Every Child Matters A Personal(ised) Plea

1. Every Child MattersA Personal(ised) Plea

2. Every Child Matters • In this context, I am using ECM in its literal context, rather than the Children's Act these words have become associated with. • My view is that in our current exam system, every child does not matter.

3. Interactive Section 1 • Four teams • Can you give me the correct answer to the following questions( to the nearest thousand): • How many students didn't gain 5 A* to C at GCSE last year? • How many didn't gain 5 A* to C including English and Maths? • How many did not gain 5 A* to G grades? • How may students didn't gain any GCSEs last year?

4. That's around 271,000 pupils • In 2006: • 41% of pupils did not achieve 5 A* to C grades in their GCSE exams. • 54.2% of pupils did not achieve 5 A* to C grades including English and Maths. • 12.1% of pupils did not achieve 5 A* to G grades. • 2% of pupils did not pass any of their GCSEs. • 644,568 pupils took GCSEs in 2006 • Source: www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000688/index.shtml That's around 358,000 pupils That's around 79,000 pupils That's around 13,000 pupils

5. So last year having been forced to spend 11 years of their lives at school, 13,000 pupils left with no GCSEs whatsoever, and 271,000 pupils left without the commonly accepted standard of having 'passed' their GCSEs.

6. “We cannot allow a whole army of this nation’s youth to leave school with nothing to show for those eleven years except disaffection and resentment. The current number of unskilled jobs in this country is estimated at about 3 million today. The effect of technology may well mean a huge shrinkage of this employment market. When this happens, we will not simply have an army of the unemployed, we will have an army of the unemployable, a huge threat to social cohesion.” Mick Brookes, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, to their conference in May 2007

7. Sutton Trust (2005)  State School Admission to our Leading Universities (London: Sutton Trust): • In 2005, the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial, LSE, Nottingham, Oxford, St. Andrews, UCL, Warwick and York took 68% of their admissions from state schools. • Oxford took 55%, Cambridge took 58%.

8. Interactive Section 2 • What percentage of the school population is educated in state schools?

9. 93%

10. Out of 12 historians in my year at St. Hugh's College, I was the only one who went to a school termed by the DfES to be 'comprehensive'. Even so, my school was a state boarding school with 90% 5 A*-C. Despite this, I was at a disadvantage for much of my first term: my peers had, quite simply, read more history and studied it to a much higher level than I had. • How many of us have been told by ATs or others to focus on the C/D borderline pupils? After all, the A-grade students will take care of themselves(!)

11. But surely every child matters: every child should be able to reach his or her full potential. • Just because a learner is capable of getting an A* at GCSE doesn't mean that they aren't capable of going beyond that. • Equally, just because a learner isn't capable of achieving a pass at GCSE doesn't mean that they can't achieve something tangible in their history lessons.

12. The Problem • Our current qualification system fails too many of our pupils. • Too many pupils fail to achieve anything which society regards as significant from their GCSE exams. • The most able pupils are not stretched enough by the exam system and are at a disadvantage to their peers both abroad and at selective schools.

13. Personalised Learning • I believe that the 'Personalised Learning' agenda has the potential to completely change the education system as we know it today. • Let's hear from the main man himself...

14. “Giving every single child the chance to be the best they can be, whatever their talent or background, is not the betrayal of excellence. It is the fulfilment of it. The challenge for education in the 21st century is to give the common basics of citizenship and working life to every pupil, while developing and nurturing the unique talents of each pupil.” David Miliband to the North of England Education Conference, 8th January 2004. Source: www.dfes.gov.uk/speeches/speech.cfm?SpeechID=95

15. The Context • GCSE introduced in 1988, replacing the O Level (intended for the most able 20%) and the CSE (intended for the next most able 40%). • “The hope was expressed that GCSE would not just amalgamate the two existing examinations but would extend examination opportunities for candidates of all abilities.” • Haydn, T., Arthur, J. and Hunt, M. (2001) Learning to Teach History in the Secondary School. (London: RoutledgeFalmer)

16. The Context • “The government has professed a desire to design a 14-19 curriculum which meets the aspirations of all...” • Abbot, I. and Huddleston, P. (2004) 'The curriculum: 14-19' in Brooks, V., Abbot, I. and Bills, L. Preparing to Teach in Secondary Schools (Maidenhead: Open University Press) • To me, this means that we need to step away from the 'one size fits all' approach of GCSE and, to an extent, A-Level. Thus the marketplace of other qualifications become the solution.

