Highlights of the week ending 1 October
The Secretary of State and Ofqual announced adaptations to A levels and GCSEs ahead of next summer’s exam season, including changes to choice within certain subjects. Contingency arrangements for vocational and technical qualifications have also been published. And results days will be separate once again. Though the detail was welcome, many within education questioned the timing, saying it had come too late in the day.
At the Labour Party Conference, Keir Starmer set out plans for an ‘Education Excellence Programme’, which would include recruiting more teachers and a focus on reforming struggling schools.
In Scotland a consultation has been launched on plans to replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and reform Education Scotland (ES). This change was one of the recommendations that followed 2020 grading issues.And
Pearson has launched a new series of policy papers looking at current issues in education and skills. The first, Spotlight on Workforce Skills, covers current reform across the post-16 landscape.