Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will support schools to provide education for pupils in years 11 and 13 to continue with their education until the end of the summer term 2021.

Many schools usually incorporate a period of independent study leave in the summer term for Year 11 and 13 pupils as exams approach. However, this year the needs of the cohort will be different, and a period of independent study leave may not be applicable.

The 2021 exams approach requires schools to submit grades by 18 June 2021. This process requires considerable staff resource, and we recognise that in practice, for many pupils, work completed after the May half term will not contribute towards their grades.

The Department has therefore set out guidance about valuable activities pupils should be engaged in. Schools should make appropriate judgements on the activities for their own pupils. This might not mean full-time provision and could include visits to education establishments, independent study or remote provision combined with attendance in person. The guidance about activities that schools can consider is found in Annex B, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#annex-b.

We are not changing the legislation that governs compulsory school age. As usual, pupils cease to be of compulsory school age on the last Friday of June in the year in which they turn 16. That means that those pupils (most of whom will be in Year 11) are not required to attend school after this date.

This year, many schools will already have plans in place for the last half of the summer term to support their current pupils. We strongly encourage all schools to maximise opportunities that meet the progression needs of their students during this period.