Pupils to get advance notice of exam topics
PUPILS taking GCSE and A-level exams in England next year could be given advance notice on the focus of exam papers to ensure they are not disadvantaged as a result of the pandemic.
The Department for Education (DfE) and regulator Ofqual have unveiled proposals for the 2022 summer exams - which includes giving schools and colleges some choice over the topics that students are assessed on.
But final details are not expected to be confirmed until the autumn term.
Announcing the consultation, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is “right that next summer’s arrangements take into account the disruption young people have faced over the past 18 months”.
His comments come after teachers across England have finalised decisions on their pupils’ GCSE and A-level grades after this summer’s exams were cancelled for the second year in a row.
Under the proposals for next year’s GCSE and A-level exams, adaptations would be made to ensure fairness for students and other cohorts following the disruption to education during the pandemic.
A consultation on the proposed measures, which closes on August 1, sets out plans to provide exam aids, such as a formulae sheet in GCSE maths and an expanded equations sheet in GCSE physics.
Schools and colleges in England could also be given advance information on the focus of exam content in the majority of GCSE and A-level subjects and it is the Government’s intention for this to be issued in the spring term.
And in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography, schools could be given some choice about the content their pupils will be assessed on.
But education unions have criticised the Government for only announcing the plans now, just days before the end of term, as they argue that the full details should be set out by September 1 at the latest.
Mr Williamson said: “This year we have rightly asked those who know students best, their teachers, to determine young people’s grades.
“While I know the wait for results can be an anxious one, students and their families can look forward to receiving results next month in the knowledge that they will reflect young people’s hard work and enable them to progress to their next stage.
“Exams will always be the fairest way to assess students, which is why they will take place next year, but it’s right that next summer’s arrangements take into account the disruption young people have faced over the past 18 months.”
The Government is also proposing changes to the arrangements for practicals in science GCSEs and assessment arrangements for art and design GCSE.
Simon Lebus, Ofqual’s interim chief regulator, said: “With things slowly returning to normal, we are launching a consultation so that the flexibility we are building into qualifications will future-proof them against any public health crisis.
“And we want employers, colleges and universities to have the confidence in those qualifications to allow students to move to the next stage of their lives.”