Assessment at 16

What students are deemed to have achieved when they are sixteen is the measure of how successful or otherwise their progress through the system of compulsory education has been. And yet despite the importance of the process there has been no clear consensus about how best to assess students at sixteen. The various formal examinations which have been tried have now largely been superseded by the GCSE: a common system of examining at sixteen. Originally published in 1988, the book discusses the development of this system, its application to the main subject areas of the curriculum and some of its innovative aspects from both a theoretical and a practical standpoint. In addition, it also looks at the broader aspects of assessment of pupils at the age of sixteen and how we can give a more rounded indication of their achievements and abilities by the use of profiles and records of achievement.

List of Contributors. Acknowledgements. Introduction Keith Selkirk 1. The Development of Examining at Sixteen Keith Selkirk 2. GCSE: The National Criteria Don Ramsden 3. The Work of an Examining Group Colin Vickerman 4. Definitions and Difficulties Bob Fairbrother and Keith Selkirk 5. English Roy Hopwood 6. The Humanities Harry Tolley 7. Foreign Languages John Partington 8. The Arts Norman Binch 9. Mathematics John Pitts 10. Science Bob Fairbrother 11. Craft, Design and Technology Michael Rose 12. Objective Testing Peter Brown 13. Project and Coursework Renée Berrill 14. Practical Work Derek Foxman 15. Pupil Profiles Peter Brown 16. Records of Achievement Ruth Sutton. Endpiece Keith Selkirk. Appendix 1: Abbreviations. Appendix 2: Examining Groups for the GCSE. Bibliography. Index.

Keith Selkirk