‘Exams not working for pupils or business’

PARENTS, teachers, business representatives and politicians met in Gateshead in December to plan an alternative to the current system of exams.

The Beyond Exam Factories: A New Era for Secondary Assessment event brought together representatives from diverse groups to reflect on the case for change and develop plans to work collectively to make this a reality.

Organised by the NEU as part of its campaign for reform of 14 to 19 qualifications and assessment, the event heard how the present focus on end-of-course exams for GCSEs and A-levels is not working for students, universities or business.

The cancellation of these exams during the pandemic highlighted problems with the system and there is growing support for reform.

NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted spoke at the event, alongside Ian Mearns MP, Jamie Driscoll (North of Tyne Mayor), Dr Paul Campbell (Leicester University), Callum George (North East Chamber of Commerce) and Luke Myer (Institute for Public Policy Research North).

Mary said: “Exams can be a very reliable and effective form of assessment, but they are used inappropriately. We have an examdriven curriculum, where methods of teaching are corrupted by methods of assessment. Employers, parents and higher education institutions are unhappy with the system.”

OFSTED has misrepresented research findings and used irrelevant and out-of-date studies to promote ideas about what should be taught and how in a number of its subject reviews, NEU members heard.

Researchers and academics in subjects including maths and English voiced serious concerns about the reviews at a one-day conference hosted by the union.

The reviews, which have been published in ten subjects, are designed to inform curriculum leaders’ thinking. But individual researchers have complained to Ofsted about how their work has been used.

Opening the conference, chair and NEU head of policy Ken Jones said: “This day has been set up to test the knowledge claims made by Ofsted; to ask how extensive is its knowledge of the field it addresses; what is the strength of the evidence on which it rests its approval or disapproval; how sound are its judgements; and what are the implications for the work of teachers and for students’ experience of schooling.”

Journalist and Educate columnist Warwick Mansell said the inspectorate’s misrepresentation of research findings was “a national scandal”.

He added: “Ofsted’s motto is supposed to be raising standards, improving lives. I think it’s questionable how seriously it is taking that if it isn’t representing research fairly.” n Read more from Warwick Mansell on page 35

Dr Ashley Compton, secretary of the Association of Mathematics Education Teachers, was among those to complain to Ofsted.

“At first sight, these reviews appear to support an evidence-based approach,” she said, but then added that some of the sources of research were “truly old”, citing one from 1988.

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