Update on Public Examinations, Summer 2020
“Facts alone are wanted in life”, so said the notorious Mr. Gradgrind in Dickens’ “Hard Times”. It isn’t often that I agree with Gradgrind but a week after the cancellation of public exams we have yet to be told how GCSE or A level grades will be calculated. Facts are indeed wanted.
It appears that OFQUAL, the office for exam regulation in the UK will issue information regarding the awards process “next week”. Confusingly, later in the statement issued yesterday other information is promised “before Easter” which isn’t next week on anyone’s calendar. If you want to read the statement you can find it by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-update-on-2020-exams
In addition to the statement I have read numerous blogs, articles and emails from a wide variety of sources (HMC, ISC, ASCL to name a few) and I am increasingly certain that we will receive more information next week. OFQUAL itself acknowledges that “students understandably want reassurance, and teachers urgently need to know what to do, and when” which, under the circumstances, is reassuring.
Next week I trust that we will be given specific information about the information the exam boards require for their deliberations regarding the award of grades. We may have to wait a little longer to find out exactly how all of this evidence and any other measures will be used to calculate the exam grades to be awarded in July.
At the end of the statement OFQUAL promise that no student will be disadvantaged. I sincerely hope that the needs of those who have put so much into the preparation for these exams are at the core of their thinking.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
