Waddell (1978)

Notes on the text

Part I

Preliminary pages Contents, Membership
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Educational matters
Chapter 3 Structure of the examining system
Chapter 4 Cost
Chapter 5 Conclusions
Appendices

Part II

Preliminary pages Contents, Membership

Report of the Education Study Group (ESG)

Glossary, Introduction
Chapter 1 Feasibility of common exam system
Chapter 2 English
Chapter 3 Mathematics
Chapter 4 Science
Chapter 5 History
Chapter 6 Geography
Chapter 7 Modern languages
Chapter 8 Classics
Chapter 9 Commerce
Chapter 10 Social science
Chapter 11 Religious studies
Chapter 12 Craft design and technology
Chapter 13 Technical drawing
Chapter 14 Home economics
Chapter 15 Needlecraft and dress
Chapter 16 Art
Chapter 17 Music
Chapter 18 Further work
Appendix A List of witnesses
Appendix B Questions
Appendix C Statistics
Appendix D Joint examinations

Report of the Cost Study Group (CSG)

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Costs in 1976
Chapter 3 Costing a common system
Chapter 4 Changeover costs
Annexes

Report of the Steering Committee established to consider proposals for replacing the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level and Certificate of Secondary Education examinations by a common system of examining

Chairman: Sir James Waddell CB

Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Secretary of State for Wales by Command of Her Majesty July 1978

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1978
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Part I: Cmnd 7281-I
Part II: Cmnd 7281-II

Part I

Preliminary pages

[page iii]

The Rt Hon Shirley Williams, MP
Secretary of State for Education and Science

The Rt Hon John Morris, QC, MP
Secretary of State for Wales

June 1978

Dear Secretaries of State

I have much pleasure in submitting the report of the Steering Committee which was established last year to oversee further study of the proposals for a common system of examining at 16+.

In the course of our work we set up two study groups, one to consider in detail the educational aspects of our task and the other to consider the cost implications of a common system. The reports which we received from both groups are submitted with our own.

The Committee recommend that you should publish their own report. Although this may be read as a self-contained document, it was represented to us by the interests most directly concerned with 16+ examinations, notably the GCE and CSE examining boards, that there would be considerable advantage in making available the fullest possible account of our work. The Committee agreed and also recommend that the two study group reports should be published alongside their own.

Yours sincerely

SlR JAMES WADDELL (Chairman).

TABLE OF CONTENTS
[pages v - vi]

PART I

Report of the Steering Committee

Membership

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Background
The Schools Council's proposals
Other matters

CHAPTER 2 EDUCATIONAL MATTERS

Feasibility

Report of the Educational Study Group
    Definition of a common system
    Range of ability covered by a common system
    The evidence reviewed by the Group Curricular issues
    Nature of examinations in a common system
    The Group's findings
    Further work recommended by the Group
Our approach to the Educational Study Group's report

CHAPTER 3 STRUCTURE OF THE EXAMINING SYSTEM

Principles relating to administrative change
Possibilities considered by the Committee
Cooperation between boards Distribution of work within examining groups
Structure of examining groups Choice of board
Coordination at national level

CHAPTER IV COST

Introduction
Costs of operating a common system
'Hidden' costs
Changeover costs
Our approach to the Group's report

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS

General
Summary
    Educational matters
    Structure of the examining system
    Cost
    Sequence and timing of events

APPENDICES

Appendix A Membership of the Educational Study Group

Appendix B Membership of the Cost Study Group

Appendix C 1976 GCE O Level and CSE entries (England and Wales) by board

Appendix D Schools Council: decisions of Governing Council on a common system of examining at 16+ (8 July 1976)

Table: The pattern of GCE and CSE board expenditure, 1976

PART II (continued in separate volume)

Report of the Educational Study Group

Report of the Cost Study Group

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE
[pages vii - viii]

CHAIRMAN

Sir James Waddell CB

MEMBERS

Mr RH Bird, Department of Education and Science (to 5 September 1977)
Miss SJ Browne CB, HM Inspectorate
Mr AMG Christopher, Secretary, Inland Revenue Staff Federation (from 14 November 1977)
Mr Ron Cocking, Headmaster, Colmers Farm Junior School, Birmingham
Mr Walter Cooke OBE, Headmaster, Highfield Comprehensive School, Gateshead (died 17 March 1978)
Mrs Lorna Denton JP, Parent Member of National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations National Executive; Secretary, Derbyshire Federation of Parent Teacher Associations
Mr LCS Green, Headmaster, Northfield Comprehensive School, Birmingham (from 12 January 1978)
Mr AH Jennings CBE, Headmaster, Ecclesfield Comprehensive School, Sheffield
Mr PH Halsey MVO, Department of Education and Science (from 5 September 1977)
Councillor Peter Horton Chairman, Association of Metropolitan Authorities Education Committee; Chairman, Sheffield Education Committee
Mr JA Hudson CB, Department of Education and Science
Dr Barbara E Marsh JP, Chairman, Shropshire Education Committee
Mr Deryck E Mumford CBE, Principal, Cambridge College of Arts and Technology
Mr BWE Pearson JP, Chairman, Education and Training Committee, Birmingham Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Dr William Taylor, Director, University of London Institute of Education
Mrs Pat Turner, National Woman Officer, General and Municipal Workers Union (to 19 September 1977)
Mr JE Williams, Headmaster, Prestatyn High School, Clwyd, Wales
Miss Sheila D Wood CBE, Hon. Secretary, Joint Executive Committee of the Associations of Head Masters, Head Mistresses, Assistant Masters and Assistant Mistresses (the Joint Four)

JOINT SECRETARIES TO THE COMMITTEE

Mr AED Chamier, Department of Education and Science
Mr PM Dines, Joint Secretary, Schools Council for Curriculum and Examinations

Appointments shown are those held by members at the time of their appointment to the Steering Committee.

The estimated cost of the production of the Report (Parts I and II) is £195,909, of which £56,909 represents the estimated cost of printing and publication.