Education, Sport and Culture

Schools Re-Opening

Following the Chief Minister’s statement on 15 April, our Island’s schools are open to all pupils from today, Monday 19 April. Circumstances on the Isle of Man are currently positive but it is very important to continue some of the effective measures that have helped us get here:

Good hygiene practise remains vital. We should all be regularly and thoroughly washing our hands with soap and water for the recommended 20 seconds and ensuring they are properly dry afterwards. Coughing or sneezing should be done in to your elbow or a tissue – catch it, bin it, kill it! These simple measures will be promoted during the school day and we would encourage you all to do the same at home.

Staff and students may wear face coverings if they wish and increased ventilation will be managed on school sites.

If your child develops symptoms of any illness, they should remain at home. If they, or anybody in their household, develops flu like symptoms, take the online assessment, call your doctor or the Isle of Man COVID-111 telephone service to discover if testing is required.

To ensure the safety and welfare of our children, we ask that adults do not make use of school grounds during school hours.

If you have any concerns or specific questions regarding your child’s safety at school, please contact the school directly.

If you are a student at University College Isle of Man please visit the website at ucm.ac.im or contact them directly to find out how your particular course will be managed. 

Changes to GSCE and A Level Examinations - Summer 2021

Isle of Man students will not sit GCSE or A-level exams this summer and instead have their grades determined by their schools.

The move to cancel Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) exams for Year 11 and 13 students is fully supported by secondary headteachers on the Island.

Pupils and teachers were already aware that exams regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and those offered through the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) would not be held this summer.

A new grading system will be built around a range of assessments between now and early June - with secondary schools using the evidence from these to arrive at their judgements.

This could include mock exams, coursework, essays and classroom based tests and schools will work together to ensure the system is fair.

This year’s changes affect most general courses (IGCSE, GCSE & A-level) and technical courses (BTEC and OCR National Courses at Levels 1, 2 and 3).

However, there are some vocational courses that require skills to be assessed through practical exams that will still go ahead as normal.

The Department will continue to work with schools and exam boards in coming weeks and will keep pupils, parents and teachers informed.