Harrogate headteachers welcome 2021 exam changes but fears Covid impact will still be felt

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, praised the government for listening to concerns following this year's grading fiasco and said ministers should show more support to students feeling the strain from coronavirus distributions likely to last well into 2021.

It comes as the Department for Education has announced changes to exams including more generous grading, advance notice of exam topics and additional papers to make up for lost time with teachers.

Additional exam dates will also be set up to ensure any pupil who misses an exam due to Covid-19 will have a chance to sit it.

The changes have been broadly welcomed by Mr Renton who described them as "sensible steps".

"It is crucial, however, to ensure that the specific circumstances that impact on each student and each school are taken fully into consideration," he said.

"There needs to be some way to capture the differential learning that has taken place in educational settings across the country so that the system is fair.

"Whilst this is a complex task, it is of vital importance if we are to have to faith in the grading system."

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A-level and GCSE students were this year given grades estimated by their teachers in a government U-turn after exams were cancelled because of the pandemic.

It followed uproar after about 40% of A-level results were downgraded from predicted grades.

Mr Renton said there are still unanswered questions over how student performance can be measured fairly this time around when so many are facing differing levels of disruptions.

He added: "We continue to face challenges with the virus and in the last week we have had to close half of Year 8 and a Year 7 class. It is never welcome news that students need to isolate and study remotely, but we are doing all we can to support students and appreciate the patience and understanding our community."

Richard Sheriff, executive headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, also welcomed the changes but said it was not a "perfect" solution for the situation.

"It is a great step in the right direction," he said. "I am particularly glad to hear the government is setting up a committee to look at the big issue of children having different learning experiences depending on where they live and how their exams can be made fair.

"Children in areas like Oldham may have had weeks off school because of Covid whereas children in the South West may have lost almost no time in the classroom.

"It is going to be really very hard to create a level playing field."

Announcing the changes, education secretary Gavin Williamson said exams were the best way of measuring performance, and that it was "so important" they took place next summer.

He said: "I know students are facing unprecedented disruption to their learning.

"That's why exams will be different next year, taking exceptional steps to ensure they are as fair as possible."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter