Ofqual priorities will continue response to coronavirus disruption
21 July 2020
Not unexpectedly, Ofqual will continue its work in relation to the disruption caused by the closing of schools and cancellation of exams during the coronavirus pandemic, as a priority in the coming year.
Ofqual’s corporate plan sets out its immediate priorities for 2020-21, focusing efforts on the regulation of general qualifications, and vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs), in the wake of the pandemic, as well as continuing its work in support of the government’s reform agenda for technical education, and the choices available to students post-16.
In addition to objectives around its resources, the remaining three priorities cover:
Regulating GCSE, AS and A Levels in response to coronavirus: having arrived at the approaches for the awarding of general qualifications in summer and autumn 2020, and consulted on summer 2021, Ofqual’s focus now moves to implementation including:
- Ensuring exam boards securely collect centre assessment grades and implement statistical standardisation
- Ensuring exam boards issue secure and timely results in summer 2020 and implement arrangements for appeals
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the 2020 arrangements
- Establishing regulatory arrangements for autumn 2020, monitoring exam boards’ delivery of the series and ensuring grade standards are maintained
- Developing the arrangements for awarding in 2021.
Regulating VTQs in response to coronavirus: having announced the extraordinary regulatory framework for awarding VTQs in summer and autumn 2020, Ofqual is continuing its work to support these qualifications. This includes:
- Overseeing interpretation of the extraordinary regulatory framework, including though a ‘technical advisory function’.
- Monitoring and evaluating the awarding of VTQs in summer and autumn 2020
- Developing the arrangements for awarding in 2021.
Supporting quality in regulated qualifications and assessments: Ofqual will also continue other priority programmes such as:
- Working with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to introduce technical qualifications within T Levels.
- Establishing a regulatory approach for new higher technical qualifications at Levels 4 and 5.
- Regulating digital functional skills qualifications and evaluating new essential digital skills qualifications.
- Supporting the review of post-16 qualifications at Level 3 and below.
- Evaluating how exam boards have strengthened assessments in key stage 4 VTQs before they are considered for use in performance tables.
- Continuing with improvements to exam boards’ quality of marking
- Continuing the review of the moderation of teachers’ marking.
- Working with the sector, including through the Federation of Awarding Bodies, to support new rules for Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny.
- Expanding its external quality assurance of apprenticeship end-point assessments
- Publishing new guidance on developing accessible assessments.
- Assessing the increased use of technology in the delivery and awarding of regulated qualifications.
- Implementing changes to regulatory action to use the full range of enforcement powers to address serious or persistent non-compliance.
Ofqual has also published its annual report for 2019-20 outlining how it delivered on last year’s objectives, from overseeing summer 2019’s exams to delivering activities as part of the government’s skills reform programme - accrediting the first new qualifications for T Levels, introducing new Functional Skills qualifications and developing its regulation of apprenticeship assessments.
In addition, Ofqual’s annual symposium for stakeholders provided further information on how it will regulate awarding this summer and how grades will be standardised.