Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure equitable end of year assessments for children that may have experienced a high level of (a) school absence as a result of covid-19 and (b) disruption to learning as a result of covid-19-related staff absences.

We believe that exams are the best and fairest way of measurement. It is our firm intention that exams will go ahead this year. It is of great importance to give pupils the opportunity to sit their exams, and we have put measures in place to ensure they can do so fairly.

The department recognises that pupils taking exams this year will have experienced disruption to their education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. That is why, together with Ofqual, we consulted on and have confirmed a range of adaptations to GCSE and A/AS level exams, which take this disruption into account.

GCSE, AS and A level pupils have been provided with advance information, published by exam boards on 7 February, on the focus of their exams in most subjects to support revision. Pupils will also benefit from other changes to exams, including choices of topic or content, and exam aids during the exam for some subjects at GCSE.

Additionally, Ofqual has confirmed that 2022 will be a transition year for grading. Grades will be based around a mid-point between 2021 and pre-pandemic grades for GCSEs, AS and A levels, with results likely higher than pre-pandemic grades. This will provide a safety net for this year’s pupils.

These adjustments, along with the changes to non-exam assessment and fieldwork, and Ofqual’s approach to grading, are designed to mitigate the impacts of the disruption that pupils have faced during the COVID-19 outbreak, without undermining the value of their qualifications and their ability to progress successfully to further study or employment.

The department reformed GCSEs and A levels from 2011 to be in line with the highest performing education systems in the world. We have no current plans for further wholesale reform of GCSEs and A/AS levels.