The education secretary has announced that GCSE students should continue to receive formula and equation sheets to assist them in their exams. Originally, 2023 was set to be the final year for this post-Covid support.
However, in a letter to England’s exam regulator, Ofqual, Bridget Phillipson stated that the support should remain in place for at least the next three years. Teaching unions have praised the decision, expressing hope that it could lead to permanent changes.
In her letter to Ofqual’s chief regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, Phillipson emphasized that the pandemic continues to impact students, and a government review of the curriculum and assessments, due next year, would provide recommendations for potential “long-term changes.”
Phillipson requested that Ofqual extend the use of formula and equation sheets for students in maths, physics, and combined science through 2025, 2026, and 2027. These exam aids were initially introduced in 2022 to mitigate Covid-19’s effects on learning.
The previous Conservative government had planned to phase out the aids from 2025, reverting to pre-Covid exam conditions. Phillipson, however, argued that such a move would be “premature” given the ongoing disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Ofqual has since launched a two-week consultation on the proposal. Sir Ian Bauckham responded by stressing the importance of providing clarity on exam changes for both teachers and students as soon as possible.
Leaders from teaching unions welcomed the move. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said his union had long supported the idea, arguing that exams should focus on students’ ability to apply knowledge rather than test their memory. Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the National Association of Head Teachers, echoed this sentiment, saying students shouldn’t be required to memorize formulae and equations.