New A level maths in 2019
For some years, maths has been the largest entry A level in England. In 2018 around 90,000 students took A level maths, with just over 15,000 also taking A level further maths. The introduction of the new A level was …
Setting standards in the new A level maths qualifications
This summer we will see the first awards of the new A level maths qualifications. These were available for schools to teach from September 2017, so they would not normally be available to enter after only one year. When we …
New GCSE maths sample exam papers
Many of you reading this blog will know of the work we have been doing to review exam boards’ sample GCSE maths papers. Those particularly interested in the detail may wish to see our latest report which describes what has …
Some thoughts following my talk to Surrey Secondary Heads in Dorking
As Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, I care deeply about assessment, of course, but it is only one part of the system; qualifications should be designed to deliver the curriculum aims first of all, and of course they in turn rely on …
GCSE maths, final decisions
Those of you that have been following this blog will know that we have been undertaking a programme of research in order to evaluate the expected difficulty of the exam boards’ sample GCSE maths papers and their approach to the assessment …
GCSE maths research complete
In January we began a research programme looking at differences across the four reformed and accredited GCSE maths specifications – those of AQA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC. The work has comprised four strands: Strand 1 Based on the views of …
GCSE maths research programme: an update
You may recall that we launched a research programme looking at the four new Ofqual accredited GCSE maths specifications in late January. If you need a refresher on what we’re trying to achieve you could watch my earlier video or …
GCSE maths research programme update
I hope many of you reading this blog are already aware of the research programme we are undertaking to reassure ourselves, the exam boards, students and other stakeholders regarding the level of demand and difficulty across the four new Ofqual …