By Sheila Mckenzie-
More generous grading, advance notice of exam topics and additional papers have been promised by The Department for Education for G.C.S.E pupils in 2021.
As part of extra measures to compensate them for disruption caused by the second lockdown, advance notice of past exam topics, and additional papers have been promised to Uk students.
Those unable to sit exams due to isolation rules will get their grades. The package was described by school heads as “a reasonable package” of measures for the situation.
The DfE arrived at the decision after wide consultation with exams watchdog Ofqual, exam boards and senior leaders across the education sector about the proposed steps to compensate pupils for the disruptions to their exams. Education unions and schools have been pushing for the measure for a few months.
The measures are to keep the grades in line with results from summer 2020, in order to ensure this year’s cohort is not disadvantaged
Students will also be given advance notice – at the end of January – of some topic areas covered in exams to focus revision exam aids – such as formula sheets – provided in some exams to cut down on the memorising required
Additional “backup” exams – to be held in July in order to give students a second chance to sit a paper if they have to miss main exams or assessments due to illness or self-isolation, and a new expert group, which will monitor variation in the impact of the pandemic on students across the country
The Department said that In extreme cases, where a student misses all their papers, a teacher-assessed grade will be given. Those young people taking vocational and technical qualifications will also see adaptations to their exams to ensure fairness.
The proposals are positive, but may run the risk of heavily overstating the performance of pupils. Students and teachers will still be expected to do their own best in preparing pupils
Otherwise they could be poorly prepared for the next stage of their education if they relax because of the promise of generous marking for exams still many months away. The measures will in general put less pressure on pupils next year, and will be good for their psychological confidence.
G.C.S.E and A level pupils were this year awarded fairly generous grades according to the recommendations of teachers, following a reversal of initial grades judged too harsh, and which led to uproar.
Mr Williamson said he hoped the measures would “give young people the clarity and confidence they need to achieve every success”.
Mr Wright said: “We are delighted that the DfE has recognised the difficulties schools face in ensuring students have a fair chance in exams this summer. We agree wholeheartedly that exams must go ahead.
“Generous grading, pre-released content, and allowing for missed exams through an extra session or teacher assessment are all measures to be welcomed, and will make a real difference to young people and schools.
“The absence of exam results in performance tables for this year is a huge boost for schools, and exactly what we have been calling for – scrutiny is important, but in the circumstances of this year the absence of the perverse incentives of the accountability system will free schools to simply focus on securing the best possible destinations for their students, and focusing on the key qualifications they need to do so.
“However, it is vital that we go further. None of the above measures address the widening gap that Covid makes inevitable. They help all students equally, and will leave the most disadvantaged just as far behind.
“If we can allow the judicious use of centre assessed “certificates of completion” in place of the exams that are not central to progression, we can begin to mitigate this.