Samantha Booth | Schools Week

Under-fire AQA hints at returning more exam fees cash to schools

Exam board AQA has said it may be able to give schools more exam fees cash back later this year, ahead of a potential showdown meeting with disgruntled academy leaders. The country’s largest exam board has been widely criticised for returning only 26 per cent of fees back to schools, despite teachers shouldering a large […]

Ofqual analysis on 2020 grading: 5 new findings

Ofqual has published two new reports looking at the use of centre assessed grades (CAGs) last year. Last summer’s chaos saw the government u-turn on its plan to awarded calculated grades, allowing students to instead use unmoderated CAGs. It led to large rises in grades, with two-thirds of students having at least one of their […]

Union calls for formal review after OCR confirms 42% exam fees rebate

Exam board OCR has confirmed it will give schools and colleges a rebate of 42 per cent of fees for GCSEs and A-levels. The announcement is likely to put more pressure on AQA – the country’s largest exam board – to up its rebate. The board will only return 26 per cent of entry fees, […]

Teachers at affluent schools more likely to face parent grade pressure, study finds

Teachers in affluent schools were more likely to be pressured by pushy parents to boost their child’s grades this year, a new study has found. The Sutton Trust‘s research looks at the pandemic’s impact on assessments and university admissions in light of exams being cancelled for a second year. Researchers used data from 463 student […]

Students are worried employers will see TAGs as ‘fake grades’, says Ofqual advisers

Students are worried employers will see their teacher assessed GCSEs as “fake grades”, Ofqual has said, as the regulator tries to quell fears about upcoming results days. Child psychology and education experts have been speaking to students preparing to receive grades next month about their concerns. The experts include Kevin Woods, educational and child psychologist […]

Pay freeze means experienced teachers have seen pay cut by 8% since 2007 – IFS

The government’s decision to freeze pay for most teachers means experienced staff will earn 8 per cent less in real terms next year than they did in 2007 before the financial crisis, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has warned. Ministers confirmed this week that only teachers earning less than £24,000 outside London or below slightly […]

Gibb: ‘There is a case’ for a model history curriculum

Schools minister Nick Gibb has said “there is a case” for a model history curriculum like the one recently produced for music, amid mounting pressure to teach more black history in schools. The Department for Education has so far rejected calls for compulsory lessons on the subject, which intensified in the wake of the killing […]

£10m maths and English catch-up scheme announced

The Department for Education has announced a £10 million maths and English catch-up scheme. The department says specialist training and materials will be provided to support “focused sessions” to boost numeracy and literacy. Schools with high proportions of children from disadvantaged backgrounds will be prioritised from the Autumn term. The £10 million is part of […]