UK schools closing LIVE – GCSE and A-Level exams cancelled as Gavin Williamson set to address MPs

EXAM REGULATOR URGES KIDS TO CONTINUE STUDYING AS NORMAL

The exams regulator has urged students to engage with their education during closures amid uncertainty about how GCSEs and A-levels will be assessed.

Simon Lebus, interim chief regulator of Ofqual, said: "The way ahead is not straightforward: exams and standardised assessments are the fairest way of determining what a student knows and can do.

"We need to consider a wide range of qualifications - from A-levels and GCSEs to many different vocational and technical qualifications - and the solution won't be the same for all."

'OTHER FACTORS' THAN GRADES FOR UNI ADMISSION

Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, said despite the cancellation of A-level exams this year, there were other factors than grades involved in the decision to allocate university places.

"It's important to remember that university admissions staff across the four countries (of the UK) look at grades but also the individual, whether it's through their personal statements or the reference a school or college has made," she said.

"They've got a huge amount of data to decide whether or not the student is going to be successful on the course they've applied to."

ONLINE LEARNING FOR STUDENTS IS 'MIXED BAG'

Professor Richard Harvey, director of admissions at the university of East Anglia, said online learning for university students was "a mixed bag".

"Some people are really thriving on it and other students are finding it harder," he said.

"The trick is to remain in contact with students via your adviser network and your support network and I think that's the thing that makes a big difference for student success in online education."

UCAS CHIEF HAILS UNI EXTENSION

Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, said the decision to extend university applications by two weeks had gone down "overwhelmingly very positively" with teachers.

"Teachers are struggling in terms of their own capacity and the amount they have to deal with at the moment, so hopefully it will be welcomed," she said, speaking to BBC Breakfast.

Ms Marchant added that, despite the cancellation of A-level exams this year, there were other factors involved in the decision to allocate university places.

"It's important to remember that university admissions staff across the four countries (of the UK) look at grades but also the individual, whether it's through their personal statements or the reference a school or college has made," she said.

HALFON: WE NEED A PLAN FOR EDUCATION

Asked if he still had confidence in Gavin Williamson, Mr Halfon told Times Radio: ";I appreciate that the Government are firefighting from day to day in terms of the coronavirus and they are walking a tightrope, but I just want there to be much more long-term planning for education.

"I think the problem over the past months is that all the energy has been put into health and sorting out the economy and education has often been forgotten about.

"We need a long-term plan for education and we need an educational route map out of the coronavirus and there must be consistency and clarity for education."

'LEVEL PLAYING FIELD' FOR EXAMS

Education select committee chairman Robert Halfon told Sky News "there must be a level playing field" when it comes to this year's exams.

He said that teacher-assessed grades "often discriminate against disadvantaged pupils" and called for "independent assessors" to provide "a check and a balance to those teacher-assessed grades".

"There needs to be a proper and fair appeals system as well."

He also suggested "Government should consider whether it's still possible to have exams in maths and English perhaps, or the core subjects."

"Employers value exams, students want exams because they know it gives them structure and something to work towards," he added.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

Anne Longfield, children's commissioner for England, said lessons needed to be learned from the mistakes of previous lockdowns regarding schools and education.

"There's no room for any complacency on this at all," she said, speaking on BBC Breakfast.

"We know that it hasn't gone well in every area across the country, we know that some... will still be working on a mobile phone, sometimes it will be a crap mobile phone.

"You can't learn with any consistency with that in place."

She added that the Government needed to act quickly to "get on the front foot" and reduce uncertainty for children and parents.

SCHOOL SITUATION 'IS A MESS'

Education Select Committee chairman Robert Halfon described the situation with schools as "a mess".

The Conservative MP told Sky News: "Clearly it has been a mess but we are where we are.

"But I think now we have to move on and make sure we have an exam system that is a level playing field for students and fair to the disadvantaged.

"We know that in the last lockdown millions of students did hardly any learning at all, despite the individual efforts of many teachers and many schools.

"We also know that despite hundreds of thousands of laptops going to students from the Government there are still hundreds of thousands of students on the wrong side of the digital divide."

SCHOOL RETURN 'DEPENDS ON VIRUS'

Asked if schools would go back after February half-term, Dr Hopkins said: "I think it will really depends on the epidemiology of the virus...

"We will have to look at it by year, age group by age group, as happened the first time round, and the final decisions will lay with Government over when they want to bring the students back."

Asked if it could not be ruled out that schools would stay off beyond February half-term, she said: "We can't rule it out, but they will be the first back to school, it will be the first thing to open, that would be our advice."

PHE EXPERT: CLOSING SCHOOLS REDUCES INFECTIONS

On schools, Dr Susan Hopkins from PHE said "we recognise that keeping the majority of children out of school just reduces those transmission risks slightly more than having them there (in the classroom).

"Because children not only are interacting in school but also on the way to school, on school buses, they are having conversations outside, and it's all of those little things that we are advising Government that need to be avoided."

She told BBC Breakfast that masks were not recommended for primary school children because it was "really important that they both see the teacher's mouth so that they can read and understand verbal expressions as part of their learning, and also learn to enhance their words and pronunciation."

HARD LESSON

GCSE and A-Level exams have been axed this summer, it was announced last night.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "The Government position is that we will not be asking students to sit GCSE and A-Levels."

Ministers are working with the exams regulator Ofqual to find a system for awarding grades that "reflects the hard work" of pupils across the country, he added.

And it's likely that, as was the case last year, teacher-assessed grades will be assigned.

The decision was made after the PM last night said the exams wouldn't be "possible or fair" for kids forced out of face-to-face teaching for months during the pandemic.

