AS level reforms sound 'death knell' for exams, headteachers warn

‘The decision to decouple these qualifications was an entirely unnecessary reform which is narrowing the curriculum and reducing student choice’

AS levels no longer count towards the full A-level qualification (Getty)

Government reforms to AS levels have sounded the “death knell” for the qualification, according to the professional body representing headteachers.

The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said the decision to stop them from counting towards a full A-level was made “against the advice of virtually everybody in education”.

The revelation comes as thousands of students prepare to receive their results.

Experts said schools – already pushed for resources – are focusing on the final qualification to save money.

Students now have less time to decide which subjects they want to specialise in, compared to under the old system.

In a survey by the Association of School and College Leaders, 65 per cent of school leaders said they had cut the number of AS level courses their institutions offered, and 90 per cent expected to do so in the future.

AS levels used to be studied as the first part of a full A-level course. Students usually did four subjects in their first year of study then progressed with three subjects to A2 level to gain a complete qualification.

But under government reforms being introduced to all subjects between 2015 and 2019, AS levels were “decoupled” from A-levels, meaning they no longer count towards the full award.

Provisional figures indicate entries for AS subjects fell by 42 per cent this year.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It is increasingly clear that government reforms have sounded the death knell for AS levels.

“AS levels allowed students to study four subjects knowing they would all count towards a qualification, either an AS level or a full A-level. They were intended as a way of broadening the curriculum and were valued by students, employers and universities.

“But the Government has decided – against the advice of virtually everybody in education – to make them standalone qualifications which no longer count towards the final A-level grade. Students now have to decide on their final three A-level choices at the outset, and schools and colleges are increasingly focusing on these qualifications to maximise teaching time, rather than holding exams for AS levels in Year 12 which do not count towards the final grade.

He added: “They are under severe funding pressures and cannot afford to run a suite of standalone AS levels. As a result, we are returning to a situation where students typically study three rather than four subjects in post-16 education.

“The great benefit of the old system was that it gave students a broader range of knowledge and allowed them to keep their options open for longer. The decision to decouple these qualifications was an entirely unnecessary reform which is narrowing the curriculum and reducing student choice.”