Commenting as the Department for Education today announces arrangements for exams in 2023, Sarah Hannafin, senior policy advisor for school leaders' union NAHT, said:

"Next years exam cohort have experienced disruption to their learning over the past three years; for those taking A levels, these will be the first formal exams they sit. It is right that this is recognised and steps taken to ensure the cohort is not disadvantaged as a result of their experiences.

"The protection offered by the approach to grading next summer should create fairness for students at cohort level, although concerns will remain for individuals who have faced more disruption than others. It is also vital that HE, training providers and employers understand the approach to grading next summer to ensure students are not disadvantaged compared to their peers from previous years. 

"It is unsurprising that advance information will not form part of the support for students in 2023 – views on its usefulness were mixed; it was more helpful for some subjects than others. But it does mean that there is no support for students in advance of their exams next summer – the optionality in the small number of GCSE’s has been removed and the requirements for non-exam assessment, fieldwork and science practicals are fully reinstated. We have to hope that there is no resurgence of the disruption to attendance, teaching and learning over the winter which could create challenges in the face of those decisions.

"Formulae and equation sheets for the small number of relevant GCSE’s should be kept indefinitely, not just for 2023. For students to identify the right formula to use, apply it to the information given and work out an answer is a valid assessment of their knowledge and understanding in a subject; there doesn’t need to be a test of their memory as well."