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17 April 2026

Tag: Ofqual

Williamson’s policy adviser set to be new Ofqual boss

A former academy trust boss and policy adviser to Gavin Williamson has been put forward to be the new chief regulator of Ofqual. The government has named Dr Jo Saxton as its preferred candidate for the role, following approval by the prime minister. Simon Lebus has been in post in the top job on an […]

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 […]

2021 grade appeals have ‘very high’ threshold to meet, says Ofqual chief

Appeals to exam boards over grades issued this summer will have a “very high” threshold to meet, and there will be no scope for “speculative appeals”, Ofqual’s chief regulator has said. This year, students can request that their school reviews their teacher assessment grade for procedural problems or administrative errors. If they are not satisfied, […]

Schools promised cash for staff to oversee ‘priority’ appeals in summer holidays

Funding will be made available for schools and colleges to bring in staff during the summer holiday period to deal with “priority” appeals. The Department for Education has confirmed that funding of £75 per “priority appeal” – those which are needed for a student to take up a university offer – will be made available. […]

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 […]

Ofqual predicts more technology in exams after pandemic ‘catalyst’

Ofqual’s chief regulator said they anticipate more tech-driven changes in the qualifications market due to the “catalyst” impact of the pandemic. In the regulator’s 2021 to 2022 corporate plan, published today,  interim chief Simon Lebus said he was “pleased” awarding organisations have “embraced” greater use of technology this year. He said: “Covid-19 has acted as […]

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 […]

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 […]