Forty years of the General Certificate of Secondary Education: analysing the role of the performing–composing–appraising examination structure in secondary music education in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Every year in Vietnam there are nearly a million Vietnamese 12 graders taking as compulsory the national general certificate of secondary education English testto be eligible to receive general certificate of secondary school education. Since 2015, the English test has been used for students to achieve two goals: (1) to receive general certificate of secondary school education and (2) to gain entrance to Vietnamese universities and colleges. The test is referred to as “the national matriculation and general certificate of secondary education English test”. It has a clear format, clearly specified contents, a clear and detailed scoring scheme, and is made public in the Vietnamese mass media. However, looked at from both theoretical and practical levels, there are still problems with the test that need to be examined and discussed. This is the purpose of this paper. As a way of start, the paper will provide a description of the test. Then, it will examine some of its key qualities, and present its washback and impact on the Vietnamese general school foreign language education. In the conclusion, after summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the test, the paper will conclude that due to its weaknesses in both content and format,and its long-term negative washback, the 2016 national matriculation and general certificate of secondary education English test presents a big challenge to the communication goal of the Vietnamese general foreign language education. The paper recommends that for the quality of foreign language teaching and learning in Vietnamese schools to be improved andfor the foreign language education in Vietnamese schools to meet the requirements of globalization in Vietnam, a radical renovation in both test format and test administration should be exercised.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) was designed as an ‘inclusive’ qualification, access to which has been supported by providing a ‘reader’ to some candidates during examinations. A candidate reading age criterion of ten years has been employed by the GCSE awarding bodies to determine eligibility for this provision. In this paper, Kevin Woods, a member of the Educational Support and Inclusion Research and Teaching Group in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manchester, examines the rationale and evidence for adopting this criterion and describes an investigation of the reading needs of a cross‐sectional sample of 38 GCSE examination candidates in trial examinations. The investigation found a low level of candidate need for a reader, with candidate reading age and self‐prediction being unreliable indicators of this need. Kevin Woods highlights the implications for the assessment process used to determine eligibility for a reader in GCSE examinations and pays particular attention to the feasibility and validity of including all students as eligible.

Assessments for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) are typically taken at the end of compulsory secondary education. They are considered high-stakes examinations because access to further education and employment is often dependent on performance at GCSE. Despite this significance, GCSE students have historically not been given opportunity to share their views on assessments. This UK-based research reports findings from part of a survey that explored the changes students would wish to make to the assessment of GCSE English, Mathematics, and Science. Areas of focus were informed by the researcher’s preliminary research involving a focus group with GCSE students. Three-hundred-and-fifty-one Year 11 students completed an online survey. Open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis. Descriptive statistical analyses were completed on Likert-scale item data. Participants indicated different changes for GCSE English, Mathematics, and Science. The most prevalent desired change was for GCSE English examinations to be open book. The largest proportion of respondents indicated for Mathematics to stay as it is. For GCSE Science, the most prevalent responses were for several ‘smaller’ exams throughout the year and a combination of assessment types (e.g. exams with coursework and ‘controlled assessments’). Frequency and length of survey responses demonstrates students’ motivation to contribute to this area. Grounded in the student experience, this study offers valuable insights that contribute to broader discussions across schools, examination boards, and educational policy.

Summary General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations are taken by almost all pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at age 16 years. General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A‐level) examinations are normally taken by relatively able students at age 18. The effect of month of birth on attainment in these public examinations is investigated through a database which brings together the 1991 GCSE results and the 1993 GCE A‐level results of all candidates born between September 1974 and August 1975. Older pupils perform best at GCSE but not at GCE A‐level. Selection effects on entry to A‐level courses appear to explain why this is the case.

Research within the area of the sociology of physical education (PE) recognises that it is a subject which reinforces dominant ideologies about gender. The gendered nature of PE appears to continue into General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinable PE, as the proportion of boys being examined in GCSE PE compared to girls is nearly 2:1. Given the recent drive and initiatives such as the Girl Active scheme, run jointly by Norwich Union and the Youth Sport Trust to get girls active, GCSE PE may have a role to play increasing girls' involvement in physical activity and healthy lifestyles. This paper seeks to explore, through qualitative focus group interviews with Year 10 girls, how girls' experiences of PE and GCSE PE are gendered. The findings of this paper suggest that GCSE PE does little to breakdown existing gender relations of PE and often reinforces ideas about the gendered body.

