Headteachers have called on the government to review its planned adaptations to GCSEs and A levels in 2022 in light of the disruption caused by the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
They argue that advance information about the topics covered in exam papers should be released “as soon as possible”.
Currently, students in England will be offered a choice of topics in some GCSE exams, such as English literature, history, ancient history and geography, as well as exam aids, this summer to make up for Covid-related disruption.
For subjects where a choice of topics is not provided, advance notice on the focus of exam content will be given in February to help with revision.
But today the NAHT school leaders’ union called on the government to review its plans to make sure that exams are fair for this year’s GCSE and A-level cohorts, given the disruption to their education caused by the virus.
GCSEs and A levels 2022: Appeal for advance information of topics ‘as soon as possible’
“Advance notice information should be published as soon as possible - no need to wait until 7 February - to give teachers and students more information which may help them to plan learning and revision in the remaining time available,” said Sarah Hannafin, the NAHT’s senior policy adviser.
“Communications around the announcement will be vital, particularly to address the variation in the information being provided for different subjects and uncertainty about the impact of it for lower ability students.”
Ms Hannafin said that the government “can and should do more”, and that there needs to be “a greater consideration of how the pandemic has affected learning and teaching this year, especially over the past few months”.
She said a high level of absence amongst both teachers and learners is putting “huge pressure on students in exam years” and that the NAHT was hearing “more and more questions” about how fair it is for exams to go ahead.
The NAHT said the government should review adaptations to exams “to ensure they go far enough to properly address the impact of the current circumstances which schools, teachers and students find themselves in”.
If exams do go ahead, it said the decision to publish performance data for schools should be reversed because it would “simply be a reflection on the impact of the pandemic on students and schools”.
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “The government has made it clear that it intends for exams to go ahead, but there needs to be more recognition that some students could be disadvantaged by the gaps in their learning due to Covid disruption - through no fault of their own or their school.
“If the government doesn’t do more to acknowledge this, trust in the fairness of the examination process will falter.”
Mr Whiteman said that while some learners “have no doubt thrived”, there would also be many who had “struggled”, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Students will sit GCSE and A-level exams in 2022 for the first time since 2019, with exams being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic and teacher-assessed grades awarded instead.
Earlier in January, education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “My absolute commitment is that exams are going ahead…but we’re putting in mitigations to make sure that we recognise those who have had their education disrupted.”
Students sitting GCSEs and A levels in 2022 will be awarded grades set at a midway point between 2019 standards - when full exams took place - and 2021, when teacher-assessed grades were awarded.
