On 18 June, I received notification from exam board Edexcel that Ofqual requires significant changes to the GCSE geography specification. The changes are by no means minor: they will require an increase in the content of the GCSE of about 50 per cent, as well as other changes to current modules.

These changes will take effect from the start of next term. Do the government and Ofqual have any idea what these changes will actually entail for teachers? We will have to plan and prepare new lessons for all the extra topics. It will also mean that all our current lessons will have to be replanned to fit in the extra content. At GCSE, we teach about 200 hours. Therefore, each of these 200 hours will need to be replanned to fit in the new topics.

I am not against changes being made to the GCSE specification; my objection is the unrealistic time frame. If the government and Ofqual think that this is going to bring about improvements in education, they are at best naive and at worst playing political games with our young people and their future.

Graham West, Head of humanities, Wheatley Park School, Oxford.