The Government confirmed that they will be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements to public examinations in 2021. Public exams and vocational assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned.
Ofqual Statement
“We know how difficult this must be for students, teachers and lecturers. We wish at all costs to avoid arrangements for this summer’s GCSEs, A levels and vocational and technical qualifications inflicting further disadvantage on students. We are considering a number of options to ensure the fairest possible outcome in the circumstances and we will update you as soon as we can.
Ofqual provided the following statement:
“We know that this is a difficult time for students, their parents and carers, teachers and trainers. Our message to students is this: please continue to engage as fully as you can in your education. That will be online for the majority of students, or face-to-face for those students still going in to their school, college or training provider. This will put you in the best position, whatever arrangements are made for your qualifications. It’s important that teachers and students can focus on the knowledge and skills needed to equip students to progress to the next stage, whatever form that might take – whether to college, an apprenticeship, university or employment.
“The way ahead is not straightforward: exams and standardised assessments are the fairest way of determining what a student knows and can do. We need to consider a wide range of qualifications – from A levels and GCSEs to many different vocational and technical qualifications – and the solution won’t be the same for all. Following the government’s announcement on Monday evening, we also need to consider how alternative arrangements will work for different students, including those who are independent learners. We are discussing alternative arrangements with the Department for Education. We know that many are seeking clarity as soon as possible. We will provide further updates as soon as we can.
The government has announced that schools and colleges can continue with the vocational and technical exams due to take place in January where it is right to do so. This may be particularly important for vocational and technical qualifications which require a ‘licence to practise’, which can only be fulfilled through practical assessment.
Simon Lebus, Interim Chief Regulator, Ofqual
NASUWT Statement
GRADING SYSTEM MUST NOT REPEAT CHAOS OF 2020
Commenting on the statement delivered by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson today that teacher assessed grades will replace GCSE and A-Level exams in 2021, Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:
“In the context of the current lockdown and the level of disruption already experienced by pupils over the last nine months, cancelling exams is the only sensible course of action.
“However, we cannot risk a repeat of the chaos that engulfed this year’s exam results.
“Pupils and teachers now need urgent clarity and further detail of how the arrangements for teacher assessed grades will work.
“The Government has a huge job to rebuild the confidence of pupils, parents and teachers after last year’s debacle and it will be critical that the arrangements for how pupils’ skills and knowledge are to be assessed and graded are transparent, clearly communicated and vitally, that they ensure fairness for all pupils.
“Teachers are already under incredible amounts of pressure and stress as a result of the impact of Covid on schools and the Government’s chronic mismanagement of the pandemic. The arrangements adopted for assessing pupils’ grades must be developed in consultation with the profession and must keep workload and bureaucracy to a minimum.
Key Stage 1 and 2
It has been announced by the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, that statutory key stage 1 and key stage 2 tests and teacher assessments planned for summer 2021, including the key stage 2 tests in reading and mathematics, will not take place.
We will publish further updates for our members.
NASUWT Coventry 