Headteachers in England are calling on ministers to delay the return of pre-pandemic exam conditions for another year, after GCSE results showed a disturbing gap in attainment between pupils in the north and south.
On the day that about 600,000 pupils in England in year 11 received their GCSE results, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said pupils due to face exams next summer should have the same additional support as this year’s cohort because they too have been disadvantaged by Covid.
The government had hoped that exam conditions and grades would return to pre-pandemic levels next year after a gradual glide back to normality, but with the threat of further waves of infection over the winter more disruption could lie ahead.
