Tuesday, September 20, 2016

New Gcse: Done!

Over the final yoke of years we've all been working incredibly difficult to deliver the novel GCSE. It feels quite surreal that later on all the uncertainty, nerves as well as excitement, the commencement sitting is straightaway over as well as done with.

Most teachers felt that the exams were every bit expected, pitched at a similar score to the mock exams as well as providing goodness coverage of the total attain of topics on the specification. We knew that the exams would endure harder than the legacy GCSE, as well as they most definitely were. We knew that the hardest questions would allow us to improve pose the real best mathematicians, as well as it for certain looks similar that volition happen. We knew that some students would honour the exams inaccessible. We yet stimulate got a long agency to go.

Now we're impatiently waiting for results day! And we're continuing to instruct our Year 10 classes, but amongst to a greater extent than resources, experience as well as certainty than nosotros had this fourth dimension final year.

Looking dorsum over the final few years, at that spot are some people I'd similar to give thank you lot for their outstanding contributions to the successful delivery of the novel GCSE across the country.

Mel Muldowney - JustMaths
Mel's individual contribution has been absolutely amazing. She has written blog posts providing detailed information as well as resources for novel topics, she has represented the views of maths teachers inwards discussions amongst Ofqual, she has collated questions past times topic (I used these almost every unmarried day!), as well as she's done as well as so much more. Mel has worked tirelessly to back upwards the maths pedagogy community. She deserves a massive give thank you lot you for everything she's done.

The Exam Boards
I know it's their undertaking to deliver the novel GCSE, but kudos to the awarding bodies for the fantabulous back upwards they've offered over the final 2 years. They've done a bright undertaking of keeping us informed - I've been peculiarly impressed past times their instant responses to queries on Twitter. They've also provided lineament resources both for pedagogy as well as assessment. Special refer to AQA for their Teaching Guidance, to Edexcel for their new content resources and to OCR for their Check-In Tests. Our competitive awarding bodies strive to deliver fantabulous client service as well as lineament materials, as well as us maths teachers stimulate got for certain benefited from this over recent years.

The Resource Makers
This fourth dimension 2 years agone I was worried that novel GCSE topics were woefully under-resourced. But thank you lot to the difficult travel of teachers who generously share their resources for free, at that spot hasn't been a unmarried lesson inwards the final 2 years where I haven't used high lineament resources. There are every bit good many individuals to listing here, but they know who they are! Social media has enabled maths teachers to collaborate nationally similar they never could before. Thank you lot to everyone who has made that happen.

The Teachers
I know we're yet waiting for results, but I actually intend that all maths teachers across the province deserve a pat on the dorsum for delivering the novel GCSE. We didn't enquire for a novel qualification, as well as nosotros weren't happy almost the rushed implementation. Admittedly, we've moaned a fair amount along the way. We've been anxious as well as uncertain at times, but we've gone into classrooms everyday as well as delivered maths lessons amongst expertise, professionalism as well as enthusiasm. Today nosotros should accept a 2nd to celebrate. Job done.


And now... let's produce it all over again!