Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to address the concerns of schools who state that the Centre Assessed Grades at GSCE and A level allocated to them were fair and balanced in contrast to other schools where predicted grades were inflated and resulted in a skewing of the overall results.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All centre assessment grades in England were signed off by head teachers or college principals who confirmed that they honestly and fairly represented the grades that these students would have been most likely to achieve if they had sat their exams as planned.
Following the release of A level results based on calculated grades, it became clear that there were far too many inconsistent and unfair outcomes for students. The Department agreed with Ofqual that grades for A levels and GCSEs should be awarded to students in England on the basis of students’ centre assessment grades or their calculated grades, whichever was higher. The Department believes this to be the fairest approach in the exceptional circumstances of this year, to avoid some students in England receiving grades that did not reflect their prior performance.
There was scope for schools to appeal where they believed that there had been errors of process, and students could also raise complaints if they had evidence of bias or discrimination. Schools have also been able to enter candidates for the exceptional autumn series to sit exams if they remain dissatisfied with their result.
The approach taken in Northern Ireland this summer was a matter for the Northern Ireland government and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment Regulation.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Chair of Ofqual on 2 September that GCSE, AS and A-Level exams may take place online in 2021.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department believes that examinations and assessments are the best and fairest way of judging students’ performance, and we expect next year’s examination series to go ahead.
We continue to work closely with Ofqual, the exam boards and groups representing teachers, schools and colleges to consider our approach to GCSE, AS and A level exams and other assessments in 2021, to ensure that next year’s exam series proceeds fairly and smoothly.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department's policy is on fees charged to school pupils to re-sit (a) GCSE and (b) A-level examinations in autumn 2020.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is providing funding support to schools on autumn exam fees and we expect school and colleges to pay these on behalf of all the students they enter in the autumn. This is set out in our guidance on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsibility-for-autumn-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series/centre-responsibility-for-autumn-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series-guidance.
The autumn exams are an important backstop to the summer grade process and we are helping schools and colleges to offer them to students by assisting with additional space and invigilators where required, as well as covering exam fee deficits to ensure that exam fees are not passed on to students.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of alternative algorithms and methods to moderate the 2020 GCSE and A-Level results; and for what reasons his Department decided to use the published algorithm.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The development of the algorithm used to moderate the 2020 GCSE and A level results was a matter for Ofqual as independent regulator.
In April and May, Ofqual worked with technical experts across the sector to test 12 different statistical standardisation models using data from previous years. In selecting the final model, Ofqual chose the one that most accurately predicted students’ grades in a way that did not systematically affect groups of students with particular protected characteristics. Ofqual also considered operational issues, such as how easy it was to implement the approaches consistently across all four exam boards, and issues of transparency.
Detailed analysis of the potential approaches to standardisation considered, and details of the testing of the different models, and the results of this testing, can be found in Ofqual’s published report at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-gcse-as-a-levels-in-summer-2020-interim-report.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what use (a) his Department and (b) Ofqual made of historic pupil value added data when moderating the 2020 (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level grades.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The development of the algorithm used to moderate the 2020 GCSE and A level results was a matter for Ofqual as independent regulator.
In April and May, Ofqual worked with technical experts across the sector to test 12 different statistical standardisation models using data from previous years. In selecting the final model, Ofqual chose the one that most accurately predicted students’ grades in a way that did not systematically affect groups of students with particular protected characteristics. Ofqual also considered operational issues, such as how easy it was to implement the approaches consistently across all four exam boards, and issues of transparency.
Detailed analysis of the potential approaches to standardisation considered, and details of the testing of the different models, and the results of this testing, can be found in Ofqual’s published report at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-gcse-as-a-levels-in-summer-2020-interim-report.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department made of the outcome of the results for pupils attending schools with larger than average class sizes in advance of the 2020 (a) GCSE and (b) A-level grades being moderated using Ofqual's algorithm for moderating.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The development of the algorithm used to moderate the 2020 GCSE and A level results was a matter for Ofqual as independent regulator.
In April and May, Ofqual worked with technical experts across the sector to test 12 different statistical standardisation models using data from previous years. In selecting the final model, Ofqual chose the one that most accurately predicted students’ grades in a way that did not systematically affect groups of students with particular protected characteristics. Ofqual also considered operational issues, such as how easy it was to implement the approaches consistently across all four exam boards, and issues of transparency.
Detailed analysis of the potential approaches to standardisation considered, and details of the testing of the different models, and the results of this testing, can be found in Ofqual’s published report at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-gcse-as-a-levels-in-summer-2020-interim-report.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the appeals system for grades awarded this year for GCSE, AS Level and A Level exams will operate to a timetable that will ensure that students do not have to defer the next stage of their education by a full year.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the noble Lord and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied that the process being adopted by Ofqual for exceptional arrangements for awarding calculated grades in GCSEs, AS and A Levels takes sufficient account of recent improvement trends in the educational establishment the student is from.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Ofqual conducted a public consultation from 15-29 April, seeking views on aspects of the proposed assessment arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels, including standardisation of centre assessment grades. Ofqual received over 12,500 responses to their consultation, and on 22 May they published their decisions.
Ofqual have decided not to include the trajectory of exam centres’ results in the statistical standardisation process. This is due to potential unfairness caused by the unreliability of any trajectory predictions and the disadvantage that this might cause students in those centres with stable results.
Whilst this is a matter for Ofqual as the independent regulator of qualifications, I am satisfied that Ofqual’s approach is the best solution given these extraordinary circumstances.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what processes his Department has put in place to determine the assessed grades at (a) GCSE and (b) A level of students who have registered at an exam centre but studied privately outside of a school or college.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have in relation to (1)SATs, (2) GCSEs and (3) A level examinations for the 2020/21 school year and, in particular, whether they expect teacher assessments to be used to determine grades.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We acknowledge the COVID-19 outbreak has caused stress and uncertainty for pupils and students due to take exams or assessments next year. In relation to SATs, the intention is that primary assessments will take place in 2020/21. With regard to GCSEs and A levels, we are working with Ofqual and the exam boards to develop our approach to next year’s exams, in light of the disruption experienced by students who are studying these courses. We do not anticipate that teacher assessments will be used to determine grades.