Education secretary Nicky Morgan announces sweeping reforms to GCSE exams
The government will raise the bar on GCSE exams, education secretary Nicky Morgan said yesterday.
Speaking at a secondary school in North London, Morgan said that GCSEs will be graded on a new one-to-nine grading scale, with a level five considered a “good pass.” The education department said a five under the new rubric would be comparable to a low B or a high C under the old grading system.
“As part of this government’s commitment to social justice we want every single person in the country to have access to the best opportunities Britain has to offer – starting with an excellent education,” Morgan said, adding, “This means ensuring children study key subjects that provide them with the knowledge they need to reach their potential, while setting a higher bar at GCSE so young people, their parents and teachers can be sure that the grades they achieve will help them get on in life.”
Morgan also said that in a push to enrol more pupils in academic subjects, all GCSE students will soon need to study “English Baccalaureate” subjects: English, maths, science, history and a foreign language.