Comparing GCSE 24 French draft specifications

Here is a rather massive document (96 sides) in which I compare the draft specifications for French 2024 from AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas. 

Here's a link to the document in my G drive

People told me this helped when I did it in 2008 and 2016, so I thought it worth doing. 

ALL London is including a session on GCSE specs 21st Jan 23 at the BFI. Please register on Eventbrite if interested!

Below is a copy and paste of the introduction to the document.

I now need to get some sleep ....!!!!

[By the way, the short overview is in this post which I have just discovered had 1490 views.. so perhaps there's a need for this!]

INTRODUCTION TO THIS DOCUMENT

Helen Myers December 2022

AIM

This document is a ‘work in progress’ which I have prepared to assist teachers and managers as they plan for GCSE first teaching 2024, first testing 2026.  It is intended to be an objective description of what is being proposed.  When the final versions are approved (Spring 2023) I will up-date it accordingly.

 DISCLAIMER There will be errors in it, and so I am sharing it as a link to my Google drive, where I will update it on an ongoing basis.  Please always check for the latest version here. Please let me know of errors.

 SHARING  It has taken many, many hours to produce, and there is no charge.  But please, if it has been of help, consider joining ALL – an association with charitable status for teachers to help other teachers.  If you use it / adapt it, please acknowledge and do not charge for the information. Thank you.

 THE SOURCES ANALYSED

Awarding Organisations [AOs, also referred to as exam boards] submitted their draft specifications for French only in November.  Ofqual will decide whether or not they conform to the Subject content set out by the DfE in Jan 2022 and the associated Ofqual Conditions and Guidance. Exam boards will then produce and publish the German and Spanish specs.

 This document analyses the DRAFT specifications as they stand for AQA, Pearson Edexcel and Eduqas.   It is extremely important to be aware that these may change, and so no definite decisions should be made on the basis of these.  However they may give an indication of the AOs’ overall approach to testing the new subject content with new conditions and guidelines.

 SEQUENCE OF CONTENTS

The document starts with a summary of a talk I have given which gives a context for the changes and summarises the DfE and Ofqual instructions which bind the AOs.

 It includes my ‘headlines’ for each element and my comments on the approach teachers may take towards making decisions, balancing the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches.  I wrote these headlines after the analysis, and I am aware that there may be many other elements which could be picked out.

 The main focus is the table with 3 columns where I attempt to do a direct comparison for each element of the exam, pretty much in order of the DfE Subject content- though using headings with which teachers are likely to be the most familiar: Themes – Vocabulary – Grammar – Assessment  Objectives, Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking. 

 For each of the elements, I look at what the AO intentions are, as stated in specifications (e.g. question types, content, timing, number of marks awarded, organisation of difficulty,) and then look at the Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) to comment on similarities and difference between the AOs. I include criteria, indicative content and accessibility considerations in this area. Where I feel there are significant differences, I have highlighted them in colour as follows:

AQA (turquoise) Edexcel (yellow) and Eduqas (green).

 Areas which I know I need to check are highlighted in red, and a few personal questions are highlighted in pink.  If I believe there may be a typo / error in the specs /SAMS, I write this in red.

 I think that they follow a fairly logical order, but I may make changes.

 A PERSONAL VIEW

 I think that the AOs have done a superb job in producing these specifications in a relatively short time, responding to changes which they did not initiate and about which they were hardly consulted.  Thank you!

 Devising high-stakes, summative assessments for very large-scale testing is a skill, and the process of analysing approaches has taught me a great deal about the elements needed for such testing which may not be those we use in a formative, teaching context. 

 I hope this document is of help to someone, if only as a starting point for asking questions.  Please note, I am not asking for any evaluation of this work…..but kindly worded suggestions and corrections welcome! (Every time I check I find a mistake!)