Cambridge Edition May 2019

EDUCAT ION

EDUCAT ION SPOTL IGHT

THE STAFF AT GRESHAM’S SCHOOL IN HOLT, NORFOLK, CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF OFSTED’S PLANNED EXAM OVERHAUL Testing times

E xam season is fraught with stress for young people countrywide, and helpful advice for weathering the storm abounds: draw up a timetable, summarise notes, practise with past papers, exercise often, avoid junk food, sleep regularly, reward yourself... and so on. Whatever advice a young person chooses to follow, they will all, undoubtedly, still be feeling the pressure that formal assessments of academic knowledge bring. So, Ofsted’s proposal to broaden the focus of its education inspection framework – away from academic achievement, towards curriculum and learning – will be music to many ears, including teachers, who for too long have felt the pressure of league tables. But any reform will be a while in coming, and so offers no solace for this year’s cohorts. While considering its reforms, Ofsted uncovered two disturbing facts that have been linked to the current assessment system. First, it was discovered that children in many primary schools are spending their time repeatedly reading comprehension tests, rather than reading a wide range of books. Cathy Braithwaite, head of Gresham’s Prep School, believes: “Exposure to the broadest possible range of books from an early age is essential to opening children’s minds to the wonderful thoughts, ideas and opportunities that will help them develop knowledge, confidence and creativity of their own. While young people love to, and learn a lot from, reading and rereading favourite stories, this is very different to repeatedly studying comprehension tests – the

monotony of which may put some children off reading altogether.” Second, Ofsted found that many secondary school pupils are having their options limited by having to select GCSE subjects as early as Year 9, and are being discouraged from choosing more difficult subjects in favour of ‘easier’ ones, because of a disproportionate focus on examination results. Douglas Robb, Gresham’s headmaster, says: “A system that serves to limit a young person’s choices at just 14 years old is a travesty. At this young age, students still have their whole life ahead of them and are very unlikely to have formed any clear or lasting ideas about what career they might like to pursue – let alone which subjects they will just enjoy studying in-depth for longer for the pure joy of it.” So, every day of the school year, most teachers are thinking about how best to deliver each lesson to achieve the best possible examination results, based on a belief that exam success itself should be the goal for piquing a pupil’s interest, nurturing their understanding and developing their skills around a subject (as opposed to being just one of the desired outcomes). For students at Gresham’s School, exam season is a little different. First,

the location on the North Norfolk coast means students are connected with the great outdoors, which helps alleviate their stress. But, more importantly, Gresham’s approach has never been to ‘teach to test’, because the focus has always been in-line with Ofsted’s proposed reforms: to keep the broader purpose of education front of mind and focus on preparing young people for rewarding personal and professional lives. The aim for Gresham’s students is to move on from their time at the school with the intellectual, personal and social qualities and skills needed to make a positive difference to the communities in which they live, not just for them to achieve an impressive set of grades. Indeed, Gresham’s School has a long track record of achieving just this, with famous alumni such as Peter Brook CH CBE, Olivia Colman, Sir Philip Dowson CBE, John Humphrey Spender and Lord Benjamin Britten standing as shining role models to current and future Gresham’s students. For schools like Gresham’s, which focus on nurturing inquisitive and happy children equipped for the real world, Ofsted’s proposed shift in focus is thoroughly welcome. Finally, there will be the opportunity to celebrate the good work already taking place in schools across the country. l

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