'So stressful' - teachers and pupils say new GCSEs are leading to burnout

Teachers are warning that new GCSE requirements in Wales are causing "intolerable strain", with more regular assessments leading to burnout among staff and pupils.

The new qualifications, which began being implemented in Wales last September, place up to 40% of the final grade on non-examined assessments (NEAs) taken under teacher supervision.

This means that, in some subjects, pupils are now doing up to 26 hours of assessments, over two years, during school hours.

It has led to calls for a review of the NEAs, after a survey of more than 400 teachers found widespread concerns about the volume of marking, moderation and administration required.

An NEA is any type of assessment that is not a formal exam and includes oral assessments, fieldwork, portfolio work and practical assessments.

Teachers of English, Welsh and Religious Studies reported the greatest number of issues - particularly citing an increase in classroom-based tests.

English Language and Literature, which counts as two GCSEs, now requires students to do a total of 20 hours and 55 minutes in NEAs over two years, while in religious studies it is 12 hours.

Welsh, as a GCSE taught in English-language schools, does not have any additional NEA requirements compared to the last academic year - but the Welsh qualification in Welsh-language schools, which also counts as two GCSEs, requires 26 hours of NEAs over the two years.

Coursework made up a proportion of many of the previous GCSEs, but teachers have said there has been a big increase in NEA requirements, which now take up much more of their time.

Head teachers in Cardiff also sent a joint letter to the WJEC exam board and regulator Qualifications Wales, warning the reforms were placing schools "under extreme pressure" and "urgent action is needed to protect staff wellbeing and pupil learning".

Both Qualifications Wales and the WJEC said they were aware of the concerns raised and were working with each other and schools to provide support.

Nish, a Year 10 pupil at Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic School in Merthyr Tydfil, said the "stress gets to you".

"School is meant to be about learning, but every week feels like assessments."

If pupils miss an assessment, they have to make it up, often in their lunch breaks or after school.

"I think I've only had a few sick days off, but just from those sick days, there's hours of work to catch up on," said Nish.

Another pupil, Jasmine, said she had not been able to find all the details she needed about the new qualifications online, adding: "Honestly, I've just found it so stressful… it feels like we're revising constantly."

Nate said: "A lot of teachers don't even know what will be in our tests. It's a bit confusing."

Carli added: "I think the NEAs are OK but I don't like how low the grade is, we are putting in too much work for too little [percentage of grade], it's stressful."

A survey by teaching union NASUWT found many of the 423 respondents were experiencing severe stress, exhaustion and a sense of being overwhelmed.

One teacher wrote: "The NEA is having a serious negative effect on my mental health. I have now started looking for work outside of education despite loving what I do."

Another said: "This workload is totally unsustainable; I know of one English teacher in my school who is leaving at the end of this academic year because of this."

A third said they had been in hospital with a suspected stroke which they put down to work stress, adding: "The new religious studies NEA is just not manageable."

Sophie Smith, who teaches religious studies at Blessed Carlos Acutis School, said she agreed the more regular assessments were taking their toll on her pupils, as well as on staff who were having to start "everything from scratch".

"I've been completely burnt out and exhausted from it all. It feels like we've become an NEA factory and it's really sucked the joy out of being a teacher for me."

She said the planning, teaching, marking and moderation of the NEAs had taken weeks, the "guidance has been quite vague" and "it doesn't seem sustainable".

"I'm also worried about the learners burning out. Every single teacher [is] saying this counts. Imagine that constant pressure. I worry about the impact on their wellbeing.

"They need to come out of school with positive experiences… it is taking the heart out of education."

At an Urdd rugby event in Cardiff, some parents of Year 10 pupils from across Wales also had concerns, though others felt their children were coping well with the changes.

Gareth Hopkins told BBC Wales he would have liked to have seen a "trial period" before the new GCSEs began.

He has a son in Year 10 and twin daughters in Year 9, and said the amount of work given, "without the syllabus to back it up", had been difficult.

"The teachers have done really well with the information they've got," he said.

"The pressure feels unfair when schools haven't had the resources."

Nia Wyn, who is a PE teacher as well having a son in Year 10, said: "Even as teachers we need to get our heads round it… it's getting [the pupils] to realise how important it is to do well in Year 10, to release the pressure in Year 11.

"I'm quite lucky with my son, I don't think he's found it too much pressure, however we as a family concentrate quite a bit on sport and other elements in life - we want a rounded person rather than a child who just does academic things only."

Unions have said the situation is so serious that more teachers will leave the profession unless changes are made.

Claire Armitstead, director of the union ASCL Cymru, said schools had not been "adequately equipped" and were "under a huge amount of stress and pressure".

Neil Butler of NASUWT said the union believed NEAs should be scrapped entirely.

He said schools had become "a pressure cooker", adding the survey of its members "paints a picture of a system under severe strain".

"Teachers feel ignored, overloaded, and deeply worried about the sustainability of the new GCSE model. There needs to be an urgent review."

The Cardiff head teachers' letter, seen by the BBC, urged Qualifications Wales and WJEC to take immediate steps to reduce pressure on schools, warning that without intervention "the system risks becoming unmanageable".

Sarah Hopkins, head teacher of Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic School said "morale is low, engagement hard to keep and the admin is a huge burden".

She added her school was also being hit financially by the NEAs, as they had to hire local community venues to hold pupils and keep them separate during testing, as well as employing extra staff to teach other classes when marking and evaluating assessments was happening.

"Teachers need to be listened to."

The WJEC said it was taking concerns raised seriously and would "continue to work closely with stakeholders to help ease pressures and support delivery".

It added the "overall policy direction" was set by the Welsh government, while regulator Qualifications Wales "established the approval criteria for the new qualifications".

Qualifications Wales said the new GCSEs had been designed to meet curriculum requirements and the need for "greater resilience" within the qualifications system, identified during the Covid pandemic.

"As we approach introduction of the second wave of qualifications from September, we are continuing to engage widely with stakeholders - including teachers, learners and WJEC – to hear and understand their experiences."

Labour said, while it appreciated students' learning styles differed, research had shown NEAs were a "more valid and authentic way of assessing" pupils in some areas. But the Conservatives said the new curriculum and qualifications had "failed to drive up standards" and "high-stakes examinations remain the fairest and most objective way to measure achievement".

Reform UK said concerns raised were "warranted" and the workload was "unsustainable for teachers", while Plaid Cymru said reviewing the "suitability" of qualifications would be one of its "main priorities".

The Liberal Democrats said "a failure to properly fund schools" was at the heart of the issue, and the Green Party has been asked for comment.