October 4, 2021

GCSE Maths, English & Science Exam Boards in High Wycombe Secondary Schools

English, maths and science are all compulsory subjects for all pupils throughout secondary school. As students choose their options going into year 9 for GCSEs, they will be required to study these core subjects to ensure a full and thorough education.

When it comes to exam time for GCSE students, they will likely sit an exam administered via one of the country's main awarding bodies. The more commonly used examination boards are AQA, OCR and Edexcel.

These bodies, while all governed by strict government Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) to regulate standards about how the exam needs to be held and the content required to be tested on, will have different methods of testing within these limitations and all schools have the ability to choose which exam board they would like to use for each subject to be tested for GCSE.

The UK Examinations Boards for GCSE

AQA

AQA stands for Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, and they are one of them on exam boards in the UK. They currently account for more than half of the exams taken and are marked each year for GCSE and A-Level.

A board of trustees manages AQA, and it is a registered charity independent of the government. AQA was formed in 2000 following a merger between the Associated Examining Board (the AEB) and Northern Examinations and Assessment Board (NEAB).

They offer around 60 qualifications in various subject areas mostly focussed on the core subjects of Maths, English and science along with PE, ICT-related courses, humanities and languages.

In total, AQA offers qualifications in around 60 subjects, and within these subject areas, there are a variety of specifications and qualification levels.

Edexcel

Pearson owns Edexcel, and while it was previously a charitable organisation, it is now the only privately owned exam board in the UK.

Edexcel offers a variety of courses for both GCSE and A-Level students along with vocational qualifications but is primarily used for GCSE and A-Level qualifications by schools. It offers core subjects within its 50 subject areas for qualifications.

For the various work-based and NVQ competency qualifications, there are more than 300 options for topics or subjects to choose from, and Edexcel is a popular provider of BTEC and NVQ qualifications.

OCR

OCR (Oxford, Cambridge, and RSA) is responsible for establishing and assessing GCSEs, A levels, and a wide variety of vocational programmes. It is one of the most widely utilised examination boards in the UK, but it is also a member of Europe's largest assessment agency, operating in over 150 countries.

OCR was founded in 1998 due to the amalgamation of UCLES and RSA (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate) (an exam board offering vocational qualifications since the 1850s).

OCR is administered as a charity by an executive team (headed by CEO Jill Duffy) responsible for the management and day-to-day operations of assessment, operations, products, and sales and marketing.

OCR provides GCSEs and A levels in over 40 disciplines, including the core subjects of mathematics, English, and science and a variety of languages, humanities, and creative arts.

Additionally, it offers over 450 occupational credentials in various industries, including business, information technology, health and social care, and media.

A List Of Schools In High Wycombe And Relevant Exam Boards

If your child is taking their GCSE in a Secondary school in High Wycombe, you can find out more details about the examination board each school uses to help you prepare your child for the exam and now what to expect to help them with their studies.

For further information, you can contact your child school to assist you with the choice of GCSE subjects available for them to choose and for further details into their decision to use specific exam boards and what this means for your child and their education.

Bourne End Academy

English - AQA

Science - AQA Combined Science (Trilogy)

Maths - Edexcel Mathematics A – Linear

Cressex Community School

English - Edexcel 1ETO/1ENO

Science - AQA Trilogy 8464/Biology 8464/Chemistry 8463/Physics 8462

Maths - AQA 8300

Great Marlow School

English - AQA

Science - AQA 8161/8162/8163

Maths - Edexcel 1MA1

Holmer Green Senior School

English - Edexcel

Science - AQA

Maths - Edexcel

John Hampden Grammar School

English - AQA 8700 (Language)/AQA 8702

Science - Edexcel 1CH0/Edexcel 1BIO/Edexcel 1PH01 (Chemistry/Biology/Physics)

Maths - AQA 8300

Pipers Corner School

English - Edexcel IGCSE

Science - AQA 8461/AQA 8462/AQA 8463 (Biology/Chemistry/Physics)

Maths - Edexcel 4MA1F/4MA1H

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School

English - AQA 8700

Science - Edexcel

Maths - Edexcel

Sir William Ramsay School

English - AQA

Science - AQA Trilogy

Maths - n/a

St Michael's Catholic School

English - AQA

Science - AQA

Maths - Edexcel

The Beaconsfield School

English - AQA 8702 (Lit) and 8700 (Lang).

Science - OCR  (9–1) Biology A (specification J247), Chemistry A

(specification J248), Physics A (specification J249)

Maths - Edexcel 1MA1

The Misbourne School

English - AQA

Science - AQA Trilogy

Maths - Edexcel 1MA1

The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe

English - AQA 8700/8702

Science - Edexcel - 1B10/1CH0/1PH0

Maths - AQA 8300 (Further Maths - AQA 8360/Additional Maths OCR 8993)

Unity College

English - AQA 8700/8702 (Lang/Lit)

Science - AQA 8461/8462/8463 (Trilogy 8464)

Maths - Edexcel 1MA1 (Entry Level Maths OCR R449/Further Maths AQA 8365)

Wycombe Abbey School

English - Edexcel

Science - Edexcel

Maths - Edexcel

Wycombe High School

English - AQA 8700/8702

Science - Edexcel - 1B10/1CH0/1PH0

Maths - AQA 8300 (Further Maths - AQA 8360/Additional Maths OCR 8993)



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