Cambridge chief urges A-Level revamp
The current A-Level format is failing to distinguish the exceptional from “sloggers”, according to the director of admissions at Cambridge University.
Geoff Parks said that the Government’s white paper on reform of 14 to 19 education will fail to solve the problem of so many pupils with almost identical grades applying to over-subscribed courses at the best universities.
Current plans would see the implementation of an optional extra paper to test the applied thinking skills of the top pupils, but Dr Parks is concerned that bright state schools pupils may not take the paper because they are not confident enough in their own ability.
He therefore advocates the introduction of a compulsory section to test their “brilliance”.
Dr Parks suggested that for the second section the student would receive a numerical grade from 1 to 5.
The very best would then get A1 but a brilliant but unconventional student could get B1 and a hardworking but middle of the road student could get A4.
Ultimately though, Mr Parks is a strong supporter of the Tomlinson Report’s recommendation of a single overreaching diploma comprising both vocational and academic courses should be introduced.
Speaking to The Guardian ahead of a presentation to Brighton College, Dr Parks said: “We fear that kids who aren’t confident in their own abilities – bright kids from less good schools who haven’t been polished up – will not do the questions if they aren’t compulsory.”
Education charity the Sutton Trust said the idea of a two-part grading system was “innovative” but urged that a generic admissions test – like the American SAT test – be considered.
Chairman Sir Peter Lampl said: “We know from our own work that disadvantaged young people generally have lower expectations and get less encouragement to aim high than their more advantaged peers. Further, they tend to be concentrated in schools in challenging circumstances that do not have the resources to devote to raising attainment for the most academically able. So they would be less likely to take optional exams, such as the Advanced Extension Awards, even if they have the ability to succeed.”
But he added that an admissions test would “both help to identify hidden talent that is missed by traditional exams, and also enable universities like Cambridge to differentiate between candidates with top A-Level grades”.
