THE decision to cancel GCSE, A/S, and A-level exams in Wales has been welcomed in Powys.

But, concerns have been raised for sixth formers in Year 12, on whether they should be sitting final A-Level exams in 2022.

This is because they didn’t sit GCSE examinations last summer, and will not be sitting A/S level exams next year.

The decision by Welsh Government education minister, Kirsty Williams MS, to cancel exams in 2021 due to the pandemic, was brought up for discussion at a meeting Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills scrutiny committee on Wednesday, November 11.

Cllr Jake Berriman (Llandrindod North – Liberal Democrats) asked: “What should we be most concerned about? What’s worrying you at the moment?”

Chief Education Officer, Lynette Lovell, said: “What schools and more importantly children and young people have been worried about is, what’s going to happen next in terms of assessments.

“We had the announcement that in Wales that there won’t be examinations and I’m really pleased.

“We’ve just come from a meeting with Secondary Schools and their concerns are around how we’ll work through next year, although we’ve now had a clear steer about working through that with years 10 to 13.”

She added that education consultant Geraint Rees, who is now part of the Council’s senior leadership team as the Strategic Lead for Education, had been asked by the Welsh Government to join a board that will oversee the assessment based process for 2021.

Education challenge advisor, Anwen Orrells, added that online masterclasses would be made available to pupils throughout Powys on how to complete the course work.

She said that the regional educational consortia for Mid and South West Wales, ERW had agreed to support these types of workshops.

Committee Chairman, Cllr Peter Roberts, (Llandrindod South – Liberal Democrat) believed this would be an extra workload for teachers.

He asked if having one teacher per subject lead these workshops would be a helpful approach?

Ms Orrells agreed with him.

Cllr David Jones (Independent – Guilsfield) asked what was happening to those pupils who were following the syllabus of an England based examination board.

“Is it still the case they might be sitting exams?” said Cllr Jones.

Ms Orrells: “That would be correct, but that would only impact private schools.

“All our schools will be sitting WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee) exams and follow the Welsh syllabus.”

She added that schools would be monitoring pupils in year 12 especially as “expecting them” to sit A-level exams in 2020 is something that needs to be “considered very carefully.”

The announcement on cancelling exams came on Tuesday, November 10, by Welsh Government Education Minister Kirsty Williams MS.

She outlined that:

in place of exams, the Welsh Government intended to work with schools and colleges to take forward teacher-managed assessments

this should include assessments that will be externally set and marked but delivered within a classroom environment under teacher supervision

Ms Williams is the current MS for Brecon and Radnorshire, and announced recently that she would not be contesting the 2021 Senedd elections due to take place next May.