Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson has announced next year’s GCSE and A-level exams will be going ahead – but with some changes. Firstly, content will be reduced for some subjects and secondly, exams will be pushed back by three weeks to give students more time to prepare and make up for lost learning.

 The government has rejected calls made by unions and leading figures in Education to cancel exams and instead use teacher assessment grades.

Usually exams start around the middle of May, they will now start from 7 June. Some exams – such as one maths and one English GCSE paper – will be scheduled for before May half-term. This will give students

Normally results are handed out a week apart, however they’ll not be given out in the same week; A-level results day will be August 24 and GCSE results day will be August 27.

Vocational qualifications like BTECs are also expected to be delay in-line with this changed timetable.

Gavin Williamson said more back-up plans would be decided later for “all scenarios.” The Department of Education plans to publish more details “later in the autumn”, in order to “ensure students have confidence that they will be fairly treated in terms of assessment in 2021”.

This year’s summer exams were cancelled due to the pandemic - leading to chaos for students whose marks were downgraded by an algorithm. The government was forced to make a humiliating u-turn and allow students to keep their teacher-predicted grades following a public outcry.

“Fairest Way”

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Exams are the fairest way of judging a student’s performance so they will go ahead, underpinned by contingency measures developed in partnership with the sector."

“Students have experienced considerable disruption and it’s right we give them, and their teachers, the certainty that exams will go ahead and more time to prepare.”

“I will continue to work closely with stakeholders and I’m grateful for the commitment and willingness that’s been shown in delivering this additional time to ensure young people have the best opportunity to succeed.”

He added: “Combined with our £1bn catch-up programme and the changes proposed by Ofqual to free up teaching time, the changes I am announcing today give young people the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive."

“Unrealistic and Unfair”

Last week, education unions warned moving the timing of exams back slightly was unlikely to make any significant difference following the vast gulf in learning experiences between pupils.

Dr Mary Bousted, of the National Education Union, said it was "unrealistic and unfair" after the disruption to their schooling.

She said: “Today’s announcement is yet another appalling example of political ideology trumping practical reality.” "It demonstrates that this is not a government which is interested in levelling up because the impact of these decisions will impact most severely on the most disadvantaged."

She has called for a broader range of topics in exams to give students a fairer chance.

She added: "If government will not reconsider and change its mind quickly, members tell us that exams, even with greater optionality, are no longer tenable.” "In which case, the only route to fairness would be a complete cancellation of exams and the use of robustly moderated, externally quality-assured teacher judgements.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL school leadership union, said he was “dismayed” by the announcement, and said delaying the start if exams would be “of marginal benefit when compared to the loss of learning from the national lockdown and ongoing disruption”.

“It has taken the government an eternity to reach a very inadequate response to the scale of the challenge which lies ahead for students who are taking GCSEs and A-levels next year.”

Paul Whiteman, the leader of the NAHT, added: “Having started this discussion in July, it is disappointing it has taken this long to get to this point when there are so many more decisions to be made.”

Labour’s shadow education secretary, Kate Green welcomed the delay to next year’s exams, but said it should have been announced earlier.

“The government have finally listened to Labour’s call for exams to be delayed,” she said, “but they could have done this weeks ago to give schools more time to prepare.”

All pupils are due to return fully back to school in September and the Department of Education (DfE) has warned shools to avoid staff members from having to quarantine during term time effectively barring teachers from taking a holiday abroad during the summer holidays.

The government has warned that there is 'no risk free travel' and quarantine restrictions can be introduced with no notice on any country. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said it was up to individuals and families to decide whether they wanted to risk going abroad in present circumstances where there are fears of a second wave heading towards Europe. 

Earlier this week the UK removed Spain from its list of safe countries to travel to after uncertainties that the country was experiencing a second wave of coronavirus. Almost 600,000 Brits are racing to get back to the UK and will have to face a 14 day quarantine when they return. 

Like many other key workers, school staff are unable to work from home and face taking unpaid leave if they get caught up in the newly-modified quarantine rules. 

The DfE added, “Where it is not possible to avoid staff having to quarantine during term time, school leaders should consider if it is possible to temporarily amend working arrangements to enable them to work from home.”

The Prime Minister said, “It’s vital that when people are coming back from abroad, if they are coming back from a place where I’m afraid there is another outbreak, they must go into quarantine. “That’s why we have taken the action that we have, and we will continue, throughout the summer, to take such action where it is necessary.”

Despite ongoing clashes between unions and the government over safety measures including whether pupils should wear masks, all schools will be reopening in September and parents must send their children back otherwise href="/news/news/send-your-children-back-to-school-in-september-or-face-a-fine">risk facing a fine

Currently employers do not have to pay while you are in self-isolation and you are not eligible for statutory sick pay. This has sparked outrage and led to growing calls from the government to provide additional support to people who have been caught out by the sudden change in rules. People who are self-employed or can't work from home will lose two weeks wages.

Being concerned about the news is understandable, but for many people this is taking its toll on people's mental health, particularly those already living with conditions like anxiety and OCD. 

