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Why do we need to do so many GCSEs? Are they really a good
preparation for life in the sixth form? What would happen
if we stopped making it a requirement to do nine, ten or
even eleven GCSEs?
In a new approach to the GCSE years, from September 2006,
Bedales students will combine five to seven GCSEs with other
courses, many of which will be Bedales Assessed Courses
(BACs), designed to combine rigour with flexibility and
to allow scope for individual exploration within a clear
syllabus framework.
The new curriculum is built around five compulsory GCSE
subjects - English, Mathematics, Science (Dual Award) and
a modern language. Students then have a considerable range
of choice as to how to they construct the remainder of their
programme and can use a combination of Bedales Assessed
Courses and other GCSEs or externally examined subjects.
These internally designed and assessed courses are the
most important and innovative elements of the new curriculum.
They are designed to fulfil our central educational aim
of developing inquisitive thinkers. The content is broad
and stimulating, offering cross-curricular opportunities
and being suited to a wide variety of learning styles. Internal
assessment will include a mixture of written assignments,
presentations, projects and performances, together with
terminal examinations as appropriate. Each course will be
externally moderated.
Early enquiries suggested that universities would take
a favourable view of our plans. This was borne out in a
more detailed survey carried out in autumn 2005, when we
sent a questionnaire to selected departments in 80 universities,
covering all the courses chosen by Bedales students leaving
in summer 2005. The great majority of responses to the questionnaire
regarded the changes as having no adverse impact whatever
on students' applications, and several foresaw a beneficial
effect on work at both sixth form and university level.
Full details of each course are available at www.bedales.org.uk/new
curriculum
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