Thread by @SchoolsWeek

.@CommonsEd will question Ofqual and DfE about the summer results and 2022 exams this morning. We will hear from schools minister @NickGibbUK, DfE's permanent secretary @SusanAclandHood, Ofqual chair @IanBauckham and chief regulator Simon Lebus. Follow for live tweets⬇️

.@halfon4harlowMP asks about JCVI's decision to not recommend vaccines for 12-15 year olds. Gibb said if the decision is to go ahead with the jabs 'we will get through the whole population very swiftly'. He adds they don't think it will require extra resource at the school level

Gibb confirms the intention is that if the jabs go ahead for this age group 'the school aged immunisation service will deliver these vaccinations through the school'. He adds 'it's the swiftest and most efficient way' #edselctte

Asked about reports that some schools are bringing back bubbles, Gibb says there's 'no real reason' for schools to maintain the bubble arrangements #edselctte

Halfon asks if DfE will intervene? Gibb says regional schools commissioners will be monitoring #edselctte

Questions now move to exams. Halfon asks about grade inflation and whether qualifications could be devalued. Gibb says the results are 'absolutely valid' #edselctte

Lebus said they've had extensive liaison with the major employer groups and thinks they are 'general understanding and supportive' of the 2021 approach #edselctte

On the quality assurance process, Lebus said all centre types were looked at and it was representative across regions #edselctte

On the private vs state school gap in results this summer - is it because of the differential learning loss or the alternative grading arrangements? #edselctte

Gibb said the independent sector 'starts on a higher base'. 'I don't think there's anything in the TAG system that has done anything other than reflect the system before when we had ordinary exams' #edselctte

On grading for 2022, Bauckham said they hope to announce a decision on this 'very shortly'. They met with employers organisations yesterday and said there are 'no strong consensus' #edselctte

On the National Reference Test - Bauckham said once the data has been full analysed for this year it will published in the autumn 'and that will give us some objective reference points on actual underlying standards' #edselctte

Lebus says no confirmed 2022 exams plan until October #edselctte

Gibb says 'the consequences of the pandemic rather than the awarding system has hit children from more disadvantaged backgrounds harder' #edselctte

Gibb says he hopes we 'never go back to this approach to assessing young people' but they 'do always reflect on how we can improve the assessment system for young people with special educational needs' #edselctte

Lebus said it was 'quite an issue' getting the source data made available (see story below). He said it was an 'incredibly complicated business'.
'I apologise that it has taken such a long time to get this together it has proved exceedingly complicated'
schoolsweek.co.uk/delayed-2020-g…

.@IanMearnsMP asks about appeals from the summer. Lebus says the volume of appeals is 'rather in line with what it was last year so it's much less than it would be in a normal year' #edselctte

Lebus said on appeals: 'The volumes are relatively low, they are being processed in a timely fashion and there are one or two where the centres are not being efficient getting some of the information that exam boards need to determine' #edselctte

Lebus says there are still 'aggrieved parents' from 2020 and he stills receives correspondence on it. #edselctte

On appeals from 2021 lodged so far, Lebus said its in the 'thousands but not tens of thousands'. He added: 'It's very much in line with last year which I think was around 5,000' #edselctte

Bauckham said work is 'advanced' on the contingency plan if exams are cancelled again. A DfE and Ofqual consultation will be published later this autumn to 'propose a contingency plan should the unthinkable happen' #edselctte

Gibb says the consultation on contingencies will be published 'very shortly' #edselctte

Halfon says the 'old Nick Gibb' would have said 'we want to dampen down grade inflation, that you want exams to maintain their currency and value'.

Gibb says Ofqual is going to publish in October what they're going to do about grading in 2022. 'Fairness' is upmost in his mind

Halfon asks Acland Hood whether the SEND review will be published before the end of the year?

She says 'we will get it out as soon as we've got it ready to the quality we want' #edselctte

Halfon thanks Lebus for his service ahead of him leaving his interim role on September 17. 'It's not a job that I suspect that thousands of people would volunteer to have done', Halfon said #edselctte

And that's it. Thanks for following our live tweets this morning

Here's a round up from this morning's @CommonsEd hearing on exams:
schoolsweek.co.uk/numbered-a-lev…