News

GCSE and A Level consultations

15 September 2014

As we reported in our last newsletter the Department of Education is currently running a consultation on GCSE and A Level Art & Design, Dance and Music subject content requirements. The documents on their website set out the minimum knowledge, skills and understanding required for GCSE and A Level qualifications. The awarding organisations use the subject content to create the actual qualifications and the consultation closes on the 17th of September.

Ofqual are also running a consultation on the assessment of the subjects, which closes on the 22nd September. Ofqual is proposing decreasing the non-exam assessment in Dance and Music GCSEs to 60%.

If any of you out there are getting consultation fatigue at the thought of responding to these, we understand! However, as always, it’s really important that we all make ourselves and our opinions heard as the details really will define what happens in the classroom for children and for teachers.

We’ve been working with many of you to draft our responses to the consultation, and are attaching them here in case they are useful to you in drafting yours.

We also recommend taking a look at the NSEAD Art & Design Department for Education response and Ofqual response, and the ISM, MEC and NAMHE Music consultation information.