Half of GCSE and A level exams still unfinished with four months to go

According to data from exams watchdog Ofqual, just 66 of 156 specifications have been accredited, leaving 58 per cent of exam papers still in draft form.

MPs and education heads are urging the government to ‘get its act together’ with regard to delays to the approval process for new GCSE and A levels, particularly following Education Secretary Nicky Morgan’s admission that many specifications are still yet to be approved.

However, government officials have insisted the delays are ‘no barrier’ to schools’ preparations, with ministers assuring Ofqual and the exam boards to ‘press home how vital it is that all GCSEs and A level specifications are accredited quickly’.

Morgan said: "Ofqual are working with the exam boards to make sure that all of the specifications are ready. We absolutely want to give teachers as much notice as possible."

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said the government should step in to ‘sort out the delay’ to ensure the new qualifications are ready to be taught from September.

Bousted warned: “It’s the second week of March and teachers are still waiting to find out what they are being expected to teach children in September because half of GCSEs and two-thirds of AS and A levels have not been approved by Ofqual.

“The government’s qualification reform programme, which is on a massive scale and being pushed through on an over-ambitious schedule, continues to be a major cause of stress for teachers. Ofqual should have had more sense and not have agreed to the government’s timetable for this huge reform programme in the first place.”

An Ofqual spokesman said: “We remain committed to keeping schools, teachers and students up to date with accreditation progress. To this end, we regularly update our website with details of approvals and anticipated submission dates.”

However, Schools Minister Nick Gibb defended the reform. He said: “We have reformed GCSEs and A Levels so they now represent a new gold standard and it is right that the highest standards are applied to developing and accrediting these new qualifications.

“Content for core subjects including GCSE science, modern foreign languages, history and geography were published as long ago as April 2014 and the content for all of these subjects was published by February 2015 to help schools prepare for their introduction. Draft specifications for all subjects were available from August 2015, with agreed specifications now available in the majority of subjects, so there is no barrier to schools getting on with preparations.

“We have made clear to exam boards that they must produce high quality specifications as quickly as possible and will continue to work with Ofqual to ensure this happens.”