News

GCSE Exams 2020

April 17th Update: It has been announced that GCSE and equivalent qualifications will be released to students on the Thursday 20th August as previously planned. We will circulate the arrangements for students to collect their results nearer the time. 

You can find information on the Government website Gov.com about the cancellation of GCSEs this year (2020).

The site explains that: ‘The coronavirus outbreak is expected to continue having a significant impact on the education system, and the country, for months to come. Therefore exams have been cancelled now to give pupils, parents, and teachers certainty, and enable schools and colleges to focus on supporting vulnerable children and the children of key workers.’

It runs through a number of questions and answers students might be asking.

To summarise:

  • There will be no examinations taking place this academic year.
  • Regulators will develop and set out a process that will provide a calculated grade to each student.
  • Exam boards will be asking teachers, who know their students well, to submit their judgements about the grade that they believe the students would have received if exams had gone ahead.
  • To produce this, teachers will be asked to take into an account a range of evidence and data including performance in mock exams and non-exam assessment (coursework).
  • Exam boards will then combine this information with other relevant data, including prior attainment, and use this information to produce a calculated grade for each student.
  • The aim is to provide these calculated grades to students before the end of July.
  • These grades will be indistinguishable from those provided in other years.
  • Students will be able to appeal their grades if they do not believe the right process has been followed.
  • There will also be an option to sit exams early in the next academic year for any students who wish to. Students can also choose to sit exams next summer.

Below is a link to the letter that Ofqual and the Government have written to those students who expected to sit GCSEs and A Levels in 2020.

Below is a link to the guidance that Ofqual and the Goverment have issued to students, parents and teachers regarding the issuing of GCSE and A Level grades in 2020.

Below is a link to the guidance that Ofqual and the Goverment have issued to students, parents and teachers regarding the awarding of Vocational and Technical qualifications in 2020.

Please read through this information. If you have any further questions, you can get in contact with your Head of Year, Mr. Dushku, using the office email: office@eastbrookschool.org. Please note, as the teacher prediction only forms part of the calculated grade that the pupil will be awarded, teachers have been told not to share or discuss predicted grades with pupils, parents or carers.

Please note, in answer to the question, ‘Will there be an opportunity to take exams this year if a student is unhappy with their grade?’ the site states, ‘We recognise that some students may feel disappointed that they have not been able to sit their exams. If they do not feel their calculated grade reflects their performance, they will have the opportunity to sit an exam, as soon as is reasonably possible after schools and colleges open again. Students will also have the option to sit their exams in summer 2021.’

It follows that it is imperative you continue to study for your exams so you are in as strong a position as possible to sit them when the opportunity arises. Please use the resources and support available from your teachers through Show My Homework.

With regard to transition to the next phase in education / employment, please be assured that you will not be disadvantaged by this process. The grades awarded to students will have equal validity to the grade awarded in other years and will be treated in this way by colleges and employers.

We will write to Year 11 students who have applied to Eastbrook Sixth Form shortly so that they can complete ‘Bridging Work’ for the start of their A Level or Vocational studies in September.

We will keep you updated via our website in the coming weeks.