A survey of secondary school teachers in England conducted by Teacher Tapp on behalf of the Association of School and College Leaders uncovers a worrying picture of the impact on students of the current GCSE system.
Under the previous government, the content and structure of GCSE exams was made more challenging.
Reforms were introduced in 2015, with the first cohorts taking the new exams in 2017 and 2018 across a range of subjects. The major changes comprised more challenging material, a move from modular assessment to a focus on final exams, and a change in the grading system. As a result almost all examination now takes place at the end of the course resulting in a large number of examinations in a six-week period.
Previous analysis undertaken by ASCL in 2017 found that a pupil taking a typical set of the new GCSEs would spend over eight extra hours sitting exams compared to the old system – a total length of 33 hours.
Our recent survey conducted in June 2024 asked: “Thinking of your Year 11 students who just took their exams, which of the following things happened this academic year?”
| Mental health issues related to exam anxiety |
77% |
| Alternative arrangements necessary for taking exams due to exam anxiety |
74% |
| Students arriving or leaving the exam hall in distress |
47% |
| Parents contacting the school due to worry about how their child is coping with exam pressure |
58% |
| Students were withdrawn from GCSE exams due to exam anxiety |
28% |
| Students not attending school due to exam anxiety |
65% |
| Students experiencing physical reactions to the stress of exams during the exam period |
46% |
| None of these |
5% |
| Unique responders |
4685 |
The new government has
launched a curriculum and assessment review chaired by Professor Becky Francis. Its aims include: “An assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum, with the right balance of assessment methods whilst maintaining the important role of examinations.”
Students typically take GCSEs in 7-10 subjects under the current system, and our survey shows that the majority of teachers think this is “about right”.
| Too many |
16% |
| About right |
77% |
| Too few |
3% |
| This doesn’t apply to our school |
4% |
| Unique responders |
5256 |
There was an even split between teachers on the question: “Do you believe there are too many papers/hours of terminal examinations for the subject you teach at GCSE?”
| Yes |
47% |
| No |
46% |
| Not sure |
6% |
| Unique responders |
5014 |
English teachers and humanities teachers were more likely to say there were too many papers/ hours of terminal examinations in their subjects (61% and 59% respectively).
Overall, there was support for some type of reform of the current system with only 4% favouring no changes. Our survey asked: “What changes, if any, would you like to see in assessments at 16.”
| Fewer subjects studied at GCSE |
10% |
| Fewer terminal exams in each subject |
31% |
| More vocational subjects available as GCSEs |
50% |
| Return of ‘half GCSE’ qualifications |
17% |
| Tiered papers in more subjects |
31% |
| Reduction of content within individual subjects |
55% |
| More use of non-exam assessment |
36% |
| Options for modular exams throughout the year |
51% |
| Scrap national assessments at 16 |
9% |
| Another change not listed above |
10% |
| No changes |
4% |
| Unique responders |
5071 |
The survey took place in June 2024 and was of secondary teachers in England, including those in independent schools.
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
"The findings from our survey paint a deeply concerning picture of the significant impact that the current GCSE system is having on the mental health of our students.
“These results are a stark reminder that the changes made to GCSEs under the previous government have had unintended and detrimental consequences on our young people. It is clear that the current high-stakes, end-of-course exam model is causing significant stress and anxiety among students, which is unacceptable.
“While the majority of teachers believe that the number of subjects taken at GCSE is about right, most appear to favour some sort of change to the assessment process.
“ASCL welcomes Labour's review of curriculum and assessment. It is vital that we strike the right balance of assessment methods while preserving the integrity of examinations. The wellbeing of our students must be at the forefront of any reforms. We look forward to working with the new government to develop a system that supports the mental health of students, reduces unnecessary stress, and provides a fair and balanced approach to assessment.
“It is also important that any changes to the existing system are manageable for education staff to administer and implement and are introduced in a way that does not overload them.”