GCSE results hard to analyse this year

STUDENTS, teachers and schools in Wales are to be congratulated on their GCSE results.

Some schools have reported record results at a time of unprecedented reform and change in the exams.

15 new Wales-only GCSEs were examined this year for the first time following six new ones last year.

There have been many changes this year, making it ever harder to make simple comparisons with previous years, as the Education Secretary and Qualifications Wales were keen to point out.

There have been changes to entry patterns and school performance measures and numbers of entries are down but the fact remains that overall this summer’s results are down.

GCSE results for 16-year-olds across the whole academic year may be up but it is the summer grades people are looking at.

And they are down for the second year running of Wales’ reformed GCSE results and stand at their worst for a decade.

Even if direct comparisons are not relevant that is at least a little concerning.

It is encouraging that students getting the top grades A-A* have increased.

That demonstrates students are working hard and that Wales may, at last, have responded to fears that its most able and talented were not being recognised and pushed to achieve their very best.

That shows changes can be made.

It is a testament to teachers and schools that they have coped with so much change.

But whatever the overall results or top grades are, there remains a worrying attainment gap which some schools, notably Eastern High in Cardiff, are making valiant efforts to narrow.

It is schools like this that can help the whole system improve by sharing its experiences and best practice so all learners in Wales can get the qualifications they need to make the next move in their lives – whether that is academic, vocational or work.

As Wales forges ahead with its new curriculum and diverges ever further from the system across the border it is essential that there is confidence in the system here.

All students in Wales must be assured their GCSEs are equal to those elsewhere across the UK.

The independent exam regulators have given that assurance and Wales must have the confidence to believe that.