A U-TURN on controversial changes to GCSE examinations has been welcomed by Dorset head teachers.

Education Secretary Michael Gove faced criticism this week for withdrawing his controversial plan to axe GCSEs in key subjects and replace them with a different qualification.

Opposition MPs claimed he was forced into a “humiliating climbdown” but he said he realised his original proposals were “a bridge too far.”

Head of Twynham School in Christchurch, Dr Terry Fish, said: “Finally, there is a tiny bit of sense returning to the education world.

“I think Michael Gove managed to achieve one thing no other politician managed and that is to get no other person to agree with him.

“Broadly GCSEs are fine but there do need to be some slight changes and one of the big things is the whole business of controlled assessments.

“They are a total and complete nightmare.

“I hope this is a tide turning. I hope we can see more consultation with people that matter in the education system.”

Ben Parnell, head of Winton Arts and Media College, said: “It is quite refreshing that the government has listened to advice on the issue, it was a brave decision” he said.

Mr Gove has now proposed more rigorous GCSEs in English, maths, science, history and geography, with more emphasis on examinations at the end of the course.

Mr Parnell said: “I am not unhappy about the exams becoming a little bit harder. Some students are never really challenged.”

And Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Director of Studies at Canford School, welcomed proposals for more rigorous exams.

But he said the choice of subjects which currently make up the English Baccalaureate – English, maths, sciences (including computer science) a language and history or geography – is wrong.

“Mr Gove’s determination that only history and geography are to be counted as humanities subjects is eccentric and damaging” he said. “Quite how computing, brought into the fold in only the last few weeks, will be taught and examined, when so few schools have teachers equipped to teach it, remains very much to be seen.”

TURNING THE TABLES

RADICAL changes to the way secondary school league tables are compiled have also been announced by the government.
They will no longer be judged on the percentage of pupils achieving at least five GCSEs at grades A*-C, including English and maths.
Instead schools will be judged by the overall points scores of students across eight subjects alongside the percentage reaching an attainment threshold in the key subjects of English and maths.
The changes have been welcomed by head teachers.
“This will stop the nonsense of all the focus being on students who are borderline C/D grade” said Dr Terry Fish, head of Twynham School in Christchurch.
“Eight subjects is a good measure of how all students are doing across a range of subjects.”