Transparency data

Executive Directors' Report September 2021

Updated 9 June 2022

Applies to England

Date

22 September 2021

Title

Executive Directors’ Report (Open)

Report by

• Cath Jadhav - SRR

• Catherine Large- VTQ

• Julie Swan- GQ

• Sean Pearce- RCS

Paper for information and discussion

Recommendation

1. The Board is asked to note the matters reported.

2. The board is asked to provide a view on its appetite for a change to the arrangements for results days in 2022.

3. The Board is asked to delegate to the Chief Regulator in consultation with the Chair the decision on whether to submit a formal response to the government’s Better Regulation Framework consultation and the nature of that response.

Overview

1. In both General Qualifications (GQ) and Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQ) results were issued on time. Whilst we were expecting an extremely challenging summer, overall the work that we had put in across the organisation to mitigate the risks identified appears to have been effective overall, with stakeholders reporting very few concerns regarding awarding this summer.

2. Whilst work is still ongoing in relation to 2021 results, particularly appeals and the autumn series, focus has largely shifted towards arrangements for 2022. For VTQ, the consultation on adaptations has been completed and decisions published. There remains further work to be done on contingency arrangements. For GQ, decisions on exam adaptations for summer 2022 are expected to be published shortly, and a joint consultation with the Department on contingencies is planned. The proposals will be for a refined teach assessed grades (TAGs) contingency model.

3. A key issue on which we need to make a decision is on grading for GQs in 2022, which will then have an impact on approaches for some VTQs. Any decision on grading for 2022 has implications beyond 2022 and how Ofqual might approach its objective of maintaining standards moving forward. Work has been done apace to garner stakeholder views and feed into this challenging decision. A separate paper has been provided on this matter for discussion in this meeting.

4. Work continues to evaluate awarding in 2021, including our research into the process through which Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) in 2021 were determined.

5. We have continued to deliver on other programmes of work, in particular those around VTQ reform and End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) transition.

General Qualifications

Summer 2021 GQ results

1. Results were issued on time.

2. The focus is now on appeals. The data on appeals will in due course be published as official statistics so we are only sharing the detailed information on a limited basis. We had been preparing to receive unusually large numbers of Exam Procedures Review Service (EPRS) applications. EPRS applications can only be made by a student who has completed the exam board’s appeal process. If the appeal volumes remain lower than expected, we can assume the EPRS cases we eventually receive will also be manageable, though higher than we would receive in a normal year.

3. There were some delays in the processing of priority appeals as a result of centres not sending appropriate supporting evidence, and this being difficult to obtain whilst schools were closed for summer. We monitored the situation carefully. Most priority appeals submitted before the deadline were concluded before the target date.

4. We have now started to prepare a report on the summer to be published in December. This will align, as usual, with the publication of official statistics.

5. We continue to engage with key stakeholders, including equality related bodies, so we understand their reactions to 2021 and their views on arrangements for 2022 and beyond.

Autumn 2021 series

1. Exam boards are not reporting any issues with regard to their readiness to run the autumn series. We continue to expect entries to be low. The Board will consider the approach to grading standards for this series under a separate item on the agenda.

2. We have discussed the proposed approach at a recent Maintenance of Standards meeting. As with autumn 2020, for which standards were aligned with summer 2020, we propose standards for autumn 2021 should be aligned to standards for summer 2021.

3. We have published the Conditions that will be in place for the GQ Autumn series.

Summer 2022

1. We have received the final report of the analysis of responses to the joint Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual consultation on proposed adaptations to 2022 exams. We expect the analysis and decisions document to have been published before the Board meeting.

2. Exam boards are preparing for the publication of advance information, firstly by agreeing an approach that will be consistent across all specifications in a subject and then for their individual specifications.

3. We are intending to launch a joint consultation with DfE on contingency arrangements for 2022 in the event exams cannot take place. The aim is for the consultation to be launched at the same time the outcomes of the adaptations consultation is published. We will consult on a refined approach to TAGs.