17. Interactive Section 3 • Same teams • How many qualifications (other than GCSE and AS/A2) can you name?

18. The Present Situation for the majority in 14-19 History Glass ceiling – can't be crossed until you go to university A2/AS GCSE Sorry, nothing for you

19. What it could be like HAT / AEA A2 / SAT AS Level IGCSE GCSE History GCSE Short Course History Entry-Level Certificate in History This model enables many more students to access exams which are appropriate to their needs and abilities. All these qualifications are currently available.

20. The alternative qualifications • Entry Level Certificate in History • GCSE Short Course • International GCSE (IGCSE) • American SAT • International Baccalaureate • Advance Extension Award • History Aptitude Test (HAT)

21. Interactive Section 4 • Over the next few slides I am going to show you a selection of exam questions taken from some, all or none of these alternative qualifications. • In your teams, see if you can work out which questions matches which qualification. • Then, discuss which sort of student you think the question is aimed at.

22. Match the question to the qualification: (a) Read Source 1. SOURCE 1 The American soldier could rely on the latest equipment. He was taken to the battle scene by helicopter. Tanks supported any attack, and he had the most up-to-date arms – machine guns, grenades and rocket launchers. The Americans had air to surface missiles and bombs of every shape and size. They also had electronic instruments which detected guerrillas and chemical weapons which could destroy jungle and crops. From a recent history book. Write down three things you can learn from Source 1 about American soldiers. Entry Level Certificate in History

23. Entry Level Certificate • Intended for students who may find the process of final exams too tough. • Assessment is based entirely on work carried out during the course. • Content is based on any of the three types of GCSE specification: SHP, Modern and British. Offered by the main exam boards. • As a result, pupils can study for this alongside students taking GCSE History. • www.edexcel.org.uk/quals/elc/ • www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/EntryLevelCertificateHistory.html • www.aqa.org.uk/qual/elc.php

24. From www.ocr.org.uk: • “Entry Level Certificate specifications utilise appropriate short term goals and manageable elements and are closely related to the GCSE specifications of the same name, in order to provide a stepping stone for possible progression to GCSE or equivalent.”

25. Match the question to the qualification: • Compare and contrast the results of the First and Second World Wars. IB History

27. International Baccalaureate • Students must study a subject from each group (History is in Group 3). • Three subjects are studied at higher level (considered harder than A Level), and three at standard level (similar to AS). • History questions tend to be more open ended and require more knowledge. • www.ibo.org

28. International Baccalaureate • Administered by the IBO, an independent and non-profit organisation, the IB Diploma is for students aged 16-19, and is a two year course. • Students must study a core curriculum and six other subjects. This is considered by many to challenge the most able students, and push them outside of their comfort zone. For example, a strong scientist cannot get away with just studying sciences: she must also study arts and social sciences. • Can only be offered by schools which are approved by the IBO. • Not just in private schools: Exeter College is a large sixth form college which each year enters around 20 students for the IB.

29. Match the question to the qualification: (a) What limits did the Treaty of Versailles place on Germany's military strength? [4] (b) Explain why the Allies punished Germany in the Treaty of Versailles. [6] (c) 'The most important reason why Germany hated the Treaty of Versailles was the reparations settlement.' Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] GCSE Short Course

30. GCSE History Short Course • Based on the usual GCSE courses offered by the main exam boards. • Consists of one exam (75%) and one coursework paper (25%). • The exam is based on one of the core content units from the full GCSE specification.

31. GCSE History Short Course • The exam is designed to be completed in half the time of a GCSE, but with the standard achieved the same as a full GCSE. • However, this presents the opportunity for students who can cope with exams, but who are unable to access the content and skills of the full GCSE, to take the Short Course exam. • The exam can be studied for alongside students studying for the full GCSE. • See the Edexcel and OCR websites (not offered by AQA).

