An academic at the University of Worcester has welcomed the approval of a new GCSE in Natural History.
Elena Lengthorn has been involved in developing the new Natural History GCSE approved by the Government.
Elena Lengthorn, the University Lead Mentor for PGCE Geography, has been involved in developing the new qualification, which it is hoped will be rolled out across schools in the coming years. It will be one of the first new GCSEs introduced in more than a decade.
“I am so pleased and excited that the Natural History GCSE has been given the go-ahead,” she said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
She added: “This is going to provide a valuable opportunity to embed nature connectedness into our secondary schools and ensure that young people are encouraged to learn about and understand the natural world around them. We can all benefit, at this time of declared climate and ecological emergency, from improving our relationship with nature and this new qualification will, I hope, go some way in engaging young people in this.”
Minister of State for Education, Catherine McKinnell MP, confirmed in Parliament on March 21 that the government is moving forward with the introduction of the new GCSE, stating that it will “enable more young people to benefit from the opportunity to learn about the natural world in more depth at key stage 4. It will equip them to understand and respect the natural world and contribute to the protection and conservation of the environment locally, nationally and internationally.”
A consultation on content will be launched later in the year.
Elena was invited to be part of the OCR Natural History Strategic Advisory Board and subsequently the UK Government Department for Education Expert Advisory Panel, developing the course content and approaches to teacher education.
“There will be lots of teachers already working in schools who will have the right background and skills to adapt to teach this,” she said. “But we also need to think about how we train teachers going forwards so that we can make sure this valuable course is a success.”
The University of Worcester already offers an extensive programme of PGCE qualifications for those training to teach, across a range of academic subjects. In future it is hoped there will also be a route to train teachers of Natural History.
To find out more about the Natural History GCSE visit the OCR website