Private school to ditch GCSEs, write own exams

[noblegiraffe]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/gcses-private-schools-london-qualification-latymer-school-b1106686.html

Not entirely sure what to make of this. Latymer Upper (I'm not really up on private schools so don't know how fancy it is) is planning to ditch GCSEs and create its own assessments to 'free up teaching time'.

I guess if it's a super-selective type school they'd be expecting all the kids to go onto A-levels anyway so aren't worried about losing GCSEs, but what of kids who want to go elsewhere? How recognised would their portfolio be?

Also, we know from covid just how good some private schools are at marking their own homework so how would anyone know if standards were being maintained?

I'm surprised that a school has enough staffing capacity to set up its own exam system tbh.

So they’d all need to do English, maths and a science A level? Unlikely combination.

No school is going to drop science GCSE before checking that the equivalent will be accepted by teacher training providers. Just as they didn’t drop any GCSEs before producing alternatives that would be recognised by UCAS for the purpose of university admissions. GCSE equivalents from schools such as Bedales are externally moderated and extremely highly regarded.

This reminds me of the book Terms and Conditions by Ysenda Maxtone Graham which gets across how random mid 20th century private education was. It’s fascinating - no national curriculum and schools doing whatever the fuck they want. I’m torn because I basically love the idea of school doing its own thing but it annoys me that it’s only private schools that can get away with it. It’s also just so impractical.

Im in the process of applying for LU and I can assure you that the students there won’t become primary school teachers. Most likely not even private primary teachers…

LU doesn't intent to drop English and maths for GCSE if you read the news.

Most countries don’t have public exams aged 15/16.

What a shitty attitude to have.

The prospect of being surrounded by twats who sneer at the teaching profession would do more to put me off the school than their abandoning of an internationally recognised qualification for something with the name of the school they went to on it.

No school is going to drop science GCSE before checking that the equivalent will be accepted by teacher training providers.

The article in the OP suggests that they are planning to. The entry requirements posted from a teacher training provider upthread suggests equivalents are not accepted.

I have a child at LU and I can assure you they might- if you think it's not a good enough profession it may be the wrong school for you!

That’s a very strange assumption. And it’s simply wrong. I alone know several ex LU who are primary school teachers!

Give them chance! I can assure you it will happen before anyone leaves school without a science GCSE.

Whether GCSEs are a good thing or should move to exams at 18 is an interesting topic. I heard this on the Today programme this morning and it was dreadful. The guy suggesting change had lots of ideas.

It was Katharine Birbalsingh and she just went on about how it was all about this private school failing as did not get all 9s and pupils in the top sets at her school would. She didn’t engage with the general ideas. Even saying what OP has said about needing grades to move to apprenticeship.

Well, my child is at LSE. Did not sit any GCSE'S( along side her cohort of 140 others) Was at an american school in Cobham. Sat IB's. did very well. Is not an international student so pays home fees. So lack of GCSE Math or science has not hampered them in anyway..

PP might need to rethink their application then!

I think quite a few of the better known private schools have been making noises about this for years. There are already a number that have their own courses for various subjects (DD's school has lots, mainly in creative subjects), which are not just 'marking their own homework' but externally moderated and accepted by good universities. I do agree it is short-sighted not to sit science, though.

The articles in the press are very superficial. In the information sent to parents they go into a lot of detail and specifically mention GCSE Science, requirements for Teacher Training, UCAS recognition etc.

GCSEs are academically stifling and formal exams at both 16 and 18 are too much and out of step with RoW. I would have thought teachers would love to have more freedoms to develop and inspire their students. Perhaps some sort of hybrid IB would work -3 a levels and 3 lower level diplomas (maybe aimed at a level 7 gcse) and they need to cover 1 of maths, English and science. So someone could do history, geography and economics a level and then do maths, english, mixed science. Or maths, biology and chemistry a level with english, a language and an art.

And an IB is a recognised qualification so would be accepted. Unlike a “paper” a school writes themselves and nobody else uses. You must see the difference? I said a school certificate wouldn’t count, I did not say other formal alternatives wouldn’t count.

IB's are A level equivalents ( some say more depth than A level but that's another debate) which presumably the kids at LU will have. She did get a high school diploma at 16 which is a ''paper'' a school writes themselves. It was recorded in her UCAS application. You said they need GCSE's. She didn't. They didn't.

Is anywhere a safe haven for the parent not wanting their DC to mingle with those who might turn out to want to become primary school teachers, though? I mean, decades ago, but I used to work with an A&E sister who was educated at SPGS.
(She was great with patients and staff alike, btw).

@MarchingFrogs - I know 2 midwives and 3 primary school teachers who went to spgs- the horror😀

I can promise you that for the course I’m a lecturer on we do require gcse or recognised equivalent in maths, science or English.

We have never had a student with a high school diploma apply, if we did I would take advice from Admissions if it was acceptable. I believe it’s a recognised qualification as it’s wide spread in America???

But something which one individual school has written? Doubtful. Because we’d have no knowledge of the level covered and I don’t have time to be looking at subject syllabus for one student’s qualification. I get 400-500 applications for 30 places. Someone without a qualification I’ve heard of is going to be at a disadvantage like it or not.

I'm very surprised to hear that nowadays any renowned UK universities does not accept IB qualification for applications - must be some very niche area or a very inward looking programme.

I don't think anyone has said that.

I think the point is in those highly selective private most of the kids will progress to a higher level of qualification such as IB or A levels. Whether the schools own diploma counts does not matter, as long as the school provides with the education that can make these students better transition to or with more time to prepare for the higher level qualification then they will have legs up compared to other don't .