GCSE ML specifications 2016: overview comparison

Comparison document

Last year I spent a great deal of time putting together a comparison of the GCSE draft specifications for first teaching 2016.  The final specification has only recently been approved, and so I am afraid that the final version of my comparison is a bit 'rushed'.  However, it may be useful to those who have been waiting to select a specification from the three available now available.  (AQA, Eduqas and Edexcel).

Here is a link to the Google document which I will up-date as and when I find mistakes.

I suggest that you 'save as' a pdf if you want a printable copy, as this then retains the formatting.

Comment

The specifications are constrained by the DfE GCSE criteria and Ofqual has a duty to approve the specifications. 

The whole process has been interesting.  To be honest, I have been quite impressed at the way that Ofqual seem to have spotted areas which needed attention to bring specs in line .. mainly where criteria were far too harsh at foundation level or where criteria seemed a bit woolly.  There are several areas where I had to strike through my original rant and write that the issue had been addressed. 

The aspect which I will freely openly criticise is the ridiculous rule about speaking tests having to be presented in the target language. This is requirement set by DfE subject criteria.  The DfE should not have been involved in the way the content was tested, and this will compromise the validity of the test and the sanity of teachers preparing students to learn the tricks!.  Every time I look at those ridiculous ‘prompts’ I start muttering at the screen. (I just replaced the word I had originally written for ‘muttering’).   I wonder if there will ever be an authentic context where a native English speaker will find some French words and need to turn them into a sentence, hoping it is the sentence the author intended.

Dr Rachel Hawkes has done some fantastic work comparing specs.. much tidier than this .. but I felt I needed to do it to get my head around the differences, and also because I am interested in analysing Eduqas and French.

ALL London June Event 2016 - Saturday June 11th 2016.  SOAS.

I hope some of you will be coming to hear Wendy Adeniji talk about preparing pupils for the new GCSE speaking and writing terminal examinations.   Here is a link to more information. and here is a direct link to registration. 

We have booked in Dr Rachel Hawkes already for June 2017!