Department for Education consultation on A-levels

16 July 2014

Commenting on the launch of a consulation on A-level reform by the Department for Education, Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, said:

"We are glad the Department for Education are consulting on ALCAB’s recommendations; they will help make A-levels more interesting for students and teachers and also better prepare students for university or employment.

"ALCAB is right to highlight the importance of ensuring A-level content is rich and engaging for students, and not simply a recycling of material covered at GCSE. They are also right to highlight the value our universities place on AS-levels.  

"A-levels should equip young people with the skills and knowledge to study a range of challenging courses at leading universities, as well as providing the necessary depth for those who want to specialise further.

"We support ALCAB’s call for more consistency of content in the subjects they reviewed, which will give our universities greater confidence that students have the right core knowledge and skills to start their degrees."

Related case studies

University of Southampton BM6 Programme

The University of Southampton also runs a six-year medical degree programme, ‘BM6’, with the aim of widening access to medicine for students from more diverse backgrounds and providing them with the support they need to succeed both on the course and in the profession.

Read more >

Further examples of how Russell Group universities are helping to raise attainment

Russell Group universities work extensively with schools and colleges of all types, across the UK, to support teachers to identify and build on potential – and to raise the attainment of pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Read more >