Schools minister @NickGibbUK will shortly give evidence to @CommonsEd, alongside Lucy Smith, DfE director general for Covid-19 response and schools recovery. Stand by for tweets #edselctte

. @halfon4harlowMP asks what Gibb will do to ensure students don't miss out on exam learning if they have to stay home.

@NickGibbUK says direction on remote learning doesn't change expectation, just clarifies legal position. Schools must follow guidance, he says #edselctte

Gibb says he's concerned about disadvantaged students without computer access, which is why DfE has provided laptops and tablets. On exams, he says govt is working through "contingencies" for if students are isolating during exams #edselctte

Gibb says govt "will have more to say" on how it will make exams fair in the "next few weeks". Says it's "not an easy issue to address, but it is something that worries me a lot" #edselctte

Lucy Smith says on question of lost learning, DfE is in "really close contact" with areas going into different tiers. "We do have a good feel for what's going on in schools" #edselctte

Gibb says DfE "react" teams are working with LAs and getting in touch with families with social workers where their children aren't attending school #edselctte

. @halfon4harlowMP is concerned there is no "proper plan" for if students are sent home.

Gibb says it's a concern the govt has, but we are "some months away" from the summer, and schools are "very well equipped" to ensure children can catch up

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. @IanMearnsMP raises concerns about different students experiencing different levels of disruption, asks how playing field will be levelled for exams next summer #edselctte

Gibb says he is worried by "unevenness and unfairness" because some students are suffering greater lockdowns. Says this has been discussed in "great detail" with regulator Ofqual #edselctte

Question about pupils with SEND who do better in exams, and whether they've been "particularly disadvantaged" by not having exams.

Gibb says govt was assured by Ofqual that approach didn't disadvantage certain groups, but says he'll write to the MP.

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Gibb says Ofqual are used to adjusting grades. Raises example of new GCSEs, there was "saw tooth" concept, meaning schools take a few years to become familiar, and they don't want any year group to be unfairly treated, so used comparable outcomes #edselctte

Gibb again says exams are the "fairest system", and says ensuring consistency is Ofqual and exam boards' "bread and butter" #edselctte

Question now about mock exams and how they will be used. @NickGibbUK says this is part of the issue of contingencies, and main advantage we have in 2021 is "a little bit more time to address these issues" #edselctte

Gibb says schools are open, exams are delayed, and govt is now addressing issues of contingencies, and that's what's being worked on "now". Asked specifically about mocks again, he says "all these issues" are part of the work going on #edselctte

Smith says dept is working "really hard" with exam boards, Ofqual and the sector, and there's a "balance to be struck" between what is done with exams system and "what schools are asked to do" #edselctte

On mocks, Smith says "of course" govt is looking "at these issues of what the exam contingencies should be", but says "very concerned to make sure that having taken decisions to free up teaching time we don't then impose another national exam series" #edselctte

Gibb is asked whether DfE is considering making exams modular. He says Ofqual's existing changes to exams have taken away some practical assessments and introduced more optionality in some subjects. But DfE decided not to reduce curriculum content #edselctte

Gibb says changes to assessment "will give rise to more teaching time", and it's something DfE will continue to look at as pandemic develops #edselctte

Gibb is asked to write to the committee with how catch-up funding is being used. He explains £650m funding is being distributed on a per-pupil basis, while £350m is for the national tutoring programme #edselctte

Asked if he is definitely ruling out use of centre-assessed grades in any way next year, Gibb says schools should not "preempt" what DfE is going to say later in the autumn term, but doesn't appear to rule it out #edselctte

Asked again if he'll rule out using centre-assessed grades, Gibb says he's been "very clear" he wants exams, but that work on contingencies is ongoing #edselctte

Lucy Smith acknowledges that key question DfE needs to answer in contingency plan is "what if a student is ill and can't sit an exam". She says exam spacing will help in some instances, but they are "really complex issues" #edselctte

Gibb and Smith are asked what can be done to reduce the numbers of students sent home when there's a positive case, amid concerns whole year groups are being sent home for two weeks #edselctte

Gibb says bubbles are meant to minimise contact, but accepts there is a "disparity" in the way different schools are responding to confirmed cases. Says DfE has published case studies on how schools can identify close contacts and send home smaller groups #edselctte

Gibb is asked about October half term and potential impact on coronavirus cases in schools.

