Right - your three-minute warning. Just enough time to grab a cuppa' and get comfortable before @GavinWilliamson makes his announcement on replacing GCSE and A-level exams this year

@GavinWilliamson .@GavinWilliamson says this isn't a decision the government wanted to take. 'Our schools have not suddenly become unsafe, but limiting attendance essential when Covid rates are climbing'
@GavinWilliamson He will set out the contingency plans he'd 'prepared but hoped to have never implemented'
@GavinWilliamson 'We're far better placed to cope with disruption than last march', Williamson adds we're better at delivering online learning and they will support parents
@GavinWilliamson Williamson says if parents feel they aren't getting suitable remote education they they should raise concerns first with the headteacher, and "failing that report the matter to Ofsted".
Ofsted will inspect schools where it has concerns
@GavinWilliamson Williamson says they've learnt lessons on exams. 'Although they are the fairest way, the pandemic means it's now not possible to have them this year. GCSEs, A-level and AS levels will not go ahead. We'll put our trust in teachers not algorithms'
@GavinWilliamson Breaking: Williamson says a 'form of teacher assessed grades' will be used this year, with training and support for teachers to 'ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently across the country'.
However details will need to be 'fine tuned'.
@GavinWilliamson Williamson says 'understandably concern' about free school meals. Extra funding to support schools to provide food parcels or meals to children. Where schools can't do this, there will be a national voucher scheme for every eligible child can access FSM will school remains closed
@GavinWilliamson He says mass testing 'won't be wasted'. Still used on teachers and staff.
Williamson adds: 'Testing is going to be the centre of our plan to return schools back to the classroom as soon as possible'
@GavinWilliamson .@GavinWilliamson says: 'The moment the virus permits all our children will be back in school. 'Until then we have put in place the measures we need to make sure they continue to progress.'
And that's that (well, on to Qs now)
@GavinWilliamson . @KateGreenSU says wherever Williamson goes, incompetence follows.
She says she wanted exams to go ahead, but said a Plan B had to be in place.
Also 'failed to show leadership' on BTECs - leaving it up to schools
@GavinWilliamson @KateGreenSU Williamson has pledged to get 750k of laptops out by the end of next week (I think he might have said earlier how many have already gone out, but it was 500k before Xmas)
@GavinWilliamson @KateGreenSU Williamson seems to be getting quite emotional in his address to parliament: 'I will give everything to ensure schools are the first things to be open because that is what is best for all children'
@GavinWilliamson @KateGreenSU OK - finally - some details on when we'll get the details:

Ofqual will launch a "detailed" consultation on the plans next week. It will run for two weeks.
@GavinWilliamson @KateGreenSU Williamson says he would like to thank the NEU and Unison for recognising the fact the advice they gave their members on Sunday was incorrect and they've now withdrawn that advice.

More from Education

Working on a newsletter edition about deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice is crucial if you want to reach expert level in any skill, but what is it, and how can it help you learn more precisely?

A thread based on @augustbradley's conversation with the late Anders Ericsson.

You can find my complete notes from the conversation in my public Roam graph:
https://t.co/Z5bXHsg3oc

The entire conversation is on

The 10,000-hour 'rule' was based on Ericsson's research, but simple practice is not enough for mastery.

We need teachers and coaches to give us feedback on how we're doing to adjust our actions effectively. Technology can help us by providing short feedback loops.

There's purposeful and deliberate practice.

In purposeful practice, you gain breakthroughs by trying out different techniques you find on your own.

In deliberate practice, an expert tells you what to improve on and how to do it, and then you do that (while getting feedback).

It's possible to come to powerful techniques through purposeful practice, but it's always a gamble.

Deliberate practice is possible with a map of the domain and a recommended way to move through it. This makes success more likely.

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