Developing new GCSE, Alevel and ASqualifications for first teaching in 2016
Developing new GCSE, Alevel and ASqualifications for first teaching in 2016covering:
GCSE
Art and design
Computer science
Dance
Music
Physical education / A level and AS qualifications
Ancient languages
Dance
Geography
Mathematics
Further mathematics
Modern foreign languages
Music
Physical education
July 2014
Ofqual/14/5487
Ofqual 20141
- Responding to the consultation
Your details
To evaluate responses properly, we need to know who is responding to the consultation and in what capacity. We will therefore only consider your response if you complete the following information section.
We will publish our evaluation of responses. Please note that we may publish all or part of your response unless you tell us (in your answer to the confidentiality question) that you want us to treat your response as confidential. If you tell us you wish your response to be treated as confidential, we will not include your details in any published list of respondents, although we may quote from your response anonymously.
Please answer all questions marked with a star*
Name: Professor Paul Rowlett
Position: Vice Chair (Language & Intercultural Education)
Organisation name (if applicable): University Council of Modern Languages
Address: Salford Languages, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT
Email:
Telephone: 0161 295 4131
Would you like us to treat your response as confidential?*
(X) No
Is this a personal response or an official response on behalf of your organisation?*
(X) Official response (please answer the question ‘Type of responding organisation’)
Type of responding organisation*
(X) Other representative or interest group (please answer the question below)
Type of representative group or interest group
(X) Subject association or learned society
Nation*
(X) England
How did you find out about this consultation?
(X) Our website
May we contact you for further information?
(X) Yes
- Consultation questions
Alevel and AS qualifications in modern foreign languages
Consultation Question 45: To what extent do you agree or disagree that for ASqualifications in modern foreign languages 70 per cent of the available marks should be allocated to exams and 30 per cent to non-exam assessment?
(X) Agree
Please give reasons for your answer: Our answer is based on our assumption that the proposed 30% non-exam assessment relates to an oral exam, and our view that 30% is an appropriate overall weighting for the assessment of oral skills (presenting prepared material, including the findings of personal research; discussing familiar topics; responding to spoken/written material from a variety of sources, including face-to-face interaction; initiating such face-to-face interaction).
Consultation Question 46: To what extent do you agree or disagree that for Alevels in modern foreign languages 70 per cent of the available marks should be allocated to exams and 30 per cent to non-exam assessment?
(X) Agree
Please give reasons for your answer: See answer to Q45.
Consultation Question 47: To what extent do you agree or disagree that all Alevel and AS qualifications in modern foreign languages should have the same requirements for non-exam assessment and that no exceptions should be made for specific languages?
(X) Agree
Please give reasons for your answer: We are not aware of the rationale behind the current flexibility within the assessment regime which allows specific languages to opt out of the assessment of speaking and/or listening, and we do not see (disability issues notwithstanding, as per §4.34 on p. 55) how such flexibility can be justified.
Consultation Question 48: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposed assessment objectives are appropriate for Alevel and ASqualifications in modern foreign languages?
(X) Agree
Please give reasons for your answer:We do not believe that the level of detail provided in the consultation document allows a definitive response to this question. No indication is given in respect of how the proposed 30% of overall marks to be derived from the non-exam assessment (viz. the oral exam) relate to the four assessment objectives; oral performance is explicitly referenced in AOs 1, 2 and 3, and could feasibly be relevant to AO4 too, the intention is not made clear.
Consultation Question 49: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposed weightings of the assessment objectives are appropriate for ASqualifications in modern foreign languages?
(X) Strongly agree
Please give reasons for your answer: It is appropriate that the assessment of students’ understanding and responses to written sources should be weighted more heavily than spoken sources. The weighting (20%) of the newly introduced AO4 around the culture/society of relevant countries and critical analysis/evaluation of creative works is large enough to be taken seriously by students and teachers, but not too large to dominate inappropriately.
Consultation Question 50: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposed weightings of the assessment objectives are appropriate for Alevels in modern foreign languages?
(X) Strongly agree
Please give reasons for your answer: See the answer to Q49.
Consultation Question 51: Do you have any further comments relating to the assessment of this subject?
The proposals take up ALCAB’s desire to see formal assessment incorporate responses written in English, allowing up to 10% of the overall marks at AS level and up to 20% at A level to come from such responses. UCML is aware that this is a controversial issue, and that some teachers are opposed to this. In our response to the ALCAB proposals ( we made the following comment: “UCML recognises that the proposal to include an assessed analytical essay written in English on a creative work in the language of study (however small the overall weighting) may be controversial with some stakeholder groups. However, this sits alongside an assessed descriptive/critical essay written in the language of study, and UCML is confident that imaginative teaching and assessment approaches can be adopted which will ensure the essay written in English does not encroach on the focus in the classroom on use of the language of study.”
Equality impact
Consultation Question 72: We have identified a number of ways the proposed requirements for reformed GCSE, Alevel and ASqualifications may impact (positively or negatively) on persons who share a protected characteristic. Are there any other potential impacts we have not identified?
( ) Yes (X) No
Consultation Question 73: Are there any additional steps we could take to mitigate any negative impact resulting from these proposals on persons who share a protected characteristic?
( ) Yes (X) No
Consultation Question 74: Have you any other comments on the impacts of the proposals on persons who share a protected characteristic?
( ) Yes (X) No