Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will set out his Department’s timeframe to respond to the consultation on how GCSE, AS and A level grades should be awarded in summer 2021; and what discussions he is having with Ofqual to ensure final plans for GCSE, A-Level and AS Level assessments in 2021 are published as soon as possible.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that examinations cannot be held in a way which is fair. We have therefore announced that GCSE, AS and A level examinations will not go ahead this summer as planned.

The Department has confirmed proposals that in summer 2021, students taking GCSE, AS and A levels regulated by Ofqual should be awarded grades based on an assessment by their teachers.

To ensure that our approach is developed with the sector, Ofqual and the Department have now concluded a two-week consultation on how to ensure all students are supported to move to the next stage of their lives. We are working at pace to provide further clarity to the sector and details of alternative arrangements to examinations will be confirmed in our response to the consultation, which will be published by the end of February.