Every GCSE results day, commentators say that the rise in attainment is a sign that GCSE examinations are getting easier (rarely crediting the students’ hard work and improvements in teaching – but that’s not an argument for today!). A few years ago, the government decided that enough is enough, and GCSEs need a major overhaul. I, for one, welcome the idea that our iconic qualification (yes, the GCSE is an iconic qualification) should be more challenging. There is plenty of evidence that the standard of work and depth and breadth of learning at GCSE does not compare favourably with the work produced in other countries by students of the same age. Accepting (I hope) that our students deserve access to the best of humanity’s culture and learning, it would be unfair to let them drop behind international peers. So, new GCSEs with notably increased demand were developed.

By Phil Wilson