We’re committed to supporting schools and colleges and students through this challenging time. As you know, exams this summer have been cancelled due to coronavirus. Our aim is to help all students to progress.
Today, we’ve heard more from the Department of Education. We know it’s a busy day so we’ve summarised the key details for you here:
We’ll give students grades this summer which fairly reflect the work they have put in.
Grades will reflect performance as fairly as possible and ‘be indistinguishable’ from grades given to students in other years.
GCSEs, AS and A Levels
With the other exam boards and Ofqual, and together with teachers’ representatives, we’re going to agree a consistent approach to how grades are calculated.
We’ll ask teachers to tell us the grades students would have got if they had sat exams.
They can take into account evidence such as mock exams and non-exam assessment.
We’ll then use data, such as prior attainment, to decide on a final calculated grade.
Vocational Qualifications, including Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals
We’ll be working with other boards and with Ofqual, to agree an approach to ensure no students are disadvantaged.
We’ll use the best available evidence, which could include assessments that students have already completed, to confirm final calculated grades.
Your results
We’ll aim to give students calculated grades by the end of July.
Students should be assured that these grades are indistinguishable from those given in other years.
Universities have been encouraged ‘to be flexible and do all they can to support students and ensure they can progress to higher education’.
Further steps
There will be opportunities to sit exams early in the autumn term, or in summer 2021, if students are not happy that their grade reflects their performance.
If students don’t feel the right process has been followed in their case, there’s an option to appeal.
Supporting you
We know this is an unsettling time for students and teachers and we want to assure you that we will do everything we can to provide the information you need about our approach and the actions you need to take over the coming weeks and months.
