From 2008 those entering the sixth form will have a choice of examinations. The larger schools may be able to offer a choice, but most schools will have to commit themselves to one of those below.
The differences are summarised: -

THE SIXTH FORM OPTIONS
- Colin Baker, Director of Studies at Bedford School

The 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper (2005) sets out an ambitious 10- year reform programme for England. The reforms aim to encourage more young people to continue learning for longer, and to gain the qualifications needed to progress into further and higher education or skilled employment.
From 2008, parents will have greater choice in post-16 education: A-level, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Pre-U and the Government’s latest initiative – The Diploma. With schools offering one, two, three or possibly all four options, parents will need to gather as much information as possible before choosing.


The Advanced Diploma will be available for 16+ students and will be worth more than three A-levels. The Diploma is designed to end the divide between practical and academic learning and the Government hopes the Diploma will make A-levels redundant. The Diploma will be available in five subjects: health, IT, construction, media and engineering. Eventually 14 vocational subjects will be introduced including science, languages and humanities and mixes classroom teaching, project work and workplace experience and the full entitlement to all 14 Diplomas Lines of Learning will be available by 2013. By ensuring that the new Advanced Diploma is broadly competitive with A-levels, the Government has placed the Diploma firmly within the spectrum of routes for university entry.


A-levels were first introduced in 1951 and have undergone many significant changes, the most recent seven years ago when the government introduced Curriculum 2000 which split the A-level into two parts, the AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A2 examinations. Some people believe we should challenge our A-level students further by increasing breadth in the curriculum, in addition to introducing more challenging options. However, there seems to be no clear consensus amongst pupils, parents, employers or universities on whether or how it should be done. A-levels will include 'Stretch and Challenge', intended to allow all young people to maximize their potential. There will be no additional paper or optional question for Stretch and Challenge; it will be within existing A2 units.


The new A-level will still be a 2 year course with the Lower 6 assessing AS modules in January and June and likewise for the Upper 6 assessing A2 modules. In the future the government will also introduce the A* grade to reward achievement in the more challenging questions in A-level exams. In the UK, Alevel results have risen for over 20 years in a row, with a 2005 pass rate (A–E) of 96.2% and 22.8% of A-level final results were graded A The UCAS tariff, an attempt to correlate all examination scores, rates a score of 45 points as six and a half grade A A-levels (A2s) and 36 points as four and a half grade A A-levels.

This revolution in Britain's education system has started a counter-revolution in independent schools, many of which now look set to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) in place of A-levels. At Bedford School we have offered the baccalaureate from September 2003 partly because we believe that this course offers a better chance to study a broad range of subjects in depth, and partly because we are concerned about grade inflation at A-level.


AS-levels were a good idea, designed to attract more pupils nation-wide into sixth forms and to bridge the gap between GCSE and A-level studies. Most teachers agree that while recent reforms will reduce the number of exam sittings, the time to explore has been eroded. Moreover there is little evidence to suggest that AS-levels have indeed broadened the curriculum: according to Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) data, mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology are the most popular combination of four subjects among students.


The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is an international nonprofit educational foundation, founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland and is independent of any national government. The IB is a viable alternative, with a broader and more rigorous examination than A-level. Breadth is achieved by the choice the students have to make. They take six subjects in total: three at higher level and three at standard level.


For the IB Diploma, students must study English (Group 1), a foreign language (Group 2), a humanities subject (Group 3), a science (Group 4), mathematics (Group 5) and another subject, either from Group 6 (art, music, theatre studies) or one from another group. This allows pupils to choose two foreign languages, or two humanities or two sciences. Each subject is worth seven points, giving a score of 42. Pupils are also expected to produce an extended essay and to follow a course on the theory of knowledge, which together are worth three points. Finally, they must participate actively (150 hours) in a community service or creativity programme, even though no points are awarded for this part of the curriculum. The total points available are 45.


In general British universities seem keen to see more use of the baccalaureate in schools, believing it to be a better preparation for further education than the current A-levels. The University of Sheffield regards the IB as a good preparation for university study and is pleased to consider candidates offering the IB Diploma accordingly. Most departments are likely to make offers in the region of 28-33 points...


Our Sixth Form at Bedford offers a wide range of choices within the IB programme, leading to final examinations at the end of Year 13 and the award of the IB Diploma. We believe that the International Baccalaureate Organisation recognises that we live in a changing environment and is constantly striving to produce a curriculum which meets the demands of that world. In the thirty years since its founding, the IB Diploma has become a symbol of academic integrity and intellectual promise. It has genuine breadth and coherence and it also develops initiative and resourcefulness. The IB is a very effective and highly successful preparation for university and the world of employment.


The fourth choice open to parents is a brand new option, about to be approved by the UK government, called the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma. The structure of each Pre-U syllabus is linear which differentiates it from the UK AS and A Levels, which are modular (modular courses are assessed by module tests throughout the course) but is a similar method of assessment to the IB diploma.


Under proposals currently in consultation, to complete the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma students will study three Pre-U Principal subjects. Students can chose subjects freely from across the curriculum. For the Diploma, students must also complete an Independent Research Report and a Global Perspectives portfolio. To have access to the full number of points available within the Diploma, the student must also record achievement in a Short Course subject.


The Independent Research Report will be a Diploma requirement for candidates to submit a report based on work done beyond individual subject syllabuses, on a topic chosen by the candidate. In many ways this is similar to the IB Extended Essay.


The Global Perspectives course, in the form of a series of seminars, encourages students to explore those challenges that will face them as young people in the modern world – wherever they may live and work. The assessment will also include the development of detailed research proposals, one of which may form the basis of the Independent Research Report.


A student may of course take more than three Principal Subjects. The Diploma transcript, as a complete record of achievement, will include details of performance over and above the ‘cap’ required for the award of the Diploma. The Cambridge Pre-U Diploma, like the IB, will have a maximum point score of 45, made up from Principal Subjects (3 x 10 points); a Short Course (5 points), Global Perspectives Portfolio (5 points) and Independent Research Report (5 points). Some students may even choose to do another Principal subject.


However, the maximum points available will be 45. The consequences of all this are that we shall have a more fragmented system than before and those about to embark on Sixth Form careers will require even more advice than ever before.

Colin Baker is currently Director of Studies at Bedford School. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a distinguished teacher and lecturer. His presentation on Thunder and Lightning includes a number of classic chemistry demonstrations not normally seen in science lessons. In 2006 he was awarded the highly coveted B D Shaw Demonstration Lecture Medal.