Dear Parents/carers,
Since the Secretary of State for Education announced that the 2020 exam series in England would be cancelled to help fight the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have been awaiting information on how the grades will be determined. We have today finally received guidance on this from OfQUAL which I can now share with you.
For this summer’s awards, schools and colleges are being asked to provide centre assessment grades for their students. These should be fair, objective and carefully considered judgements of the grades schools and colleges believe their students would have been most likely to achieve if they had sat their exams, and should take into account the full range of available evidence.
This process applies only to GCSE, AS and A levels, Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) and Advanced Extension Awards (AEA) in maths. Many students will be taking other general and vocational or technical qualifications instead of or alongside GCSEs, AS and A levels. While this process does not apply to those qualifications, the same aims apply. OfQUAL are working urgently to develop an approach and we will provide further information as soon as possible.
OfQUAL have published a message to students which can be found here (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877830/Letter_to_students_-_Summer_2020_grading.pdf) and guidance for parents (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877842/Summer_2020_grades_for_GCSE_AS_A_level_EPQ_AEA_in_maths_-_guidance_for_teachers_students_parents.pdf) which offers reassurance that we will do everything we can to make sure that, as far as possible, grades are fair and that students are not disadvantaged in their progress to sixth form, college, university, apprenticeships, training or work because of these unprecedented conditions.
Exam boards will be contacting us after Easter asking us to submit a centre assessment grade for every student in each of their subjects: that is, the grade they would be most likely to have achieved if they had sat their exams and completed any non-exam assessment.
Please be mindful that the grades that will be submitted based on the evidence collected are likely to differ from those on the recent Year 11 data reports received earlier this week.
Schools and colleges have been told that they must not share their centre assessment grades with students, parents or carers, under any circumstances, until after final results are issued. This is to protect the integrity of centres’ judgements, and to avoid anyone feeling under pressure to submit a grade that is not supported by the evidence. Since the final grades for some or all students in a centre could be different from those submitted, it also helps to manage students’ expectations.
If you wish to read the full guidance then please click here https://www.gov.uk/government/news/how-gcses-as-a-levels-will-be-awarded-in-summer-2020
Thank you for your patience during this time. We understand the anxieties this may be causing for you and your child. Please be assured no student will be disadvantaged by this process and we will endeavor to ensure that all students receive grades that would reflect what we expected them to get had they sat the exams.
The timing of this announcement means we will not be in a position to respond to any questions you may have until we have received the detail from the exam boards. We will not receive this information until after the Easter break.
Given the uniqueness of the current situation, we want Year 11 and Year 13 to be in the best possible place to move onto their next phase of education and study. With this in mind, we have produced weekly planners for them to follow after the Easter break and will send out more information about this after the holiday.
Thank you once again for your patience. These are the most unusual circumstances but be assured students will get the grades that reflect what we would have expected they get had they sat the exams and which recognises the work they have put in and the progress that has been made.
Best wishes to you all and stay safe and well.
Mrs C. Aitcheson
Principal