Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency

Last updated: 04 December 2009

QCDA consulted on draft criteria for GCSEs in science subjects between Friday 19 June and Friday 11 September 2009. This consultation has now closed. This consultation was launched by QCA on 19 June 2009. The non-regulatory part of QCA became QCDA on 20 July 2009.

A report on the consultation and the consultation versions of the draft GCSE subject criteria are available to download from the 'Related documents' section on the right-hand side of this page. Although the online questionnaires are no longer available, PDF versions of the questionnaires are also available to download from the 'Related documents' section.

The subject criteria have published by the regulators on the Ofqual website (www.ofqual.gov.uk)

Please contact QCDA (GCSE@qcda.gov.uk) if you have any queries about this consultation.

GCSE qualification and subject criteria
GCSE science criteria
Consultation proposals, questionnaires and documents
Timeline
Acknowledgements

 

GCSE qualification and subject criteria

GCSEs are regulated against GCSE qualification criteria and GCSE subject criteria.

• GCSE qualification criteria, available from the Ofqual website, give broad rules on the structure of GCSEs and their assessment and grading
• GCSE subject criteria ensure that there is comparability between specifications for subjects offered by more than one awarding body.

QCA is responsible for developing the criteria (with DCELLS in Wales and CCEA in Northern Ireland).

Awarding bodies (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA) are responsible for developing GCSE specifications to meet the criteria.

Ofqual is responsible for accrediting and regulating specifications against the criteria (with DCELLS in Wales and CCEA in Northern Ireland).

Changes to the secondary curriculum in England, parallel curriculum developments in Wales and Northern Ireland, and the development of new qualifications, including the Diploma, provided an opportunity to review and revise the criteria for GCSE qualifications.

The GCSE qualification criteria and the GCSE subject criteria for most subjects have already been reviewed. New GCSE specifications for most subjects will start in September 2009 and new specifications for English, mathematics and ICT subject will start in September 2010.

 

GCSE science criteria

The GCSE science criteria are the last subject criteria to be reviewed and new specifications for GCSEs in science subjects are due to start in September 2011.

The revisions to the GCSE science criteria aim to:

• meet the aims of the government STEM agenda
• incorporate key elements of 14-19 curriculum developments
• meet the requirements of the GCSE qualification criteria
• update the content of GCSEs
• encourage innovative teaching, learning and assessment
• ensure that GCSEs complement the new Diplomas
• ensure that standards are maintained
• ensure the criteria do not put unnecessary barriers in the way of students with disabilities
• address issues about current GCSE science specifications raised by Ofqual.

 

Consultation proposals, questionnaires and documents

We are consulting on proposals to replace the current GCSE science criteria, available from the Ofqual website, with separate criteria for GCSE qualifications in:

• science
• additional science
• additional applied science
• biology
• chemistry
• physics.

You will need to download the draft criteria (available from the table below or from the 'Related documents' section on the right-hand side of this page) before taking part in this consultation. You may also want to study the draft criteria alongside the GCSE qualification criteria.

You can take part in this consultation by completing the online consultation questionnaires (available from the table below or from the 'Related links' section on the right-hand side of this page). There are six separate questionnaires and a separate equalities monitoring form.

When you reach the end of the online questionnaire, clicking the 'Submit' button will automatically return your completed questionnaire to QCDA. If you see a pop-up window, please select 'Yes' to close the window. However, a small number of respondents have reported a problem with the 'Submit' button. If you cannot see the 'Submit' button when you reach the end of the questionnaire, please call 020 7509 5521 or email mailto:GCSE@qca.org.uk) for further advice. Alternatively, as the questionnaire will have stored your responses, you may prefer to click back through each page and print out each page and post these to QCDA directly (14-19 team, QCDA, 83 Piccadilly, London W1J 8QA).

You can download pdf versions of the questionnaires to study in your own time before completing them online (available from the table below or from the 'Related documents' section on the right-hand side of this page).

We are keen to consult widely, including with people and organisations across all the equality strands in order to draw on a wide range of knowledge, expertise and experience. We would encourage you to complete the separate equalities monitoring form (available from the table below or from the 'Related links' section on the right-hand side of this page). This information will help QCDA meet its legal requirement to monitor equalities and check that the consultation is representative.  

Draft criteria*	pdf questionnaire
Science	Science
Additional science	Additional science
Additional applied science	Additional applied science
Biology	Biology
Chemistry	Chemistry
Physics	Physics
n/a	n/a

*Please note: Grade descriptions for grades A, C and F will be developed at post-consultation development meetings and will be included in the criteria published by Ofqual.

 

Timeline

This is the planned schedule for publishing the criteria and developing and accrediting specifications following this consultation. Please note that these dates are only indicative and are subject to change / confirmation by the regulators.

October 2009

Criteria submitted to the regulators following consultation

November 2009

Criteria published by the regulators. Awarding bodies start developing specifications based on the criteria

Spring 2010

Awarding bodies submit specifications to the regulator for accreditation

August 2010

Regulators accredit specifications

September 2010

Specifications available in schools and colleges

September 2011

First teaching of specifications

 

Acknowledgements

QCDA would like to acknowledge the contributions of representatives of the following organisations in the development of the criteria:

The Association for Science Education
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industries
Bioethics Council
Biosciences Federation
British Science Association
Cambridge Healthcare and Biotech
CLEAPSS School Science Service
The Diploma development partnership for the Diploma in science
The Earth Science Teachers' Association
Gatsby Foundation
Institute of Physics
National Advisers and Inspectors Group for Science
The Nuffield Curriculum Centre
Nuffield Foundation
The Physiological Society
Proskills
The Royal Society
The Royal Society of Chemistry
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS)
Science Learning Centres
Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Technology Alliance (SEMTA)
Science Community Representing Education (SCORE)
Secondary National Strategy
The Society for General Microbiology
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT)