GCSE BSL Technical Consultation

Subject content

In 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) decided to introduce a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL). DfE is responsible for setting the curriculum requirements and subject content for all GCSE qualifications, including for new GCSEs in BSL. In December 2023, after a public consultation, DfE published subject content for GCSEs in British Sign Language (BSL).

DfE’s subject content is designed for students with no prior knowledge of BSL and provides a foundation of how sign language works. The focus of the subject content is on language learning based on prescribed vocabulary and grammar. Students will be expected to comprehend BSL, produce BSL accurately, interact using BSL, and to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the history of BSL. 

Assessment arrangements

Ofqual is responsible for how GCSE subject content will be assessed and for ensuring that the assessment arrangements can support valid and reliable results. Ofqual consulted on the assessment arrangements at the same time as DfE consulted on the subject content. In December 2023, Ofqual confirmed that GCSEs in BSL will:

• have one set of assessments for all levels of attainment (assessments that are not tiered)
• include assessments by examination to assess students’ receptive language skills and their knowledge and understanding of the history of BSL, worth 40% of the total qualification marks
• include non-exam assessment (NEA) to assess students’ productive and interactive language skills (including technical accuracy), worth 60% of the total qualification marks
• have assessment objectives that address receptive, productive and interactive language skills, technical accuracy, and knowledge and understanding of the history of BSL.

Ofqual’s consultation also included information about the additional expectations for the assessments, such as the provision of a vocabulary list and requirements for the NEA. It also explained Ofqual’s considerations about the language of the assessments, and options for students who usually use BSL as a reasonable adjustment in formal assessments. The feedback provided by interested parties has helped us to think about these matters and the detailed rules that may be needed.  

This consultation

Since December 2023 Ofqual has carried out detailed work to consider the most appropriate way for DfE’s subject content to be assessed. We have worked with deaf and hearing BSL subject matter specialists, including those with experience of teaching deaf and hearing students who are learning BSL and students taking GCSE qualifications. We have worked with awarding organisations that offer existing BSL qualifications and those that offer GCSE qualifications in other subjects. We call the awarding organisations that offer GCSEs “exam boards”.

As a result, we are now able to set out proposals for the detailed rules an exam board would need to follow when designing a GCSE qualification in BSL. 

In this consultation, Ofqual invites your views on the detailed rules. We will consider all responses to this consultation before making a decision and publish an analysis of the responses alongside the decisions.

About Ofqual’s rules

Ofqual sets specific rules that awarding organisations must follow when designing and delivering regulated qualifications. These rules are designed to make sure qualifications are valid, reliable and comparable to other similar regulated qualifications.

All regulated qualifications must follow the General Conditions of Recognition. For some qualifications, there are additional rules. For GCSEs, Ofqual sets “qualification level conditions” that apply to all GCSEs and “subject level conditions” that apply to all GCSEs in a particular subject. This consultation sets out the rules that are intended to become the subject level conditions for GCSEs in BSL.

Ofqual's conditions, requirements and guidance

Ofqual’s rules are called “conditions” and “requirements” and awarding organisations must follow these. We can take regulatory action against an awarding organisation that does not comply with our conditions and requirements.

Ofqual also publishes “guidance” that helps awarding organisations understand our expectations about how to comply with the conditions and requirements. Awarding organisations must have regard to this guidance, which means they must consider it. If an awarding organisation chooses not to follow the guidance, it must explain to Ofqual what approach it will take instead and how this will comply with the conditions and requirements.

For all GCSE qualifications, exam boards are required to explain their approach to Ofqual in a document called an assessment strategy. This is a confidential, commercially sensitive document that sets out how a GCSE qualification has been designed to meet all the rules. The assessment strategy plays an important role in our decision-making when GCSE qualifications go through the accreditation process.

Consultation details

This section explains each of Ofqual’s proposals for the detailed rules that exam boards will need to follow when designing their qualifications. Relevant consultation questions follow each proposal.

In addition, the consultation includes the specific wording that is intended to be set out in Ofqual’s subject level conditions, requirements and guidance for GCSEs in BSL. These are regulatory documents that place a legal obligation on exam boards. As such, the specific wording has not been translated into BSL. It is likely to be of most interest to the exam boards, although anyone can offer feedback if they wish.