GCSEs 2021 - dates

[TeenPlusTwenties]

Sorry, not a teacher, may I ask a question please?

Do you think there is any chance exam boards will shift out GCSEs in 2021? (I am moving a holiday booked for this summer to 2021 and want to book last 2 weeks of July after DD2s GCSEs. This is usually well in the clear and after the emergencies day, 6th form tasters etc.)

My instinct tells me they will go ahead on published dates as otherwise marking etc will get too squeezed. What do you reckon?

Thank you for everything that you are doing, especially for y10s.

I am not sure anyone will want to answer that in the current climate. Personally I am not over the fact exams were cancelled altogether this year yet! We have no idea at the moment what may or may not happen next year. Sorry

I thought that might be the case .
I just kind of hoped some chief examiners or the head of AQA might come on and say 'No way can they be moved as logistics ...'.

I think you’re right, logistics would make them difficult to move. However, schools are not back yet, winter flu, second wave, third wave, yadda, yadda, yadda.....my own guess is if no further closures en masse, exams will go ahead as per normal. Any closures which affect larger areas (say a whole county or region) and we start running the risk of exams looking different, and/or the introduction of at least some teacher assessment, or exams being put back and a later start to the 2021-22 academic year.......the Government doesn’t know, schools don’t know, exam boards don’t know. I dare say there is behind closed doors stuff going on and planning for every contingency but they won’t tell us till we need to know. The fact the Government is saying years 10 and 12 need teacher contact because of exams shows us the intention is business as usual but I think if we’ve learnt anything at all in the last few months is this is anything but usual. It’s suck it and see for us all, I’m afraid.

OP I wonder if travel insurance would cover you for changes to the exam period??

I'm a teacher and I'm moving my holiday from it's current dates to almost the same dates next year. They're offering us an awesome deal that is too tempting to turn down (I know it's because they just want to keep our money). As it stands at the moment, our published term dates are on our school website, and I'm going with those. Loads of people, including teachers, are going to be doing the same.

As a PP said though, the holiday might not be insured until I can buy some once this is all over. I haven't rang my travel insurance company yet to find out though - they have said on their website that they may move insurance dates but will look at it on a case by case basis.

Thanks. We have annual insurance so holiday is covered but no idea whether GCSEs moves would be included. We'll risk it.

@TeenPlusTwenties You have given me food for thought though because I was only thinking about my job when we decided to move the holiday rather than cancel, but my DD will be in Y11 next year, so I'm hoping they don't change the exam dates! I'm not worried about my job - our Head is really understanding, but DD can't miss her exams!