Today, examregulator Ofqual released its to schools on how GCSE and A-level students should be graded this summer.
GCSEs and A levels 2021: Final Ofqual guidance on grading
Hereare the most important points from the guidance:
1. Schools should protect teachers from parental pressure
ڱܲ warned schools to shieldteachers from parental pressure as they submit GCSE and A-level grades for students.
Last week, speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders’ conference, Ofqual’s interim chair, Ian Bauckham,raised similar concerns about the pressures that teachers could face, saying that awarding GCSE or A-level grades in 2021 should not be a “negotiation”.
GCSEs: Guard teachers from grades pressure, says Ofqual
Related:Nine risks of bias for teachers when grading
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Ofqual:No change in grades standard, teachers told
2. Exam boards will investigate‘inappropriate’ levels of help from private tutors
The exam regulator also told schools that they must be confident that any work by students submitted to evidence their GCSE or A-level grades has been completed by the students themselves, without “inappropriate” levels of help from a private tutor.
“Exam boards will investigate instances where it appears that evidence is not authentic,” Ofqualadded.
3. Standards should not be raised for 2021
Meanwhile,teachers should ensurethat it is “no easier or harder for a student to achieve a particular grade this year compared to previous years”, Ofqual said.
The regulator said thisadvice wasthe same as that given to schools in 2020.
4. Teachers mustwatchout for nine types of bias
AndOfqual warnedteachers to be on guard fordifferent types of bias when awarding grades this summer.
They should be “aware of unconscious effects on objectivity”, and thattheir judgements can be affected by “unconscious beliefs”, the regulator said.
