Ofqual has today (14 May) published a consultation on arrangements for non-exam assessment (NEA) in certain subjects and fieldwork requirements for students entering GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in 2022.

Last year, following a public consultation, we changed the non-exam assessment and fieldwork requirements for some GCSEs, AS and A levels to address obstacles caused by the pandemic. The changes were for students due to be awarded qualifications in the current academic year only. We are now seeking views on the extent to which these arrangements for certain subjects should be carried forward for students due to sit exams in summer 2022.

This consultation focuses on the subjects for which preparation and work for non-exam assessment and fieldwork activities will be taking place this term for students who will be taking their exams in 2022. It covers

• non-exam assessments in dance, design and technology, drama (and theatre), film studies, food preparation and nutrition, media studies, music, music technology, and physical education

• fieldwork activities in geography, geology and environmental science

• assessment of speaking skills in GCSE modern foreign language (MFL) qualifications

• assessment of spoken language in GCSE English language

We are seeking views on our proposal that we largely carry forward to the next academic year the flexibilities and adaptations we put in place in these subjects. This consultation specifically focuses on subjects where preparation and work for non-exam assessment and fieldwork activities is taking place this term for students who will be taking their exams in 2022.

However, we recognise there are other activities about which students, teachers and exam boards might have questions. We hope that, with further lifting of public health restrictions, it will be possible for students to complete work in other subjects as usual during the next academic year. We are keeping this under review and will provide more information about, and where necessary consult on, further arrangements for 2022 in due course.

In GCSE ancient history, history and English literature, the government agreed that, for 2021 only, students would be assessed on less content than usual. Content coverage (curriculum) is the responsibility of the DfE. Arrangements in these subjects will be considered as part of the wider policy decisions for the 2022 exams.

We have recently confirmed that there will be an autumn exam series in 2021. Except for art and design qualifications, grades will be determined by students’ performance in the exams only – there will be no non-exam assessments.

The exams will be in their normal format, with no advanced notice or exam aids, but will assess students on the same content as had been planned for exams in summer 2021. So, for example, in GCSE English literature, history and ancient history, students will answer questions on a reduced number of topics.

In GCSE and AS geography students will not have to answer questions in the exam about their own fieldwork experience, and GCSE MFL students will have a speaking endorsement rather than a speaking test.

Anyone wishing to respond to our consultation on 2022 non-exam assessment and fieldwork requirements can fill out a short survey accessible from the consultation page, which is open until 11:45pm on Friday 28 May.

For vocational and technical qualifications, and other general qualifications, in relation to internal assessment, adaptations will continue to be in place which respond to social distancing. While we expect that assessment in the coming year will largely reflect a return to normality, other types of adaptation to respond to the impacts of the pandemic are under consideration, and more information will follow soon.

We’re now halfway through Analysis in Government Month 2021 and even more of you have been getting engaged with events, webinars, reading blogs and sharing your stories.

Here are some of the highlights of Week 2:

Jenny Dibden, Head of Government Social Research (GSR) spoke exclusively about the importance of analysis, how to pursue a career in social research, and how her musical skills have improved over the last year.

An interview with Jenny Dibden

Sue Bateman, Deputy Director for Data and Innovation, Digital and Data Office, Cabinet Office told us about the innovative multi-disciplinary work of her team and her own career journey

An interview with Sue Bateman

Around 700 of you dialled into our Using Innovative Methods of Analysis, Government Decision Making in Times of Uncertainty and Focus on the Office for Statistical Regulation and Integrated Platform events.

REPLAY – Government Decision Making in Times of UncertaintyHundreds of you have already watched our Analysis in Government playlist

We posted seven new blogs from government analysts working across the Civil Service:

• Five things you didn’t know about coding in analysis and research
• Five things you didn’t know about the Government Economic Service
• Five things you didn’t know about Diversity and Inclusion in the Analysis Function
• Five things you didn’t know about how the UK is helping modernise official statistics in the developing world
• Five things you didn’t know about data quality
• Five things you didn’t know about how the Government Geography Profession supports diversity in the geography pipeline
• Five things you didn’t know about working as an Operational Delivery Professional (ODP) in a Statistical Organisation

Loads of you engaged with us on Twitter and we achieved more than 40,000 Twitter impressions. Remember to follow us at @gov_analysis to join in the conversation or start a new one.

And there’s still plenty of time to get involved…

Keep checking the Analysis in Government 2021 homepage for more activities and events taking place throughout the month.

• New measures to protect voters, ensuring your vote is yours, and yours alone

• New laws announced in the Queen’s Speech will strengthen the integrity of UK elections and protect our democracy from fraud and intimidation

• It will become an offence to attempt to find out or reveal who a postal voter has chosen to vote for

Undue influence offence will be updated to encompass wider range of harms such as voter intimidation and undue spiritual pressure

New measures to be brought into law this year will deliver on a manifesto commitment to crack down on the potential for different forms of voter fraud and intimidation, further strengthening the integrity of UK elections.

Following the announcement of the Elections Bill in this week’s Queen’s Speech, the government is setting out further details on measures to: tighten the rules for absent voting and prevent voter intimidation.

An independent review of electoral fraud conducted by Lord Pickles highlighted the events of cases such as Tower Hamlets – in which the 2014 Mayoral election was declared void by corrupt and illegal practices – as evidence of vulnerabilities in our system which must be addressed.

Minister for the Constitution and Devolution, Chloe Smith said:

“Stealing someone’s vote is stealing their voice. We must go further to protect and modernise our precious democracy.

“Our robust package of measures will stamp out the space for such damage to take place in our elections again and give the public confidence that their vote is theirs and theirs alone – no matter how they choose to cast it.”

