Schools react to exam shake-up proposals

The report by former chief schools inspector Mike Tomlinson outlines what would be the most radical reform of the education system in 50 years.

It suggests absorbing GCSEs and A-levels into a four-stage diploma system, designed to both stretch academically-able pupils and offer vocational options, as well as ensuring all pupils have basic skills in English, maths and ICT.

Brendan Wall, headteacher at St Augustine's Catholic College, Trowbridge said: "I think the report, if implemented properly, could support both ends of the spectrum, from the gifted children to the less able."

The new diploma would offer a two-pronged approach to learning, ensuring youngsters gained a grip of maths, literacy and communication and ICT, while also allowing students to follow study programmes reflecting their own interests, needs and abilities.

The vocational elements have been praised by teachers as they would replace the ill-received vocational GCSEs, which took the place of GNVQs this year.

Colin Kay, headteacher of the Clarendon College, Trowbridge, said: "This year vocational GCSEs have been introduced and the pass rate has dropped from 80 per cent to 20 per cent because some of them are extremely academic."

Mary Salisbury, deputy head at Matravers School, Westbury said: "The diploma will recognise and reward the talents of less academic students."

The existing exam system has been criticised for putting great pressure on children to perform well in exams, with the recent dividing of A-levels into two exams, A1 and A2, taken in successive years, adding to the stress for many youngsters.

The main concerns in schools are that the measures are introduced as smoothly as possible and that costs are kept to a minimum.

Andy Packer, headteacher at the John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge said: "I have a mixed response, but on balance positive.

"The report accepts the need for the compulsory core to be at a good standard for all students but that means they are going to have to fund the extra help for those children who, from the earliest age, have difficulty with numeracy and literacy."

The report proposes to introduce the changes gradually and does not expect to see them fully implemented until 2014.

The headteachers at St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon and the George Ward School, Melksham were unavailable for comment.

Sheelagh Brown, headteacher at Kingdown School, Warmin ster declined to comment until she had thoroughly examined the report.

Review of system is 'overdue'

A CHIPPENHAM headteacher has said he hopes the proposed diploma will take some of the pressure off students.

Colin Smith, headteacher at Hardenhuish School, Chippenham, said the idea of replacing the existing systems of GCSEs, A-levels and other qualifications with a diploma could provide a coherence that has been lacking in education.

He said: "A review of the exam system for 13 to 19-year-olds is long overdue and very welcome.

"At the moment students are tested through public exams every year from the age of 13 to 19 and I think that is an unnecessary pressure for most children.

"Students need to see a sense of progression in exams and we need a coherence in assessment of 13 to 19-year-olds that we don't have at the moment."

Mr Smith said exam costs in schools are rising every year, with the school paying out £80,000 last year just to enter children into public exams an amount equating to the funding of three-and-a-half teachers.

One of the problems that has arisen through the increasingly high number of pupils gaining the top grades in exams is that universities and employers are finding it increasingly difficult to identify the top students.

Mr Smith said one of the keys to making the new system work would be to ensure the new qualifications are widely understood and that potential employers and universities can trust results in the same way that A-levels have previously been trusted.