General Certificate Of Secondary Education Research Articles

Associations Between Habitual School-Day Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents.

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.

Educational outcomes of children in Wales with cerebral palsy

Background with rationaleIt is recognized that children with disability have special educational needs (SEN). They are likely to have poor school attendance and do not achieve well academically. Many children with a cerebral palsy (CP) have SEN but little is known about their educational provision or outcomes.&#x0D; Main AimTo investigate the educational experience of children in Wales with CP and describe the type of SEN and SEN provision; school attendance; achievement—teacher assessments at the end of the Foundation Phase and Key Stages 2 and 3 of the National Curriculum (NC)—and in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations.&#x0D; Methods/ApproachData from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC), NC and GCSE results from 2009 to 2016 were linked with routine e-health records of primary and secondary health care data held in SAIL. The health care records were used to identify pupils who, potentially, had a cerebral palsy.&#x0D; ResultsThe linked data set included around 360,000 pupils per school census of whom 1200–1400 per school census were identified as having a CP, representing a crude prevalence of 0.4%. Adjusted for age, year and sex, there was no significant variation in prevalence by area deprivation. Around 60% of children with a CP have a statement of SEN; over a quarter of CP children are educated in special schools; CP children in mainstream (primary, middle and secondary) schools tended to miss more school sessions (~50% more) than other children and lower percentages achieved the expected levels at Key Stages 2 and 3 and the Level 2 GCSE threshold.&#x0D; Conclusion/Implications This work demonstrates the utility of record-linkage between health and education data to map, monitor and provide information to parents, carers and policymakers about education outcomes for this group of children to inform planning and service provision.

鍛辭成章： ｢閱讀促進學習｣教學法中筆記摘錄與共同建構在香港非華 語初中課堂的實踐與成效

In Hong Kong, the number of secondary schools admitting Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) students has increased tremendously in recent years (LegCo, 2016), in which most of them are mainstream schools. To cater the learning differences of NCS students, various supporting programs have been employed to help NCS students to improve their Chinese so as to ease their difficulties in applying for universities and finding jobs (Loh & Tam, 2016), and hence enhancing upward social mobility (Leung et al, 2017). Thus developing suitable Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) pedagogies has caught much scholarly attention with pressing needs. Under such backdrop, the paper discusses the use of “Reading to Learn (R2L)” Pedagogy (Rose & Martin, 2012) to support the junior secondary CSL teaching and learning in a secondary school with high NCS density. The research team developed school-based teaching and learning materials based on Chinese Language Curriculum Second Language Adapted Learning Framework (EDB, 2014) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) syllabus. Based on collaborative lesson preparation, class observation, teachers and students focus groups, close examination of students’work, the study aims at finding the effectiveness of R2L in enhancing students’ reading and writing abilities of explanatory essays, as well as their motivation. Through Detailed Reading, Note-making, Joint Rewriting and Joint Construction, with extensive scaffolding and teacher-student interaction, students are able to understand the register variables and transfer to individual writing of explanatory essays. Discourse analysis and focus group interviews also show that R2L can enhance the motivation of students and their confidence in learning Chinese. The study explores the potential of applying R2L pedagogy to enhance the reading and writing of explanatory essays, as well as discerning the praxis and effectiveness of various teaching stages. Keywords : Teaching of Chinese as a Second Language, Reading and Writing Abilities, Reading to Learn Pedagogy, Note Taking, Joint Construction 近年, 香港取錄非華語學生的主流中學急增(立法會, 2016)｡ 學校需要因應這些學生的學習差異, 採用各種支援方式幫助他們學好中文, 改善其升學就業的困難, 提升社會向上流動機會(Leung et al, 2017; Loh & Tam, 2016)｡ 是以為非華語學生提供適切的中文教學法, 成為當前急務(Shum, 2015)｡ 本個案研究針對以上情況, 以｢閱讀促進學習｣ 教學法(Rose & Martin, 2012)支援一所非華語學生比例較高的中學, 在初中中文作為第二語言課堂, 參照中國語文課程第二語言學習架構(香港教育局, 2014)及國際普通中學教育證書 (IGCSE)課程綱要, 修訂校本課程｡ 透過協作和共同備課會議, 課堂觀察, 師生聚焦小組訪談, 筆記及課業文本分析等方法, 了解此教學法能否提高學生說明文類的讀寫能力, 增強學習動機｡ 老師引領學生詳細閱讀範文後, 指導學生通過小組合作從範文提取並記錄關鍵字詞, 摘錄成筆記(Note Making)｡ 繼而學生藉着師生互動與鷹架輔助, 運用這些關鍵字詞, 句式及文步, 共同建構(Joint Construction)新篇, 最後讓學生獨立寫作｡ 本研究發現上述步驟能有效幫助學生理解文類語域變數(Eggins, 1994), 並能活用至不同通篇寫作活動；文本分析與小組訪談亦顯示該教學法能有效提高學生學習中文的動機, 增強學習信心｡ 本研究驗證｢閱讀促進學習｣ 教學法對改善學生說明文類讀寫能力及各教學步驟的實踐成效均具啟發性｡ (535字) 關鍵字 : 中文作為第二語言教學, 讀寫能力, ｢閱讀促進學習｣ 教學法, 筆記摘錄, 共同建構

