An inquiry set up by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has called for the English Language GCSE to be scrapped and replaced with a ‘Passport in English’ qualification.

The inquiry was launched to boost the prospects of what ASCL calls the “forgotten third” of students who do not achieve at least a grade 4 in GCSE English and Maths.

Covering English teaching and learning from early years through to age 18, the inquiry report makes a number of recommendations to improve the prospects of students not achieving at least a grade 4 pass in GCSE English at the end of their schooling. Key recommendations include:

• The introduction of a ‘Passport in English’ to replace the current English Language GCSE driven by a DfE/Ofqual/professional associations working group. This passport qualification would be taken by all students ‘graduating’ from school/college into the workplace or higher education.
• The Passport would be criterion referenced comprising online assessment, a portfolio of a student’s writing and a significant oracy component. The qualification could be taken at different levels between the ages of 15 and 19, replacing GCSE resits.
• All students should continue to take GCSE English Literature as a core subject to encourage curriculum breadth but it should be taken at the end of year 11 only.
• The DfE and Ofqual should no longer use the “unhelpful” terminology of ’standard’ and ‘strong’ pass to describe GCSE results – “a grade is a grade”.

It is also recommended that similar consideration be given to a companion 'Passport in Maths'.