Following the confirmation of reforms to A levels in England, there has been considerable speculation about how secondary schools and colleges might alter their 16-19 curriculum and what impact the changes might have on progression and admission to higher education.
To find out how the secondary sector is responding, in December we undertook a survey of English schools and colleges and we are pleased to share the findings from the survey, the key points of which are as follows:
- Half of the schools who responded to the survey intend to offer an AS in all of the reformed subjects that they offer in 2015.
- Two-thirds of schools who responded will offer the AS in some form.
- 18% of respondents are still undecided about whether or not they will offer the AS in 2015.
- Secondary schools and colleges cite a very diverse range of factors as influencing their decisions on the AS. These include practical considerations such as funding, timetabling, performance measures, and university entry requirements. Some also believe that there is intrinsic value in a midpoint assessment.
- Two-thirds of schools intend to revisit their decision about AS provision in 2017, once all A levels have been reformed.
We hope our findings and recommendations shed some light on this complex issue, and help those advising their students about their AS and A level choices for September 2015.