For two-year courses starting in September 2012, we expect that all GCSE examinations will be taken at the end of the course, with no modular examinations available. Retaking of units will therefore not be possible.

The Secretary of State also announced his support for the strengthening of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) requirements for GCSE examinations. For these SPAG requirements, we expect that English Literature, Geography, History and RS will be the first subjects to be changed for assessments taken in the academic year 2012/13.

Over the next few weeks, Ofqual, the qualifications and examinations regulator, will be working closely with all the awarding bodies to discuss the implementation of these changes.

We very much welcome Ofqual’s commitment to ensuring that there is no unacceptable risk to students in this implementation, and its recognition that teachers need to have appropriate time to revise their teaching plans and strategies.

As we find out more about these GCSE reforms, we will let you know. We'll also develop specific advice and support to help you implement these changes. Further information will be made available on the subject pages of our website.

You can also find information and FAQs about GCSE reforms on the Ofqual website.