A-Level and vocational qualifications results for students have been announced today (13th August) for students in England.
With no exams taking place this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools and colleges were asked to predict the grades pupils would have achieved in each subject, if they had sat the exams.
These predictions were sent to the exam boards, along with the rank order of students within a particular subject.
The exam boards then applied a formula to the estimated grades, which took into account a variety of factors, including the previous exam performance of schools, to calculate a final grade.
The Government announced on Tuesday evening that students would have the option of appealing their grade through reference to their mock exam result, if it was better than the grade allocated to them.
They said using a mock result created a new ‘triple lock’ process to give young people added security, alongside options of accepting their calculated grade or sitting exams being arranged for the autumn.
Rotherham Council will work with schools to provide any necessary support to try to ensure young people from the borough are not disadvantaged by the system that has been used.
Councillor Gordon Watson, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said:
“These are extraordinary times and I would like to pay tribute to the incredible effort and determination shown by our schools, teaching staff and students in achieving the results announced today.
“As a former teacher, I know how stressful exam and exam result time can be and I can only imagine how tough it has been this year. A Level exams are the culmination of years of schooling and should have been the opportunity for students to demonstrate everything they have learned in their school life, only for it to be cruelly taken away from them by Covid-19."
The Council has heard from a number of Head Teachers, who have expressed frustration and anger at the way and extent to which many students have seen their assessed grades downgraded.
Councillor Watson added: “It saddens and angers me to see the way schools, teachers and students have been let down by the chaotic way the Government has handled its flawed grading system. We will be liaising with our schools over the coming days to establish the full impact that this has had on grades and provide any support we can."