32. Match the question to the qualification: • ‘To be sure, the pure types are rarely found in reality’. Do you think historians should make use of ‘types’ and theories in discussing the past? Write a paragraph setting out your answer and the reasons for it.(20 marks) Oxford HAT

33. Oxford History Aptitude Test • Undertaken by those applying to study history at Oxford. As well as submitting work, students take the test on a set date (usually in the November of Y13), alongside their usual studies. • No content is specified: the test aims to assess skills (aptitude for the course) rather than knowledge. • The test takes two hours: students are presented with two extracts and asked to answer a total of four questions on them. • www.history.ox.ac.uk/prosundergrad/applying • The HAT aims to find out whether students will be able to cope with the Oxford course, not how well drilled they are to pass exams.

34. Useful Websites • If you have any students who are thinking of applying to Oxford, the following website has been created by students to demystify the process: • http://hots.ox.ac.uk • For schools without a tradition of sending students to Oxbridge, both universities run programmes to guide students and teachers through the process, as well as programmes to encourage students to apply (for example, day trips or summer schools). Visit www.ox.ac.uk or www.cam.ac.uk for more information.

35. Match the question to the qualification: The rapid colonization of Africa by the European powers after 1880 was motivated primarily by: (A) the demand for slaves to cultivate New World cotton and sugar (B) the desire for new markets, raw materials, and strategic advantage (C) the need to tap the hydroelectric potential of the African rivers (D) the heavy demand for African workers in European factories (E) heightened interest by Europeans in tourism and big-game hunting SAT: World History

36. SAT • The numbers of British students attending American colleges has risen dramatically: attendance at the London recruitment fair has risen over 500% since 2002. (BBC News) • Accepted by UK Universities. • Most students receive significant financial aid from their colleges. • Offered 6 times a year (Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan., May, June.) • Costs $63.20

37. SAT • The SAT has two history papers: US History and Modern World History. They are additional to the core papers of Maths, Critical Reading and Writing. • The tests are multiple-choice, with around 90 questions. Thus they are more suited to those with dyslexia or other literacy issues. • www.collegeboard.com • Most colleges require two subject tests, though the most competitive (Yale, Harvard, Princeton & Georgetown) require three.

38. Match the question to the qualification: • (a) Describe the main events from October 1929 to January 1933 that resulted in Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany. [5] • (b) How was Hitler able to consolidate his power in 1933-34? [7] • (c) Did Hitler become a dictator through legal means? Explain your answer. [8] IGCSE

39. IGCSE • Originally offered by the main exam boards to British schools based abroad. In the last few years increasing numbers of private schools have switched to it. In New Zealand it is rapidly replacing their national qualifications. • Recently, the QCA ruled that state schools could not offer it. However, pressure from schools is likely to see this change sooner rather than later. • Considered to be a cross between GCSE and O-Level. • Tests different skills to GCSE: there is more emphasis on content rather than skills. Seen by many as more academically rigorous than GCSE. • Interestingly, traditional O-Level exams are still offered by the main boards. Again, these are not accredited by the QCA for use in state schools.

40. IGCSE • Offered by OCR, AQA, Edexcel and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). • On the UCAS tariff it is accorded equivalence to GCSE. • Allows teachers to have control over content due to internal assessment. • TES November 17 2006 survey found that: • 66% of teachers found the NC too prescriptive. • 55% of teachers wanted to set their own curriculum. • www.flyingcolours.co.uk (British Council)

41. Interactive Section 5 • Who's the winner? • It's a trick questions: you're all winners because you've all learned something (I hope). Hurrah!

42. What do we think?

43. Future Developments • Diplomas: • The result of the Tomlinson 14-19 review. • Will be introduced in 2008. • Consist of pre-existing exams: GCSEs, GCEs etc. will make up an overarching diploma. • For example, GCSE History may (eventually) be part of a 'Social Sciences' diploma. • Specifically aimed at vocationally-minded students.

44. Future Developments • The 'Pre-U': • Organised by University of Cambridge in collaboration with Russell Group universities and HMC and ISC schools. Based on a perception that AS / A2 do not prepare students adequately for university. • Aims to be very different from AS / A2: non-modular, cross-curricular and focused on in-depth knowledge alongside core competencies. • www.cie.org.uk/preu • First teaching in September 2008

45. Issues for discussion • Is it possible for one history department to administer all these different exams? If not, does personalised learning mean a return to a system of different types of school? • What role does age play in this? Should able 14 year olds be allowed to take the AEA, if they are capable? • With developments at KS3, is streaming going to return to most schools?