Stop panicking – the assessment is years away

By Kristy Turner2016-02-23T15:35:00

Advanced assessment shutterstock 276047690 300tb[1]

Source: © Shutterstock

Teaching to the test is not something we should strive for, says Kristy Turner

The secondary science community is in a bit of a flap. The specifications for the new GCSEs have not yet been approved. There are drafts available, but many schools have already begun teaching GCSE courses to their Year 9 students while in the dark about what the specs will hold.

I can’t help but think the hysteria is getting a little out of control. In the uncertainty about the future of our assessments we have lost sight of what we’re actually teaching. I teach chemistry, not AQA iGCSE Level 1/2 certificate chemistry, although that’s what it will say on the exam papers.

Kristy Turner considers our examination fixation, have we started to put assessments ahead of the science?

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.