Well-documented associations exist between socio-economic background and language ability in early childhood, and between educational attainment and language ability in children with clinically referred language impairment. However, very little research has looked at the associations between language ability, educational attainment and socio-economic background during adolescence, particularly in populations without language impairment. To investigate: (1) whether adolescents with higher educational outcomes overall had higher language abilities; and (2) associations between adolescent language ability, socio-economic background and educational outcomes, specifically in relation to Mathematics, English Language and English Literature GCSE grade. A total of 151 participants completed five standardized language assessments measuring vocabulary, comprehension of sentences and spoken paragraphs, and narrative skills and one nonverbal assessment when between 13 and 14 years old. These data were compared with the participants' educational achievement obtained upon leaving secondary education (16 years old). Univariate logistic regressions were employed to identify those language assessments and demographic factors that were associated with achieving a targeted A* -C grade in English Language, English Literature and Mathematics General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) at 16 years. Further logistic regressions were then conducted to examine further the contribution of socio-economic background and spoken language skills in the multivariate models. Vocabulary, comprehension of sentences and spoken paragraphs, and mean length utterance in a narrative task along with socio-economic background contributed to whether participants achieved an A* -C grade in GCSE Mathematics and English Language and English Literature. Nonverbal ability contributed to English Language and Mathematics. The results of multivariate logistic regressions then found that vocabulary skills were particularly relevant to all three GCSE outcomes. Socio-economic background only remained important for English Language, once language assessment scores and demographic information were considered. Language ability, and in particular vocabulary, plays an important role for educational achievement. Results confirm a need for ongoing support for spoken language ability throughout secondary education and a potential role for speech and language therapy provision in the continuing drive to reduce the gap in educational attainment between groups from differing socio-economic backgrounds.

Study questionWhat is currently being taught in United Kingdom (UK) secondary schools relating to sex and fertility and what are students’ experiences of this education?Summary answerThere are large gaps in the UK’s biology curriculum relating to sex and fertility education with important topics being neglected.What is known alreadySex and fertility education is essential to enable people to make informed choices about family building. This is especially important as maternal and paternal age is increasing globally. School is an important source of this education but sex and fertility education is often minimal. In order to optimise people’s contraceptive behaviour and fertility planning, an understanding of the reproductive cycle, basic physiology of fertility and preconception health is required. Fertility education interventions have been shown to improve fertility knowledge and decrease planned ages of childbearing among young adults but only if repeated.Study design, size, durationThis study aimed to evaluate the current biology curricula relating to sex and fertility education at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and A level (Advanced Level) in the UK and to determine 16-17-year-old students’ experiences of their sex and fertility education. This year group was chosen as we are interested in what students have learnt by the end of their mandatory education (years 1 to 11), and their experiences of this education.Participants/materials, setting, methodsThe analysis of the curricula was conducted using the most recently published specifications for science and biology at GCSE and biology at A level for the Awarding Bodies that dominate the GCSE and A-level market in the UK. The school survey included a 47-item online survey distributed to year 12 students in four secondary schools across England. In total, 244 students participated in the survey.Main results and the role of chanceThere are six Awarding Bodies in the UK that set the examinations for GCSE and A-level students. At GCSE level, the hormonal control of the menstrual cycle, contraception and ART are taught within the human reproduction section of the biology curriculum. STIs are used as examples of communicable diseases, but pregnancy does not feature other than as a consequence of contraceptive failure. At A level, there is generally less teaching of relationships, sexuality and fertility-related topics than at GCSE. The results of the school survey showed that some topics, notably puberty, the menstrual cycle, contraception and STIs, were more likely to be learnt in school. However, topics such as endometriosis, menopause, miscarriage and polycystic ovarian syndrome were more likely to be learnt outside school. Abortion was the most common topic learnt outside school, followed by puberty. The most popular sources of sex education outside school were the internet and social media. In the students’ responses to how they think sex and fertility education can be improved, six themes became apparent: LGBTQ + (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and others) inclusivity; topic variety; logistical improvements; attitudes towards sex; gender equality; and applicability to real life.Limitations, reasons for cautionThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted schools during the 2020/2021 academic year. Consequently, we were unable to distribute the survey to as many schools as planned. We hope to continue this study in the 2021/2022 academic year to allow further comparison between the experiences of different groups of students.Wider implications of the findingsIdeally, school sex and fertility education would involve a comprehensive and holistic programme and would provide young people with full, accurate information to prepare them for later life. We hope that the results of our study can be used to improve sex and fertility education for young people.Trial registration numberNA

This analysis of the challenges facing teachers of composing for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is based on a survey of teachers' opinions and classroom observation. The article answers three questions: can all GCSE students compose; how do you teach composing at GCSE; and is GCSE coursework a good test of composing ability? Reference is made to the nature of teaching mixed ability classes, how ability affects the development of composing skills, and the effects of different teaching methodologies on the students' progress. The article questions whether the GCSE examination is a realistic test of compositional ability at age 16.

