iGCSEs

[montenuit]

So now the GCSEs have become more rigorous, more content, grades up to 9 (A**) are they harder than iGCSEs?

iGCSEs were often preferred by some independent schools, because they are a better foundation for A level. Is that still the case?

Have they changed/increased content too? They also have changed to grades 9-1.

You may be right in saying there are many good secondary schools out there. There’s an element of subjectivity when making a judgement about what constitutes a good school. People have different values and different standards… I’m rather impressed by state primary school on the whole – although far from perfect, as there are too many teachers, who are not as numerate as I’d like and whilst I welcome the increase in the number of primary schools who are now teaching a foreign language such as French, there should be more. The underachievement and yobbish culture that exist in too many state secondary schools are not my definition of ‘good’. I actually live in West Sussex but I know London like the back of my hand as I’ve lived and worked in London since the early to mid-eighties…. In my humble view, the only arears in London with a reasonable number of decent state schools are parts of North London and also South-East London – where there are a few grammar schools. You should have to have a lot of money to have your child taught in conducive learning environment where teachers are not reduced to crowd controllers. It saddens me to see so many talented young people coasting along and perhaps wasting away and ending up with mediocre exam results – all mainly due to a lack of discipline in schools. I don’t mean to sound snobbish but, as I said, we all have different expectations!

You’re quite right: questions are worded in a more straightforward manner as iGCSE was primarily designed for students for whom English is not their first language. I think it’s an excellent idea that GCSE not only tests knowledge but also tests the student’s communication skills.

By the way, I forgot to mention: there are some excellent state schools in South West London – mainly in the Kingston and Sutton area; however, again, they are all mainly grammar schools. Nunsuch, Wallington, Tiffin and the like