Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure pupils are adequately supported ahead of GCSE exams in summer 2021.

In July, Ofqual consulted on arrangements for GCSEs, AS levels and A levels in 2021, and its decisions on the changes proposed were published on 3 August. Changes to the content of assessments for certain subjects will reduce pressure on teachers and students.

The wellbeing of students is our key concern. Schools and colleges are making extraordinary efforts to ensure pupils get the best possible education this year and catch up on any learning lost. On 12 October, the Department confirmed that exams will go ahead next year and most AS level, A level and GCSE exams will be delayed by three weeks to give pupils more time to catch up on their education. The delay to exams allows extra time for teaching and preparation.

The Government announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on the additional activities required to support children and young people to catch up after a period of disruption to their education. We also announced a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils. This will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers. As part of this, we announced a 16-19 Tuition Fund, allocating up to £96 million as a one-off, one year, ring-fenced grant to school sixth forms and 16-19 colleges. This will provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16-19 students whose studies have been disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.