Covid: Newcastle College cancels BTec exams

More than 3,000 individual exams have been called off at Newcastle College

A college has cancelled BTec exams for around 2,000 students, due to coronavirus safety concerns.

Karen Dobson, principal of Newcastle College in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, said it "didn't seem sensible" to proceed with the exams.

More than 3,000 exams - which students were due to sit this week - have been called off at the college.

The government has given individual colleges the responsibility of deciding whether to go ahead with BTecs.

The college said it would instead use teacher assessments to grade the students.

Ms Dobson said she had felt it was not right to hold the exams when the government's message advised people to stay at home.

She added she had taken the decision "in advance of any further information coming from the Department for Education (DfE)".

The DfE said: "Schools and colleges can continue with the vocational and technical exams that are due to take place in January, where they judge it right to do so."

However, the Association of Colleges has warned the decision, giving schools and colleges the option on whether to carry on with BTecs, could create more confusion.

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