Transcript Life after Levels

Leading Curriculum Change and Staff
Development in a period of turbulent change.
Life after Levels
and
Post 16 Reform
Richard Thomas
Outline Agenda
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Where did levels go?
Mapping Primary School changes
Mapping Secondary changes
Mapping Post 16 changes
Planning teacher CPD.
The way forward.
Levels
These descriptions of performance, originally established in 1995, allow children and their parents, carers or
guardians, as well as their teachers, to see how well they are doing in relation to their prior attainment and to
expectations for children of their age. Assessing attainment at the end of a key stage. In deciding on a pupil’s
level of attainment at the end of a key stage, teachers should judge which level description best fits the
pupil’s performance. When doing so, each description should be considered alongside descriptions for
adjacent levels.
The National Curriculum
Levels were never intended to be benchmarked against GCSE grades
But….
Expected progress is defined by the government as two National Curriculum levels of progress between Key Stages 1 and 2
(for example, from Level 2a to Level 4, Level 2c to Level 4 or Level 3 to 5) and three National Curriculum levels of progress
between Key Stages 2 and 4 (for example, from Level 3 to grade D, Level 4a to grade C or Level 4c to grade C). From 2013,
expected progress data between Key Stages 1 and 2 in English are provided separately for reading and writing, but no
longer aggregated for English.
Handbook for inspection
2014
Implications for secondary schools
• I believe we have misused levels and put them to a purpose they were never intended for
and created a flawed methodology used by schools, LAs, Ofsted and the Performance
tables.
• So where are we now?
• Levels have disappeared? Not quite true more like a phased retreat!
• The first time children arriving from Primary Schools not having levels will be September
2016.
• How will secondary schools be able to benchmark at the end of KS2? – Teacher assessment
and Test scores and Performance descriptors.
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Key Changes – Primary Phase
The EYFS profile has been replaced with a new baseline test 2016
Early years assessments will be put in the hands of publishers
No changes to P-scales.
Infant schools that don’t use a commercial test will be measured on attainment alone.
(schools may make decisions based on their historical patterns of performance.)
A new Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling test introduced at KS1 to inform the writing
mark.
New National Curriculum
‘Sufficient progress’ – a key accountability measure at the end of KS2 – has not been
defined.
The results of KS1 assessment won’t count for Primary schools
The government is intending to publish performance descriptors for the end of KS1
and KS2 in the Autumn.
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At key stage 2 the subject title is ‘foreign language’; at key stage 3 it is ‘modern foreign language’.
Qualification, Exam and National Curriculum Reforms
The structure of the national curriculum, in terms of which subjects are
compulsory at each key stage, is set out in the table below:
Age
Year groups
Core subjects
English
Mathematics
Science
Foundation subjects
Art and design
Citizenship
Computing
Design and technology
Languages
Geography
History
Music
Physical education
Key stage 1
5–7
1–2
Key stage 2
7 – 11
3–6
Key stage 3
11 – 14
7–9
Key stage 4
14 – 16
10 – 11
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Taking Control
Mapping your Cohorts
Planning your Professional Development Priorities
Subject Excellence
Developing a pedagogy for a linear exam world
Cohorts and Changes to NC and Accountbility
Intakes
2014-15
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Yr7
yr 8
Yr9
Yr10
Year group
KS2 data
2014-15 Maintained
2014-15 Academies
2015-16 Maintained
2015-16 Academies
2016-17 Maintained
2016-17 Academies
As now -
New NC
As now -
New NC +P New NC +PNew NC
2018-19
Yr11
New NC New NC
Secondary Ready
New NC +P New NC +PNew NC +Primary NC
new statutory tests
Current year Groups
New performance
measures
New En/Ma GCSE
plus new GCSE in
other subjects
Standardisation of
results at GCSE
1 to 8 scale based
on KS2
Yr 10
1 to 9 scale based
on KS2
Yr9
1 to 9 scale based
on KS2 ? Ex levels of
progress go.
Yr8
yr7
Yr11
Yr10
Yr11
Yr9
Yr10
Yr11
yr8
yr9
yr10
yr11
2019-2020 2020-2021
Yr12
YR13
Sixth Form A and AS level Information Workshop
For Heads of Sixth Form, Curriculum Deputies/Assistant
heads and Heads.
Friday 26th September
Richard Thomas Executive Director ASHE
and
Robin Harbord Essex Standards and Excellence Team
What are the changes to AS qualifications
and A levels?
Here is a summary of the decisions.
 AS qualifications and A levels are ‘decoupled’ In March last year (2013),
the Government decided that AS qualifications should be separated from A
levels, making them completely freestanding. At the moment, although AS
qualifications are awarded in their own right, their assessments also contribute to
students’ final A level grades (with an intended weighting of 50 per cent).
Separating them means students will be able, if they want, to take new A levels
without also taking an AS in the subject (if students take an A level after doing
the AS, they’ll be reassessed on the material they’ve already covered).
AS qualifications can be designed to be taught alongside A levels Exam
boards will be able to design AS qualifications so schools and colleges can (if they
want) teach them alongside the first year of the A level in that subject. This will help
them plan their teaching and timetables. It will also mean a smoother transition for
students who’ve finished an AS qualification to progress to the A level.
