Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

End-of-Year Assessments 2021

Monday 26 April 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Luke Evans expressed concerns about the fairness and consistency of end-of-year assessments for students at South Charnwood High School due to the lack of exams.
  • The Minister reaffirmed that exams are the fairest method and stated that the department is monitoring the pandemic's impact to plan fair grades for years 10 and 12 in 2022.
  • Wes Streeting criticized the Government's handling of exams during the pandemic, citing avoidable challenges for schools and urging the publication of plans for next year.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Education
Context

Students from South Charnwood High School are concerned about the fairness of current and future assessments due to the pandemic's impact on education.

Question

I am concerned about the assessment process for this year and next, particularly after meeting students and staff at South Charnwood High School. They worry that the lack of exams will affect their future prospects.

Answer from Nick Gibb

We remain clear that exams are the fairest method. Students at South Charnwood High School will be working hard towards exams next year. We continue to monitor pandemic impacts and plan for fair grades for pupils in years 10 and 12.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans or mechanisms for ensuring fairness in future assessments are not provided

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Q2 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Education
Context

Students from South Charnwood High School are concerned about the fairness of current and future assessments due to the pandemic's impact on education.

Question

I met students from years 11 and 10 at South Charnwood High School. They are anxious about assessments this year and next, fearing they won't be fair or consistent.

Answer from Nick Gibb

We remain clear exams are fairest. We know students at South Charnwood High School work hard for exams next year. We monitor pandemic impacts and plan to ensure grades for years 10 and 12 in 2022.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans or mechanisms for future assessments are not detailed

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Q3 Wes Streeting Lab Ilford North
Education
Context

The Department for Education's handling of exams has been criticised as a disaster due to lack of planning, leading to challenges for schools.

Question

Like other aspects of the Government's coronavirus response, DFE's handling of exams is disastrous. Schools face avoidable challenges because the department failed to plan ahead. Will the Government learn from past and current disasters and publish plans for next year?

Answer from Nick Gibb

Given education disruption, normal exams would not be fair. We consulted Ofqual on alternative arrangements in January with over 100,000 responses. This year's GCSE and A-level students will get grades based on teacher evidence. Robust quality assurance processes ensure fairness and consistency. We will monitor the position regarding 2022.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans for 2022 exams are not published now, only a commitment to review in future

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