GCSEs 2021: Catch-up tsar will have no role in grading

Sir Kevan Collins will also have no say over when schools return, DfE says

11th February 2021, 11:25am

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The government’s new Covid catch-up tsar will have no role in deciding how GCSE and A-level grades are awarded in 2021, the Department for Education (DfE) has said.

In a document detailing the role specification for the education recovery commissioner, released today, the DfE also states that Sir Kevan Collins will have no say over when schools return or the delivery of devices to facilitate remote education.

“The commissioner will not have a role in relation to schools’ return; remote education, including delivery of devices; or the process of teacher-assessed grades for qualifications in the academic year 2020-21,” the document states.

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Sir Kevan, who was formerly chief of the Education Endowment Foundation, has been appointed to the role for an initial nine months, with an option for an additional term of equal length to follow.

The DfE says his responsibilities will include:

Providing advice to the government on the most effective potential interventions to support education catch-up.
Engaging with parents, teachers and education settings, including early years providers, schools and colleges.
Reporting progress regularly to the secretary of state and prime minister.
As required, working closely with the DfE to provide advice on the catch-up package for the current academic year and ensure future advice dovetails with that work.

However the document stresses that “final decisions will be for ministers to take in the usual way, taking account of their effectiveness, value for money and affordability”.

Sir Kevan will focus “predominantly on catch-up actions,starting from autumn term 2021 onwards”, but will also “support the existing work on education catch-up, including that announced by the prime minister on 27 January”, the DfE says.

The catch-up tsar “will not have executive authority”, and education secretary Gavin Williamson will be accountable to Parliament for issues relating to his work, the document adds.