A Degree Reforms: Get-Go Thoughts

No uncertainty I volition hit a lot of blogging most Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking reforms over the coming years. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking classes currently accept upwardly to a greater extent than than one-half of my teaching timetable. In this post I portion about of my initial thoughts on how it's all going to work.

Teaching time
To deliver the novel 9-1 GCSE it was recommended that schools growth their teaching fourth dimension for maths. This led to hard curriculum decisions for schoolhouse leaders. We are non expecting to run across a similar recommendation for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. Although at that spot are about content changes, I'm told that the difficulty of the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking is meant to locomote equivalent to that of the electrical flow Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, hence no extra teaching fourth dimension is required. Also, all Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking subjects must locomote delivered inwards the same issue of teaching hours - timetables wouldn't piece of occupation otherwise (eg students can't hit six hours of maths too iv hours of Psychology a week, it has to locomote the same amount for each subject). So let's assume that Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking teaching fourth dimension won't change. For me that's 10 hours a fortnight inwards Year 12 too nine hours a fortnight inwards Year 13. If you're wondering how your schoolhouse compares to others, hither are the results of my Twitter poll:

It's adept that we're non required to growth teaching fourth dimension - at that spot aren't plenty maths teachers.

Teaching construction too specialisms
For Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Maths all students volition written report a combination of pure maths, statistics too mechanics. There volition no longer locomote an chemical gene of choice.

I currently instruct pure too statistics. Specialising tin locomote a adept matter - I'm (hopefully) at in i lawsuit a 'good' statistics instructor because I've taught S1 too S2 many times. If my schoolhouse asked me to instruct mechanics hence I would happily oblige, only having never studied nor taught mechanics, I'd withdraw maintain to instruct myself first. Will this alter nether the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level? Will I locomote required to instruct a fighting of everything? Not necessarily.

Under the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking specification, if the concluding exams at the destination of Year xiii are weighted equally follows:

²⁄₃ pure
¹⁄₆ statistics
¹⁄₆ mechanics

hence here's i possible teaching structure:

This is a simplified view. There volition locomote opportunities to integrate the applied content amongst the pure content throughout the course. The guild of topics is going to require a lot of thought. Teachers who withdraw maintain taught linear Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking earlier may locomote able to offering advice here.

Modular to linear
For those of us who withdraw maintain solely always taught modular Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, about things volition accept a fighting of getting used to. The loss of AS marking is a notable change. Most schools withdraw maintain already moved to a 'three subject' model, hence fifty-fifty though maths students are even hence taking AS marking exams inwards 2016 too 2017, many volition locomote on to written report maths inwards Year xiii regardless of their AS result. Previously students who got a D or below at AS typically dropped maths at the destination of Year 12.

Although AS levels volition even hence be nether the Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking reforms, the bulk of students volition demand 3 Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 levels for their academy applications hence real few volition locomote willing to drib downward to AS inwards Year xiii if they're struggling.

We volition demand to recollect real carefully most how to assess students throughout the course, especially equally nosotros volition locomote making UCAS predictions based on Year 12 internal examination results. I promise that the examination boards render about internal assessment resources.

It's interesting that many of the topics that we'll instruct over the 2 twelvemonth course of teaching volition non locomote assessed inwards the concluding exams. At the instant nosotros know that almost every topic nosotros instruct volition locomote assessed, inwards fact nosotros tin oft predict what the questions volition expression like. The novel linear Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking volition withdraw maintain a lower total assessment fourth dimension hence at that spot volition locomote a lot of topics that don't come upwardly up inwards the concluding exams at the destination of Year 13.

Resources too discipline knowledge
The content of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Level Maths is laid to alter - non substantially, only plenty that many schools volition purchase novel textbooks. We volition demand resources for the novel topics (more hence for Further Maths). My spider web log already has fairly comprehensive A marking resources libraries and I promise it volition eventually locomote a source of back upwardly too resources for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking too.

Teachers may demand preparation inwards how to deliver novel topics too usage applied scientific discipline (ie novel information processor functions). I promise this volition all locomote centrally funded - it shouldn't locomote downward to private schools to pay for essential preparation resulting from curriculum changes. No uncertainty the FMSP and Maths Hubs volition offering CPD too support. The best fourth dimension for preparation volition likely locomote June/July 2017, in i lawsuit we've got the origin sitting of the 9-1 GCSE over with.

The structuring too resourcing of schemes of piece of occupation for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking volition accept a lot of fourth dimension too endeavour during schoolhouse twelvemonth 2016/17.

Further reading too events
MEI's Frequently Asked Questions too the FMSP's listing of changes to AS/A marking Mathematics are useful. MEI has also produced a video summarising the changes:



The DfE's specifications are here: AS too Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Maths and AS too Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Further Maths.

I'll locomote at a issue of events over the coming months where Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking changes volition locomote discussed, including Maths inwards the Sticks on 24th April, the Edexcel Maths Conference 2016 on 2d July too the East Midlands KS5 Mathematics Conference 2016 on ninth August. 

The examination boards' specifications too sample assessment materials volition locomote published inwards June.

Do allow me know your thoughts most the upcoming Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking changes via Twitter or yesteryear commenting below.

Exciting times!