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AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS
For many years now the Government has published the public examination results of all schools in the country. The purpose behind the publication of the results is to provide parents and others with objective information which will allow them to assess the performance of individual schools and to make comparisons with other schools.
Over the past couple of years a significant problem has arisen at GCSE level with the introduction of General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs). Many schools decided to run GNVQ courses which can account for the equivalent of 4 ‘C’ passes at GCSE level in one subject such as ICT although they are widely regarded as much easier than standard GCSE courses. As a result of this strategy numerous schools have seen remarkable rises in their ‘GCSE or equivalent’ results, particularly over the past three years. The outcome is that the Government has become so alarmed by the devaluation of GCSE results and the lack of transparency for parents that it has decided to act to put a stop to the situation. From next year GNVQs are to be discontinued and the grade inflation we have seen in recent year will be dramatically reduced.
From this year a new table will be published which will show the percentage of students achieving 5 or more A* to C grades including English and Mathematics. This new requirement will have a dramatic effect on the published results from 2006 onwards and it is likely that those schools who have celebrated the greatest rise in their results as a result of GNVQ courses will experience a sharp decline from this year.
At St Thomas Aquinas we are proud of our examination record established over many years. In 2006 we achieved record results at Key Stage 3 which bodes well for the future. At A Level all students seeking a place in higher education were successful and the average points score equalled the best on record. At GCSE we were delighted to achieve our second highest ever results with 61% gaining 5 A* to C grades. And we were also very pleased that 50% of our Year 11 students achieved 5 or more A* to C passes including English and Maths. This compares with an average of 39% in Birmingham schools and 43% nationally (2005). And all of our results are based exclusively on GCSE courses, not GNVQs.
We have few concerns about the results achieved by our students though we are constantly striving to improve still further. We do believe, however, that it is important the published information is accurate and complete and that comparisons are based on measuring like with like. Given the current confusion parents are entitled to ask schools what percentage, if any, of their GCSE results are made up by GNVQ courses and what their 5 A* to C pass rate is including English and Maths.
From this year onwards, and even more so next year for the reasons already stated, the situation will be much clearer and fairer to all concerned. In the meantime parents will need to ensure they have been given the necessary information to make valid comparisons.
JIM FOLEY
HEADTEACHER
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