So Glenys Stacey has (or is just about to) finished her time with Ofqual and if the DFE have their way Sally Collier will take up her role shortly. In the meantime, as I understand it, Amanda Spielman is acting director of the organisation, so just when we are going through one of the biggest changes to our examination system since the early 80’s it appears we can only hope for some stability and big decisions to be made very quickly. Trust me (I know from experience!) that someone coming into a new business will have a very steep learning curve and I can only imagine how long it will take (if ever!) for a deep understanding of what the repercussions of any decisions they make, will have to us at the coalface. Which reminds me: Note to Amanda/Sally – If you want to visit a nice friendly school come and see us – we’re only down the road in South Warwickshire, about 30 minutes from your Coventry office. No really, I’m lovely! I just feel that Ofqual needs to understand the implications for “real” teachers and more importantly, our students. I wish you’d come and meet some of my year 11’s who will be affected by this and who are working so very hard to “make the grade”. I promise (I’m gonna say it again .. I’m lovely!) that you will see real, honest hard working teachers and students and there won’t be a hint of fresh smelling paint that I’m sure lots of visiting dignitaries must think schools smell of all the time!

Writing this I am also considering my colleagues in FE and those that teach post-16. I have spoken to so many people that need answers NOW. Answers about what? (I hear you ask) Where have you been? .. if you need to catch up you may want to look at my previous post about what we do and don’t know! Of course, I’m talking about getting an answer from Ofqual as to whether or not there will be an additional legacy sitting for the new GCSEs in addition to the planned one in November 2016.

At varying points through the reform process Ofqual have made the following comments on various documents, including at the bottom on this image where it states “We are currently considering the rules about resits .. we will consult on these later this year.”

As it turned out “later this year” meant from the 15th December 2015 and the consultation actually ran from 15^th December 2015 to 2^nd Feb 2016 and the DFE site currently says this:

In my hunt for answers I found another document on this page where it stated :

Well the New Year is well and truly here – at least by my definition and we have no response and I am genuinely concerned because I’ve been looking at previous consultations and some of them have taken 6 months for the results to be published and a decision to be made. It worries me that when Ofqual have been asked about timescales for publication they don’t have a Scooby doo! (clue!)

Some (most? all?) teaching institutions cannot afford to wait 6 months. We need answers now … let me tell you why …

• For the sake of the students – they need to plan for their post 16 studies! We are teaching students in year 11 that have to either be on a stepping stone qualification if they get an E or below or resit GCSE if they have a grade D. However if they resit in November they won’t get results until Jan which if they require an additional resit could mean that they only have 4 or 5 months to study for the NEW GCSE. This means that some of them may need to consider which subjects/qualifications they take post 16 because, whilst some of them may get a C under the current GCSE the likelihood of them getting a “4” is going to be tough given there are new topics that they will have never studied and this isn’t fair on them! Additionally some of these will want to go for a “5” (a “good” pass!) and this will be nigh on impossible – The fact that the colleges etc still get funding is irrelevant as some students will want to go for whatever is deemed a “good pass” and to be fair the DFE haven’t yet made it clear what these students will need to “get” come June 2017. It’s all such a flipping mess!
  
• Schools/Colleges need to know for planning purposes. The next 8 weeks will see lots of places planning their timetables next year and they need to know if they need to plan for an “uplift” in curriculum time for a Maths resit half way through the year. Finding teachers to do this may be nigh on impossible so some places will be forced to plan for over-capacity in staff from September to Jan, with a view to this extra time being used to shoehorn in the extra teaching from Jan onwards.
• Exam boards need to know to write the flipping exams.

Number 2 is mahoosive!! The costs of this “over capacity” could be huge! Lots of FE institutions are struggling to recruit and retain anyway .. they need answers and they need them now! By the way, and if you haven’t guessed, I am “for” an additional legacy resit in June 2017.

To end this, I appeal to you Amanda/Sally (basically anyone!!) as one of your first tasks on your “To do” list should be to get the results of this consultation published as soon as possible (this will get you lots of fans in the Post 16 world!).

Mel x

(that little “kiss” is to prove how nice I really am … does it work for you??)

PS: I’m sure some of my regular readers will be along soon and will add other reasons below as to why we need answers now if I’ve missed anything!