Team Lopez - The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, sent the attached letter to all MPs advising of the consultation on alternatives to exams in 2021.

Following the new national restrictions introduced on 4 January, the Government cannot guarantee that all students will be able to fairly sit their exams this summer and as such alternative arrangements are needed to award qualifications.

The Education Department and Ofqual had already worked up a range of contingency options and they have now issued a joint consultation to seek views on alternative assessment arrangements for GCSE, AS and A levels and propositions for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) to seek to ensure that students taking these qualifications are not disadvantaged in comparison to their peers.

To provide certainty for constituents and the sector, the consultation will run for a fortnight from 19 January. The Secretary of State is keen to seek the views of teachers, school and college leaders, students, parents, and others involved in education, both through the written consultation and direct engagement with stakeholder groups.

To view the Department’s proposals and submit your views on them, please see the following webpage - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-how-gcse-as-and-a-level-grades-should-be-awarded-in-summer-2021