A-levels | Schools Week

‘We’ll help kids rise to the challenge’ – heads contradict Ofsted chief on exams

Cancelling exams in 2021 will not result in pupils becoming disengaged, headteachers have told MPs, as they vowed to work with “whatever system” they are presented with. Six school leaders appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this morning to give evidence on left-behind white disadvantaged pupils. Whatever system you give us, we will […]

Technical woes hinder Oxbridge entry tests

Pupils’ hopes of studying at Oxford and Cambridge may be in jeopardy as admission exams, switched to an online format in the wake of Covid, have been beset with technical difficulties. Last week, year 13 pupils across England sat a variety of admission exams for the two universities, such as the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) […]

Pupils in hard-hit regions face exams ‘Covid penalty’

Pupils face a “covid penalty” unless Ofqual takes geographical differences into account when awarding grades next year, a leading academy trust boss with schools in hard-hit coronavirus regions has said. The intervention by Hamid Patel, the chief executive of Star Academies, comes as pressure on the government to ditch exams ramped up this week after […]

Universities back post-qualification admissions but shoot down move to January start

A major review into university admissions is calling for places to be offered after students have been awarded grades – but it shot down proposals to shift start dates back to January. Universities UK (UUK), the university umbrella body, suggests switching to a post-qualifications admission model from 2023, subject to full consultation, as part of […]

Restricting exams to core subjects ‘under consideration’, suggests Spielman

Ofqual is considering whether to only have exams in core subjects next year, with centre-assessment grades used for the remainder, Amanda Spielman has suggested. The Ofsted chief inspector, who is chairing Ofqual’s new “recovery committee” formed to oversee the fallout from this year’s exams fiasco, said holding exams only in core subjects was “the kind […]

Revealed: What Ofqual’s explosive board minutes tell us about the exams fiasco

The ill-fated exams “triple lock” policy that sparked a chain of events culminating in pupils instead being awarded their centre-assessed grades was announced before Ofqual had been able to even sign it off. The exams regulator has today published its long-awaited board minutes that give a behind-the-scenes account of this year’s exams fiasco. They also […]

Exams 2021: Most GCSEs and A-levels pushed back three weeks

Pupils will still sit one GCSE English and one GCSE maths exam before the summer half term next year, despite a move to push most other exams back by three weeks. The Department for Education has confirmed today that most GCSE and A-level exams will take place three weeks later than usual in 2021, to […]

‘Dithering’ ministers urged to reveal 2021 exam plans

Ministers have been told to stop “dithering” and give schools clarity on what will happen with exams next year, following the Scottish government’s decision to cancel some tests and push others back. Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, has promised exams will take place and that full plans – including whether or not they will be […]

Williamson’s education committee exams hearing: 5 things we learned

The education secretary faced questions about this year’s exams fiasco and the reopening of schools when he appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this morning. Gavin Williamson’s appearance in front of MPs follows a hearing last week with leaders from exams regulator Ofqual. Here’s what we learned from him. 1. DfE looking […]