Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

'These results, if they are wrong, deal a huge blow to young people's life chances'

Steve Chalke of Oasis Trust schools on the need for contingency plans for 2021 exams

Next year's A-level and GCSE exams in England should be pushed back to mid-summer to help cope with the impact of coronavirus, Labour has said. Shadow education secretary Kate Green said students starting Year 11 and 13 in September had "a mountain to climb", having missed months of schooling. Steve Chalke is founder of the Oasis Trust which runs 53 schools around the country, both primary and secondary. He told Justin Webb, "the government and Ofqual have got to wake up to the real issues," adding that they need a contingency plan for exams which takes into account the disruptions pupils may face throughout the year. He went on to say: "These results, if they are wrong, deal a huge blow to young people's life chances". With Dr Tina Isaacs, honorary associate professor at UCL鈥檚 Institute of Education who sits on Ofqual's standards advisory group.

Credit: Press Association

Release date:

10 minutes

Podcast