From September 2015, schools in England will be teaching new A-level science specifications that have been developed by examination boards to encompass new higher levels of demand developed by the Department for Education. Integral to these new specifications is a radical change to the contribution of practical science to the A-level grade of the student in that, although some examination paper questions will be set in practical contexts, the assessment of practical science skills will be decoupled from contributing to the overall A-level grade of a student. Instead, students will receive, or not, an additional practical endorsement certificate highlighting their ability to be a successful practical scientist along with their A-level grade certificate. Given the pressures on schools regarding budgets, resources and league tables, the contention is whether this change will lead to a reduction in practical science undertaken by English students just at a time when other leading industrial nations are looking to increase the amount of practical science their school students undertake.