Bridging the gap: Improving grades between GCSE and A level
Posted on 5th May 2017 in Which London School?, Curriculum, Exams
John Southworth, Principal of MPW London, explains why disappointing GCSEs need not mean disappointing A levels...
Results day can be a time of great celebration but can also be very disappointing for those students who have not done as well as they expected. Although it can feel like the end of the world, our experience and track record in improving students’ grades proves that great changes can be made and that an underperformance in year 11 need not set the tone for the future.
Why do students underperform at GCSE?
Performance at GCSE is reflective of a number of factors. Students’ learning style (and whether or not they are sure of what this is), intelligence, application, study skills, exam technique and any mitigating circumstances all contribute towards their final outcomes.
Over the years, we have seen a number of reasons for student underperformance. The first and unfortunately one of the most common is not working hard enough. Some students ‘coast’ through their GCSE courses. In large classes, students at the back who are capable of As but are achieving C grades with very little effort might fly under the radar of a teacher whose attention is focused either on improving D-grade students into the ‘C or above’ boundary or answering the questions from the engaged students at the front. Intelligent students might find that they are able to easily complete classroom assignments and are equipped with the skills they need to write an essay but that a lack of revision leaves them struggling for content in the exam and are downgraded accordingly.
Poor examination technique frustrates many students. Those who pay attention in class, try their best when completing assignments and work hard to revise in the months preceding the exam will inevitably be disappointed if this application does not result in a fulfilment of grade predictions. In this case, it is likely that examination technique is to blame. Perhaps students have not written what the examiner wants to see. They might have omitted key terms or spent too long on a low-mark answer to the detriment of a high-mark answer. They might not have finished the paper or they might have completed answers without showing working.
Learning style or educational needs can play a part in underperformance. Some students might express themselves more effectively through typing than handwriting, or might find that saying things out loud helps them remember things better than writing them down. While some students are well-supported and spend time developing study skills which leave them attuned to their educational needs, others might be unaware of their learning styles and how best to approach their studies in a way that suits them. This inexperience might be the reason that they are not able to reach their true academic ability level.
How can students ensure that they do not repeat this pattern at A level?
Identifying the problem at GCSE is the first step to success at A level. Schools will be willing to help with this and students can approach their teachers, personal tutors or academic support department (or all three!) for advice in this regard. Sometimes, it will not be easy listening but students will do well to embrace this feedback and learn from the experience of those who will have seen many of these problems before.
Self-reflection is important. There is no one better qualified to assess performance than the student. You will know, in your heart of hearts, if you really did enough work. Admitting that you did not makes A levels an easy fix (in theory of course; in practice this will take time and dedication). If you know that you spent three hours revising hard but feel like you remembered nothing then study technique is likely to be an issue. If you went into the examination feeling confident in your facts and with two years of hard work behind you only to not have your grade reflect this, then perhaps the way that you answered the questions let you down and it would be a good idea to address this in the coming academic year.
The most important thing of all is to want to make a change. Making a commitment to drive your education forwards will pay dividends. Genuinely wanting this will mean you are more proactive and dedicated to achieving it.
How do MPW support students to achieve at the highest levels?
MPW has a proven track record of improving students’ grades. Based on their GCSEs, students are expected to achieve certain results at A level, but MPW students regularly exceed those predications. Much of this can be credited to our holistic approach, elements of which students at other schools will be able to emulate.
Exam technique
Our regular testing is intended to be a constructive opportunity for students to practise what they have learnt. As well as consolidating their knowledge, the result can be used to mark progress: a good result is validation that everything is fine; a disappointing result allows an opportunity to improve while everything is still formative. Students whose schools do not place so much emphasis on this consolidation can still conduct their own practice, as it is possible to access past papers and mark schemes on exam board websites. Feeling confident and well prepared as a result of this can also reduce exam stress.
Study Skills
The emphasis at A level is for students to grow into independent thinkers and even those students who managed well at GCSE will need to hone their skills to tackle demanding A level syllabuses and examination papers. At MPW our Academic Support department runs weekly drop-in sessions to assist students in this. Some skills, such as research or evidence-gathering, will not have been exercised in such depth before now so do not be afraid to ask for support from your teachers with learning these. Experimenting with different study techniques is the best way to find out what works for you. For example, when you are revising try talking out loud rather than writing everything down and see whether this helps you to remember. Other study skills that will serve you well when you have perfected them are effective reading and note-taking.
Holistic Approach
Taking the time to consider your education as a whole can be very helpful as having a full overview of your studies can allow you to spot patterns or anomalies in performance. For example, if you are underperforming across all of your subjects (and you are working hard) then this is probably a sign that your study techniques are letting you down. If you are doing well across most but struggle with one, then consider what it is about that one subject that makes it the exception. It could be that you did not understand something a long time ago and have therefore struggled to build on this foundation of knowledge. Or perhaps you do understand but you are not fully demonstrating this knowledge to an examiner (for example through the use of key items of vocabulary). At MPW our students are mentored by a team of Directors of Studies who help them identify problems such as these, but if you do not have someone doing this at your school, try setting aside 15 minutes once a month to think about this.
The gap between GCSE and A level is a large one for all students, let alone those who are looking to improve on their performance. It is by no means impossible to navigate, however, and with some reflection and hard work, and the support of their school or college, I am sure that students will reap the rewards on Results Day.