Earth science education: The current state of play

Earth science education: The current state of play

Another platform and a changed context: Student experiences of developing spontaneous speaking in French through physical education

This study highlights a complementary partnership between physical education and foreign language learning, endorsing the potential of an applied learning context as an alternative pedagogical platform. A pedagogic model of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) within physical education was adopted to explore the capacity for improving students’ spontaneous speaking in French. The study’s motivation was the 2016 changes to England’s General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) French specifications, which placed an increased emphasis on responding spontaneously in spoken French and sustaining communication in different situations. Students ( n = 42) aged 13–14, soon to embark on GCSE French, were introduced to a 10-week handball scheme of work that included learning associated key French vocabulary and students communicating with each other and the teacher in French. Adopting case study methodology, data collection included student questionnaires, individual teacher interviews and student focus groups, analysed using inductive analysis and constant comparison. The physical education CLIL platform provided a learning context that appeared to support student perceptions of increased motivation and reduced anxiety, with 60% of students reporting that speaking French during physical education increased their confidence in speaking French aloud. Findings suggest the importance of an applied learning environment that emphasises working as a group, encouraging a willingness to take risks in spontaneous speaking, and decreasing sensitivity to negative judgement. A physical education-located CLIL model appears to offer learning experiences within the skill-based traditions of physical education beyond ‘learning to move’, providing a context for ‘moving to learn’ as an investment towards embodied learning.

Teaching 1984 in the surveillance culture of schools

PurposeThis paper focuses on the affordances of and issues surrounding the teaching of George Orwell’s novel 1984 (1949) as a set text for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) English and English Literature in an examination-obsessed and heavily surveilled school system. It considers this by focussing on the classroom practice of a beginning teacher tackling the teaching of this novel for the first time and the newly appointed university tutor who is required to assess her teaching against a prescribed set of national Teachers’ Standards.Design/methodology/approachA case study design is used, drawing on data from classroom observation, records of conversations and textual study. These data are analysed with reference to Perryman et al.’s (2018) re-evaluation of Foucault’s Panopticon (1995), a concept which explains how institutions set up surveillance systems in which people’s behaviour is shaped by their feelings of being watched.FindingsIn the context of her practicum school the beginning teacher adopts a particular approach to language study as a vehicle for teaching the novel 1984. This paper argues that such an approach, which finely focuses on the micro-detail of language, prevents teachers and students from seeing the big picture in Orwell’s novel and is therefore contrary to the spirit of his writing. It also restricts teachers from approaching the novel in ways which draw on students’ lived experiences as participants in the highly surveilled education system.Practical implicationsThe push for performativity in the current era of schooling ensures that, for English teachers, fear of failing to comply with imposed and implied norms contributes to a prevailing sense of unease about their subject. Thus, persistent pressures of exam preparation and inspection-readiness drive a wedge between their subject knowledge/expertise and the classroom practices prevalent in English teaching.Social implicationsEnglish teachers and teacher-educators are subject to a plethora of “guidelines” which filter through at every level of education and operate in a similar way to the totalitarian figurehead of Big Brother, Orwell’s fictional dictator who dominates 1984. This paper argues that away from Big Brother’s all-seeing eye there are still, however, opportunities for those professional practices that do not fit within such parameters to be discussed, explored and shared.Originality/valueThis paper offers a unique perspective on the teaching of George Orwell at the levels of school student, beginning teacher and teacher-educator. The Big Brother of this paper is not the Stalinist dictator of Orwell’s dystopia, instead manifesting in many different education-related personas. This Big Brother demands compliance with his fuzzy norms (Courtney, 2016; Perryman et al., 2018), rules which are deliberately vague and shifting and if contravened have far-reaching consequences for all concerned in the teaching and learning of English.

