AoC responds to Pisa results

Catherine Sezen, Director of Education Policy, Association of Colleges, said:

“This year’s Pisa results show the importance of continuing to support schools and colleges in their work responding to the impact of the Covid pandemic. Perhaps the most significant findings point to the importance of supporting young people’s life satisfaction and sense of belonging in order to support academic success in mathematics and reading.

“Colleges work with a range of young people, but around 40% of 16-year-olds struggle to achieve GCSE English and maths in secondary school. We know that large numbers of that 40% come to college disengaged and not wanting to continue with these key subjects because of their negative experience of the GCSE in school.

“We therefore need a new plan for English and maths for the whole cohort, and AoC has been pushing the Government to seriously rethink how both subjects are taught and assessed in Key Stage 3 and 4.

“With the Prime Minister rightly wanting English and maths learning to continue to 18 as part of the Advanced British Standard, now is the time for the Government to work with colleges and schools to review the qualifications on offer in Key Stage 4, as well as the route for students who haven't achieved their grade 4 in GCSE English and maths at secondary school.”