In completing its response to the first stage of the review and launching the second phase consultation, ministers have confirmed they will be removing funding for qualification that overlap with A levels and T Levels – stating they should become the qualifications of choice at Level 3.

The events of the summer were revisited as newly published Ofqual Board minutes showed that Gavin Williamson’s ‘triple lock’ was announced before Ofqual had been able to sign it off and that Centre Assessed Grades had been considered by the Secretary of State ahead of A level results day.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb was in front of the Education Select Committee covering the impact of COVID-19 on learning and plans for 2021 exams. He also ‘misspoke’ when describing all schools to be in ‘tier one’ of the contain framework – clarification later came from DfE that this relates only to those schools in ‘high’ and ‘very high’ risk areas.

And finally, in the face of the ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown in Wales, blended learning in universities will continue. In the latest of our Policy Blog Series, Dr. Gary Gates discusses how universities can build confidence in online delivery.