My name is Nigel English, I am the overarching chair of examiners
for GCSE sciences and A-Level sciences for Pearson.
I have taught for 30 years in schools and I acted as the chair of examiners
for an examining board for 25 years.
In my role as over-arching chair of examiners
for GCSE and A-Level sciences, the main focus,
the only focus, is on the quality and the consistency
of the assessments we offer to the students.
A key focus there is on the accessibility of the papers
that the students sit. Accessibility in terms of
the most able being stretched, in terms of the least able
at least having access to the questions that are posed.
One key aspect of accessibility is the use of language in examinations.
There are two aspects to this. The first is the simple use of language,
in terms of either a simple recall question, or in terms of giving the
students instruction on what they’re supposed to do in answering the question.
The second is more difficult, in that we have to, in application
and evaluation questions, give sufficient information
for them to be able to apply their knowledge from the specification
in answering those questions. So we have to give sufficient context
or sufficient data for them to be able to use.
We must be careful not to introduce too much information into such questions,
so much that the students get lost in answering the question.
Another aspect which is important for students is the consistent use of command words
They know, if we say “describe”, it is a description.
They know, if we say “explain”, it’s an explanation.
They know, if a calculation is required, they will carry that out.
And we’re trying to ensure that these command words are used entirely
consistently across the piece, and carried through into A-level,
so there’s no disjunction between the two levels.
In the new specifications there has been an increase in the
maths demand across all three subjects.
We have made sure that the maths is tied to biology,
chemistry or physics content; it is not maths for maths sake.
We also have to bear in mind, of course, the practical work
that the children, the students, have done.
This practical work involves core practicals, when of course
any questions on those core practicals is also recall,
hence the possible problem with equations and recall.
But we will also ask [students to] design practicals,
improving on procedures that we’ve given the students,
which require them to use their knowledge and apply
that knowledge to answering the question.
So there’s a range of ways we can make accessibility better for the students.
I have been over-arching chair of examiners for GCSE and A-Level
for Pearson for 12 months. I have worked with all of the teams
preparing science examinations at Pearson,
and each of those teams is committed to producing the best papers,
the fairest papers, for the students who sit them.
“Fair” in terms of stretching the most able,
“fair” in terms of making the questions accessible
for the least able, at whatever level.
This includes improving accessibility of the examinations,
in terms of language, in terms of structure, in terms of consistency.
This summer, I have carried out extensive research, item-level research,
into all of the questions sat by students in the examinations in science.
I will use that study to brief the senior examiners early
in the autumn term so this information can be used
to prepare the key focal points for 2019 and thereafter.
I have a lot of empathy with teachers, and with students,
in that they are preparing students over two years for examinations.
These examinations must be fair, and must allow the students
to answer questions for which they have been prepared,
whether it’s recall questions, or application and evaluation.
And they deserve an examination which accurately reflects what
they have learned. No surprises;
no questions that aren’t on the specifications;
sufficient information if they’re applying their knowledge or
evaluating information or data that we have given them.
And that is what we’re striving to do
and will continue to do so in the future.