LeadingLearner

DfE/OFQUAL’s Exam Replacement Problem

Within the Department for Education/Ofqual’s consultation on this year’s exam replacement there are a whole series of distractions and much confused, woolly thinking.  The key challenge that requires addressing – and was missed last year in the need to move rapidly to a centre assessed grade – is the comparability between grades awarded in different schools/ centres.  This is the basis for having a national examination system and is totally missed in the consultation in favour of some ill-defined “external quality assurance by the exam boards” in June. 

5 School Wishes for Christmas

Next Sunday is the start of Advent, a time of preparation for Christmas.  For many this has been the longest year of their lives; paradoxically where did the year go?  Too many school leaders and staff are on their knees as they try to manage the on-going impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With the season of goodwill starting in just over a month, here are five ideas that Messrs Williamson & Gibb could implement to prepare for Christmas and make up for their less than stellar performances so far this year.

Ofsted’s Autumn Inspections

Ofsted has now completed its set of pilot “visits” to schools and will now start inspecting schools.  We can only hope Ofsted will learn the lessons from the pilot – give schools a week’s notice of their visit and don’t issue any judgemental letter. Or better still accept that now is the time to leave school and school leaders to get on with their already challenging jobs.