The department is clear that exams are the best and fairest form of assessment for students to show what they know and can do. In 2022, students have taken exams and assessments in A levels, T Levels, and other post-16 qualifications for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These examinations took place with adaptations to reflect the disruption young people have faced to their education throughout the pandemic.<\/p>
The grading of GCSEs, AS, and A levels is a decision for Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications. This summer, results will be higher than when summer exams were last sat, but lower than in 2021, when grades were awarded by teacher assessment. This means the bar for achieving an A, for example, will not be as high as it might have been in 2019.<\/p>
The department has asked Ofqual\u2019s Chief Regulator, Jo Saxton, to write directly to the hon. Member about the distribution of A level and GCSE grades in summer 2022, and the steps they are taking to inform parents about grading. A copy of her reply will be placed in the library of both Houses.<\/p>
The department has, in collaboration with Ofqual, worked closely with the higher education (HE) sector in shaping the decisions around exams and assessments in 2022. Following Ofqual\u2019s September 2021 announcement on grading, universities have set entry requirements and made offers to students according to this approach. Throughout the year, we have worked with the HE sector to brief providers on the approach to grading with extensive planning ahead of results day, including on operational readiness, and ensuring support is in place for students, whatever their next steps might be this summer.<\/p>
Record numbers of students have applied to university this year. UCAS is expecting the majority of firm offer holders to gain a place at their firm choice university on A level and T Level results day. Students can have confidence that getting into HE is a fair process, with admissions teams taking into account the broad range of information about a student in addition to their predicted grades, including teacher references, and for certain courses with a 15 October application deadline, their performance in admissions tests.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4490", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Morley and Outwood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Jenkyns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "38864"} , {"_value" : "38866"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-07-25T13:57:23.763Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-07-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Admissions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the announcement by the Chief Regulator of Ofqual on 30 September 2021 that exam results in 2022 will \"reflect a midway point between 2021 and 2019\", whether (a) his Department or (b) UCAS have made a recent assessment of the number of students who will miss the requirements of their firm offer to study at university, relative to the numbers who missed such requirements in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4776", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Munira Wilson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Twickenham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Munira Wilson"} ], "uin" : "38865"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1290004", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1290004/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
It is more crucial than ever before that we tap into the brilliant talent that our country has to offer, and make sure that university places are available to all who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them and who wish to do so.<\/p>
<\/p>
All higher education (HE) providers wanting to charge higher level fees must have an Access and Participation Plan agreed by the Office for Students (OfS), in which they set out the measures they intend to take to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups to access and succeed in higher education.<\/p>
<\/p>
In our latest strategic guidance to the OfS we asked them to urge providers to do more to ensure that all students, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, are recruited on to courses that will deliver good outcomes. Too many students are being let down by courses with low completion rates and courses which have no real labour market demand and therefore do not lead them into skilled employment.<\/p>
<\/p>
We want to help disadvantaged students by driving up standards, not by levelling down. True social mobility is when we put students and their needs and career ambitions first, be that HE, further education or apprenticeships.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-03-02T13:04:53.777Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Admissions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to reduce barriers to university for people from disadvantaged backgrounds in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4378", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Colleen Fletcher"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry North East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Colleen Fletcher"} ], "uin" : "158955"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1277724", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1277724/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government is working closely with partners across the education sector,\u202fand with higher education (HE) providers, to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the disruption it has caused to young people\u2019s education, including for those who will be applying to university for the 2021/22 academic year.<\/p>
Through discussions at my HE taskforce, and from regular conversations that I have had with representative groups and individual universities, I am encouraged that universities will be flexible when making offers to individual students applying to university in 2021/22, to ensure that these students are able to receive fair offers. It is more crucial than ever before that we tap into the brilliant talent that our country has to offer, and make sure that university places are available to all who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them and who wish to do so.<\/p>
The Department for Education and Ofqual have recently launched a joint consultation inviting views on the alternative arrangements by which students will be awarded GCSEs, AS and A level grades in summer 2021, as well as the arrangements for vocational and technical qualifications. The consultation will take account of views from a range of parties including the HE sector to ensure that young people are supported to move to the next stage of their lives.<\/p>
