A year ago, if any teacher or lecturer had been discussing moving to teacher-judgement-based assessment, even in the staffroom, they would have been met with the usual nods of heads, but an understanding that this wouldn’t be happening any time soon. Then Covid-19 happened. 

Since the decision was made in March to cancel GCSE and A-level exams, school and college staff at all levels have been studiously looking over assessment data, prior data and old mocks and exercise books (where possible). Supplemented by meetings, discussions and debates on Zoom and Microsoft Teams (and a range of other virtual meeting “spaces” claiming to be the new sliced bread), estimates and rankings were created with emotions ranging from relief to guilt and overwhelming anxiety. 

So, what next? Teachers have submitted their calculated grades, and we know when these will be released to students. We await the outcome of the current Ofqual consultation into an autumn exam series, and debate still rages about what, how and when resits can or might take place. But what about after that? What about summer 2021?

GCSEs: The challenge of ranking thousands of students

Background: Disadvantaged students will lose out over assessment

Student perspective: Should we ban all future exams?

Stick or twist?

To summarise a very complex issue into a very short question: do we stick or twist? Do we return to an entirely exam-based assessment system, or do we continue with some form of estimation? Or is there a third way? 

The criticism angled at an entirely exam-based system over the years has been that this quite obviously disadvantages those who do not perform in exams and limits opportunities for students to display their ability for a range of reasons. Further to this, this method has led to an explosion in the number of mental health and anxiety issues suffered by young people.

So, what did we do before 100 per cent assessment through exams? Well, there was coursework (and later controlled assessments), which, it could be argued, gave students an adequate range of opportunities to display their knowledge and understanding. However, as well as being open to manipulation and abuse by unscrupulous practitioners (with some students receiving B grades for coursework and E and F grades in exams), coursework and controlled assessments could be an administrative nightmare.

There are some benefits to the exam-only assessment system we all know. Well, there is just that - we know it. We’re good at it. That’s not necessarily a reason for sticking with it, but there would be a learning curve to any change, and students will be disadvantaged by those at the bottom of that learning curve.

So, what should we do? For the mental health and anxiety issues alone, we should continue with estimation and ranking. 

A fairer assessment of students

Moving away from exam-only assessment would be a bold move, but would represent a fairer assessment system that assesses young people over an extended period of time, and not 2.5 hours split over two days of a five-year journey (as GCSE English language currently does). And this is why we should stick with the current estimation and ranking system: it’s fairer.

It represents an evaluation of a student’s work over an extended period of time, gives a range of opportunities for students to show what they can do (mock exam performance, homework, work completed in class) and, with additional adaptation, it could empower students. 

Why not continue with this process and add the level of transparency that students have been screaming out for? Why not include students in this process and let them know exactly what estimate they will be given, and why, at all stages of the process? The first big shift in student behaviour since the announcement of estimation and ranking most practitioners experienced was some form of communication from desperate students asking what grade they were being predicted and what they could do to improve it. 

Why not harness this enthusiasm through the above transparency, and also give a much-needed injection of respect to the profession and practitioners?

Exam boards may well contest this, simply because they can’t invoice for a spreadsheet of estimates and rankings what they would for 200 student scripts in 10 subject areas. Why not adapt the exam system? Nationally standardise mock assessments or offer assessment windows to moderate teacher judgements? Or exam boards be damned and focus on what is best for students? 

Whatever the next steps in assessments, all parties need to come together: teachers and leaders (through reps and unions), local education authorities, academy chains, FE colleges, sixth forms, universities and everyone in between. Led by research, all parties should have an input, with the final decisions being made by the Department for Education and Ofqual and open to consultation. 

Regardless of next steps, the shape that future assessment takes should be close to the top of the agenda now that the estimation and ranking process has been completed. Students, parents and everyone in education needs to know what they are working towards in 2021 and beyond.

The writer is head of English and maths at a college in England