It is important to say that the challenge of new AS qualifications will be
the same as now. And they’ll be assessed at the same level of demand as
they are now. That means the challenge will be appropriate for the
knowledge, skills and understanding we expect from a student who’s
completed the first half of an A level.
Do they have the same funding weighting?
Yes
Does that mean they have the same UCAS weighting?
Don’t know but looks like it!
In principle, all AS qualifications will be exam-only Except for art and design, all AS
subjects listed for first teaching in 2015 will be exam only. Running one set of non-exam
assessments for AS qualifications and another for A levels would be a significant burden
for schools and colleges. It would also take more time away from teaching and learning,
going against one of the main aims of our reforms. And it reflects the different purposes
and difficulty of A levels and AS qualifications (that AS qualifications are as challenging as
the first year of an A level course and allow students to mix more subjects, keeping their
options open a bit longer).
A levels - phase 1
A levels – phase 2
Reformed A levels and AS
qualifications for teaching
from September 2015:
• English language, English
literature, English language
and literature
• Biology, chemistry and
physics
• Psychology
• Computer science
• Business
• History
• Art and design
• Economics
• Sociology
Reformed A levels and AS
qualifications for teaching
from September 2016:
• Maths and Further Maths
****
• Geography
• Modern foreign and ancient
languages
• Religious studies
• Design and technology
• Drama and theatre studies
• Dance
• Music
• Physical education
A levels – phase 3
• Propose all other A
levels and AS
qualifications to be
reformed or withdrawn
for teaching from
September 2017
"New GCSE maths is very different from its predecessor and we
felt the first cohort doing the new maths must have progressed
from the new GCSE not the old. But we don't yet know what the
minister's decision is on that."
Ofqual chief Glenys Stacey told the conference that the regulator
had also made its position clear to government, adding that it
expects ministers to make a decision shortly.
The regulator later confirmed that it is recommending putting Alevel maths back by a year, to first teaching in 2017.
AS/A level subjects proposed to be discontinued:
Subject
(proposed last award 2016)
UK
awards
2012
Essex AS Related continuing subject(s)
Awards
(for first teaching 2015 and first
2013
award 2017)
Science in society
Applied science
Environmental studies
Human biology
Applied art & design
Humanities
Economics and business
Applied business
Home economics (food, nut. &
health)
Engineering
123
32
Sciences
2,815
126
Sciences
1,426
76
Sciences
1,899
0
Biology
524
0
Art & design
N/A
0
History; Geography (2018)
1,954
27
Economics; Business studies
6,656
369
Business studies
333
0
DT: food technology
225
0
DT: systems and control technology
Performing arts
1,329
52
Dance; Drama and theatre studies
Performance studies
1,039
58
Drama and theatre studies
Subject
(proposed last award 2017)
Quantitative methods
Use of mathematics
N/A
680
Mathematics
214
Mathematics
AS / A Levels Ofqual are proposing to allow
exam boards to ‘reform’ - First teaching
September 2017
Subject red = less than 1000 entries
Accounting
Anthropology
Applied information and communication
technology
Archaeology
Citizenship studies
Classical civilisation
Classics
Communication and culture
Creative writing
Critical thinking
Electronics
Film studies
General studies
Government and politics
Health and social care single award
History of art
Information and communication
technology
Law
Leisure studies
Media studies
Media: communication and
production
Music technology
Philosophy
Statistics
Travel and tourism
World/global development
How will we assess practical skills in sciences at AS and A level?
What we’ve decided about assessing sciences at A level
Students will carry out practical work (it will be a content requirement for the
qualification).
 They will get a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ grade for this practical work, which will be separate from
their grade for the written exam.
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Exam boards will set out requirements for practical skills. Each student will need to
carry out a minimum of 12 practical activities. The written exams will include questions
in the context of these, and other, practical activities. To get good marks, students will
need to show knowledge and understanding of the experiments that they have gained
through doing them.
What we have decided about assessing sciences at AS
There will not be any non-exam assessment of practical skills for AS qualifications.
However, the requirement for practical work to be undertaken and for the conceptual
knowledge and understanding of practical skills to be assessed in the exams remains.
What we have decided about assessing English at A
level
we have decided to set the weighting at 20 per cent for non-exam
assessment in these three A levels.
We will also look at what else we can do to support more valid and reliable nonexam assessment in this subject.
What we have decided about assessing English at AS
There will not be any non-exam assessment for AS qualifications in English
(English language, English literature, and English language and literature). This
does not mean that the development of the skills of crafting more extended
pieces of work should not form part of the teaching and learning.
New Accountability Measures:
A level Cohorts and Changes to NC and Accountability
Intakes
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
New A/AS level offer, New performance
Tech Bac, Applied and A measures . Ma/En level
levels
2 condition of funding Yr12
Revised A levels and AS New assessment
levels first group of
criteria for new subjects
subjects
Revised A levels and AS
levels second group of New assessment
subjects
criteria for new subjects
Revised A levels and AS New assessment
levels third and final
criteria for new subjects
group of subjects
Yr12
(current
Yr10)
Yr12
(current
Yr9)
last sitting
of
unrevised
subjects
2018
2018-19
2019-2020 2020-2021
19 June 2014
13:34
Understand new NC in primary
Training time/
CPD for EN/MA teachers
Training time/
CPD for A level AS teachers
Training time/
• What is the role of SASH in leading on Subject CPD?
