Teaching union figures have expressed frustration following talks today with the Department for Education, saying officials are still “adamant” that exams will go ahead next summer and that an announcement on the plans appears to be “still some way off”.

Teaching unions met the DfE this afternoon to discuss proposals for next year’s exams, including the prospect of “formal staged assessment and a robust fall-back, centre-assessment process” so that students unable to sit exams can still receive “robust, reliable grades”.

However, following the meeting, NEU teaching union joint-general secretary Mary Bousted said the government hadn’t considered this proposal.

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She said: “The government is still absolutely adamant that there will be exams, and we’re concerned that they’re not doing enough thinking about what would be the plan B, particularly for students who can’t take the exams either because they are isolating or because we don’t know what will happen in the future.”

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She said: “We don’t know if whole areas will be in lockdown. You can’t guarantee that all schools will remain open so there is still a concern that not enough thinking is going on about what the possible future scenarios will be and what are the different elements that need to be thought about.”

Other organisations at the meeting included the Association of School and College Leaders, the NAHT school leaders’ union, the NASUWT teachers’ union and the National Governance Association.

All submitted a paper to the DfE on Friday making five recommendations to the government and Ofqual, which they said should be actioned “as a matter of urgency”.

Dr Bousted said today: “We made suggestions about a plan B in terms of what form of student assessment would be considered rigorous enough to provide an alternative to an exam grade. I don’t get a sense that that is being considered.

“I think they’re in danger of putting all their eggs in the exams basket and we know that that didn’t work well this year. So there is a clear danger.

“They appear to be adopting some of the same approach, willing it to happen without putting in place adequate contingencies for the unexpected, and the thing is that we live in the most unexpected time.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “Despite widespread speculation that the government were about to announce a delay to 2021 examinations, it instead appears that we are still some way off an announcement on arrangements for next year’s GCSEs, AS and A levels.

“Clearly, time is of the essence - students and schools alike are desperate for certainty on the shape of examinations and the process for awarding grades next year.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “We expect exams to take place next year and continue to work with Ofqual and the exam boards on our approach, recognising that students will have experienced considerable disruption to their education in the last academic year.

“There are a range of measures proposed by Ofqual following a public consultation, including a possible short delay to the exam timetable and subject-specific changes to reduce pressure on teaching time. We will continue to work with school and college stakeholders, Ofqual and the exam boards, to ensure that exams in 2021 are fair.”