People across the UK are now staying at home for long periods without the contact with friends, family and colleagues which would normally be part of everyday life. Some people may find the change easy to adapt to, but for others this will be a very difficult adjustment to make. It can make existing mental health problems worse.

Many are beginning to realise that this unique moment requires a focus on mental health as well as physical. 

 So how can we ensure our mental health is protected during the Covid-19 lockdown? Here are some tips for minding your mental health during the lockdown .

1. Get dressed and set up a routine

Creating a routine will help bring a sense of purpose to your days. With nowhere to go or nobody to see, it may seem pointless to get dressed and showered, but you’ll feel untidy and dirty by the end of the day. So, by just starting with simply getting dressed will help make you feel fresh and more like yourself. Without doubt, this is the quickest, easiest thing you can do that reaps the most benefits.

Think of a few things you could do that would make you feel accomplished – like studying for an hour, cooking, gardening or doing a workout video – and a few things you want to do – like gaming, binging Netflix. Perhaps do work around the house that you haven’t got around to all these years due to a lack of time. Lists are super useful here and will help you to look back and see what you have achieved with your day.

2. Stay connected

Advances in mobile technology in particular mean that we can stay connected through calls, text, WhatsApp, email, social media etc. Use this time to get in contact with people.
Try to connect with people who you haven't heard from in a while or people in your community who are likely to be isolated right now. The additional time at home can bring tension but it can also be an ideal opportunity to reconnect and strengthen relationships within the family.
Remember you can always mute WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups if you’re finding them too overwhelming. You can also mute keywords and unfollow accounts on most social media platforms., which will help limit unwanted content on newsfeeds.

3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

The negative impact of sleep disruption on mood is well-established. Without the structure of having to get to school, college or the workplace, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy sleep habits like going to bed later and getting up later. Changes to your sleep cycle now could go on to impact your mood in the weeks and months ahead.
Scheduling a balanced range of activities in your day including:
• Getting adequate and healthy sleep
• Daily routine of working and resting
• Eating nutritious food
• Exercising at home, there are lots of video on YouTube you can try out
• Practice meditation or try to relax when you can
• Do not be afraid to discuss your anxieties and fears with someone. It helps to ventilate and talk things out.

4. Working from home

If you find yourself working from home for the first time, it means figuring out how to stay on task in a new environment that may not lend itself to productivity. But there are ways to deliver results and avoid going stir-crazy, from setting up a good workspace to the way you talk to your team.

• Have a clear workspace is crucial for your state of mind, and not just in terms of being in a "working" mindset but also so you're able to turn off when the working day is over.
• Washing and dressing appropriately is very important when working from home. It will not only improve your state of mind, it will psychologically prepare you to start work. Likewise, changing out of work clothes when you clock off for the day helps your brain to understand that the working day is over.
• Remember to eat. With no access to a canteen or shops you most likely will have to make lunch. Try to plan ahead what you will make so that it is built into your schedule and it’s a healthy and nutritious meal.
• Taking breaks regularly is very important to avoid being burnt out. Overworking will only result in less productivity and frustration. Being cooped up inside can lead to fatigue, therefore even walking around the garden or even watering plants around the house will help keep your mind active and focused.
• Establishing boundaries is very important, especially if you're employed by a company, you'll probably have set hours of work, and it's important to stick to these when you're working from home. Be ready to start your day at the same time as you would normally arrive in your office or workplace, and finish your day at the same time. Setting a “to do list” will help you stay on track, organised and create order. Sharing this with your employer is also helpful so they are aware of your work.

5. Maintain hygiene

Whilst it is important to maintain hygiene, do not be preoccupied with it all the time. Be mindful of washing hands, and not touching metal surfaces, do not cough or sneeze without tissue paper.

6. Limit social media usage

Whilst it’s important to stay digitally active, it is also important to carefully choose your news and media sources, particularly if some of the information you are receiving is leaving you feeling overwhelmed. Remember that some of the information online is driven by the views, opinions and agendas of individuals, and it may not be helpful for you to take those on as your own right now.
Choosing one or two well-informed sources and limiting yourself to set times during the day to check for ups for example at 9am and 5pm.
Try and share the positive stories you see: of people who have recovered or even a post on social media that made you laugh.

7. Understand the risk

Stay up to date on COVID-19 but only trust the information that comes from authentic sources.
From the government: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
From the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Try not to be glued to the news 24/7
Do not believe every message or tweet circulated in social media

8. Be prepared

Make a list of helpful contact numbers and emails – such as for healthcare and keep enough supply of non-prescription medicines to last at least a month. Talk to family and friends nearby about how you can support each other, in case one household is quarantined. For example, dropping supplies outside the front gate. Use self-help tools. There is a list of clinically approved apps that have been put together by ORCHA – who’ve been set up to help regulate the safety and value of these apps and make sure people find the right app for the right reason. They have recommended Wysa to cope with stress or anxiety issues. Wysa has released free tool packs for everyone to cope with the stress of isolation and current health anxiety. They want to ensure that everyone has mental health resources during this crisis.

At this time, it is important that everyone gets the help they need – and this includes looking after yourself.

Please continue to follow NHS guidance, stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives.