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 II

Preliminary pages

[page iii]

Part I of this report, which is published as a separate volume, contains the main report of the Steering Committee. This volume (Part II) contains the reports to that Committee of its sub-groups (the Educational Study Group and the Cost Study Group).

Table of contents
[pages v - xii]

PART II

Report of the Educational Study Group
Report of the Cost Study Group
The Examining Boards of England and Wales (abbreviations used in the reports)

REPORT OF THE EDUCATIONAL STUDY GROUP

Membership

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: The feasibility of a common system of examining

Definition of a common system
Nature of the evidence
Our approach to the task
The structure of a common system
Common examination and choice of paper
Feasibility
Other Matters

Chapter 2: English (Language and Literature)

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range

English language
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Extension
Conclusion

English literature
Conclusion

Chapter 3: Mathematics

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus, the examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 4: Science

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
The syllabus and the examination
Marking and grading
The examination and the ability range
Conclusion

Chapter 5: History

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 6: Geography

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 7: Modern languages

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 8: Classics

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Extension
Conclusion

Chapter 9: Commerce

Introduction
The evidence
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
Conclusion

Chapter 10: Social science

Introduction
The evidence
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Extension
Conclusion

Chapter 11: Religious studies

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The syllabus and the examination
The examination and the ability range
Conclusion

Chapter 12: Craft, design and technology

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 13: Technical drawing

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 14: Home economics

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The examination and the ability range
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 15: Needlecraft and dress

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The examination and the ability range
Conclusion

Chapter 16: Art

Introduction
The evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and examination
Marking and grading
Conclusion

Chapter 17: Music

Introduction
Evidence
The ability range
The syllabus and objectives
The examination and the ability range
Extension
Conclusion

Chapter 18: Further work

Appendices

Appendix A: List of those consulted

Appendix B: Questions formulated by the Joint Examinations Sub-Committee (JESC) of the Schools Council

Questions formulated by the Educational Study Group

Appendix C: Summary of Statistics of Entries for GCE O Level, CSE and Joint Examinations, Summer 1976

Appendix D: Summary of Information about the Joint Examinations

English
Mathematics
Science
    Biology
    Chemistry
    Physics
History
Geography
Modern Languages
    French
    German
Classical subjects
Commerce
Social science
Religious studies
Craft, design and technology
Technical drawing
Home economics
Needlecraft and dress
Art
Music

List of tables

Table 1: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in English language and literature. 1973-1977

Table 2: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in mathematics. 1972-1977

Table 3: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in the sciences. 1973-1977

Table 4: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in history. 1973-1977

Table 5: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in geography. 1973-1977

Table 6: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in modern languages. 1974-1977

Table 7: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in classics. 1974-1977

Table 8: The consortium and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in commerce. 1974-1977

Table 9: The consortium and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in social science. 1975-1976

Table 10: The consortium and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in religious studies. 1975-1976

Table 11: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in craft, design and technology. 1974-1977

Table 12: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in technical drawing. 1973-1977

Table 13: The consortium and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in home economics. 1973-1977

Table 14: The consortium and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in needlecraft and dress. 1973-1977

Table 15: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in art. 1973-1974

Table 16: The consortia and number of candidates involved in the joint examinations held in music. 1974-1977

REPORT OF THE COST STUDY GROUP

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Costs in 1976

I EXAMINATION BOARD COSTS

The expenditure pattern
Total board expenditure
Total 16+ expenditure
Activity analysis

II 'HIDDEN' COSTS

Summary of teacher deployment
The involvement of individual teachers in examining
Local Education Authorities
Personnel
Use of premises
In-service training
School direct expenditures on examinations

III SCHOOL-LEA OVERT COSTS

LEA policies
Provision of materials

Chapter 3: Costing a common system

EXAMINATION BOARD COSTS
Changes likely irrespective of administrative organisation
Changes likely as a result of changes in administrative and educational arrangements
Examples of possible administrative structures
Summary of cost changes

PREMISES COSTS

EXTERNAL CONSIDERATIONS

Chapter 4: Changeover costs

Syllabus Development
Board Staffing
Computer Costs
'Hidden' Costs
School and LEA Costs

Annexes

Annex A
    Schedule I: Summary of total expenditure
    Schedule II: Costs for non 16+ examinations
    Schedule III: 16+ examination costs
    Schedule IV: Detailed description of the Board's procedures with costs and volumes of activity (completed by examining boards)

Annex B 8 tables of board costs and subject entries in 1976

Annex C 2 questionnaires completed by teachers in schools visited (with notes for guidance)

List of tables

Table 1: Total expenditure of the boards

Table 2: Direct costs per subject entry for English CSE boards

Table 3: Analysis of activity by type of expenditure

Table 4: Analysis of expenditure by activities

Table 5: The pattern of boards' expenditure on 16+ examinations and the levels of subject entries in England and Wales

Table 6: Estimated effect of elimination of double entries and increase of winter entries on examining boards' expenditure

Table 7: Expenditure of the WJEC and the 14 largest English boards, and of the remaining 6 examining boards (1976)

Table 8: Suggested revised pattern of expenditure assuming all examining handled by 15 examining boards

Table 9: Possible range of costs of running a common system - items common to all models

Table 10: Possible range of costs of running a common system - all models

Table 11: Estimated annual costs for developing syllabuses for a common system of examining over (a) 3 years and (b) 5 years

Diagrams

Histogram showing direct expenditure of the boards on 16+ examinations and of the GCE boards on all examinations

Diagram A: Total direct cost per subject entry for each board in relation to the size of its operation

Diagram B: Total direct salaries cost per subject entry for each board in relation to the size of its operation

The examining boards of England and Wales
[page xiii]

Abbreviations used in this report

Membership of the Educational Study Group
[pages xiv - xv]

CHAIRMAN

*Mr JA Hudson CB, Department of Education and Science

MEMBERS

*Miss SJ Browne CB, HM Inspectorate
*Mrs Lorna Denton JP, Parent Member of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher
Associations National Executive; Secretary, Derbyshire Federation of Parent Teacher Associations
*Mr AH Jennings CBE, Headmaster, Ecclesfield Comprehensive School, Sheffield
Mr RD Nixon, Director of Education, Walsall
Dr DL Nuttall JP, Secretary, Middlesex Regional Examining Board
Mr RD Price, County Education Officer, Dorset County Council
Mr IM Richardson, Headmaster, Bancroft's School, Woodford Green; Chairman, Examinations Committee, University of London, University Entrance and School Examinations Council
*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)

Appointments shown are those held by members at the time of their appointmen to the Group.

*Denotes also member of the Steering Committee.

SECRETARIAT OF THE EDUCATIONAL STUDY GROUP

Mr BC Arthur HMI
Mr BL Baish (until 8 March 1978)
Mr DV Stafford (from 8 March 1978)

Membership of the Cost Study Group

CHAIRMAN

*Dr Barbara E Marsh JP, Chairman, Shropshire Education Committee

MEMBERS

Mr BC Arthur, HM Inspectorate
Mr DH Board, Secretary, Metropolitan Regional Examinations Board
*Mr RH Bird, Department of Education and Science (to 5 September 1977)
*Mr Ron Cocking, Headmaster, Colmers Farm Junior School, B.irmingham
*Mr W Cooke OBE, Headmaster, Highfield Comprehensive School, Gateshead (died 17M arch 1978)
Mr VJ Delany, Director of Financial Services, Department of Education and Science
*Mr PH Halsey MVO, Department of Education and Science (from 5 September 1977)
Mr S Hughes, formerly Headmaster, Burnage High School for Boys, Manchester (from 23 September 1977)
Mr J Morris, Deputy Education Officer, Essex Education Authority
Mr GW Nethersell, Assistant Treasurer (Education), Coventry
Dr F Wild, Secretary, Cambridge University Local Examinations Syndicate

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

*Denotes also member of the Steering Committee.

CONSULTANT

Mr J Feilden, Peat, Marwick and Mitchell & Co

SECRETARIAT

Mr BL Baish (until 8 March 1978)
Mr DV Stafford (from 8 March 1978)

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