| Information needed | Response |
|---|---|
| Title and link to statistical output | Access arrangements for GCSE, AS and A Level: 2019 to 2020 academic year |
| Name of producer organisation | Ofqual |
| Name and contact details of person dealing with report |
Ben Cuff – ben.cuff@ofqual.gov.uk |
| Name and contact details of Head of Profession for Statistics or Lead Official |
Vikas Dhawan – vikas.dhawan@ofqual.gov.uk |
| Link to published statement about the breach (if relevant) |
|
| Date of breach report | 16/12/2020 |
| Information needed | Response |
|---|---|
| Relevant principle(s) and practice(s) | Pre-release |
| Date of occurrence of breach | 16/12/2020 |
Impact of the breach
Provide details of the impact of the breach both inside the producer body and externally:
The pre-release was sent out this morning 9.30am. An approved pre-release recipient from the Department for Education (DfE) informed us in the afternoon that they had mistakenly sent a summary of main trends to an individual at DfE who was not on the pre-release list (along with a few others who were on the pre-release access list).
We were also informed that the individual who should not have received the summary have confirmed that they have deleted the email.
Because this person was notified and deleted the email soon after receiving it, and because only a summary of main trends was sent, there should be minimal negative impact of the breach.
Corrective actions (taken or planned) to prevent re-occurrence
Describe the short-term actions made to redress the situation and the longer-term changes to procedures:
The person who mistakenly sent the summary has been reminded of the need to maintain confidentiality as per the pre-release conditions in the future. We will also look to strengthen the text that we send out as part of the pre-release process.