It is also vital that students applying to university in 2021 have extra time to carefully consider their applications and make the best choices for their future. As such, for students applying to enter university in 2021, the UCAS deadline for most courses has been pushed back to 29 January 2021.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-01-22T13:37:50.707Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-01-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Admissions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with universities on ensuring that students applying for university in the 2021/22 academic year are not disadvantaged by the cancellation of exams.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4510", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Helen Hayes"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dulwich and West Norwood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Helen Hayes"} ], "uin" : "139071"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1274365", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1274365/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We recognise that students applying to university in 2021 have experienced unprecedented disruption to their education as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.<\/p>
Universities have an important role to play in ensuring that this is a country where everyone can reach their potential, regardless of their background or ethnicity.<\/p>
Universities are independent and autonomous institutions. As such, how to use data in their admissions decisions is a matter for each individual higher education provider.<\/p>
However, we would encourage universities to be flexible when making offers to individual students whose education has been disproportionally and adversely impacted from the COVID-19 outbreak, to ensure that these students are able to receive fair offers for 2021. We will give further and higher education providers the earliest possible indication of the process and timescale for how grades will be awarded this year, so they can plan accordingly.<\/p>
The department continues to regularly publish statistics on pupil attendance and COVID-related absence in schools.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-01-22T15:20:40.093Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-01-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Admissions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of gathering (a) data on pupil absence due to the covid-19 outbreak and (b) other data on pupils to assist universities with the entrance selection for 2021.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4645", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Emma Hardy"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Emma Hardy"} ], "uin" : "134079"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1198971", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1198971/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The latest data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for the academic year 2018/19 is shown in the attached table.<\/p>
Information on the type of school that entrants to the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge have come from is only published for entrants under the age of 21. This is because the data collected is the previous educational provider that was attended by the entrant. Therefore, for mature students entering the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, this may relate to study subsequent to key stage 5.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1198971/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "52464 table showing full time undergraduate entrants to Oxford and Cambridge in academic year 2018 to 2019.doc"} , "title" : "52464_table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-06-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-04T14:27:36.267Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Admissions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 5 June 2003 to Question HL2549, how many students entered (a) Oxford and (b) Cambridge universities from (i) UK independent (ii) UK state schools (iii) other and overseas (iv) in total.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"} ], "uin" : "52464"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1192820", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1192820/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economy. The higher education (HE) sector, including student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on student numbers in 2020-21. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak, and a possible reduction in overall student numbers, poses significant challenges.<\/p>
In response to this and calls from the sector, on 4 May my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.<\/p>
Temporary student number controls will be put in place for domestic and EU students for academic year 2020/21 to ensure a fair, structured distribution of students across providers. Provider-level student number controls will be determined based on provider forecasts and allow for 5% growth above this. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, will also have the discretion to allocate an additional 10,000 places on top of the controls, of which 5,000 will be allocated to students studying nursing or allied health courses, to ensure growing numbers that will support our vital public services. This measure will only apply to full-time UK or EU-domiciled undergraduate students, with certain specified exemptions. These controls will not apply to international (non-EU) students.<\/p>
The Office for Students (OfS), the regulator in England, will also consult on a new temporary condition of registration. The OfS\u2019 proposed condition would prohibit registered providers from engaging in any form of conduct which, in the opinion of the OfS, could reasonably have a material negative effect on the stability or integrity of the English HE sector.<\/p>
The government has also reprofiled tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more cash in the first term of academic year 2020/21. The government has also announced that £100 million of public funding will be brought forward to the current academic year to help protect vital university research activities in England. Confirmed providers are also eligible to apply for the government\u2019s financial support schemes, which are estimated by the OfS to be worth at least £700 million to the sector.<\/p>
Universities have an integral part to play in our economy, society and culture, which is highlighted now more than ever through their leading role in the COVID-19 outbreak. That is why we have introduced a package of measures to boost support for university students, stabilise the admissions system and ease the pressures on universities\u2019 finances.<\/p>