Petition · Department for Education
Review bereavement policies for pupils sitting GCSE and A-level exams
Open for signatures
942 signatures
What the petition asks
I want the government to review the grading and expectations set by the Joint Council for Qualifications, for pupils that have lost a close relative immediately before starting their GCSE or A-level exams.
Mitigations are in place for pupils who have recently lost a close relative. For example, if they have recently lost a parent, they may be expected to sit 15% of each subject and will be marked up by 5%. We believe it would be fairer to allocate marks based on their predicted grades as happened during Covid. No child should be expected to attend school so soon after saying goodbye to a parent or sibling.
Timeline
| 9 Jun 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
942
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Education
Opened
9 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.