Measures to tackle forms of voter fraud and intimidation set out today include:

Postal votes

Currently, anyone is able to collect postal votes from any number of electors and hand them in at a polling station, which presents a risk of postal votes being appropriated and stolen, or voters completing postal ballot papers under duress.

We are making changes that:

• Ban party campaigners from handling postal votes altogether (with some limited exceptions), making it a criminal offence

• Stop postal vote harvesting, by limiting the number of postal votes that a person may hand-in on behalf of others;

• Extend secrecy provisions that currently protect voting in polling stations to absent voting – making it an offence for a person to attempt to find out or reveal who a postal voter has chosen to vote for;

• Require those registered for a postal vote to reaffirm their identities by re-applying for a postal vote every three years (currently registration is indefinite, so long as the elector provides a signature periodically).

Proxy voting

Current proxy voting rules give rise to the potential for someone to be coerced into appointing a proxy – particularly by close relatives, as a single person can act as a proxy for their entire family.

As recommended in Lord Pickles’ independent review, we are limiting the total number of people for whom someone can act as a proxy to four, regardless of their relationship.

Undue influence

Although it is already an offence to unduly influence a voter, the outdated legislation requires modernising in order to provide voters with the protection they deserve.

We will improve and update the offence so that:

• Intimidation of voters is explicitly listed, in law, as a form of undue influence, to address the concern of the Tower Hamlets Election Court that current legislation “does not penalise thuggish conduct at polling stations of the sort that occurred in 2014”;

• Undue influence encompasses a wider range of harms, such as physical violence, damage to a person’s property or reputation, exerting undue spiritual pressure and inflicting financial loss;

• Undue influence also counts as deceiving a voter about the conduct or administration of an election or referendum.

Voter identification

Asking voters to prove their identities will safeguard against the potential in our current system for someone to cast another person’s vote at the polling station. This approach is supported by the independent Electoral Commission and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, who say its absence is a security risk.

Legislation will make clear that local authorities must provide a Voter Card free of charge to anyone who does need it, and a broad range of approved documents will be accepted – not limited to UK passports and driving licences – including various concessionary travel passes, Blue Badge parking permits.

New research published by the Government draws on the most comprehensive data available to date and shows that 98% of electors already own a form of acceptable identification to prove who they are before casting their vote.

The data shows that 99% of ethnic minorities had a form of identification that would be accepted under our proposals, as did 98% of people who identify as white. 99% of 18-29 year olds hold the relevant identification, as do 98% of those aged 70 and above.

Voter identification has been used in Northern Ireland since 1985, requiring photo identification since 2003, and is a proportionate, reasonable response to tackling voter fraud. Showing identification is something people of all backgrounds do every day.

A broad range of approved documents will be accepted – not limited to UK passports and driving licences – including various concessionary travel passes, Blue Badge parking permits.

And as part of our resolute commitment to public sector equality, we will continue working constructively with charities and civil society organisations, to communicate these changes, close any gap and make sure that everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to be able to.

The Windrush Compensation Scheme has now paid out over £14 million in compensation and has offered a further £12 million, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced today.

More than £8 million was paid in compensation to members of the Windrush generation in March – more than doubling the amount that had been paid in the 20 months since the scheme was launched in April 2019.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel said:

The Windrush generation were repeatedly failed by successive Governments and faced appalling treatment.

I have always said that I will listen and act to help those who suffered terrible injustices, and have been resolute in my determination to make sure they are fairly compensated.

I overhauled the scheme last year, and I am pleased to see we have now paid £14.3 million in compensation. These changes are already having a real impact on people’s lives, with significantly more money being paid more quickly.

The published statistics show that to the end of March 2021, the Home Office had paid £14.3 million to 633 people.

£12.3 million, 81%, of the money has been paid since December. This substantial increase has been driven by significant changes which were made to the scheme meaning that individuals now receive a minimum of £10,000 compensation – 40 times greater than the previous minimum award available.

In addition, the Home Office has also awarded the first round of grants from the Windrush Community Fund, which allows community and grassroot organisations to bid up to £25,000 to make sure all people affected by Windrush are aware of the support available through the Windrush Compensation Scheme and Windrush Scheme.

Following a competitive bidding round, 14 charities and grassroot organisations across the UK have been awarded grants between £2,500 to £25,000 to support them in delivering projects to ensure affected Windrush communities are aware of the support and compensation available to them.

One organisation to receive funding is the Derby West Indian Community Association, who will generate awareness of the scheme through both live and virtual events, and create an art exhibition at the association headquarters and the Derby Museum. They will also host drop in sessions for people to share experiences, and raise the profile of the compensation scheme by networking with carnivals or alternative online events that have a high number of attendees from Commonwealth countries.

Another organisation to receive funding is the African Pot Project in Manchester, a group that promotes social inclusion by working with people of African origin and African Diaspora. They will use the cash to create animated films targeted at African, Caribbean and other community groups, which will be distributed across social media channels.

This project will generate awareness of the Windrush Schemes through the programming of live and virtual events. It will make use of cultural and archived sources and produce new art that will culminate in an exhibition at Derby West Indian Community Association and Derby Museum. The project will conduct sessions creating a safe environment for people to share experiences. It will raise its profile by networking with carnivals or alternative online events that attract the attention of people from commonwealth countries.

Phase two of the Windrush Community Fund is now open for bids from further organisations until 30 June. The Government has taken a number of steps to right the wrongs that the Windrush Generation faced, which includes issuing 12,500 people with documentation confirming their status or British citizenship free of charge under the Windrush Scheme.