No GCSEs at Latymer Upper

[DonkeyKon]

What do people think about this?

theoretically I agree with the premise.

practically , I worry that with everyone else having gcse results, it will disadvantage LU students when applying for universities.

Insane. Even for courses requiring Astar A level grades at university you need maths and English GCSEs. As you do for jobs.

Whilst I’d like to see GCSEs abolished and children assessed at 18 only as they are in many countries [so the English/maths requirement is incorporated into the high school diploma and the International Baccalaureate] our education system and employee requirements are not in a place to accommodate it. Given AI screens job applicants, none of these kids will get job interviews because they can’t tick the essential boxes.

I looked round the school for DC and talked to various teachers about this. They all seemed to think that it would mean they could deliver a far broader and more interesting curriculum.

While the school itself is very impressive, I was not convinced by their research into top universities, which found that the universities wouldn’t mind at all that the students do not have GCSEs. As PP have said, if your teen doesn’t complete A levels for whatever reason, then what.

Ultimately we decided not to apply on the back of this. Entry is still supposedly highly competitive though.

I have never been asked for this and I have worked in UK, US and Dubai...the reason is because I have never taken them. Surely, if you never took them because the school the job would understand. Latymer is not just some random school and it has a good academic reputation.

They will take the math and English GCSEs.

Or AI will just filter them out. IME jobs don’t have feelings so won’t understand or care and are ruthless in the first narrowing down. Applicants from abroad would not be expected to have GCSEs so different. And these kids won’t have none - they’ll have two which will look even more odd.

Latymer is not just some random school and it has a good academic reputation

To many it is, it would mean nothing to most of the employers I work with.

GCSEs definitely don’t support critical thinking and I’m not a fan. But I’m hugely questioning of alternative curriculum and qualifications.

A private school near us has also introduced their own qualifications at GCSE only for children to find that they were not recognised by any other sixth forms (state or private) in the area. You are also taking it on trust that it’s a better qualification (I like some of the content eg English Lit has a richer and broader content). It’s quite a small school so moving for A’levels is quite common and a popular route for more academic kids as the school is quite artsy. There is no way in the world that my children will study for a non qualification so imperfect GCSEs it is.

I went to University in the UK, but my other education elsewhere. So no GCSEs. While I was working in the UK, I had jobs in two very well known companies. They never asked for GCSEs and I did not put on my resume where I went to school prior to Uni.

Perhaps, it could bring some challenges later down the line but doubt it would prevent children from ever getting a job in the future. And if it did cause trouble working in the UK, I guess that means focusing on first job opportunities abroad.

It’s the VAT that’s made the difference over the last couple of years.

Employers will look at CVs from people from all over the world who haven’t done GCSEs.

LU gets average grades at GCSE currently of something like 95% at 7+.

Most (all!) of the pupils will be going on to get a handful of top-graded A level results, and a degree from a top flight university.

Employers aren’t going to ignore the 2.1 from Durham because they can’t see if they did a GCSE language.

Hasn't Bedales been doing this for years? They do English and Maths GCSE, but their own qualifications for everything else.

If they get into Durham in the first place.

This is being screen by AI, using their screening process so overseas no GCSEs but SAT, AP or country national exams, A levels and universities. HR from firms use AI screen software. Anyone knows of recent graduates applying for 50 jobs trying to get interview. The job market in last 3 years have changed, AI screen before a human looks at it. Some AI sees the line on a CV and stop screening so CV format have to change, so if programmers put Xx GCSEs, all those without gets rejected.

Latymer has been working on this change for years. It’s well thought through and clearly planned. I do feel like people always view change with fear, but if it wasn’t for institutions pioneering new approaches then we would never have change! The school believes firmly that the traditional GCSEs can be overhauled, in that they require pupils to memorise swathes of material and they lose 6 months of teaching in just going over and over things for exams. The new programme will allow for a wider breadth of subjects and content, and a better run into A Levels. Let’s be honest, it’s not an easy route for the school to take - they could easily have stuck with traditional GCSEs and protected their ranking, that alone shows their commitment to providing a wider education.

Hello, as I am very unfamiliar with the system, I wanted to ask about something I am curious about. Since Latymer Upper maintains that it provides a very in-depth education and that its own assessments measure students’ abilities more effectively, would these students be able to pass their GCSE examinations easily as private (external) candidates, thereby overcoming the disadvantage of Latymer not offering the GCSE option?

A school in Scotland did similar in my day. If you were particularly strong in a subject, you dropped the standard grade (a 2 year course) after 1 year, and instead spent 2 years working towards the higher in that subject (normally a 1 year course). It worked well.

There are different GCSEs boards with different exam topics and content and questions. So it is hard to answer your questions, for example, history which topics depends on the board and their parameters? Maths, some are 2 exams others are 3 with one having no calculator. So do they teach according to a specific board GCSEs, or do they do their own curriculum. English lit, the books and poems selected may not be the same.

I think the problem with this is the GCSEs are graded in a certain way and you need to understand exactly what they are looking for in order to receive top marks.

This is correct, a pupil needs to be taught the mark scheme, you can’t achieve a high grade without being taught how to achieve it, this is what annoys schools as teaching the mark scheme takes up so much lesson time in year 11.

I'm a professor in medicine at a russell group. GCSE scores are no longer used - admissions is based on A levels or any other scores obtained at the end of secondary (e.g. IB). Only GCSE english may be used if you haven't come from an English speaking country or don't have another english proficiency assessment (e.g. IELTS). So bottom line, GCSE scores have little impact on university admissions for any subject.

I also attended LU's info session about the new curriculum. They save 6 months from doing mock GCSEs to focus on teaching towards A levels

Oxbridge looks at GCSEs for the purpose of seeing how the student copes with a broad, heavy course load. Bad scores do you a disservice, but if you didn't take the GCSE's at all because your school doesn't do them, then they just focus on your A-levels (actual or predicted) and whatever you get in the test they administer for your subject (if applicable).

GCSE's aren't actually needed.

Watching with interest — we have a Latymer Upper bursary offer but no grammar place. We’d most likely want to switch to a different sixth form later on (as we did with our older child), so we’re pressing pause for now. We also have a friend who joined after the GCSEs announcement and is now trying to move their child to a different school, as they’re not happy with how the alternative qualification planning is shaping up. There’s another thread here that’s also worth a read.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5461872-latymer-upper-11-2026-year-7?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

GCSEs are definitely used by most dental schools to varying levels of significance. Cardiff, for example, weights them strongly.

DD1 didn’t do GCSEs, she did the IB diploma. She also has an American High School Diploma which is equivalent to GCSEs, but she’s never been asked for it - the IB has sufficed.

Well LU costs a lot more than £24k.. more like £31k and rising.

I have heard that although the new head pressed ahead with the move away from GCSEs that there are teething problems (not least getting Universities on board). So the 2027 date may be pushed back.
I don't think LU has been unsubscribed since they announced this and the fact they are doing their due diligence (although you might argue this should have been done before they set a date!) shows them in a good light.
In the current climate they can't afford to put a food wrong so I expect they will only differentiate if they are sure they will be successful.
If schools like LU don't innovate and lead the way then we will all be stuck with an outdated school assessment system that pre-dates the Internet!