A-levels | Schools Week

Ex-Ofqual chair: ‘Gross miscalculation’ caused 2020 exams fiasco

Last year’s exams fiasco resulted from a “gross miscalculation about what was a reasonable and acceptable way to treat people”, Ofqual’s former chair has said, as he admitted the regulator knew “that in many cases people would be given the wrong grade”. Of course we knew that it wouldn’t be wholly accurate and we knew […]

DfE’s BTEC reforms will hit disadvantaged students hardest, sector warns

Government plans to remove funding for the majority of BTEC qualifications will hit the most disadvantaged young students the hardest, various unions and sector representatives have warned. In a joint statement published today for a campaign called #ProtectStudentChoice, 11 organisations urged ministers to rethink plans outlined in the level 3 qualifications review. They expressed concern […]

Exam boards to use one-seventh of usual examiner workforce this summer

Exam boards will save millions by using only one-seventh of the examiners they would usually need in a normal year, while teachers spend their spare time marking assessment papers for GCSEs and A-levels. It comes as 10,000 educators signed a National Education Union letter requesting £500 compensation for teachers involved in deciding grades this year. […]

20,000 students hit as UCAS glitch rejects university offers

Tens of thousands of students faced more stress this morning as a glitch in UCAS’s system automatically rejected their university offers. Around 100,000 students have until midnight today (June 10) to make their decisions through the admissions service’s portal. But as many as one in five received emails from UCAS in the early hours of […]

GCSEs and A-levels: 7 key trends from provisional 2021 entries data

GCSE and A-level entries continued to rise this year, but subject-level data reveals big changes in some subjects. Exams for the qualifications have been cancelled this year because of the pandemic. Teachers will instead determine grades and exam boards will quality assure their results. Here we look at some of the key trends in Ofqual’s […]

Six key findings from Ofqual’s survey of teachers on 2020 grading

A third of school staff felt “undue pressure” on their professional judgment when issuing exam grades in 2020, according to an Ofqual survey. The exams regulator has published a report on a survey and interviews conducted with school staff after the grading process in 2020, which it said were used to inform guidance on teacher […]

Exams declaration form must not put pressure on students, schools told

Schools are being warned not to use a new form that requires students to declare they understand this year’s grading process as a “waiver of rights”. The Exams Office, a membership organisation for exams officers, has drawn up a template of a “candidate confirmation form” after requests from its members. Exams Office founder Jugjit Chima […]

Ofqual consults on coursework and fieldwork changes for 2022 GCSEs and A-levels

Students could see changes to coursework and fieldwork for some GCSE and A-level subjects next year under proposals put forward by Ofqual today. The exams regulator has launched a two-week consultation this morning on arrangements for non-exam assessment for 2022 qualifications. It focuses on subjects in which preparation and work will be taking place this […]

Tell us why pupils’ exam grades will be withheld, heads tell Ofqual

Headteachers are demanding Ofqual come clean over why pupils might have exam grades “withheld” this summer. Ofqual’s chair and chief regulator last week warned results could be withheld should an exam board and school not agree on the teacher-assessed grade awarded. We have asked these questions, but have not been able to elicit any further […]