A-levels | Schools Week

Fewer schools punished for exam malpractice, but penalties for staff soar

The number of school staff penalised for helping students cheat in exams has risen by nearly 50 per cent, as the number of penalties issued to schools and colleges falls. Ofqual figures published today show that 388 individual teachers or invigilators were issued penalties for malpractice during GCSEs and A-levels this year, up 48 per […]

No-resit GCSEs prompt rise in ‘special consideration’ requests – but ill pupils lose out

The number of requests for exam scripts to receive “special consideration” in marking increased this summer, mainly thanks to the new linear structure of GCSEs which forbids re-sits – but fewer requests from pupils who were ill or not able to sit an exam were approved. According to Ofqual data released today, the number of […]

Government told to ‘come clean’ on EBacc consultation findings after six-month delay

The government has failed to publish a report from its own consultation into the EBacc launched a year ago, with unions and campaigners calling on ministers to “come clean” and reveal the findings. The Department for Education (DfE) launched a three-month long consultation on this day last year about making 90 per cent of pupils study […]

Plans for new engineering A-level to recruit more creative students are dropped

Proposals to develop a new engineering A-level have been dropped, Schools Week can reveal, as more A-levels bite the dust. Schools Week reported last year that the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) had submitted plans to develop a more creative engineering A-level to exam board Pearson, in an attempt to encourage more girls into undergraduate […]

Change in maths A-level specification requires students to buy costly calculators

A change in the A-level maths specification that forces students to fork out an extra £10 for an advanced calculator is a “positive step” for the subject, says Charlie Stripp, director of the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. He said that using these calculators “massively outweighs the increase in cost” and […]

A-level results 2016: Today’s top 7 stories

As A-level results day draws to a close, Schools Week has rounded up our top stories. 1. A-level pass rates are pretty stable, but there’s something fishy going on with creative subjects Our first take on the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) A-level figures released today explored three main findings – overall stability, a drop […]

Pleasantly surprised faces at Accrington academy

There were some pleasantly surprised faces turning up at Accrington academy, a secondary modern school part of the united learning trust, this morning. Wiktoria Reich, achieved an A* in law, A* in business studies and a B in economics. Her hard work and subsequent results have earned her a place at the University of Liverpool, […]

Abbie celebrates grades after overcoming severe disability

A student from Ormiston Park Academy in Essex, who has cerebral palsy, is celebrating overcoming adversity after she achieved her child development qualification. Despite her severe disability, Abbie Smart (pictured) persevered over the last three years to achieve the result, which is equivalent to three A-levels at CCC. After receiving her results today Abbie said: “I worked […]