To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how often and how many times the expert group set up to look at differential learning and monitor the variation in the impact of the pandemic on students across the country plans to meet.
Answered on
8 December 2020
The Department recognises the challenges faced by schools, teachers, and students, and knows that disruption has been felt differently across the country, between schools and colleges in the same area, and between students within individual institutions. In addition to the package of measures announced to ensure exams are delivered fairly next summer, the Department has also confirmed the launch of an expert group to monitor and advise on lost and differential learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department is working to finalise the membership of this group and will ensure that membership is representative of the sector, and geographically diverse. The group is expected to make initial recommendations in the early spring and remain in place to monitor the ongoing situation due to the COVID-19 outbreak for the rest of the academic year, reporting regularly.
The package of measures to ensure the fair delivery of exams can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-support-the-summer-2021-exams.