04 Mar Inside England’s new GCSE grading system
Ofqual has announced that starting this year new GCSEs in England will be graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the top grade. The suggested overhaul is set to be implemented in Maths and English.
Students taking GCSEs in England this summer will receive a mixture of number and letter grades. English language, English literature and maths are the first subjects to use the new system, with most other subjects adopting numbers by 2019.
Eventually all GCSEs taken in England will receive numerical grades.
Mary Rooze a local Clacton parent told us “I am not at all worried about this, the most important thing for my son is that he actually receives a grade for his exams and whether it’s a letter or number I am sure this won’t make the slightest difference for me or my son”
Reports have suggested that new GCSE content will be more challenging and fewer grade 9s will be awarded than A*s, this news will likely be a major blow for potential A* students who might struggle to meet the mark under the new tighter grading system.
Given the changes Ofqual has launched an information service and are welcoming comments and questions from the public. Interested parties can contact them via email at public.enquiries@ofqual.gov.uk or give them a call on 0300 303 3344.
