Dr Mark Monaghan quoted in article on A-Level reforms
Students heading into the sixth form over the next few years face a particularly challenging time with the biggest shake-up of A-levels in more than a decade.
Dr Mark Monaghan was quoted in a Guardian article on A-Level reforms and the de-coupling of the AS Level from the A-Levels.
The article is entitled "A level reforms: a new level of confusion". Under the new system, students are free to take AS-levels, but instead of the result forming an element of the A-Level qualification it will in effect be a stand-alone qualification. This move will occur alongside the switch to a more linear system for A-Levels and away from the previous modular structure. In terms of admissions, Dr Monaghan is quoted explaining that "it plans to make offers largely based on predicted A-level grades, but could take account of AS grades. If a student is a near miss we might look at their AS marks, but I suspect it is not going to have too much of an impact in terms of entry requirements."
One possibility is that A-Level predicted grades become less grounded in evidence because more often than not they are currently made on performance at AS Level. As the article points out, however, the future is very much undecided not least because we are in the run up to a General Election and the main opposition have indicated that any proposed A-level reforms by the Coalition will be 'put on hold' by a Labour Government should that outcome be realised.
