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Curriculum, assessment and qualifications

 
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NAHT is working to ensure that the curriculum supports the learning, progress and success of all pupils. NAHT supports the principle that a broad and balanced curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

NAHT is campaigning to: 

Support schools to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils

  • Challenge the government policy, including EBacc, which may narrow the curriculum
  • Enable and support schools to successfully deliver statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education
  • Lobby for improvements to government policy which supports schools to deliver inclusive education and fulfil their responsibilities under the public sector equality duty
  • Support schools to deliver effective careers education for all pupils
  • Support schools to deliver high-quality Religious Education to all pupils
  • Provide guidance, materials and information to support schools in educating pupils about environmental issues.

Ensure a valid and proportionate approach to statutory assessment in primary schools

  • Lobby the government to reconsider the introduction of the multiplication tables check
  • Lobby the government to ensure changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Learning Goals are appropriate and relevant for the early years sector
  • Influence the development and implementation of the reception baseline assessment
  • Support members to implement the new statutory assessment for pupils with SEND
  • Identify and challenge the STA over any impact on members of the contract change to deliver statutory assessment in the primary phase
  • Engage with the STA to influence changes and improvements to statutory assessment including moderation and maladministration
  • Campaign for KS2 SPAG to be made non-statutory and oppose any additional statutory testing in the primary phase
 

Ensure the KS4 and KS5 qualification framework and examination system is fit for purpose

  • Press the government, Ofqual and exam boards to ensure that reformed qualifications, both academic and vocational, meet the needs of all pupils and schools
  • Explore the issue of grade reliability, identifying solutions and improvements which are supported by members and pressing the government and Ofqual for appropriate action
  • Inform members of the latest developments in secondary assessment through engagement with Ofqual, JCQ and awarding organisations. 

Guide to GCSE results for England 2019

Ofqual has released a guide to results, standards and grade boundaries for the 2019 GCSE results in England

This includes: 

Alongside these resources, Ofqual has developed a series of interactive apps that should make it easier to understand and explore GCSE data. 

The apps include:

  • time series of GCSE grades for a range of subjects
  • results maps for GCSE (showing the percentage of students achieving specific grades) in England by subject and county
  • graphs that show the extent of variation in the results of individual schools and colleges over time and for a range of subjects at the key grade boundaries.

The 2019 GCSE results data is available to compare in these graphs from the morning the results are issued. Ofqual has produced guidance on the apps.

 

National reference test 2019

The 2019 exam series was the first time that the national reference test could be used to guide awarding.

Although there was some evidence to suggest a case to a make a small downward adjustment to the grade standards in English, Ofqual felt that the evidence was not strong enough in this year to make such an adjustment. There were no such indications for maths.

Therefore, no adjustments were made in 2019 exam series, as a result of the national reference test.

You can find all the details and associated evidence from Ofqual here.

 

Further support

Further information on post-results services, including the procedures and timelines for reviews of marking and appeals can be found on the JCQ website. 

If you have any immediate issues or concerns with this summer's external examinations, including queries about Pearson's BTEC Level 2 Tech Awards, you can contact our advice team on 0300 30 30 333.

If you have any general concerns about the examination system, let us know at policy@naht.org.uk so we can represent members' experiences with Ofqual and the relevant examination boards.

You can see NAHT's press comment here.

First published 22 August 2019

First published 12 November 2019
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