The consultation asked for views on the qualification’s structure, content, and grading.

Our response

Our response examines the current evidence on how to improve resit outcomes. In summary:

• Current evidence suggests substantial improvements to resit outcomes are extremely challenging to achieve under the current framework.
• Sustained, evidence-informed professional development aligned to the qualification’s design will be critical to its success.
  
• Evidence shows that the most successful resit approaches:
  • combine targeted teaching (to close gaps in knowledge) and core teaching (covering the entire curriculum)
  • draw on evidence-informed principles, including regular assessment and adjustment and using a ​‘mastery’ approach.

We welcome the move to a course design that better recognises improvement, which may help motivate learners.

Given the importance of this issue to socio-economically disadvantaged learners, we are urging the government to pilot the new qualifications ahead of a wider roll-out, to evaluate how well it supports learners to achieve a GCSE grade 4 or above in their first year of 16 – 19 study.