OCR is calling on all teachers to get involved in QCA consultations taking place between June and September to inform the future development of the national criteria for GCSE Maths, English and ICT.

QCA consultations on the draft criteria for new GCSE specifications in Maths, English and ICT will begin soon, providing teachers from across the country with a rare chance to influence the shape of the new qualifications, which start teaching in September 2010.

The consultations are open from week commencing 16 June to 8 September via the QCA website.

Greg Watson, OCR Chief Executive said; "Great qualifications have the power to structure, motivate and reward learning for young people.  Feedback from all teachers is very important to us since it's teachers who go into classrooms and use our qualifications as the basis for great teaching. That's why I am asking all teachers across the country to participate actively in this consultation and help shape and develop Maths, English and ICT GCSEs for teaching in 2010.

"The feedback received from these consultations will go on to form the basis for all Maths, English and ICT GCSEs so it's vital as many teachers as possible take part in order to get their views across. It's critically important that the criteria drawn up for these subjects are informed by input from the people who will be expected to teach them.

"OCR carried out a huge amount of research among teachers when developing our recently published draft specifications for our other 40 revised GCSEs, for first teaching in 2009, and the feedback has been excellent. We believe it is important to take teachers' views into account during the development process, and would like to see the profile of these consultations raised."

OCR has also commissioned its own research among Maths, English and ICT teachers (regardless of their awarding body) to complement the QCA consultation. This will provide yet more direct and detailed feedback on what teachers want to see from the new GCSE specifications.

OCR's Maths, English and ICT GCSE draft specifications will be published in September 2009.

To access the consultations please visit www.qca.org.uk. To get involved with OCR's maths, English or ICT research email gcse.maths@ocr.org.uk, gcse.ict@ocr.org.uk and gcse.english@ocr.org.uk View further information on OCR's GCSEs