Category Archives: A levels

Not Knowing Where You Are Going

Posted on 19 May 2024 by Athene Donald

One of the initiatives I started when I became Master of Churchill College was a series of public conversations with eminent women, many – but by no means all – academics. To start with I was quite nervous: would I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, careers, Churchill College, education, Fens, Science 2040, Science Culture, Sharon Peacock | Comments Off on Not Knowing Where You Are Going

Educational Disadvantage

Posted on 1 September 2023 by Athene Donald

With many schools in England apparently in danger of crumbling around or upon pupils, the start of the new school year offers the potential, once again, of being disrupted for thousands of pupils. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, generati… Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, education, Equality, pandemic, reading | Comments Off on Educational Disadvantage

What’s Wrong with T Levels?

Posted on 25 July 2023 by Athene Donald

If you are an English reader, reading this blog, the chances are high that you studied (or are studying) A Levels before going to university. Alternative options are available post-16, but they are currently in a state of flux, whether … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, education, Further Education, Levelling Up, post-16 | Comments Off on What’s Wrong with T Levels?

Getting the Skills Right for Successful Levelling Up

Posted on 30 January 2022 by Athene Donald

We await the Levelling Up White Paper. It is not easy to read the tealeaves of this turbulent political time to work out when the delay is likely to be terminated, although the last rumour I heard has it down … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, Core Maths, education, michael gove, qualifications, technicians | Comments Off on Getting the Skills Right for Successful Levelling Up

Rethinking Qualifications? It’s About Time

Posted on 8 January 2021 by Athene Donald

For the second year running our school assessment system is up in the air, for totally understandable reasons. A Levels were explicitly cancelled but the Government seemed incapable of giving a clear answer about this month’s BTec’s, the vocational equivalent. … Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, BTec, Charles Clarke, David Goodhart, David Sainsbury, education, skills | Comments Off on Rethinking Qualifications? It’s About Time

Reflections on a Mad Week in Higher Education

Posted on 20 August 2020 by Athene Donald

Readers from the UK can hardly fail to have noticed the confusion across the HE sector caused by last week’s A level ‘results’.  I recall how many people had been voicing fears during the past months that the disadvantaged would … Continue reading →

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Choosing an Oxbridge College

Posted on 25 August 2015 by Athene Donald

As one cohort of students are celebrating (or coming to terms with) which university they’ll be heading off to this autumn, another cohort are considering their Year 12 results. For this latter group, decisions loom about UCAS forms. Which universities … Continue reading →

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Well-rounded Students – What does it Take?

Posted on 26 June 2014 by Athene Donald

WS Gilbert thought it was ‘comical…that every boy and every gal… is either a little Liberal or else a little Conservative’ in the words expressed by that bored sentry PC Willis. The politics would be different now, but we in … Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, British Academy, education, International Baccalaureate, Royal Society, Tessa Blackstone, Vision report | Comments Off on Well-rounded Students – What does it Take?