The government must “urgently address” unanswered questions about exam arrangements this summer in light of rising Covid cases, headteacher leaders are warning.
Tes reported last week how schools were being forced to send year groups home because of “rapidly rising” Covid rates among staff and an inability to find supply teachers.
But the Department for Education is committed to exams going ahead this year and says teacher-assessed grades (TAGs) will only be used in the “unlikely event” of exams being cancelled nationally.
Last week schools minister Robin Walker told schools that they can put evidence gathered for TAGs “in a drawer” in order to focus on exam preparation.
However, Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, told Tes that members of her union were becoming “increasingly concerned” about arrangements for exams this summer due to the latest Covid wave.
GCSEs 2022: ‘Uncertainty’ about exams
“The majority of leaders, teachers and students share the minister’s desire for exams to go ahead this year,” she said. “But with Covid cases rising again, there is understandable uncertainty and anxiety about what this might mean for students sitting exams.”
There are “numerous unanswered questions that the government needs to urgently address”, she said, highlighting the “special consideration” rules under which individual students can be awarded grades if they miss a proportion of their exams in a subject, for example as a result of illness.
It is “currently unclear what will happen this year if large numbers of students are unable to take any exams in a subject, and whether TAGs could be used instead in that situation”, Ms McCulloch warned.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, also expressed concern about the impact of continued Covid disruption on exams.
Schools are reporting that it is “near impossible” to find cover staff amid rising absences, he said.
“With exams looming for many students, this is a very worrying time. Many schools are still finishing teaching the specifications as there has been so much disruption over the two years of exam courses - it is getting very tight for time already for teacher-led revision and exam preparation work,” he said.
Mr Whiteman called on the government to urgently remind people to take action to reduce the spread of Covid, even though the legal requirement to isolate has been removed.
”More disruption now could be seriously damaging to pupils’ exam chances and education recovery,” he warned.
Heads also expressed concern at the decision to remove free Covid testing from 1 April, with Ms McCulloch calling the move “nonsensical” and Mr Whiteman saying it was “irresponsible”.
Exam anxiety
Schools are also asking for more support for students who are unable to sit exams because of anxiety.
At the ASCL’s annual conference earlier this month, curriculum lead Tom Middlehurst warned that the union was seeing “a large number... more students who have evidenced anxiety and are coming with doctors’ notes and GP notes saying ‘we have anxiety about coming to the exams’ or ‘we need our own room and therefore an invigilator’”.
At the event, the ASCL asked Ofqual what schools should do in this situation. The union is now in talks with the regulator on this issue.
Ofqual chief regulator Jo Saxton told the ASCL conference: “There are scenarios where if heads apply, they can allow different timings, for example.”
Asked for clarification, a spokesperson for the exams regulator later told Tes that: “Different times could mean, for example, a student starting a few minutes later than others. It certainly wouldn’t mean on a different day.”
The Joint Council for Qualifications’ instruction for conducting examinations this year says schools can start examinations up to 30 minutes earlier than, or later than, the published starting time for the session, without the need to complete any paperwork.
But heads have told Tes that schools might need more guidance on what to do if they have large numbers of anxious students who are unable to sit exams in normal conditions.
ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton said: “Centres will obviously want to do the very best for their young people’s needs, but there are also practical limitations on space and staffing, and it may well be that further guidance is required. This is part of an ongoing dialogue with Ofqual, the aim of which is to make sure this exam series goes as smoothly as possible.”
A spokesperson from the Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents exam boards, said exam papers were being separated by at least 10 days to maximise the opportunity for students to sit at least one paper.
The spokesperson added: “We hope exams will proceed and that these timetabling arrangements can accommodate students who do become unwell. As always, special consideration will remain in place as well this year for students with a temporary illness, injury or some other event outside of the candidate’s control at the time of the assessment.”
The DfE said further information and guidance is expected “shortly” and that it is “highly unlikely” that either a whole school will not be able to sit exams, or that any one student will be unwell for 10 or more days.
