An Independent Education: Promoting Flexibility and Choice

Written by Liam Butler

Every year it seems that some new qualification is launched and trialled to challenge the prevalence of A-levels in our schools. Indeed next year will see the first students sitting exams for the Pre-U, a brand new Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) qualification for students aged 16-18. Here the Independent Schools Council information & advice service gives you the low-down on what qualifications are being offered in Independent schools up and down the country.

At Key Stage 4 level the majority of Independent schools offer GCSEs to their pupils in order to prepare them for a sixth form education and then probably university. However, in recent months many schools including Manchester Grammar school have been swapping these for the International GCSEs offered by CIE. These are much more compatible with curricula abroad and have been heralded as a return to the ‘end of year exam’ model of the old GCSE. Recent criticism of the government’s GSCE reforms have concentrated on the fact that pupils can now retake portions of the course enabling them to ‘try and try again’ in order to pick and chose the best grades. The IGCSE means that students work towards final exams at the end of the two year course and many schools are deciding that this allows them more time to teach around the subject. On the other hand one mustn’t forget that many schools are still very much in favour of GCSEs as they offer a broad curriculum with the flexibility for those with a greater ability to take higher tier papers in Science and extra subjects such as further maths. This serves to complement the core Maths, Science and English curricula that every student must take. 

The International Baccalaureate is also another option for students aged 11-18. The IB Middle Years Program which caters for pupils 11-16 is designed to offer eight academic areas that are interrelated and allow pupils to learn in a holistic fashion. The curriculum is treated in an organic way and links are formed between topics rather than subjects being treated as different entities all together. The philosophy of the IB is expressed through its three fundamental concepts, intercultural awareness; holistic learning; and communication and there is a strong emphasis on modern foreign languages at a young age. Students are assessed throughout the five year course in various ways which include open ended problem-solving activities and organised debates.

Students can then go on to study for the Diploma from aged 16 which follows a similar pattern. The three core requirements, ‘theory of knowledge’, ‘extended essay’ and ‘creativity, action and service’ lay at the heart of the curriculum with three subject areas including one language making up the rest of the diploma. Three subjects are taken at a higher level and the other three at ‘standard’ level. The qualification is recognised at most universities in the UK and indeed at many around the world. The curriculum is designed to create a truly international outward looking qualification. It should be noted that both courses, the Middle Years and the Diploma can be taken separately to one another as a stand-alone qualification.

At Key Stage 5 level nobody can escape the fact that A-Levels dominate UK state and Independent schools with the Independent Schools Council member schools fielding over 31,000 candidates in 2007 alone. The controversial press surrounding A-Levels means that people often forget their strengths. Pupils take on average four subjects in the first year and continue three into the second year to full A-Level status. An aspect of the qualification that many have praised is the flexibility and the ability for pupils to ‘drop’ one subject in the first year but still gain a useful qualification in the form of an ‘AS Level’. This is often used by students as a modern foreign language or arts course as universities can set up to three pre-requisites for entry onto certain courses. This extra AS Level can be used by students to complement their three ‘core’ A-Level subjects. The curriculum is based on a modular system where pupils can retake parts of the course as many times as they like in order to achieve the best of their potential. A-Levels are flexible and can be mixed-and-matched with various other qualifications such as the new CIE Pre-U diploma.

The Pre-U is a two year course that is a stark contrast to the modular A-Level mould of multiple retakes to achieve the best mark. Exams are taken at the end of the two years and pupils are free to read around the subject. CIE argues that the new qualification ‘seeks to liberate learning from current constraints’ and that there is a stress on ‘independent thinking and self-reliance’. Students can either ‘mix and match’ Pre-U and A-Level subjects or opt for the entire diploma. The diploma is awarded to students studying three principle subjects (two of which may be substituted for A-Levels), in combination with completing a 3,500 word Independent Research Report and a Global Perspectives Portfolio. It should be noted that if students do the Global Perspectives Portfolio and complete the Independent Research Report they can achieve a stand-alone certificate.

Independent schools up and down the country are in the unique position of being truly flexible with the style of education they offer. ISC schools are not tied to the national curriculum so are free to pick and chose which qualifications best suit their ethos and pupils. ISC schools are amongst the first to offer the new Pre-U and will continue to provide a flexible bespoke education through the varied qualifications they offer to their students.

For free impartial information from ISCias (Independent Schools Council information & advice service) on independent schools that offer the IB, Pre-U, A-Levels and many other qualifications, you can call 0845 SCHOOLS (7246657) or email information@isc.co.uk. We are available to help week-days 9-5.

By Liam Butler – Senior Information Officer

Liam Butler is the Senior Information Officer for the Independent Schools Council information and advice service, answering parental queries about Independent schools

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pm by Liam Butler and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.