An alternative to GCSEs: Reuniting curriculum, pedagogy and assessment

Hugh Stephens, Head of Geography, St Edward’s School, UK We expect from education that our children become knowledgeable, successful learners, equipped to become good citizens and socially responsible change-makers. Yet there are those who believe that education today has been tightly calibrated towards the task of getting children through exams, rather than preparing them for life (Astle, 2018). The pandemic has served to highlight the need to review approaches to assessment, adding fervour to the national debate. Particular attention must be given to GCSEs, initially introduced as O-levels at a time when fewer than 20 per cent of students continued in education beyond the school leaving age (Bolton, 2012) and students needed certification of their school achievements. Now, with 87 per cent of students remaining in formal education beyond age 16 (DfE, 2019), there are growing questions about whether GCSEs in their current form are the right approach. Introducing Perspectives