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Synopsis
In Stuck Thinking and End-of-School Exams, Leon Furze examines the assumptions that anchor our current model of exam-based assessment—and argues that many of them are “stuck thinking.” He questions why we let the high-stakes end exam dictate upstream assessments, curriculum priorities, and even our trust in students. He suggests we treat exams differently: as one piece of evidence rather than the organising point. He also links this critique to the challenges and opportunities posed by generative AI in assessment. The piece invites educators to reconsider what exams should do (and when), rather than automatically preserving the status quo.

He closes by sketching practical moves: loosen the domination of the exam over year’s pedagogy, diversify evidence sources, and open space for formative, authentic, and discipline-sensitive assessments that reduce the incentive to “game” the system.

Originally published at: https://leonfurze.com/2025/07/24/stuck-thinking-and-end-of-school-exams/ Leon Furze

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Links

• https://leonfurze.com/2025/07/24/stuck-thinking-and-end-of-school-exams/





• https://leonfurze.com/2025/07/13/the-narrow-web/





• https://bsky.app/profile/leonfurze.com





• https://leonfurze.com/ai-reads/





• https://leonfurze.com/podcast

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