MAKING THE GRADES
When he was education secretary, Michael Gove took it upon himself to reform the GCSE exam system. The A* to G grading system was replaced by a numerical one, with the aim of making it easier to differentiate between the top candidates — A* and A grades were, for example, replaced with three grades: 7, 8 and 9. These new exams were supposed to be harder than the previous ones, with former Harrow headmaster Barnaby Lenon commenting that they ‘contain questions of a level of difficulty that we have not seen since the abolition of O-levels in 1987.’ Despite all of this, GCSE results improved this year. The proportion of students achieving the pass mark (previously a C, but now a 4) increased by 0.5 per cent, with the level of boys scoring an A rising by 0.8 per cent to 17.2 per cent. The percentage of A grades in girls stayed constant, at 23.7 per cent.
BAC ON TOP
On the topic of exams, the International Baccalaureate celebrates its 50th birthday this year — and British students are leading the way in this qualification, too. In 2018 British pupils accounted for almost 25 per cent of the world’s top scorers.
The UK also achieves a higher points average than the rest of the globe — an average of 35 out of 45, compared to a worldwide average of 30. Around 5,000 pupils in the UK study the IB, with 143 schools offering it as an alternative to A-levels. Of these, 55 per cent are state schools and 45 per cent independent.
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
At the beginning of July girls at Benenden School (below right) took to the skies in a light aircraft they built themselves. In September 2016 a team of 28 Benenden girls began work on the microlight, devoting two hours to the project every Thursday evening.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in