Some opponents to vocational education suggest that tracking students into vocational pathways early in school life increases educational inequality. Are they correct? Yes. At least according to a new study by Bol & Van de Werfhorst. What did they do to … Read More
Part of the furor over the English GCSE Fiasco last summer was the use of something called 'Comparable Outcomes' - a method through which Ofqual limits grade awarding by requiring that the number of grades given are comparable to the … Read More
I recently put in a Freedom of Information Request for the distribution of marks in the 2012 GCSE English Controlled Assessments. I did this because I read the @deevybee blog on the Phonics Test data with some interest and wondered … Read More
Last week Michael Gove suggested that the 'bottom 25%' of students should take a CSE, or at least a qualification that is lower than a GCSE in order to cater for their needs. This 25% figure seemed both arbitrary and a … Read More
Earlier in the week Chris Cook, FT Education Correspondent, asked if anyone had written a logical explanation for the return of CSEs. To my knowledge, he couldn’t find one. However, I suggested that an explanation was possible and I think … Read More
Dear Future Education Ministers, Here's an idea. Why not set up a committee called "The Curriculum Review Panel" [I know it sounds familiar but bear with me]. It would re-write sections of the curriculum each year, or in rolling blocks. For … Read More