Do you understand the new GCSE grading?
There is currently a lot of confusion over the changes to GCSE grading that will start with this years results. Students receiving their GCSE results this summer, will see Maths and English graded between 9 and 1, with 9 being the highest grade achievable.
It is currently only Maths and English GCSE’s that will be graded this way, however, other subjects will be following suit over the next few years.
With the old A*-G grading system, it was widely known, that a grade C was considered a good pass, and that most Sixth Forms and Colleges would be looking for 5 GCSE’s grade A*-C for admission.
Students and teachers alike are now confused over what exactly Sixth Forms and Colleges will be requiring. Is a grade 4 or grade 5 going to be considered a good pass?
While the government are saying that a grade 4 will be enough for pupils to progress to the next stage in their education (if the Sixth Form/College decides it meets their requirements), they have expressed that their intention from 2019, is that pupils who don’t achieve a grade 5 in English or Maths will have to resit them in Sixth Form/College.
There are lots of mixed messages about the new grading system and it seems that more in-depth explanations are needed.
What are your thoughts on the new system? Do you think it’s a good idea to change it or do you think it should have remained how it was? Let us know!
