'Relentless' GCSE resit cycle 'simply not working', school and college leaders say

The relentless cycle of students failing and retaking their GCSEs in maths and English in England is not proving effective, according to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). Nearly one in four of these resits are taken by students aged 17 and older, often indicating a pattern of repeated failure. The ASCL believes this cycle is akin to "force feeding" students an endless diet of GCSE English and maths, limiting their educational and career prospects.

The current system sees many courses and jobs dependent on GCSE passes in these subjects, trapping students in a loop of resits. The government intends to alleviate this problem by introducing a new "stepping stone" qualification at Level 1, one level below GCSEs, for students who fail to pass GCSE maths or English. This qualification would provide essential knowledge and skills, allowing students to resit only when they are ready.

While the stepping stone qualification is a positive step, experts suggest it should be available to students before their first failure. Some students, like Marianne's older son Tobias, have experienced the frustration of continuing to fail after multiple attempts. He is now looking forward to pursuing his university aspirations in history teaching, but the pressure to constantly resit GCSE exams is taking a toll on him.

The stepping stone qualification could offer a solution, providing students like Abdi, who has failed his exams for the third time, with a chance to move forward. However, addressing the issue requires looking beyond the resit cycle and focusing on foundational education from an early age, as highlighted by Catherine Sezen from the Association of Colleges.