The Education Minister says it is impossible to predict whether school exams will take place this summer.

Dr Alex Allinson has written to all head teachers to get their views on the possible sitting of physical exams for some subjects this summer.

UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that Ofqual-regulated exams in England are cancelled.

Exams regulated by the Welsh and Scottish boards have also been cancelled and replaced by teacher assessed grades.

Dr Allinson said the Department for Education, Sport and Culture has been in regular contact with Cambridge International regarding the future of IGCSE and I A-levels, which many island students sit.

Cambridge International has indicated they are still committed to running exams this year as planned.

But they have said they are open to further feedback from head teachers here.

Dr Allinson said: ’The situation in the UK is changeable and we will continue to work with teachers, parent and pupils to ensure every student gets the grades they deserve.

’Things have changed in terms of examinations so much in the last five days that I think it is impossible to predict the situation in the summer.

’What the education service will be concentrating on is teaching as full a curriculum as possible to prepare students for all eventualities whilst looking after their welfare and ensuring all get to fulfil their potential.’

He added: ’Teachers have shown remarkable resilience and dedication since the start of the pandemic and I know they will do whatever is possible to support their students.’

International GCSEs, as set by Cambridge International Assessment was adopted for many subjects from 2014 including English, science, economics, geography and history.

There are also many A Level courses taken with Cambridge.

The switch to Cambridge followed concerns about changes to GCSEs introduced by the UK government.

But in December 2018, the DESC decided schools could move away from Cambridge for maths iGSCEs and choose to use the Welsh exam board instead.

Ballakermeen head teacher Adrienne Burnett said: ’At Ballakermeen, we would prefer our students to sit their GCSE Cambridge exams.

’There are a number of reasons for this, not least our students have been working towards these exams for the best part of two years.

’Teachers have finished teaching most aspects of the course, with the first exam taking place in 10 weeks’ time. Indeed, some of our students took GSCE exams in English and science in November, with results due in just over a week’s time. Once we have the results, students can "bank" their grade, or work to improve it.’