic literacy and numeracy skills by the time they leave primary.

Tilly I can see what you're saying but children do need more than literacy and Maths, surely? I'm absolutely with you on the need for basic skills but what a shame to lose out on the other stuff. What if they have real aptitude for music, IT, art?

I think there absolutely is a place for a rounded education for all children but a rounded education does not equal galloping through a set curriculum with no mind as to whether children are understanding it or not. You can't for example teach percentages if children have no idea of place value and can't divide by 10. Yet this seems to be what has to happen under the current system.

We manage to fit in those things too! Just not formal science, history, geography.

With the small group setting it's lots of time DOING and not much time listening to the teacher which is how a huge amount of time is spent in many primary schools. The children learn by doing the maths/practising the spellings, etc rather than sitting on the carpet listening to the teacher.