The fairness of internal assessment in the GCSE: the value of students’ accounts

ABSTRACTThe use of internal assessment within GCSE qualifications has always aroused controversy, primarily because of concerns about the authorship of students’ work. This has led to tighter controls and a reduction in its use over the last decade. The paper argues that the focus on the authentication of student work has neglected other aspects of fairness, such as ensuring that assessments elicit students’ best performance. Students’ accounts can contribute to our understanding of test fairness by showing what affects their performance and how these assessments are enacted within their contexts. The paper draws on a study which surveyed 1600 GCSE students and held focus groups with 128 others in Northern Ireland and Wales, in addition to data from the WISERDEducation multi-cohort study. A number of factors, including the assessment environment, reportedly affected students’ performance. According to student comments, the ways in which the assessment guidelines were enacted varied considerably between contexts, with significant fairness implications.Abbreviations: CCEA: Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment; GCSE: General Certificate of Secondary Education; FG: Focus Group; FSM: Free School Meals; NI: Northern Ireland; UK: United Kingdom; UNCRC: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; US: United States; WJEC: Welsh Joint Education Committee

Teacher assessments during compulsory education are as reliable, stable and heritable as standardized test scores.

Children in the UK go through rigorous teacher assessments and standardized exams throughout compulsory (elementary and secondary) education, culminating with the GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at the age of 16 and A-level exams (Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education) at the age of 18. These exams are a major tipping point directing young individuals towards different lifelong trajectories. However, little is known about the associations between teacher assessments and exam performance or how well these two measurement approaches predict educational outcomes at the end of compulsory education and beyond. The current investigation used the UK-representative Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) sample of over 5,000 twin pairs studied longitudinally from childhood to young adulthood (age 7-18). We used teacher assessment and exam performance across development to investigate, using genetically sensitive designs, the associations between teacher assessment and standardized exam scores, as well as teacher assessments' prediction of exam scores at ages 16 and 18, and university enrolment. Teacher assessments of achievement are as reliable, stable and heritable (~60%) as test scores at every stage of the educational experience. Teacher and test scores correlate strongly phenotypically (r~.70) and genetically (genetic correlation ~.80) both contemporaneously and over time. Earlier exam performance accounts for additional variance in standardized exam results (~10%) at age 16, when controlling for teacher assessments. However, exam performance explains less additional variance in later academic success, ~5% for exam grades at 18, and ~3% for university entry, when controlling for teacher assessments. Teacher assessments also predict additional variance in later exam performance and university enrolment, when controlling for previous exam scores. Teachers can reliably and validly monitor students' progress, abilities and inclinations. High-stakes exams may shift educational experience away from learning towards exam performance. For these reasons, we suggest that teacher assessments could replace some, or all, high-stakes exams.

Impact of co-occurring hearing and visual difficulties in childhood on educational outcomes: a longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundMild hearing and visual difficulties are common in childhood, and both may have implications for educational achievement. However, the impact of co-occurring common hearing and visual difficulties in childhood is...

Breastfeeding: Investing in the Future.

Breastfeeding: Investing in the Future.

Parents' postnatal depressive symptoms and their children's academic attainment at 16years: Pathways of risk transmission.

