Schools North East calls on Ministers to offer guidance on exams post-coronavirus

Schools North East calls on Ministers to offer guidance on exams post-coronavirus

While the Department for Education has addressed assessment provision for this year’s students, many school leaders are concerned about the impact of the ongoing crisis on students with exams next year.

What next for assessment?

Driven by requests for help from Head Teachers across the region, Schools North East is calling on the government and policymakers to provide NE school leaders with the vital advice and guidance they need to tackle this ever more pressing concern.

The issue is affecting both secondary school leaders, with year groups set to sit GCSEs and A Levels next year, as well as primaries, with children who have missed out on this year’s SATs as well as those due to take them next year. 

 We have contacted Sally Collier, Chief Regulator at Ofqual, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, and Robert Halfon, Chair of the Education Select Committee to press them for clarification on plans for next academic year and also to invite them to take part in a ‘virtual’ roundtable event with our Head Teachers and CEOs, to clarify guidance and explore the concerns of our school leaders. We have already contacted various exam boards on this issue, and while there has been a mixed response we were pleased to see positive engagement from some, including OCR, on the issue. 

The main focus of this roundtable would be to explore what changes are anticipated to the model of assessment for our current Year 10 students who expect to be sitting their GCSE (and equivalent) examinations in Summer 2021.

Growing concern amongst secondary leaders

This issue has been of growing concern to CEOs and Head Teachers across the region such as Nick Grieveson, Head Teacher of King James I Academy in Bishop Auckland, and Vice Chair of the Durham Association of Secondary Head Teachers. 

Calling for essential guidance to be provided as soon as possible, Nick said ‘Further insight would help us to help our children; to allay their fears and to shape their educational experience so that they are better prepared for the future.  Without any feedback on current thinking we will be unable to make the best use of the limited contact time we are currently planning.’ 

‘We also feel that, in an area blighted by significant pockets of long term disadvantage, the negative impact of uncertainty would be even more significant. This is an issue which is of concern to all the secondary Head Teachers in Durham and I’m sure nationally as well.’

While these exams are not due to take place until next year, it is a particularly pressing issue as school leaders and teachers try to plan for the limited contact time that they will have with their Year 10 and 12 students from 15th June. 

Schools North East is also contacting regional MPs to enlist their help in raising this vital question in the House of Commons.  As the clock ticks on the time available for schools to plan for next year, Schools North East hopes that their support can help us catalyse very necessary conversations on this issue. 

And where next for our primaries?

The lack of guidance so affecting our secondary leaders is mirrored amongst primary Heads and CEOs.  We are also calling on the policymakers to engage with us in regards to the impact on younger students, as time is also running out to effectively plan for next academic year. Many Primary Leaders are concerned about the impact, amongst other things, on next year’s SATs, and how they should assess progress without meaningful data from 2019-20 academic year’s SATs and baseline tests.

We will also be holding a roundtable discussion specifically for primary leaders very shortly, and including these issues as a priority in our lobbying efforts with MPs, Ministers, and the awarding bodies.  To let us know your specific concerns, please contact us.