GAVIN WILLIAMSON RELEASES STATEMENT

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has released a brief statement ahead of a speech in Parliament today.

He told UK parents: "I know what a challenging time this is for families, young people, and for everyone working so hard in education.

"I also know the enormous lengths that teachers and support staff have gone to throughout this pandemic – the benefit of that work on children’s education and wellbeing is quite simply immeasurable, and has enabled millions to be back in classrooms spending valuable time with their teachers.

“It is now vital that we support our young people at home, including making sure all students are receiving the best possible remote education, and that those students who were due to take exams can still progress to their next stage of education or training."

15 MILLION SCHOOL DINNERS TO BE THROWN AWAY

More than 15 million school dinners are set to be thrown away following the announcement of lockdown 3.

A weeks' worth of dinners had been ordered in advance to prepare for the return of students across the country.

National waste collections company Business Waste will now be collecting mountains of "perfectly good although ultimately perishable food".

Spokesman Mark Hall said: "This is a national disaster, the government have well and truly let the schools down.

"They have allowed us to open and prepare for weeks ahead, which of course means stocking the fridges high for this weeks school dinners and those dinners are now going in the bin."

UNIVERSITIES TO REMAIN CLOSED

In another similarity with last spring’s restrictions, universities will not reopen for most face-to-face teaching and students should not return.

Instead they should continue their studies from their homes.

In the second English lockdown in November, schools and other education settings were allowed to remain open.

NO GCSES OR A-LEVELS THIS YEAR

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "The Government position is that we will not be asking students to sit GCSE and A-Levels."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has released a brief statement ahead of a speech in Parliament tomorrow.

He told UK parents: "I know what a challenging time this is for families, young people, and for everyone working so hard in education.

"I also know the enormous lengths that teachers and support staff have gone to throughout this pandemic – the benefit of that work on children’s education and wellbeing is quite simply immeasurable, and has enabled millions to be back in classrooms spending valuable time with their teachers.

“It is now vital that we support our young people at home, including making sure all students are receiving the best possible remote education, and that those students who were due to take exams can still progress to their next stage of education or training."

SCHOOLS CLOSED IN CHINESE PROVINCE AFTER COVID SURGE

Schools have been closed in a Chinese province after a coronavirus outbreak.

The 59 cases in Hebei are thought to be linked to gatherings, as officials launch mass testing for the capital city's 11 million residents and schools close.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS DISHED TO VULNERABLE KIDS

Free school meals will continue to be dished out to vulnerable kids - even though schools are shut until at least after the February half term.

Ministers are finalising the continuation of the scheme, which usually gives kids their meals through schools.

The PM told the nation last night: "We will provide extra support to ensure that pupils entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them while schools are closed, and we’ll distribute more devices to support remote education."

What areas will primary schools close in?

It was announced on December 30 that primary schools in 49 of the worst-hit Covid spots will not be opening after the Christmas break.

The areas included all London boroughs, Kent, Hertfordshire and Essex and the plans will be reviewed in two weeks.

The schools will remain shut for pupils due to spiralling cases - except for vulnerable kids and children of key workers who can attend.

They will stay closed until at least January 18.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he has "no doubt" that schools are safe and parents should send primary-age children back to classrooms this week where schools remain open.

Mr Johnson said he understood people's concerns about children returning for the new term but said education is "a priority".

WHEN WILL SECONDARY SCHOOLS REOPEN?

All schools will stay closed now until mid february after the half term.

The closures could be extended further.

Exceptions will be made for vulnerable children and those with special needs.

MUM SHOWS CHILLING NOTE FROM CHILD

DATA FORCED CLOSURES

Mr Johnson said he was forced to order a second school shutdown as the mutant Covid strain is surging.

He said: “The problem is schools may act as vectors for transmission, causing the virus to spread between households.”

He expressed how desperate they were to keep schools open as education was of the highest importance, but said the data just couldn't allow that.

NORTHERN IRELAND'S POST-PRIMARY TESTS CANCELLED

Post-primary school transfer tests in Northern Ireland have been cancelled with just days to go following a surge in coronavirus cases.

Thousands of pupils were due to sit the first in a series of selection exams for grammars on Saturday.

Classrooms are likely to shut until mid-February in an effort to stem the rising tide of infection.

DECISION TO KEEP NURSERIES OPEN POLITICAL CLAIMS EXPERT

The decision to keep nurseries open and close schools and universities may be a political one rather than a scientific one, an expert has suggested.

Sage member Professor Calum Semple told BBC Breakfast "if we've got to the point of closing the universities, secondary schools and primary schools on the grounds of public health, then I would be looking to close all other non-essential activities.

"And it may be that a political decision has been made here that nurseries are essential. But it's not a scientific one."

TECH FIRMS PLEDGE TO HELP WITH DATA AND DEVICE ACCESS FOR STUDENTS

Tech firms have pledged to work with the Government to ensure school pupils are able to adequately study remotely.

BT confirmed it was already working with the Department for Education on an existing scheme which provides disadvantaged children with extra mobile data each month.

Vodafone also confirmed that it was in talks with the DfE about joining the 20GB free data-a-month scheme.

Virgin Media launched an Essential broadband service late last year it says offers a reliable and affordable internet connection to those facing financial difficulty.

CALLS TO SCRAP BTECS GROW LOUDER

In a letter to the skills minister Gillian Keegan, David Hughes, chief executive of the AoC, said it was "simply untenable" to ask college staff and students to ignore the stay at home message in order to sit BTEC exams.

He said: "It is patently not safe for them and their families, even with the best mitigations a college can put in place. To go ahead with this exam series now would also be unfair on students.

"The stress of the pandemic will undoubtedly affect their performance, probably has affected their preparation, and could lead to results which are potentially very unfair."