The Department for Education has confirmed that some English and maths GCSEs will take place before May half term. 

The government's plan for exams next summer states that most GCSEs and A levels will take place three weeks later than planned – with the exam series starting on 7 June and finishing on 2 July.

However, education secretary Gavin Williamson has said that one maths and one English GCSE paper will be held just before the May half term, "giving any Year 11 pupils who are affected by Covid-19 the best possible chance of still sitting a paper in each of these core subjects". The other English and maths papers will take place between 7 June and 2 July. 

This also applies to students in further education and sixth-form colleges resitting their maths and English GCSEs.

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Mr Williamson's written statement also said that it is "expected that for the majority of vocational and technical qualifications that are taken alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS or A levels, awarding organisations will look to align timetables with 2021 exams".

He added: "Results days for AS/A levels and GCSEs will fall on Tuesday 24 August and Friday 27 August respectively, with students taking vocational and technical qualifications needed for progression to further or higher education receiving their results no later than their peers."

In a statement issued this afternoon, Ofqual said: "We have worked with the Department for Education (DfE) and exam boards to map out a timeline to allow the majority of summer GCSE, AS- and A-level exams to start on 7 June, with results days taking place in late August.

"Students studying level 1 and 2, and level 3 vocational and technical qualifications instead of, or alongside, GCSEs, AS and A levels and needing their results to progress, will receive their results no later than their peers." 

'Two major issues'

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said that there were two major issues with the plan: the first on how the system supports students who have lost learning because of the pandemic, and the second the risk that some or all students will not be able to sit the exams.

He said: "Colleges still have the autumn series to contend with and many are expecting higher numbers of GCSE English and maths resit candidates in November. Many colleges will have over 500 candidates and some have seen their November entries more than double. This increase in numbers is costly, disruptive and could have serious public health implications. At the very least, DfE should extend the support funding promised for the additional autumn exams to cover the additional costs for college GCSE resits.

"Today’s announcement only covers academic subjects. DfE, Ofqual and awarding organisations need to work with colleges and other providers to ensure technical and vocational students can complete courses in summer 2021 – this is, of course, a bigger challenge because assessment is more sophisticated and often work-based. Clarity on the adaptations to be put in place for many qualifications is urgently needed by students and colleges."

'Consider teacher workload'

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said that staff "deserve better than the continued mess that the Westminster government has overseen."

She said: "The government needs to accept it got things badly wrong back in August and work with staff to ensure a proper system of teacher-moderated grades instead of exams, in case we see a continued rise in Covid-19 cases and more widespread lockdowns.

"While a delay in the start of exams in 2021 to allow students and teachers more time to complete courses is welcome, it is vital to consider how this will affect teacher workload and timetable planning. Longer-term, the current situation shows that we must seriously look at moving to a system of post-qualifications admissions, where students apply to university after their results.

‘Without substantial support from the government, and a commitment to genuine reform, further uncertainty around exams and marking systems will simply create further chaos for students and unbearable workloads for staff."

'A plan B and C'

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said that sixth form colleges "welcome the government’s ambition to hold the exams next summer" but that a "plan B and C must be in place". 

He said: "It is imperative that the Department for Education does not underestimate either the scale or the likelihood of disruption to exams next year. And even if the exams do go ahead, the biggest challenge is likely to be the difficulty of ensuring all students have the same opportunities in preparing for them with their teachers over the next eight months.

"Lost learning in the last six months and the inevitable lost learning during this year mean that exams could only proceed in the summer with significant modifications. Students in some parts of the country are already more disadvantaged than others, according to where they live and how prevalent the virus has been.

"We must also start preparing now for a summer with no exams, and explore what alternative models of assessment should be put in place. It would be a disaster if the conclusion drawn at the end of the government’s six-week consultation was that only minor changes were needed to the 2021 exam series. We are all hoping for the best when it comes to arrangements for next year, but we owe it to students to also prepare for the worst and ensure we have a robust plan B and C in place”.