• What is the role of the LA in leading on Subject CPD?
• What is the role of the Teaching Schools in leading on Subject CPD?
The way forward?
Some key changes to DfE data sets:
• L3VA only includes AS results not carried onto A level
– no separate yr 12 AS measure.
• APS per student modified to be per FTE – includes
those on a mixed programme
• PANDA allocates students to either academic or
vocational and ignores their performance in other
subjects.
The Headline figures
• progress (and a combined attainment/completion measure for Tech and
level 2 vocational) (Jan 2017 – similar already recorded)
The L3VA measure looks at the progress each student at that institution
makes between key stage 4 and graded level 3 qualifications (excluding
Tech Levels) and compares that with the actual progress made by students
nationally who had the same level of attainment at key stage 4. Students are
compared with other students studying the same subject and qualification
nationally.
• Attainment (Jan 2017– similar already recorded) = average point score
across all entries expressed as an A level style grade, e.g. C- or B+.
• English and Maths GCSE (Jan 2017) (for students without at least a
grade C at age 16)
• Retention (Jan 2017) – and completion of core aim e.g. at least one A
level
• Destinations (Jan 2017 for level 3, 2018 for below) = the percentage of
students progressing to sustained education, employment or training.
Additional performance measures
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Attainment in qualifications below Level 3 (2018)
Proportion achieving at a higher level of learning (2018) (will include
moving from academic to substantial vocational level 2)
A Level attainment = the average grade of students taking A level only
programmes. It will not include AS levels or students taking A levels as part
of a mixed programme. The measure will be based on the points from a
student’s ‘best 3’ A levels divided by three.
AAB in facilitating subjects at A Level – only 2 needed.
Attainment of an approved Level 3 maths qualification (2018) – % of C+
GCSE students. NB current consultation for the ending of some subjects.
Proportion of students achieving A level Maths or Physics
Substantial vocational qualifications at Level 2 (2018) - proportion
Closing the gap measures - All five headline indicators for students who
were in receipt of pupil premium funding in Year 11
TechBacc (2016 or 18?) – number who achieve.
Supported Internships (2018) – completion
Traineeships(2018) - TBC
Timetable for new Accountability
measures
• 2013 KS5 Tables – academic and vocational
attainment shown separately, L3VA measures
published in main body of tables.
• 2014 Tables – shadow measures (for level 3
academic/Applied General qualifications value added
progress measures and potentially others) published
alongside main tables.
• 2016 Tables – new headline measures published and
new L3 minimum standards applied.
• 2017 Tables - other L2 measures and L2 minimum
standards.
• 2018 Tables – potentially reporting outcomes of
apprenticeship and work based learning provision.
New Points Scores:
• GCSE 1-8 (2016 only)
• GCSE 1-9: (Current consultation) 7 = A, 4=C, 1= F or G, 5 =
international benchmark.
• A level:
Funding Issues:
• No retakes (except E&M GCSE and exceptions) from 2014 – impact on
hours 2016/17
• Year 14 max £3300 (instead of £4000) from 2014 – impact 2016/17
• From September students without grade C must study GCSE or an
approved alternative stepping stone qualification - If not, removed from
lagged student numbers for 2016/17
• Transitional protection - 2014-15 final year
• Formula protection - 2015-16 final guaranteed year – but will be reviewed
• Election 2015 – will decide 2016/17 funding rates?
This is on top of planned hikes in employees’ pension and National Insurance
contributions, meaning schools are facing a four per cent increase in costs too.
With current increased emphasis on curriculum choice, non-qualification
activity, progression and IAG support affecting Ofsted judgments on the quality
of Post 16 provision – are schools going to have to face some difficult
decisions?
Also in 2016/17 – middle of transition to new A levels, most new
accountability measures start, mix of old and new GCSE coming through –
grades and numbers!
Funding for large programmes will be
attracted by students undertaking:
• four or more A levels;
• large TechBacc programmes - rigorous packages of technical
qualifications consisting of a tech level, a tough mathematics
qualification and an extended research project;
• the full level 3 International Baccalaureate.
From 2016 students who study four A levels and large TechBacc
programmes will receive around £400 each year more than they
presently do for their basic funding, and those studying five or more
A levels and the full International Baccalaureate will receive around
£800 more.
– Funding will depend on the student achieving at least grade
Bs, or equivalent, in all their subjects - ensuring it is
appropriately used to stretch the brightest students.
Remember
• A level changes – linear and rolling timescale old and
new, tariffs, AS, etc
• No funding for resits
• Reduced funding for year 14
• Increased funding for 4 A levels +
• Destinations, NEET and progress = key measures
• IAG vital (pre and post 16) – make sure students
select the right courses – provide an early check
and ongoing support.
Slides and documents are at www.ashe-essex.org
Life after Levels