The aim of the study was to examine whether parents' increased postnatal depressive symptoms predicted children's academic attainment over time and whether the parent-child relationship, children's prior academic attainment, and mental health mediated this association. We conducted secondary analyses on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children data (12,607 mothers, 9,456 fathers). Each parent completed the Edinburgh-Postnatal Depression Scale at 8weeks after the child's birth (predictor) and a questionnaire about the mother-child and father-child relationship at 7years and 1month (mediator). The children's mental health problems were assessed with the teacher version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 10-11years (mediator). We used data on the children's academic attainment on UK Key Stage 1 (5-7years; mediator) and Key Stage 4 (General Certificate of Secondary Education 16years) (outcome). We adjusted for the parents' education, and child gender and cognitive ability. The results revealed that parents' depressive symptoms at 8weeks predicted lower academic performance in children at 16years. Mothers' postnatal depressive symptoms had an indirect effect through children's mental health problems on academic outcomes at 16years via negative mother-child relationship, and prior academic attainment. There was a significant negative indirect effect of fathers' postnatal depressive symptoms on academic attainment at 16years via negative father-child relationship on child mental health. The findings suggest that the family environment (parental mental health and parent-child relationship) and children's mental health should be potential targets for support programmes for children of depressed parents.

CONCEPTUAL CHANGE ON THE LEARNING JOURNEY: FOUR ‘R’S FOR SUSTAINABLE LEARNING IN APPLIED CONTEXTS

Developing abstract conceptual knowledge is often problematic for learners because the phenomenon of interest cannot be observed. Knowledge is a product of learned theories and the outcome of learners’ practice. Through practice, such as the modelling and simulating of abstract phenomena, learners translate representations, for example diagrams and schematics into other forms such as physical models. Through this process conceptual change in the learner’s knowledge schema develops understanding and expertise enabling its application in new situations. This case study research explored learners’ perceptions of change in understanding during a two year General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Design and Technology: Electronic Products course. The findings indicate that changes in conceptual understanding occur through the need to gradually engage with the practicalities of modelling and simulating the phenomena of interest. Learners were shown to adjust understanding from an initial theoretical focus, to a more pragmatic view of knowledge grounded in their own observations of simulated phenomena. Learners’ dispositional attitudes to learning were found to support the nature of learning activities encountered during the period of the research. The discussion concludes with a model of sustainable learning based around the four ‘R’s: relate, reinterpret, reflect and revise. The model describes specific learner actions proposed as necessary in support of the development of cognitive skills and learning autonomy within a conceptual change view of learning. Article visualizations:

The mathematical backgrounds of undergraduates from England

Participation in any kind of mathematical study during upper secondary education in England is significantly lower than in other educational systems. As a result, many English students enter university at age 18 or 19 having not studied mathematics for 2 years or more and relatively large proportions of students entering numerate degree programmes do not have a qualification in advanced school mathematics. To date, the mathematical preparation of those university entrants who do not have an advanced school mathematics qualification has not been documented. This study addressed this by analysing a large dataset formed from the combination of two large national databases in England: the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistical Agency Database (N = 253,557). This dataset provided the school mathematics qualifications of undergraduates from England across all degree subjects, who took General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Mathematics in 2008 and entered a UK university between 2010 and 2012. The study found that approximately 10% of undergraduates did not have a C grade at GCSE Mathematics, which is commonly assumed to be a minimum requirement for entry to university. In general, degree subjects with more mathematical demand recruited students with stronger mathematical backgrounds: 64% of undergraduates in subjects with high mathematical demand had an advanced school mathematics qualification compared to 24% in subjects with medium mathematical demand and 12% in subjects with low mathematical demand. For some university subjects with high and medium mathematical demand, for example Electronic and Electrical Engineering, there were substantial proportions of students with weak school mathematics backgrounds. There was considerable variation across universities with undergraduates in the high-status Russell Group institutions having stronger school mathematics qualifications within the same degree subject.

