GCSE students in England receive extended COVID support for exams

The Department for Education (DfE) in England has proposed an extension of support measures for GCSE students in their maths and science exams amid efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The DfE has requested that the exams regulator, Ofqual, continue providing formulae and equations to students for an additional year.

This initiative aims to address the challenges faced by students who, during the initial national lockdown, were in Year 7 and are now preparing for exams next summer.

The proposal is under consultation and has received positive feedback from teaching unions.

The BBC reported that Education secretary Gillian Keegan said: “Young people taking GCSEs next year will be the last who experienced two years of national closures during secondary school and it’s right that we recognise that with some additional support.”

Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for school leaders’ union NAHT, said there was “no need for an additional test of memory” in the exams.

She said it was “disappointing that this decision has been made so late on” in the run-up to pupils taking mocks next month.

“no need for an additional test of memory”

COVID-19 affect on learning

In England, the latest announcement has altered the originally planned return to 2019 exam arrangements for the current year. In 2020 and 2021, exams were cancelled across the UK, and grades were determined by teachers’ assessments, leading to a notable increase in top results.

In 2022, when students resumed exams, they received additional support to account for the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Some of these measures persisted for the 2023 exams in England, including generously spacing GCSE papers, providing formulae and equation sheets for certain subjects, and excluding testing on unfamiliar vocabulary in modern foreign language exams.

However, unlike other parts of the UK, GCSE students in England needed to be given advanced information about the topics to be tested. England was unique in swiftly reverting to 2019 grading standards this year, while Wales and Northern Ireland opted for a more gradual return to pre-pandemic grading. The decline in pass grades was most pronounced in England.

Colleges reported to the BBC last month that they were compelled to enlarge class sizes and secure additional exam halls to accommodate the growing number of students retaking compulsory maths and English GCSEs.