He says schools have gone to "enormous efforts" to make sites safe and you "could argue" students are "safer" in school, but says he's not qualified to make projections #edselctte

Gibb is asked how government is holding schools to account for education provided during the pandemic. "You should be doing more," says @halfon4harlowMP, who highlights that Gibb has "led the debate" on standards in his time as minister #edselctte

Gibb says he doesn't accept Halfon's point that children have been "forgotten-about", and says govt is "as passionate as I am" about ensuring high academic standards. Says direction is clear and guidance on expectations is "many pages" long #edselctte

Gibb says DfE is also giving "extensive support" to schools, but accepted "some will be better than others".

"We will continue to monitor this"

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Gibb is asked whether any consideration is being given to delaying the restart of routine inspections. He says inspectors will take into account all the challenges schools have faced, but there will be no change to the framework #edselctte

On exams, Gibb says DfE has run service to help schools to find extra space, invigilator and funding for autumn series. Says there "wasn't a huge call upon that service", and there were "far fewer than we anticipated" taking exams in the autumn #edselctte

Gibb is asked about differences between national tiers of lockdown and the tiers of the contain framework, which govern how schools respond. He says even in highest national alert level, we still aren't moving to tier 2 of the contain framework #edselctte

On laptops, Gibb says DfE is "determined" that any school that sends pupils who don't have a computer home, they can order one and the average delivery time is "1.3 days" #edselctte

"This is a mammoth procurement exercise. You cannot just walk into PC World and order 250,000 computers. It does require lead times. It's been one of the biggest procurement exercises in the UK of computers" - Gibb #edselctte

. @halfon4harlowMP raises problems with the laptops. Some took too long to arrive, some schools got fewer than expected, some arrived without correct password. Asks why vouchers weren't given to individual heads to buy their own computers #edselctte

Gibb says there "simply weren't enough computers" to do that. Says they had to be procured in a "very demanding market".

"But they weren't on time," says @halfon4harlowMP, who says he heard from headteachers that some computers have only just arrived #edselctte

Gibb: "Well, one always hears about what went wrong, but 220,000 computers went out. They went to LAs, schools and trusts. And they did go out."

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Gibb says he wants exams to go ahead "in all circumstances", and says that if schools do start moving up the "contain" tiers, exam year groups "will have priority in taking those exams" #edselctte

. @halfon4harlowMP asks why Ofsted isn't working with schools "directly now" on ensuring pupils can learn at home.

Gibb says they are visiting schools and "having those discussions with schools", but schools aren't being evaluated against the framework.

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"You've got to understand that we are in crisis mode in terms of dealing with the pandemic," says Gibb. "Schools worked around the clock to get schools open and safe."

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"The challenges of teaching in a Covid-secure way as well as preparing remote education, all these things are huge challenges to schools. And we've got to balance the rigorous accountability approach with also managing 450,000 professionals and making sure they have support"

Gibb is asked why the direction to provide remote education wasn't issued in the early days of the lockdown.

He says govt was "dealing with a crisis", and took away inspection, for example, to "enable schools to cope"

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Gibb: "Passing laws doesn't always deliver."

Halfon: "So why pass this one now then?"

Gibb: "Because this doesn't raise the expectation, it clarifies the law"

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Gibb is talking about catch-up and devices again.

He also accepts that in the state sector it "won't be possible all the time to have live stream".

"Some of the lessons will be recorded"

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Gibb is asked about the exceptional costs fund.

He says fund was available to cover costs incurred March to July, but schools are "back full time" and into a "new three-year funding settlement", so "we expect schools to use that funding to fund the extra costs" #edselctte

Gibb is asked whether scope of the SEND review can be widened to look at the way those pupils have been impacted by school closures.

He says he thinks the review will take account of "what's happened since March"

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Gibb is asked whether academies can be given the right to leave their MATs. He says they can't choose to leave, but RSCs may rebroker #edselctte