The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust said it had received “minimal extensions to coursework” and, in a formal request to the DfE, said: “Just because there is no current provision within our examination system for individual schools in this unique situation, does not mean there should not be.”
Nick Hurn, its chief executive, said: “The stance that the DfE, Ofqual and JCQ continue to parrot – that students won’t be given any additional consideration outside of the current framework – is just not credible, reasonable or just.
“Now we have irrefutable evidence that our children’s exam chances have been severely affected by this situation caused by the Raac.”
He said ministers intervened after Covid hit – and this situation was “far more disruptive”.
Mr Hurn added that he did not expect Ofqual to allow teachers to assess grades – which happened when exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 – but did want a “fair and appropriate level of consideration”.
Mary Kelly Foy, Labour MP for City of Durham, said she was seeking “genuine commitments” from ministers.
“The inability of the DfE, Ofqual and examinations boards to grasp the severity of this situation… is a catastrophic failure of all of those involved in making decisions thus far,” she said.
Unsafe buildings at St Leonard’s are due to be demolished this year, according to the report – but rebuilding work “will take time”.
A total of 231 schools in England were confirmed to have Raac in the most recent government list issued last month – but that list could continue to grow.
At some schools, students have been unable to access design and technology work rooms, laboratories and other specialist spaces since September.
Prof Stephen Gorard, one of the report’s authors, said: “The emphasis has rightly been on practical and lab-based subjects.”
But he said other subjects have been affected at St Leonard’s because teaching materials were abandoned when classrooms closed at short notice, adding: “Even lessons in English literature were thrown by not being able access any of the planned texts.”
