Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral statement of 18 March 2020, Official Report, column 1083 on educational settings, what arrangements are in place for students due to undertake vocational assessments during the covid-19 outbreak.

As a result of the unprecedented public health emergency, the government has taken the difficult decision to cancel all exams due to take place in schools and colleges in England this summer. Our priority is to ensure that students can move on as planned to the next stage of their lives. The Department and the qualifications regulator Ofqual are working urgently with awarding bodies and the sector to explore options to ensure that as many students as possible who were expecting to take assessments this summer for vocational and technical qualifications, are not disadvantaged.

For apprentices, their employers, training providers and assessment organisations we are developing guidance to support all parts of the apprenticeship system which is consistent with advice issued by Public Health England. This will include increased flexibility on delivery and completion.

We will provide more information shortly.