Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged due to the disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic when undertaking their GCSE examinations this year.

It is our firm intention that examinations will go ahead this year. It is of great importance to give pupils the opportunity to sit their examinations and we have put measures in place to ensure they can do so fairly.

We have worked with Ofqual to put in place several adaptations to support the safe and fair delivery of examinations in this academic year to recognise the disruption pupils have already faced, and to account for further disruption. The adaptations being made were welcomed during our joint consultation with Ofqual and include:

• A choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history, and choice of content in GCSE geography.
• Provision of advance information which will set out the content focus of examinations in subjects where there is no choice of topic or content, to be released by 7 February.
• Changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical assessments in a range of subjects.
• Provision of support materials such as formula sheets for examinations in GCSE mathematics, physics, and combined science.

In balancing public confidence in qualifications with fairness, Ofqual have also confirmed that 2022 will be a transition year for grading. Grades will be set at a mid-point between 2021 and pre-pandemic grades. In 2023, Ofqual plans to return to results that are in line with those in pre-pandemic years. This package of adaptations, combined with Ofqual’s approach to grading, provides unprecedented support to maximise fairness and help pupils reach their potential.

Alongside these adaptations, we have announced almost £5 billion in dedicated education recovery funding, including a further £1.8 billion in the recent Spending Review. We have made significant investments in areas that evidence tells us will be the most effective, such as tutoring and teaching, and have directed funding at the most disadvantaged.

In the unlikely event that examinations cannot go ahead fairly or safely, we have contingency arrangements in place and have confirmed pupils will receive teacher assessed grades instead.