A levels | Schools Week

Ofqual proposes stricter controls on BTECs that survive qualifications cull

Ofqual is consulting on stricter controls over alternatives to A Levels and T Levels, with BTECs and other qualifications in limbo ahead of a planned cull

Ofqual won’t be able to explain private school grades boost

No private school pupil sat national reference tests this year, which means they are unlikely to show why the sector had the biggest jump in top GCSE and A-level grades. The finding casts doubt on the usefulness of the NRT, which is run every year to monitor over time how well cohorts of pupils are […]

Numbered A-levels, inflation and plan B: 6 exams findings from today’s education committee

A bigger rise in top grades for private schools this year reflects poorer pupils missing out on more education, rather than a consequence of the switch to teacher grades, schools minister Nick Gibb has said. Appearing before the education select committee this morning, government officials also revealed grading plans for next year’s exams will be […]

2022 exams grading plan will be confirmed in October, says Ofqual

A decision on how exams will be graded in 2022 will be announced next month, Ofqual has said. Ofqual chair Ian Bauckham told the Parliamentary education committee this morning that the regulator would confirm grading arrangements in October. But the outcome of a consultation on modifications to assessments next year is still potentially weeks away, […]

A-level results 2021: What’s behind the north-south divide?

London schools had the biggest jump in the number of top A-level grades awarded this year of any region, with more than twice the increase seen in the north-east. A lobby group of northern business and political leaders claimed the gap underlined Covid’s “disproportionate impact” on northern regions. But more long-standing regional divides and statistical […]

A-level results 2021: Private schools see bigger jump in top grades

Private schools have seen a bigger jump in the number of top grades than state schools in this year’s A-level results, according to Ofqual. Labour said the figures showed the Conservatives had “opened the door to unfairness”, noting private schools appear more likely to give prior access to questions and face parental pressure over grades. […]

Treasury marks DfE’s 11,500-word homework laying out its vision

The Department for Education has published an 11,590-word “outcome delivery plan,” detailing the wide-ranging goals and performance metrics it agreed with the Treasury last year to justify its funding. Sector leaders welcomed the move to greater transparency and accountability. But they said the DfE’s plan lacked detail overall and lacked metrics in significant areas, including […]

Exams 2021: AQA to return 26% of fees paid by schools

Exam board AQA has confirmed it will once again return just 26 per cent of entry fees paid this year after saving £45 million. In a statement today the board said it was returning all of the money it saved to schools “because, as we’ve always said, we’d never want to benefit financially from the […]

DfE to cover 2021 autumn exam costs for students and schools

The Department for Education has confirmed it will reimburse schools for the cost of organising autumn exams and covering fees for students unhappy with teacher-assessed grades. The government says that given the “unique circumstances” of Covid, students and families should not have to cover exam entry fees if they decide to sit exams in the […]