The Education Secretary confirmed yesterday that for upcoming GCSE and A-Level results, teachers will decide the right grades for their students.

This decision means that schools will be allowed to independently determine grades, using a combination of mock exams, coursework and essays to best suit the needs of students. Results will be published two weeks earlier than usual to give students more time for appeal. A small number of practical exams, where hands-on skills for professional qualifications need to be demonstrated, will continue in a Covid-safe way.

Young people have been especially hard hit by the impacts of the pandemic. The new rules for deciding results will help to ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged from the disruption of the last year through their grades.

It is also good news that all students will be able to start returning to the classroom from 8th March. To help students catch up on lost learning, a new £700 million funding package has  been announced, which will including an expansion of one-to-one and small group tutoring programme to the children who need it most. Put together, these measures will mean that students in school, regardless of what stage of learning they are at, are given the best possible support to help them to progress with their education.