Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has today announced that GCSE and A-Level exams in England will go ahead next summer.
Mr Williamson said “exams are the fairest way of judging performance.”
While they will be taking place, it has however been confirmed that most of these exams will be delayed by three weeks as a result of the impact due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
This means that the summer exam series will start on 7th June and end on 2 July for almost all AS/A levels and GCSEs.
It has not been revealed though at this stage which exams will not be subject to delay.
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In a formal announcement via the gov.uk website this afternoon, Mr Williamson said: “Fairness to pupils is my priority, and will continue to be at the forefront of every decision we take in the lead up to exams next summer. Exams are the fairest way of judging a student’s performance so they will go ahead, underpinned by contingency measures developed in partnership with the sector.
“Students have experienced considerable disruption and it’s right we give them, and their teachers, the certainty that exams will go ahead and more time to prepare.”
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Exams are the fairest way of judging performance. We’re giving students and teachers the certainty that exams will go ahead in 2021 with more time to prepare plus support from the Covid Catch Up Fund. pic.twitter.com/eoGyrqJCfY
— Sir Gavin Williamson CBE MP (@GavinWilliamson) October 12, 2020
He continued: “Combined with our £1 billion catch-up programme and the changes proposed by Ofqual to free up teaching time, the changes I am announcing today give young people the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive.
“I will continue to work closely with stakeholders and I’m grateful for the commitment and willingness that’s been shown in delivering this additional time to ensure young people have the best opportunity to succeed.”
It has also been confirmed that results days next year will be Tuesday 24th August for A/AS levels, and Friday 27th August for GCSEs.
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This is so students will start the following academic year as normal.
Government ministers will now “engage widely with the sector over the next six weeks to identify any risks to exams at a national, local, and individual student level, and consider measures needed to address any potential disruption.”
According to the statement given, this could be a student unable to sit exams due to illness or self-isolation, or schools affected by a local outbreak during the examination season meaning centres cannot open.
More detail will be published later in the Autumn, to ensure students have confidence that they will be fairly treated in terms of assessment in 2021.
You can find more information via the gov.uk website here.
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Olivia Dean at Co-op Live, Manchester- tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
The multi-award winning Olivia Dean is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for two nights of her The Art of Loving Tour this April.
Pop and Neo-soul superstar Olivia Dean is continuing her phenomenal past 12 months by performing an arrangement of her hits and deep cuts from her newest LP The Art of Loving across the globe.
Dean recently scooped up four BRIT awards and three MOBO awards at the end of March right here at Co-op Live and now she’s returning to teach Manchester how to be ‘Nice To Each Other’.
The ‘Man I Need’ singer entered the music scene back in 2019 and instantly caught the attention of music lovers and critics alike, going on to receive a Mercury Prize nomination for her debut album Messy.
Gig guide | Olivia Dean at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Olivia Dean is heading to Manchester for two shows at the impressive Co-op Live this April / Credit: Gwen Trannoy (Press shot)
Olivia Dean UK tour dates
Wed 22 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu 23 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Sat 25 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sun 26 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Wed 29 April – London, UK – The O2
Thu 30 April – London, UK – The O2
Fri 1 May – London, UK – The O2
Sat 2 May – London, UK – The O2
Thu 11 June – London, UK – The O2
Fri 12 June – London, UK – The O2
Are there tickets left for Olivia Dean at Co-op Live?
Olivia Dean is bringing The Art of Loving Tour to Manchester on 25 and 26 April / Credit: Jack Davison (Press Shot)
Now… here comes ‘The Hardest Part’, answering a question that’s on everybody’s lips and althought it might be ‘So Easy (To Fall In Love)’, getting tickets to Olivia Dean’s gig might be difficult.
These tickets are in very high demand and have sold-out on all major ticketing platforms, so if you’re up for seeing this powerhouse, you might have to set up reminders on Ticketmaster or official resale sites like Twickets.
Olivia Dean setlist for 2026 tour
The ‘Man I Need’ songwriter is performing live in Manchester at Co-op Live / Credit: Jack Davison (Press Shot)
The Art of Loving Tour hasn’t officially kicked off yet but based off the name of this current run of shows, we can only hope her sophomore album gets played in full.
Here is the track list for The Art of Loving:
The Art of Loving (Intro)
Nice To Each Other
Lady Lady
Close Up
So Easy (To Fall In Love)
Let Alone The One You Love
Man I Need
Something Inbetween
Loud
Baby Steps
A Couple Minutes
I’ve Seen It
Stage times for Olivia Dean at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for the ‘I Could Be A Florist’ hitmaker are set to open from 6.30pm with no official starting time listed yet.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning you’ll have plenty of time to say ‘Ok Love You Bye’ and make it home in time before it gets to midnight.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
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Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images – Gwen Trannoy / Jack Davison (Press Shots)
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Four men arrested and hundreds of cannabis plants seized during police raids in Radcliffe
Emily Sergeant
Early-morning raids were conducted in Radcliffe this week, and it saw four men arrested and hundreds of cannabis plants seized.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 8am yesterday morning (14 April), officers from the Radcliffe Neighbourhood Policing Team attended an address on Bridgefield Street, following an investigation into drugs supply within the local area.
When they entered the property, police found six rooms filled with cannabis plants at various stages of their growth cycle, as well as various lighting equipment, fans, pipes, and other drug-growing paraphernalia.
In total, 663 cannabis plants were seized by officers.
The electricity used at the premises was also discovered to have been ‘illegally bypassed’, and GMP says work is now ‘ongoing’ to ensure it’s safely disconnected.
Following the raids, GMP confirmed that four men – who are aged between 33 and 55- have been arrested on suspicion of producing a Class B drug and abstracting electricity, and they remain in custody for questioning at this time.
The raids were said to come as part of GMP’s wider work in tackling drugs supply.
“This was a great result for the local neighbourhood team, who secured four arrests and seized hundreds of plants,” commented Chief Inspector Michael Barton, from GMP’s Bury district.
“Drug dealing is not something that is a victimless crime.
“The violence between gangs and exploitation of vulnerable people is something that we unfortunately see across Greater Manchester, and is something we are constantly working to tackle.”
The Manc -
12th October 2020 
