Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to introduce measures for the assessment of (a) GCSEs and (b) A-Levels for the 2021-22 academic year to reflect disruption from school absence due to covid-19 infection.

The department continues to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on education closely, including through attendance data. It remains the government’s firm intention that examinations and assessments should go ahead next year. The department and Ofqual consulted on and announced a range of adaptations to exams and assessments over this academic year. The package of measures includes:

• Choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography.
• Provision of advance information by 7 February 2022 on the focus of the content of exams to be used as revision guidance in all GCSE subjects without optionality, and in AS and A levels.
• Changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical activities in science subjects, and assessment in art and design.
• Provision of support materials in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams.

The department engaged with a range of stakeholders, including students and parents, on these measures, and sought to ensure that students have breadth of knowledge, whilst also giving them support with focusing revision.  In the interests of fairness to students, Ofqual has also confirmed that 2022 will be a transition year for grading and has set out its plans for a mid-point between 2021 and pre-COVID-19 grades.

If there is significant further disruption to education, the government has the flexibility to bring forward advance information to support students further. Furthermore, the government understands that contingency arrangements are also needed to deal with the unlikely event that exams cannot go ahead fairly or safely.  Following a joint consultation with Ofqual, the department has confirmed that should exams not be able to go ahead, students will receive teacher assessed grades (TAGs) instead. The changes to the TAGs process for 2022 takes account of lessons learned from 2021 and minimises burdens on both teachers and students. Further information on plans for 2022 assessments can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/news/contingency-plans-confirmed-for-gcses-as-and-a-levels.