Destination: Pre-U!

The decision to move away from A Level and adopt the Pre-U was not an easy one but, as Emma McKendrick of Downe House reveals, it is already proving the right choice for her school.

I have always wanted the girls at my school to leave with a passion for learning, an ability to study independently, and have the confidence to do so. To achieve this, they should have had the encouragement to be life-long learners; they should have had their intellectual curiosity awakened and they should have an understanding of the world around them. All that may sound rather ambitious but at the heart of this needs to be an examination with the philosophy of, and approach to, education that enables this to be achieved. The loss of confidence in A Level forced us to look elsewhere and, at the end of this journey, we took the decision to adopt the Pre-U qualification.

The first question I had was what part the Pre-U could play in helping my school achieve our goals, and how can it do so more effectively than the current A Level system or the International Baccalaureate (IB)? The Pre-U Diploma was developed and designed to respond to a request from a group of independent school Heads who were deeply concerned by the diminished value of the A Level system but also concerned by the very prescriptive nature of the IB. By contrast, the Pre-U is made up of three principal subjects which can be drawn from any area of the curriculum and all combinations are possible.

Syllabi are rich in content, rigorous and designed to be stimulating and challenging, as well as to prepare students for the requirements of university courses. In addition to these three principal subjects, students follow a Global Perspectives Course in the Lower Sixth and complete an Independent Research Report in their final year. The Global Perspectives element ensures that global issues are discussed and considered from a variety of different standpoints. It recognises that we live in an era of great international mobility and the importance of enabling our young people to compete effectively in the workplace. In addition to allowing the acquisition of skills relevant to study at this level (deconstructing an argument, analysing the material, and reconstructing an argument), presentation skills and research skills are tested too. The Independent Research Report - a 4,500 to 5,000 word essay - genuinely rewards independent thinking and research. The less help a student receives, the higher the marks she or he will gain. As for the topics that can be researched, they are as broad as the scope of human knowledge! Perhaps the final key feature of the Pre-U is that this is a linear qualification not a modular one. Students therefore sit their examinations at the end of the two-year course rather than in bite size chunks throughout the course as is the case with A Levels.

A Levels require that students typically sit four papers for each subject. Two are often sat at the end of the Lower Sixth and two at the end of the Upper, although it is possible to sit and re-sit these modules in January of the Lower and Upper Sixth. Such a potentially continuous programme of examinations denies, I believe, our young people the opportunity to go into their subjects in great depth. Examinations dominate and erode the teaching time available significantly. Instead, adopting a holistic approach to the delivery of a syllabus facilitates a greater overall understanding of different topics within a subject and allows for connections between them to be made. Not having constant examinations provides the high flyers, those who need longer to mature or who may be weaker or less confident, to grow into the subject before they have to be assessed formally. None of this is possible with A Level.

I feel, in principle, too that re-sitting modules so easily undermines the value of a qualification and, as the saying goes, 'you do not make a pig fatter by weighing it more often' and you certainly do not make students more intelligent by assessing them more frequently! You do, however, enhance their enjoyment, awaken their intellectual curiosity, develop their confidence, impart significant amounts of knowledge, and prepare students properly for university and higher education through effective teaching. I believe that the value of the additional teaching time created by the loss of modular examinations cannot be underestimated.

It is not only learning that is liberated but teaching too. Discussions in our Common Room have moved away from how best to enable candidates to jump through examination hoops, and time is no longer spent counting the number of points required for a candidate to move into the next grade level. (Pupils too are no longer able to work out that they only require a certain score on their final paper to achieve an 'A' grade.) There can be no greater obstacle to creating an environment in which a love of learning can be at the heart of our educational experience, if we can reduce it in part to tactical point counting. Conversations now revolve around subject matter, teaching methodology and, of course, in the classroom, there is time to deviate from the set lesson plan to explore issues as they occur. The learning journey can take twists and turns that can be refreshing and, above all, inspiring!

Entry to university is undoubtedly competitive, as is entry into the workplace. The Pre-U's more highly defined grading structure allows universities really to differentiate at the top end of the scale which should assist with entry decisions.Post university, students coming out of higher education with less than a 2.1 or a 1st class honours degree will find some careers closed to them. With this in mind, a curriculum which not only recognises a wide range of individual talents, interests and abilities but also provides a depth of knowledge and rigour, will enable students to thrive at university. They will be able to start their courses quite simply knowing more and having had the opportunity to work more independently. In fact, as mentioned in relation to the Independent Research Report, candidates will be actively rewarded through the mark schemes for independent work.

The question must, however, be outstanding as to how this rivals the other linear option of the IB? There is no doubt that the IB is an excellent qualification that meets the needs of many and is broad and rigorous in its approach. The issue for me is one of the lack of flexibility afforded by the IB system. The IB focuses on breadth and the requirement to choose subjects from a number of set groups does not suit everyone. Many students do know what they want to study; they want to specialise and do three sciences or humanities. It seems wrong not to allow a high flying scientist or linguist, for example, the freedom to explore her or his passions. The Pre-U offers choice which meets the needs of the individual student, but ensures breadth through its global perspectives course and thus, arguably in my opinion, offers the best of both worlds.

With the first year of teaching the Pre-U well underway, I am pleased to report that there are no regrets! It has enabled us the space and time to explore topics in depth, to build confidence, to develop independent learning skills and encourage a love of learning. However, there are also no rose-tinted spectacles. The adrenalin is flowing appropriately as on any unfamiliar journey; no system is perfect or flawless but I do feel that the Pre-U certainly offers a framework that allows us to embrace our educational philosophy. It enjoys recognition by UK universities, American universities and colleges and many other world-wide higher education institutions as well as enjoying freedom from Government control and intervention - something that A Levels cannot escape. Changes to Pre-U syllabi are planned well in advance and are designed by teachers and university lecturers working together. Feedback is taken seriously and there is a sense that schools can play a role in shaping the future of the qualification.

Above all else, our parents have been exceptionally supportive of this change. Many feel that the A Level system, in its current form, has had its day. They see universities struggling to select pupils; they see young people perpetually preparing for examinations and they long for the opportunity for their children to have the space and time to explore their academic subjects and interests.

'Developing well-informed, open and independent minded individuals capable of applying their skills to meet the demands of the world as they will find it and over which they may have influence' remains at the heart of the Pre-U's philosophy and it is therefore no surprise that the interest in and take-up of this curriculum continues to grow not just in the UK but also globally. This may currently be the road 'less travelled by' but, from our perspective, it has made all the difference to the quality of the educational experience we are able to offer.

Emma McKendrick is the Headmistress of Downe House School.

This article first appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of Attain.