Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take into account the effect of covid-19 absences on each school teaching faculty when assessing GSCE and A-Level grades for school exam cohorts, in the context of varying regional rates of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that exams cannot be held in a way which is fair. The Department has therefore announced that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned. To provide further clarity to the sector as soon as possible, Ofqual and the Department have launched a two week consultation on how to fairly ensure all young people are supported to progress to the next stage of their lives.

The Department has confirmed our proposal that, in summer 2021, pupils taking GCSE, AS and A levels regulated by Ofqual should be awarded grades based on an assessment by their teachers. To ensure that grades this year remain meaningful, we propose that they should be based on teachers’ assessments of the evidence of the standard at which their pupils are performing. Grades should indicate pupils’ demonstrated knowledge, understanding and skills.

The Department knows that there has been learning loss, and that some pupils have suffered more disruption to their learning than others. The Department wants pupils to be assessed on the content they have covered and to recognise loss of learning. We propose that there will be flexibility for teachers in what they assess students on. If externally set papers are used, we propose that teachers should also have some choice of the topics on which their students could answer questions. The same principle could apply in assessments conducted by the school or college, while ensuring sufficient breadth of content coverage so as not to limit progression.

In December 2020, the Department confirmed the launch of an expert advisory group to consider the differential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on pupils and recommend mitigations for these impacts. In light of the decision to cancel exams, the Department is refocusing this group and is working to finalise the terms of reference and membership. We will ensure that membership is representative of the sector and is geographically diverse. Further details on membership and priorities of the group will be provided in due course.