Agenda item

Further Links to Papers/Information for information and consideration

Item 6.

Quals Wales Consultation documents (see particularly p. 22-26 regarding Humanities)

Consultation Questions

Webinar - https://youtu.be/Y78x8Ut4GN8

Booking form for Qualifications Wales Humanities Webinar – (March 4^th)

Qualifications Wales (QW) is consulting on qualifications for the new curriculum.  It proposes to shape the range of qualifications for Humanities:

·         To review and reform GCSEs in Business, Geography, History and Religious Studies;

·         If feasible, to create a new GCSE in Social Studies; and

·         If feasible, to create an integrated GCSE in Humanities.

The RE Adviser highlighted some possible points for discussion:

·         Should separate qualifications be available for all five subjects;

·         The impact of an integrated GCSE in Humanities on the mandatory requirement to teach Religious Education (RE) at 14-16, and the full course. Religious Education is mandatory until age 16; 

·         The need for qualifications to be accessible to all learners and to be rewarded for two years compulsory study of RE; 

·         Should the RE GCSE short course continue; 

·         If enacted the Curriculum and Assessment Bill would require most publicly funded schools to follow a common agreed syllabus. Would this require amendment to locally agreed syllabi; 

·         Whilst allowing some publicly funded schools with a religious character to follow a denominational syllabus, would any reformed qualification, intended to support the RVE element of the curriculum for Wales, be flexible enough to support different local approaches; and  

·         QW has not mentioned consultation with SACREs and local authority.

The questions are:

1.       How far do you agree or disagree with our proposals to review and reform GCSEs in Business, Geography, History and Religious Studies?

2.    How far do you agree or disagree with our proposal to create a new GCSE in Social Studies, if feasible?

3.    How far do you agree or disagree with our proposal to create for a new integrated GCSE Humanities qualification, if feasible?

SACRE Members contributed views as follows:

·         QW admits the combined Humanities qualification is not seem as feasible.  There is little support in schools from e.g. History and Geography departments;

·         Concern that the RE content of integrated Humanities would be diluted;

·         Concern about use of non-specialist teachers to teach the RE element. Adding Social Studies adds to this concern; 

·         Important to retain the RE GCSE and short course content to cover the agreed syllabus; a qualification is important at the end of a course of study;

·         Humanities subjects should be separate. It will be too difficult for students who wish to study further to feel prepared and confident to embark on an A Level course in a subject not studied at GCSE; 

·         Concern that the content of all component subjects would be diluted;

·         Estyn studies show good take up of RE in Wales and good results; 

·         Both State and Faith schools should have the option to be able to do GCSE if they want according to a denominational approach. In a state school it would be helpful if a student wanted to do a faith school type of GCSE, they should have this option as opposed to the standard GCSE offered in state schools;

·         Many schools are developing a Humanities course for younger students in years 7 and 8.  More specific skills are required to teach GCSE;

·         Regarding the RE short course, there is concern about the NCFE Equality and Diversity qualification (popular in schools) that could be seen as being offered in place of RE;

·         An integrated Humanities GCSE would undermine all the component subjects providing insufficient depth as required by the age of 16 and does not prepare students for A Level;

·         The five subjects should get a qualification;

·         All pupils should study a mandatory short course;

·         Applications to study a degree in RE or Theology in English, Scottish and Welsh universities may require a RE GCSE, same for further study of the other component subjects. Humanities would not be sufficient and Welsh students must have the opportunity to be competitive in Wales and the rest of the UK;

·         Could a GCSE exam paper have more options to cover denominational options in faith schools, or to allow student denominational choice in other state schools;

·         Humanities integrated GCSE should be rejected in favour of retaining the RE GCSE and implement a RE short course that is thematic and covers the agreed syllabus; 

·         If schools have Humanities in KS3, it is difficult to move to discrete subjects in KS4;

·         Providing the option of short courses can potentially spark interest in the full course by students.  Having good exam classes allows KS3 students see older students progressing. RE is a good basis for many careers;

·         The offer of a Humanities GCSE should be in addition to separate subjects;

·         Concern was expressed about the RE element being taught by non-specialist teachers.  Would this devalue the qualification and affect university applications;

·         Heads want results in areas of specialism to measure departmental performance; and

·         SACRE prefers the name to be Religious Studies. Values and ethics should be a contributory part of all subject in the curriculum.

It was agreed that the RE Adviser would prepare a draft response and circulate it to the group for comments.