The future of GCSE and A Level classical qualifications

In December 2021, the Classical Association joined forces with Classics for All to survey the teaching community to gain a better understanding of both the current state of classics and the experience of teachers in schools across the country. The results prompted the Classical Association to begin a review of the English classical qualifications, in anticipation of the next round of exam reform. The aim is to better prepare the subject community for reform, and to ensure that the voices of teachers are at the forefront of these conversations.

As a result, the CA has created Subject Advisory Teams for each of the subject areas, made up of practitioners from across the country and from a variety of educational settings. These teams are overseen by a Steering Committee which comprises representatives from the CA, Classics for All, and a teacher independent to the Subject Teams. At present, the teams are reviewing the current specifications and prioritising the areas for development in each of the subjects areas.

The Classical Association is working in collaboration with the exam boards to ensure that the views of the teaching community are heard as clearly as possible in order to shape their work both on the current specifications and plans for the future.