Ministerial statement on Thursday, 3 December 2020, in the House of Commons, led by Gavin Williamson.

Exams and Accountability 2021

Statement on testing and examinations in schools and colleges next year.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 685 cc435-451
Session: 2019-21
Department: Department for Education
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Assessments: Coronavirus
Tuesday, 2 February 2021
Written questions
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Gavin Williamson | 685 cc435-7 (Link to this contribution)
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement regarding testing and examinations ...; Kate Green | 685 cc437-8 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and for the advance copy of it. I also thank the...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c439 (Link to this contribution)
I am glad that the hon. Member could bring herself to welcome the measures, albeit slightly grudg...; Lindsay Hoyle | 685 c439 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Is it possible to face me a little bit as well, Secretary of State?; Gavin Williamson | 685 c439 (Link to this contribution)
I know that you always love Secretaries of State to look adoringly at you, Mr Speaker. I have bee...; Kate Green | 685 c439 (Link to this contribution)
indicated assent.; Gavin Williamson | 685 c439 (Link to this contribution)
It is good to see that we have a common view—I note the chuntering from the hon. Member for Ilfor...; Robert Halfon | 685 c440 (Link to this contribution)
It is right that we have exams in some form next year, because that at least gives pupils much-ne...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c440 (Link to this contribution)
We have commissioned an Education Policy Institute study on the individual learning loss, and we ...; Lindsay Hoyle | 685 c440 (Link to this contribution)
Let us head up to Birmingham to see Jack Dromey. [Interruption.] He looks a lot younger! That was...; Roger Gale | 685 c440 (Link to this contribution)
The work that my right hon. Friend does in connection with exams is likely to be considered wrong...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c440 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is right that there is not an easy pathway, which I think the hon. Member fo...; Daisy Cooper | 685 c441 (Link to this contribution)
Securing fairness for all students will be absolutely key, so while I welcome some of the measure...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c441 (Link to this contribution)
The whole set of measures that we have put in place, whether in extra learning time, changes to a...; Selaine Saxby | 685 c441 (Link to this contribution)
This year’s students, such as those at Petroc College in North Devon, have faced unprecedented di...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c441 (Link to this contribution)
I assure my hon. Friend that the measures we are taking are truly exceptional—they are not measur...; Jim Shannon | 685 c441 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. Will he outline the steps taken to ensure that ...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c441 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. The measures that we are taking are very much to red...; Bob Blackman | 685 c442 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, which will end the uncertainty that I am sure ...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c442 (Link to this contribution)
We will always look at different options to improve our examination system and how we work with e...; Kerry McCarthy | 685 c442 (Link to this contribution)
Research from the Education Policy Institute, among others, on the performance of pupils with spe...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c442 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady raises a really important point on which there is a lot of shared concern on both s...; Rob Butler | 685 c442 (Link to this contribution)
May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on achieving a compromise that enables students in Aylesb...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c442 (Link to this contribution)
This is why we have taken the decision to make the announcement at this stage. I think the four n...; Matt Western | 685 c443 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State rightly says that he wants to boost fairness and support students, but he ...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c443 (Link to this contribution)
I very much share the hon. Gentleman’s view on the important role that teachers, and also support...; David Johnston | 685 c443 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the position regarding exams today, as someone who was kee...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c443 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend raises an important point and identifies a great opportunity for many schools to t...; Andrew Gwynne | 685 c443 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome this announcement, but let us talk about regional disparities, because I share the conc...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c444 (Link to this contribution)
As I touched on in an earlier answer, obviously we expect schools to deliver a full curriculum, b...; Caroline Johnson | 685 c444 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement. I know that he has considered very carefully how to...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c444 (Link to this contribution)
There is not only the general pot of the catch-up fund, but the specific national tutoring progra...; Sarah Owen | 685 c444 (Link to this contribution)
I have heard from teachers, school leaders and young people across Luton North, all saying that w...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c444 (Link to this contribution)
We have spent a great deal of time working with stakeholders and listening to children, teachers ...; Jonathan Gullis | 685 c444 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend and his entire departmental team on today’s statement, which ...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c445 (Link to this contribution)
I would be delighted to add my hon. Friend’s name to the list of that army of volunteers who will...; Emma Lewell | 685 c445 (Link to this contribution)
We have had yet another statement from the Secretary of State that did not mention children in ca...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c445 (Link to this contribution)