4. Exam boards have agreed a provisional joint timetable for summer 2022 exams, building in the maximum possible time between papers for the same subject, to increase the likelihood of all students being able to take at least one paper. This means that papers in some high-volume subjects that are usually frontloaded into the timetable to facilitate marking will be held a little later. While this will add pressures to the completion of marking it will also reduce the risk of students missing all exams in one subject.

5. For the first time both results days were in the same week – AS and A level results on the Tuesday and GCSE results on the Thursday. A level results were released on the same day as Scottish Higher results. Results in Scotland are always released ahead of A levels – exams begin to be taken 4 weeks earlier in the year than in England and the new academic year starts in mid-August.

National assessments

1. We continue to watch developments in national assessments.

GCSE Modern Foreign Language (MFL) consultation

1. We updated the Board previously on the parallel DfE and Ofqual consultations on GCSE MFL. DfE consulted on proposed new MFL content and we consulted on proposed new assessment objectives to align with the new content. The DfE is considering whether to amend the draft content in light of feedback. We will make recommendations to the Board on the assessment arrangements once the content is settled.

Vocational and Technical Qualifications

VTQ Awarding 2021 to 2022

1. Awarding of VTQs went smoothly this summer. At Level 3, results were issued on, or before, 10 August as expected. This included results where Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) were used, including Performance Table Qualifications and the Technical Qualifications (TQ) Core component of the T Level. The results were well received by learners, centres and the sector in general.

2. Level 1/2 and Level 2 VTQ results were issued on, or before, 12 August, as expected and with no significant issues.

3. There was an extensive programme of engagement with assessment organisations (AOs) and stakeholders ahead of, and during the course of, results week which supported our activity.

4. Exam boards supplied us with initial Performance Table Qualifications and Functional Skills Qualifications TAG data and a wider group of AOs provided final outcomes data. We conducted analysis of the outcomes data to inform a results report and an equalities report for each, published on the respective results days. We also produced guides to both sets of VTQ results.

5. We held focussed conversations with the 15 largest AOs in preparation for results week.

6. AOs completed their quality assurance and issued results to centres on time.

7. We issued a number of products to support the results days, including blogs on Functional Skills and on ‘what to expect on results day’ and information for centres concerning how they’d get their results data from AOs.

Preparations for VTQ Awarding 2022

1. We published our consultation on arrangements for the assessment and awarding of VTQs in 2021 to 2022 on 12 July, supported by a comprehensive programme of communications and engagement. We received 259 responses.

2. On 6 August, we published our consultation decisions, including a blog for colleges and providers on what this means for them. This was welcomed by AOs and stakeholders.

3. We have engaged with the Department and AOs to confirm adaptations for VTQs approved for inclusion in performance tables for the 2021 to 22 academic year. Following a review of AO proposals by both organisations, we have provided feedback to all AOs by the target date of the end of August. However, any proposals to issue Advance Information for exam components are on hold until the GQ position is confirmed.

4. We have worked with the Department on contingency arrangements for 2021 to 22, in the event of further widespread disruption caused by the pandemic. The vocational and technical qualifications contingency regulatory framework (VCRF) already allows for the reintroduction of TAGs should there be a government decision that exams and assessments were no longer viable. We will review this work to consider whether additional adaptations or contingencies are needed for VTQ learners who are affected by further disruption to teaching and learning.

VTQ Reform and Review

1. We have continued to contribute to work the Department is managing to support the smooth passage of the Skills Bill.

2. We published a joint opinion piece with the Institute that set out our respective roles and responsibilities on technical education in FE Week on 3 September.

T Levels

1. Our work on T Levels continues with the Institute. We have provided feedback to the Institute on all the Wave 2 materials to date. The final contractual submissions were made in July for 4 of the 6 Wave 3 Technical Qualifications, with decisions planned for September. Recognition decisions were made for Wave 4 and were provided to the Institute as planned in early July. The successful AOs will be informed in early September, in line with the Institute’s procurement timescales.

