Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support he plans to provide to special school pupils who are due to finish their studies in the current academic year to ensure those pupils are on a level playing field with pupils who are receiving predicted GCSE grades.

Our ambition is for every child, no matter what challenges they face, to have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life. We want to support children and young people with education, health and care plans and ensure that they are able to access all the same opportunities as their peers.

Due to the cancellation of exams, students who were due to sit GCSEs this year, including those who attend special schools, will receive calculated grades.

Students in special schools may also be studying a range of vocational qualifications. The department has been working with the regulator, Ofqual, to ensure that as many students as possible receive results for any exams or assessments they were due to take this summer and it is our policy that pupils taking vocational or technical qualifications alongside or instead of GCSEs (or A levels) should receive calculated results, in a similar way to their peers taking GCSEs. Ofqual is working with awarding organisations to implement this. These students should also receive their results on the same day as GCSE (or A level) pupils. We recognise that some courses do not lend themselves to calculated grades and so may need to have their assessments adapted, or in minority of cases, delayed.