22 February 2021
School Update - Prime Minister's Planned Announcement & Ofqual
There are two very important developments for schools this week. The first is the Prime Minister's planned announcement regarding a return for all students from Monday 8th March. This is a very welcome development. We will consider the detail of his announcement and the updated guidance from the Department of Education as quickly as possible and, as soon as we have a clear understanding of the implications for our school community, we will share our plans with you. We won't offer an immediate update as there will clearly be substantial detail underpinning the Prime Minister's public comments that will take time to process.
The second significant development this week relates to Ofqual's plans for grading Years 11, 12 and 13. News reports suggest that those plans will be shared after the Prime Minister's announcement, with a proposed release date of Thursday 25th February. However, it is feasible that an announcement might be made at an earlier point this week. Ofqual's plan will have profound implications for students, their families and for all school staff. Therefore, we will take time to process the information when released and will then share our plans when we are confident of the detail. I'm aware that all members of our school community will want clarity as quickly as possible. It is also extremely important that we share plans that are evidence based and accurate to avoid confusion. With that in mind, we will offer an update as soon as we have had the opportunity to fully consider the detail of Ofqual's published plans. We continue to be fully committed to supporting all of our students.
Mr O’Sullivan