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)

1. We have developed a full review plan for Cycle 2 submissions as intended.

Strengthening qualifications in KS4 Performance Tables

1. Progress on our reviews of these qualifications has continued as planned.

Digital Functional Skills qualifications

1. Work on the development of new Digital functional skills qualifications (FSQs) was put on hold following the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

2. We have now agreed with the Department a first teach date of August 2023 for the new qualifications.

3. Awarding organisations will need to apply to expand their scope of recognition to include Digital functional skills in due course.

Level 3 Qualifications Review

1. The Department published their consultation outcomes in July.

VTQ Operations

Apprenticeships - End Quality Assessment (EQA) Delivery

1. We continue to progress with the EQA Delivery Plan that we agreed with the Institute.

2. Tranche 13 of Technical Evaluation consisting of 10 End Point Assessments from 9 EPAOs across 8 Apprenticeship Standards completed in July. We completed the reports back to EPAOs in the first week of September.

3. We are supporting the Institute with the development of their Employer Directory.

4. We plan to consult on amendments to the End Point Assessment (EPA) Qualification Level Conditions and Guidance.

Statement of Compliance (SoC)

1. We are planning for the Statement of Compliance (SoC) 2021, the window of which opens in October.

Strategic Relationships

1. The implementation of a comprehensive VTQ communications and engagement strategy ensured that key messages were adopted throughout the system, and were well used across media, social media and in briefings. This included all parties emphasising the value of this year’s results, expressions of support for teachers and centres, and strong acknowledgement of the difficulties that students had faced.

2. Work will continue in partnership with Ofqual’s corporate communications team on a campaign that will celebrate VTQs throughout the year. We successfully delivered a webinar with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in July. This gave AOs the opportunity to hear about best practices in identifying, monitoring, and mitigating cyber threats as well as the products and services NCSC offer which are available for AOs.

Strategy, Risk and Research

Strategy and Markets

1. We are considering a response to the government’s consultation on the Better Regulation Framework. The consultation asks interested stakeholders to comment on government’s guidance and framework for regulators addressing issues such as the reporting of burden, regulators’ approach to innovation and accountability to government and parliament.

2. We took part in a roundtable with JISC to discuss the future of assessment post-COVID and the potential of digital technologies, as well as a Regulators’ Innovation Network workshop with the Regulatory Horizons Council on Pro-Innovation Principles in Regulation. These engagement opportunities are supporting our thinking as we consider the next stage in our innovation and technology strategy, particularly in light of the pandemic.

Research, Data Analytics, Standards and Comparability

1. The programme to evaluate awarding in 2021 is on track. Five reports about learning during the pandemic were published on 12 July while our research with teachers, learners and parents continues.

2. Our research into the process through which Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) have been determined is well underway - we have completed data collection with teachers and learners through a combination of surveys and one-to-one interviews. We had 1,785 teachers submit survey responses, and 540 students. We then interviewed 39 teachers and 14 students. We will prepare a report for publication in the winter.

3. We will also be disseminating a wide range of research at Cambridge Assessment’s seminar (September) and the Association of Educational Assessment (AEA) conference (November). This provides further opportunity for us to share our research and engage with our fellow assessment experts, both within the UK and internationally.

4. We published a range of GQ and VTQ reports on results days.

5. We also published a range of apps on results days. For A level and GCSE, we published apps on centre variability, grade outcomes and a map app. We have also published a new app on outcomes by centre type (for A level and GCSE).

6. The data sharing project between Ofqual, DfE and Office for National Statistics (ONS) went live before results week.

Legal

Enforcement

1. We have fined City & Guilds £50k and recovered our legal costs of £8.6k in respect of an investigation that identified failings with the delivery of its animal management qualifications in 2018.

2. We have consulted with AOs on the draft of our new Taking Regulatory Action policy and are currently considering responses.

National Reference Test (NRT)

1. The National Reference Test went ahead in April and May in 216 schools across England.

2. We have received provisional NRT results but we do not have the results report, due to the delay to the test dates. We plan to publish the report in late autumn.