Parish Council meeting tonight (don’t ask!!), 2 sets of books to mark and 2 lesson obs to type up but I find that I am reading and re-reading a letter from Glenys Stacey. Teaching really is the job that just never stops giving.

The latest chapter in the New 1-9 GCSE involves Glenys writing THIS LETTER stating that we now have another wait whilst they instigate a research programme whereby the sample assessment materials are “rigorously evaluated” with the aim to provide “further confidence”.

Right .. deep breath. Let’s take a closer look at the letter – some minor (me being ar5ey!) and some NOT SO MINOR points:

•  It states that the 4 boards have had their new maths specs accredited and we “may” have seen their initial sample assessment materials (SAMs). Of course we flippin have … every teacher that considers themselves professionals will have looked at them – it’s what we do!. Now deciding to call them “initial sample materials” isn’t going to fool anyone into thinking that it is ok that what was published as SAMs and something that we should be able to trust to be exemplars of what the new style of exam would look like, now isn’t the case. Nope, sorry! … just calling them something doesn’t make it OK!
• Let’s remind you all that none of the boards were accredited first time – they all went through what should have been a rigorous process before now. This shouldn’t bloody happen, whereby the perception is that we have the Goldilocks story going on … one too hard, one too easy and one sort of not quite either!
• You may also need a reminder that this process took months, especially to get to the point where they were all accredited – if one were cynical you may be of the mind that Edexcel were bounced back TWICE in the process to send a message to them about them having market share and to not rest on their laurels. Especially given all the hot air about a potential single exam board recently being blown up again. You may think that someone, somewhere at a very high level has been banging on tables.

• Maybe it’s just me but accreditation should not be an “important step in assessing the quality of the new qualifications across boards” it should be the ONLY STEP. Of course there should be ongoing moderation, but that is different to accreditation. At this point I’m not sure that this process will provide me with “further confidence”, but then again, right now I have NO confidence so anything is better than NONE!

• The “money-shot” is that Ofqual have commissioned a research programme and the exam boards have agreed not to publish any further SAMs

• The sad thing is that DFE/Ofqual seem to be totally oblivious to the fact (and I’ve said it before) that there is so much extra content, such a big change in the style of questioning that we needed to be adapting what we do with our CURRENT year 9s. I know (and Glenys mentions it, as if that makes everything OK) that the content is the same regardless of which exam board you choose BUT there is a massive difference in the way each exam board is approaching “problem solving”. This is fundamental to the way we approach the teaching of this course. This is not, and I repeat NOT a 2 year GCSE starting in September 2015 – you are delusional if you still think that can be done (Ok it’ll get done but for some people it won’t get done WELL!). “We” (the education establishment as a whole and not me personally as a teacher by the way!) will be doing the students an injustice.

The letter finished with a link to the research programme on the letter which doesn’t work .. in a rush to get something published were we Ofqual?. One word ..shambles. I now have the link (from someone at a friendly exam board – they’re all friendly to be honest!) and will spend the next hour or so, digesting that information and I will be back tomorrow with my view on these plans to instil confidence. (I bet you can’t wait for that can you?)

On a serious note, we’ll pick up the pieces and one way or the other we WILL come out the other side, but you can’t keep relying on the professionalism and goodwill of teachers to have to deal with the aftermath of a poorly planned and poorly executed accreditation process. This is one of the reasons that Maths teachers get fed up and are leaving the profession in droves – the constant poorly thought out changes we face. I am genuinely excited about the prospect of the depth of study we SHOULD be delivering from the new programme of study, we could be developing students that have a real love and passion for maths.

On a final note I HAVE MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES: I’ve been rushing around since I got up at 6:15 this morning and I think I’ve finally lost the plot – I am sure that I took 2 slices of Soreen out of the bag and buttered them, but for the life of me I seem to have misplaced one slice. Trust me when I say I have looked everywhere!!

**off to check my car**

PS: I hate to say I told you so .. .but at the back end of 2014 I told you that something was afoot when the DFE started following a load of maths teachers on twitter (me included!) and I suggested that they were gauging the feelings out there. Well to you I offer this message: if you want to know how people are feeling or want to have some input from people that are doing the job of teaching “day-in and day-out” email me (mel@justmaths.co.uk) and I’m happy to talk or to put you in touch with others. I’m actually quite nice really.

Nah Nah Nah Nah .. I told you so!