A-levels | Schools Week

GCSEs and A-levels 2021: 8 things you need to know from grades guidance

The Joint Council for Qualifications has finally confirmed what schools need to do to award GCSE and A-level grades this summer. Exams have been cancelled due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with teachers deciding students’ grade. For key dates, see our story here. We take a look at what you need to […]

Oxbridge cuts offers to avoid another grade inflation admissions bulge

Oxbridge colleges have been forced to reduce the number of offers made this year by as much as 15 per cent in anticipation of expected grade inflation and its impact on admissions following the cancellation of A-level exams. Ministers are bracing for another year of higher grades after opting to cancel exams for the second […]

Ofqual chair: Exam grade evidence not a ‘topic for negotiation’ between teachers and students

Evidence used to issue exam grades this year will not be a “topic for negotiation” between teachers and students, the chair of Ofqual has said. Ian Bauckham, interim chair of the exams regulator, told the annual conference of the ASCL school leadership union today it would be “wrong and fundamentally unfair” for teachers’ decisions to […]

Exams 2021: Leaders fear pressure from parents with ‘pointy elbows and lawyer friends’

School leaders fear the switch to teacher assessment instead of exams this year will lead to pressure to adjust grades from parents with “pointy elbows and lawyer friends”. Richard Sheriff, president of the ASCL school leaders’ union and chief executive of the Red Kite Learning Trust, said he feared more privileged parents would try to […]

2022 exams may need similar ‘adaptations’ as those proposed for 2021, warns Ofqual chief

The government is considering making “adaptations” to exams in 2022 similar to those proposed for this summer’s assessments before they were cancelled, the head of regulator Ofqual has said. Simon Lebus, the interim chief regulator, told MPs this morning that the “thinking at the moment is about adaptations along the line that had been originally […]

Let schools tell pupils their teacher assessment grades before submission, says exam board

Strict rules forbidding schools from telling pupils their teacher assessment grades should be dropped this year to prevent “sudden surprises” and reduce appeals, an exam board has said. Ofqual proposes that schools should not tell students the grade they have submitted to exam boards this summer. Pupils would instead have an option to appeal after […]

Boards back down on exam fees demand

Schools can now delay paying exam fees after boards offered concessions following a backlash about their plans to raise prices in a year when exams will not be held. A Schools Week investigation revealed last week that boards had increased their fees across GCSEs and A-levels between 2 and 5 per cent. They had pledged […]

‘Ridiculous’: Boards slammed for raising exam fees at a time of crisis

Schools will pay millions of pounds more in exam fees this year after prices were increased – despite exams not going ahead and teachers being expected to mark any assessments that might be set. However, boards have said fees had to be published now so that schools could set budgets. They pledged to return any […]

Boards return just 25% of fees for cancelled exams

Exam boards gave back to schools just a quarter of the exam fees paid last year. The country’s three main boards had pledged to return any savings after exams were cancelled last summer. The boards are waiting to find out the final exam replacement plans before amending their fees for this year. AQA, the UK’s […]