We recognise that some learners taking vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) have experienced lost teaching and training time as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and that appropriate arrangements need to be put in place to mitigate the impact of this disruption and respond to any ongoing or future public health measures.

We consulted on proposals to permit awarding organisations to adjust their qualifications and assessments, which took account of the different ways in which the qualifications are used – ranging from those taken alongside, or instead of general qualifications, to those used to signal occupational competency. On 7 September, we confirmed our decisions and that the proposed arrangements will be implemented in full.

Today (12 October 2020) we are publishing the Extended Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF), on which we recently consulted, to put the arrangements into effect. The Extended ERF sets out the regulatory arrangements and statutory guidance with which awarding organisations must comply when adapting their qualifications. It includes 4 principles with which awarding organisations must comply when making their decisions around adaptations, supported by statutory guidance. We have also included statutory guidance on Special Consideration within our regulatory framework.

We are grateful to those who responded to the consultation, who were largely supportive of our approach. We are therefore implementing the Extended ERF with immediate effect, only minor drafting changes from the version on which we consulted.

Tuesday, 1 December, 2020

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Dame Vera Baird │Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales

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It is the culmination of six months of assessment by Lloyd’s Register to successfully achieve certification to ISO 55001:2014, Asset Management.

This follows five years of development internally to meet the NDA’s requirement to work towards an enhanced approach to asset management. The certification takes this one step further, however, to embed the processes into Magnox’s ‘business as usual’.

To underline the importance of the achievement both the Office of Nuclear Regulation and Environment Agency have identified effective asset management as being of strategic importance to the UK nuclear industry, in managing the ageing of the UK’s nuclear infrastructure.

This accreditation demonstrates that we are operating at a world class standard,” said Paul Marsh, Asset Management Programme Manager.

The work has been a massive undertaking for all our sites and the central programme, conducted through a two-stage process to ensure documents were in place and worked in practice, and that there was management commitment and alignment to our business overall.

Some of the assessments by Lloyd’s Register were completed face to face and initially it was feared Covid-19 would have to pause the remaining audits. However, a flexible and supportive approach to the process by both Lloyd’s and Magnox sites meant the remainder were completed remotely.

Caron Weaver, Asset Management Director said: “My sincere thanks to all the people who have contributed to implementing, improving and embedding our asset management arrangements into the Magnox management system over the last several years and hence have helped us to achieve this significant achievement – it is down to the dedication and hard work of all wider teams involved.”

Andrew Forrest, Technical Director, added: “I would also add my thanks, a great achievement and a good basis for driving further consistency in our effective management of ageing plant.”

David Derrick, Area Operations Manager UK&I, Lloyd’s Register, commented: “Congratulations to everyone involved at Magnox in achieving ISO 55001 certification. We’re delighted to have been able to support Magnox with a mixture of onsite and remote audits to limit the impact of the current restrictions on their progress. We look forward to supporting Magnox in achieving further certifications aligned to areas of strategic importance for their business.

11 October 2020, CAIRO – In a virtual setting, the British Embassy in Cairo invited a young woman, 18-year-old Fatma Al Hefnawy, to step into the British Ambassador’s shoes, meeting with the Ambassador and embassy staff to learn about the work they do, in celebration of the International Day of the Girl.

The ‘GirlsTakeOver’ initiative is organized by Plan International, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) and the Canadian Embassy in Cairo. On this day, embassies, ministries and international organizations host young women to give them an opportunity to experience leadership positions in an effort to promote young women’s right to leadership, showcase opportunities they have awaiting them and provide them with a platform to be heard.

After meeting with British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams, Al Hefnawy met with two senior women in the Embassy, Her Majesty’s Consul in Cairo and the Department for International Trade Country Director, to discuss how women navigate their roles in leadership positions and the challenges they face.

Al Hefnawy also met with the embassy’s communications and social development and gender teams to talk about this year’s International Day of the Girl’s key message on online harassment of girls and cyberbullying. This follows an open letter written by young women around the world to the world’s most influential social media platforms calling on them to create better tools to help them report online abuse and harassment.

Fatma Al Hefnawy said:

We must work together to stand against bullying because it can really destroy anyone. This is a very important topic and I am happy I participated today and learned a lot. I am proud to have spoken with the British Ambassador to Egypt.

British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams said:

It was a pleasure hosting Fatma in honour of the International Day of the Girl. The UK has been a huge advocate of women’s empowerment and supporting women’s political and economic inclusion. We applaud Egypt’s strong commitment to promoting gender equality and their efforts to empower young women to reject all forms of violence. We look forward to strengthening our partnership in this area.

Ofqual welcomes today’s announcement that GCSE, AS and A level exams will go ahead in England next summer. And we strongly support the revised timetable, with almost all exams now to be sat after the summer half term. Exams are the fairest way to assess what students know and can do.

In July, Ofqual announced changes to the subject content in some GCSEs and to the detailed assessment arrangements for GCSE, AS and A levels. No changes have been made to those decisions. The curriculum is settled, and now students and teachers have greater certainty about how and when students will be assessed.

We have worked with the Department for Education (DfE) and exam boards to map out a timeline to allow the majority of summer GCSE, AS and A level exams to start on 7 June, with results days taking place in late August. Students studying level 1 and 2, and level 3 vocational and technical qualifications instead of, or alongside, GCSEs, AS and A levels and needing their results to progress, will receive their results no later than their peers.

Interim Chief Regulator Dame Glenys Stacey said: “During the pandemic, teachers and students are having to work in exceptional ways, to catch up and keep up with learning. These arrangements optimise the time now available for that, providing the best part of three extra weeks extra teaching and learning for many. And with this and the subject content for these qualifications now settled, teachers and students have some welcome certainty in these uncertain times.

“Of course, we will need contingency plans. We are discussing with government, exam boards and the sector, the detail of that – taking into account the risk of disruption at an individual, local and regional level.”