We have a very proud history, actually; we put the needs of the most vulnerable at the heart of o...; Lia Nici | 685 c445 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that keeping schools open is a national priority? That is vital f...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c445 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely spot on when she highlights the importance of keeping schools open a...; Jeff Smith | 685 c446 (Link to this contribution)
In Manchester, some year 11 pupils are now in their fifth period of isolation. Most have lost at ...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c446 (Link to this contribution)
The measures we have introduced are very much designed to support the pupils the hon. Gentleman t...; Jason McCartney | 685 c446 (Link to this contribution)
I appreciate that there are no easy solutions here. I have been discussing these difficult issues...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c446 (Link to this contribution)
This is what all the measures we are introducing are aimed at doing: making sure that children wh...; Liz Twist | 685 c446 (Link to this contribution)
Last week, I met headteachers from across Gateshead who talked about this very issue of unfairnes...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c446 (Link to this contribution)
Again, not wishing to repeat myself, we recognise that there are children in that situation. That...; Elliot Colburn | 685 c447 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. The excellent teaching staff across Carshalton...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c447 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes an important point about vaccination roll-out. We have also been doing testi...; Rebecca Long Bailey | 685 c447 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State’s statement sadly does little to address the disadvantage that pupils, par...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c447 (Link to this contribution)
It is very nice to see the hon. Lady again. The reason for this focus and the advance notice for ...; Greg Smith | 685 c447 (Link to this contribution)
The stress and anxiety that has been faced by so many pupils, staff and parents due to covid rest...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c447 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely spot on. The children who are facing exams this year have done so mu...; Rupa Huq | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
Around 80% of Ealing schools have had covid cases, leaving gaps in learning and holes in budgets....; Gavin Williamson | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
We have already set out details to support schools during this covid pandemic, not just in the ru...; David Simmonds | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
It is always easy to criticise, but does my right hon. Friend agree that while, sadly, it appears...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend highlights a really important area. The virtual school heads programme for local a...; Stephanie Peacock | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State referred to remote provision in his statement, and yet last half-term scho...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
We continue to deliver ever more laptops every single week. More than 0.5 million laptops will be...; Christopher Chope | 685 c448 (Link to this contribution)
Will my right hon. Friend congratulate St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Christchurch on bei...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c449 (Link to this contribution)
I very much join my hon. Friend in congratulating St Joseph’s school in Christchurch on such an a...; Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi | 685 c449 (Link to this contribution)
Some regions of our country, including my constituency, have been especially hard hit by the pand...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c449 (Link to this contribution)
We believe that this is a comprehensive package. We will ask the expert group to look at some of ...; Tim Loughton | 685 c449 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the decision to retain exams, not as the best but as the least worse form of assessment...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c449 (Link to this contribution)
We been working very closely with UCAS and Universities UK on this issue. Universities have been ...; Lucy Powell | 685 c1063 (Link to this contribution)
I still do not get how these proposals mitigate the effects of extended absence of teaching and l...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c450 (Link to this contribution)
All the measures that we have undertaken have been aimed at supporting those children who have be...; David Evennett | 685 c450 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s announcement of a package of measures to ensure fairness in next...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c450 (Link to this contribution)
We are absolutely certain that we can deliver a full exam series. Quite simply that is because, o...; Karl Turner | 685 c450 (Link to this contribution)
As you know, Mr Speaker, east Hull has been one of the hardest hit areas by the pandemic, and our...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c450 (Link to this contribution)
At every stage, we want to support all those schools that have been impacted by the pandemic, whe...; Sara Britcliffe | 685 c450 (Link to this contribution)
I have been on many calls with my local schools—Mr Speaker, as you represent a Lancashire seat, y...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c451 (Link to this contribution)
That is why we established the expert group to look at some of the challenges, including the ongo...; Holly Lynch | 685 c451 (Link to this contribution)
I asked headteachers in my constituency for suggested questions to the Secretary of State and had...; Gavin Williamson | 685 c451 (Link to this contribution)
We put together the package of proposals to deal with and support schools in the hon. Lady’s cons...; Lindsay Hoyle | 685 c451 (Link to this contribution)
In order to allow the safe exit of hon. Members participating in this item of business and the sa...
Subjects: Assessments Accountability Inspections National curriculum tests Primary education Standards GCSE GCE A-level Ofsted T-levels Coronavirus Remote education
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

Exams and Accountability 2021

Secondary information

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