Earth science education: The current state of play

Data on educational qualifications is essential in many research domains. The UK Millennium Cohort Study collected self-reported General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) data in sweep 7 (cohort members aged 17). GCSE data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) has been linked to the MCS. This study investigates the consistency of these two sources of GCSE data using detailed statistical analyses and provides a concise sensitivity analysis to compare results obtained using the alternative data sources and measures. The authors observe marked inconsistencies between MCS self-reported GCSE results and the GCSE results in the NPD. Their central recommendation is that researchers should use the administrative GCSE records from the NPD whenever it is practicable. An open and transparent resource containing research code to process GCSE data from the MCS and from the NPD has been made available alongside this article.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, recent guidance on access arrangements for students with special educational needs taking public examinations such as the end‐of‐school General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) has signalled a commitment to the development of access arrangements in line with ‘best practice’. In this article, Kevin Woods, from the Educational Support and Inclusion section of the School of Education at the University of Manchester, provides a relevant evaluation of access arrangements for GCSE examinations using questionnaire feedback from 205 specialist teachers involved in their implementation. The findings are that the system for allocating access arrangements is considered ‘manageable’ by 20% of teachers and ‘fair’ by only 25% of teachers; 70% of teachers would consider extension of access arrangements to be appropriate, notwithstanding resource constraints. Qualitative data from the questionnaires highlight the reasons for this pattern of results and a call by teachers for wider access in examinations to readers, scribes, extra time and a word processing facility. Kevin Woods sets his findings within the context of recent Government initiatives that are designed to improve engagement and achievement in the 14 to 19 age group.

BackgroundDevelopmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common condition which affects a child’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Affected children struggle at school and require additional educational support from an early...

Studies indicate that breakfast positively affects learning in children. The present study aimed to examine associations between habitual school-day breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance, as measured by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). The GCSE is a national academic qualification obtained by most British children during secondary education. Adolescents aged 16–18 years (n = 294; females: 77.2%) completed a retrospective 7-day food diary to report breakfast intake and a questionnaire to report GCSE grades. Breakfast was defined as any food or drink containing ≥5% of total energy expenditure (TEE) consumed up to 10:00 a.m. on school days. Habitual weekly school-day breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0–1 school days), occasional (2–3 school days), or frequent (4–5 school days). GCSE grades were aggregated into point scores and linear regression models were applied. Participants' GCSE grades in Mathematics and English were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. Adolescents who rarely consumed breakfast on school days had a significantly lower capped point score (β = −0.13, p < 0.05) and mean point score (β = −0.14, p < 0.05) compared with frequent consumers. Low/middle socio-economic status (SES) adolescents who rarely consumed breakfast were significantly less likely to achieve higher Mathematics grades compared to low/middle SES adolescents who frequently consumed breakfast [adjusted cumulative odds ratio (OR): 0.35 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17–0.72]. This cross-sectional study demonstrates that habitual school-day breakfast consumption amongst adolescents is a significant correlate of GCSE attainment. The results offer promising associative evidence which warrants further exploration in well controlled studies.

The performance of candidates in Northern Ireland ‘A’ level Chemistry in 1989 and 1990 was compared to investigate if the change from ‘O’ level to GCSE at 16+ had any significant influence. Overall performance and detailed analysis in relation to specific content areas and scientific skills were compared. The main influence identified was the introduction of the assessment of coursework in 1990, while smaller differences, both positive and negative, in the performance of cognitive skills, were detected.

The paper analyses the impact of socio‐economic status (SES) on academic attainment at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in Northern Ireland and evaluates the effectiveness of administrative use of free school meal variables at pupil and school level as an indicator of social deprivation. The results of the analysis show that free school meal eligibility at the pupil level is an adequate indicator of deprivation. They also point to a significant school SES contextual effect as measured by the percentage of pupils per school in receipt of free school meals. In the absence of data on prior attainment, the analysis shows that grammar school pupils on average have higher GCSE scores than secondary school pupils and suggests, personal/ family background and type of last school attended being equal, that Catholic pupils perform as well as those of other denominations.