OCR responses to the DfE and Ofqual consultations on summer 2021 05 February 2021

On Friday 29 January, we submitted our responses to the DfE and Ofqual consultations on how students will get grades this summer.

We’re very grateful to the teachers and stakeholders who gave us their views and helped to inform our responses. We’d like to share our responses with you. Please read our full responses and our summaries of the main points via the links below:

the consultation on GCSEs, AS and A Levels

the consultation on vocational and technical qualifications and other general qualifications

Our principles

We believe that the process for awarding grades this summer should be based on the following principles:

• The physical safety and mental health of students, teachers and everyone in schools and colleges at all times
• Supporting student progression to the next stage of education or into employment
• Fairness – results for all students must be as fair as possible
• Collaboration and transparency between schools and colleges and exam boards, and with everyone invested in this process
• Deliverability and simplicity – an approach that is flexible to the changing demands of the pandemic and that takes account of teacher workload is key.

Next steps

The consultation outcomes are due to be published in the week beginning 22 February 2021. We’re committed to supporting you by providing guidance and advice on the steps you need to take so your students receive grades this summer.