An evaluation of gender bias and pupils’ attitude towards STEM disciplines in the transition between compulsory and voluntary schooling

Tackling the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills shortage is an ongoing challenge for governments and policymakers worldwide. While the last decade has seen an increase in student enrolment into STEM degree courses in the UK, the gender gap remains a persistent issue in academia. In order to understand the causes underpinning female under-representation in STEM, it is essential to consider the whole academic pipeline and identify its “leaky points”. As the transition between compulsory and voluntary schooling represents a critical attrition point in the STEM educational pipeline, we conducted a survey to investigate the attitude of a cohort of year 11 and year 12 pupils towards STEM disciplines. Our results indicate that a gender bias is already evident at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level, where only 25% of girls expressed the intention to pursue a career in STEM. In both age groups, girls expressed a considerably lower preference for chemistry, physics and ICT, and a higher preference for biology compared to boys in the same year group. Participation in extracurricular activities and parents’ educational status both showed a strong correlation with pupils’ intention to undertake STEM studies in higher education and pursue a career in a related field. A recurring theme emerging from the survey is that pupils are eager to gain more knowledge about “real life” applications of science and are inspired by interactions with visiting scientists. These results corroborate the notion that outreach activities have a crucial role in promoting engagement in STEM subjects amongst young learners, and are essential towards the endeavour of “mending the pipeline” at an early stage.

Maternal thyroid function and child educational attainment: prospective cohort study

Objective: To determine if first trimester maternal thyroid dysfunction is a critical determinant of child scholastic performance and overall educational attainment. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort in the UK. Participants: 4615 mother-child pairs with an available first trimester sample (median 10 weeks gestation, interquartile range 8-12). Exposures: Free thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies assessed as continuous measures and the seven clinical categories of maternal thyroid function. Main outcome measures: Five age-specific national curriculum assessments in 3580 children at entry stage assessment at 54 months, increasing up to 4461 children at their final school assessment at age 15. Results: No strong evidence of clinically meaningful associations of first trimester free thyroxine and thyroid stimulating hormone levels with entry stage assessment score or Standard Assessment Test scores at any of the key stages was found. Associations of maternal free thyroxine or thyroid stimulating hormone with the total number of General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) passed (range 0-16) were all close to the null: free thyroxine, rate ratio per pmol/L 1.00 (95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.01); and thyroid stimulating hormone, rate ratio 0.98 (0.94 to 1.02). No important relationship was observed when more detailed capped scores of GCSEs allowing for both the number and grade of pass or when language, mathematics, and science performance were examined individually or when all educational assessments undertaken by an individual from school entry to leaving were considered. 200 (4.3%) mothers were newly identified as having hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism and 97 (2.1%) subclinical hyperthyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Children of mothers with thyroid dysfunction attained an equivalent number of GCSEs and equivalent grades as children of mothers with euthyroidism. Conclusions: Maternal thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy does not have a clinically important association with impaired child performance at school or educational achievement.

An investigation into the Sawtooth Effect in secondary school assessments in England

ABSTRACTThe ‘Sawtooth Effect’ is where cohort performance on high-stakes assessments drops after assessment reform, and then improves over time as test familiarity increases. Despite its importance, limited research has been conducted to date. In this study, we took a novel approach of using changes in grade boundaries (cut scores) over time as a proxy measure for performance change across a large number of secondary school assessments. Findings were generally consistent with the Sawtooth Effect, suggesting that it took students/teachers around 3 years on average to become familiar with the new tests. Estimates of the magnitude of these changes were also produced. Findings support the need for caution when interpreting changes in performance for new assessments, as any gains that occur may be due to test familiarity, rather than meaningful gains to subject mastery.Abbreviation: GCSE: General Certificate of Secondary Education; GCE A level: General Certificate of Education Advanced Level

