鈥淭here are mixed views about reform of assessment across the independent sector,鈥 says Kate Howell, director of education at (HMC).
Some people are 鈥渧ery much for exams鈥 and the current system, believing it to be the fairest form of assessment, she says. Others 鈥渇eel it鈥檚 very constraining鈥 and doesn鈥檛 equip children with the right skills for the future.
This debate, which runs across both the state and independent sectors, has rumbled on for many years but despite widespread discontentment, relatively few schools actually run alternative models to the pure GCSE system.
Reform is fraught with difficulty, from parental opposition to extra costs and suspicion around the value of new qualifications.
Schools still want to be seen as beacons of innovation.
But it鈥檚 something that Howell is expecting will change in time, with the independent sector leading the charge.
As the HMC lead supporting a working group focused assessment reform, she has a ringside seat on the independent sector鈥檚 efforts to do things differently.
Despite varying appetites for risk and increasing financial constraints on the independent sector, she believes HMC schools still want to be seen as 鈥渂eacons of innovation鈥.
She highlights the number of schools that have advertised for posts with “the word innovation in the title”. High profile examples include North London Collegiate School and St Paul’s Girls School in London which both employ a “director of innovation”.
鈥淭hat obviously means different things to different schools, but I think it does demonstrate that there is a commitment to grounded innovation which is really aiming to solve educational problems.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a genuine appetite in most schools for delivering a curriculum that is engaging and fit for the 21st century,鈥 she adds.
She highlights the work of trailblazers such as the , a group of independent and state schools designing their own curricular offerings at KS4 to go alongside a reduced number of GCSEs.
A number of very contrasting schools, including , Bedales in Hampshire and King鈥檚 High School in Warwick are all involved and shouting about what they are doing.
Schools are also involved in other projects, such as , an approach to language learning that exposes children to multiple languages at Key Stage 2 and 3 and allows them to specialise later on.
Reform of assessment must not be seen as just for the independent sector.
鈥淭he HMC is very keen to be involved in conversations and help to lead in the sector on this topic, working with members who are interested in a different way of doing things,鈥 says Howell.
But she stresses that the ultimate aim is to help influence UK education as a whole.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very very concerned obviously about reform of assessment not being seen just as something for the independent sector,鈥 she says.
Seeking to support cross-sector collaboration, the HMC has worked with the , the University of Manchester and in staging two conferences for schools on the issue. A third conference, to be hosted by the University of Manchester 鈥 titled “Making Assessment work for everyone” is planned for 16 January 2025.
The events, Howell says, were about 鈥渂uilding a coalition of views鈥, understanding the purpose of assessment reform, seeking examples of how it can be done and looking at how it can be 鈥渟caleable and accessible for all鈥.
There鈥檚 a clear opportunity to work with the new government.
The HMC has also hosted a roundtable event for higher education.
鈥淸Schools and HE] are a little bit set against one another”, says Howell, “we鈥檙e told ‘you can鈥檛 do this’, but when you get to the HE sector you find that they鈥檝e been told they can鈥檛 do this because schools won鈥檛 like it.
鈥淲e鈥檝e tried to break down some of those barriers and get some views from higher education鈥
Howell and the HMC are also now 鈥渆agerly anticipating鈥 the new curriculum review, which launched its first (Sept 25 2024). The review, led by , is something the HMC called for in examining the need for reform.
Howell says the HMC is keen to put itself forward to 鈥渨ork collaboratively鈥 with the new government on the reform agenda, despite some heated wrangling over VAT on fees: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a clear opportunity to work with the new government…particularly because HMC schools have that freedom to move away from the constraints of the national curriculum.鈥
She adds: 鈥淚ndependent schools can pilot things, we can trial things out, we can spot the errors, we can develop things that work, that appeal to children.鈥
In its manifesto for the July election, Labour appeared to straddle the line between keeping the status quo and introducing new ideas, saying the curriculum review would 鈥渂uild on the hard work of teachers who have brought their subjects alive with knowledge-rich syllabuses, to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive, and innovative鈥.
The national curriculum now is increasingly perceived by many as outdated and pretty stodgy.
It would also 鈥渃onsider the right balance of assessment methods whilst protecting the important role of examinations”.
Howell also goes on to highlight the influence of international schools, including HMC member schools, who often lead the way on innovation in the classroom.
She says: 鈥淭hey are particularly focusing on things like climate change and environmental topics, subjects that are possibly more engaging to children than what鈥檚 in the national curriculum now, which is increasingly perceived by many as outdated and pretty stodgy and not very exciting.鈥
Howell believes that although assessment reform has been off the previous government鈥檚 radar because of Covid and the ensuing chaos, reform of curriculum and assessment could resolve some pressing issues in the education system.
鈥淭aking a different approach could actually address quite a number of problems including workforce recruitment and retention, making it [teaching] feel like a more appealing profession,鈥 she says.
And who would argue with something that did that?
