Imagine in any other time in life where you graft, battle, sweat, cry and manage to get yourself ready to do an incredibly challenging thing, to then be told that your ‘pass’ isn’t worth anything because it’s not the right number. This, as we all know, is what will be happening to thousands of students across the land on GCSE results day.
Then the yearly battle occurs of the FE sector picking up the pieces and having to support students through the challenge of mitigating disbelief, disappointment and at times diminished self-worth.
When posing the question of when is a pass not a pass, a flurry of confusing and often rather contradictory ideas come to mind. A grade 1-3, whilst technically still a pass, will always be sidelined in data meetings and result day headlines. A grade 4, known as a ‘good pass’ – an arbitrary statement in itself – is the benchmark. Whilst we agree that a benchmark is needed, we have to ask ourselves whether we are essentially refusing to acknowledge the thoughtful work that requires our pupils to achieve a grade 1 to 3 and below.
The concept of ‘failure’ does not seem to be given the thorough consideration it deserves in relation to the effect it has on our young people. As educators, we get inundated by the notion that high expectations only means one thing: a 4 and above at GCSE.
But what if this year we switched the narrative and for all students consider that a pass is exactly that, a pass? The constant monitoring and target-setting is making education feel finite, when in fact it’s arguably one of the most infinite things we have.
We’re applying finite rules upon an infinite game
In his book “Finite and Infinite Games” James Carse, American academic and religious scholar defines a finite game as being “defined as known players, fixed rules, and an agreed-upon objective”, whereas an infinite game is “known and unknown players, the rules are changeable, and the objective is not to win—the objective is to keep playing, keep perpetuating the game”.
In our target-driven education system, we are applying finite rules upon an infinite game. A pass at grades 1-3 should not equate the end of an academic journey, especially considering students achieving a grade 1-3 have often done so against odds and challenges that have been placed upon them during their entire academic journey.
We should not and cannot ignore that for many, time in education is not as linear as our system would like and the desired result may manifest later.
Something the English and Maths Coalition is striving to alter is the perception that the problem is the exam itself. For many students, it’s not the case that a particular GCSE exam isn’t the right exam for them, but that they’re just not at the right time to take it yet. Take reading development, for instance. If you’re still developing your reading fluency, automaticity and even needing additional support with phonics, then you just weren’t ready for the exam yet. It doesn’t mean that you never will be.
Seventy-six per cent of our young people now achieve level 2 English and maths by age 19 which means we should praise the FE sector for transforming lives and allowing students to reach that level 2 benchmark at the time when they’re ready. With strong, consistent teaching and learning, which doesn’t just focus on exam prep but a re-engagement in English Language learning, young learners are improving their grades.
Often, FE colleges get ignored when reporting on KS4 success. Rather than creating a system where mainstream secondary schools can learn from them, the role of FE becomes an addition that feels elusive and hidden. This must change. It is time to have a more holistic view of education, one that chooses to centre on the potential trajectory of the child, rather than one arbitrary destination.
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