Educational outcomes of children with cerebral palsy

IntroductionChildren with special educational needs (SEN) are more likely to have disadvantaged backgrounds than their peers, attend school less and do not achieve as well academically. Many children with a cerebral palsy (CP) have SEN but little is known about their educational outcomes.&#x0D; Objectives and ApproachTo investigate the background of children in Wales with CP and describe their educational experience including: type of SEN and SEN provision; school attendance; achievement—teacher assessments at the end of the Foundation Phase and Key Stages 2 and 3 of the National Curriculum (NC)— and in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations.&#x0D; Data from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC), NC and GCSE results were linked with routine e-health records of primary and secondary health care data held in SAIL. Using health care records for everyone aged between 0-25 in 2004–14, cases of CP were flagged.&#x0D; ResultsThe linked data set included some 1500–2000 children per school census classified as having a CP, representing a prevalence of some 0.3%. Provisionally, results show: prevalence of CP is higher amongst children living in relatively deprived areas; around 60% of CP children have a statement of SEN; the SEN type most commonly recorded for CP children with SEN is ‘Physical and medical difficulties’ and relatively high proportions have profound, multiple or severe learning difficulties; around 30% of CP children are educated in special schools; CP children in main stream (primary, middle and secondary) schools tended to miss more school sessions (~50% more) than other children and lower percentages achieved the expected levels at key stages 2 and 3 and the Level 2 GCSE threshold.&#x0D; Conclusion/ImplicationsThis work demonstrates the utility of record-linkage for providing information to parents, carers and policymakers about education outcomes for this group of children to inform planning and service provision.

Content analysis of the LGCSE Geography and Sesotho syllabi for alignment with the Lesotho Curriculum and Assessment Policy

The purpose of the study was to examine the alignment or misalignment between the Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE) programme and the Lesotho Curriculum and Assessment Policy (CAP), with a focus on Geography and Sesotho syllabi. The study employed content analysis of the two syllabi to identify areas of alignment with the aims of secondary education and the idea of curriculum integration as conceived in the policy document. The content analysis revealed that, while there are some areas of alignment, especially between the syllabus aims of the two subjects and the aims of secondary education as stated in CAP, the syllabi offer limited opportunities for promoting political values and integrated approach to teaching and learning as envisaged in the policy. To this end, it is argued that the teaching of the two LGCSE syllabi is unlikely to change classroom practice as was intended in the policy. Keywords: curriculum alignment; Geography; integration; policy; Sesotho

A structural equationmodel to predict pre-exposure prophylaxis acceptability in men who have sex with men in Leicester, UK.

ObjectivesPre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention tool for high‐risk men who have sex with men (MSM). However, acceptability and uptake have been variable. This study explored the factors that predict PrEP acceptability in MSM in Leicester, where HIV prevalence is double the national average.MethodsA total of 191 HIV‐negative MSM completed a cross‐sectional survey. Participants provided demographic information, and completed measures of HIV knowledge, perceived HIV risk, engagement in sexual risk behaviour, acquisition of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the last 12 months, frequency of HIV testing and PrEP acceptability.ResultsKruskal–Wallis tests showed statistically significant effects of sexual orientation, education level and income, respectively, on HIV knowledge. Gay‐identified individuals possessed greater HIV knowledge than bisexuals. Respondents with General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)‐level education had significantly less HIV knowledge than those educated to postgraduate level. Respondents with income of < £10 000 possessed significantly less HIV knowledge than higher income groups. Structural equation modelling showed that the relationship between HIV knowledge and PrEP acceptability was mediated by perceived HIV risk, engagement in sexual risk behaviour, acquisition of an STI in the past 12 months and frequency of HIV testing.ConclusionsThe results reveal socio‐economic inequalities in HIV knowledge and HIV testing, and suggest that MSM who have high levels of HIV knowledge and perceived HIV risk and who regularly test for HIV are most likely to endorse PrEP as personally beneficial. HIV knowledge and accurate risk appraisal should be promoted in MSM. The HIV testing context constitutes an ideal context for promoting PrEP to high‐risk MSM.

Best practice in access arrangements made for England's General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs): where are we 10 years on?

Ten years after an original survey, this article reports findings from a 2017 survey of secondary school staff involved in school‐based management of GCSE examination access arrangements. A total of 263 respondents, including specialist assessors and SENCos, explained their views on the manageability and fairness of processes for GCSE examination access arrangements. While the perceived fairness of GCSE access arrangements has increased, a majority of respondents do not consider current processes to be manageable at the school level or equally fair to students. However, almost two‐thirds of respondents would support some extension of access arrangements or use of technological assistance on the basis of student need. The researchers recommend promotion of partnership between the qualifications regulator, awarding bodies and schools; enhanced shared understanding of the purpose, place and limitations of access arrangements; and use of a school‐based protocol to manage roles and resource requirements for the organization of access arrangements.