Students who had been preparing for their GCSE, AS or A Level examinations this summer have received a letter from Ofqual via the academy explaining the process for awarding grades this summer.

Ofqual has also updated the information for students and parents on how GCSE, AS, A Level, vocational and technical qualifications will be graded and awarded in summer 2020. You can click on the link to read more or download the PDF documents directly below, which includes the letter for students.

Letter to students – summer 2020 grading

Guidance – summer 2020 grades for GCSE, AS and A Level Extended Project Qualification and Advanced Extension Award in maths

Guidance – summer 2020 results for vocational, technical and other qualifications

You can access all Ofqual updates and guidance documents on the government website.

We know that this has been a worrying time for all students.

The academy has given the examination boards accurate assessment information regarding the grades which students deserve. Most importantly, we have paid careful attention to the expectation that students should get the grade they would most likely have achieved if they had taken examinations. It is no easier or harder for a student to achieve a particular grade this year, compared to previous years.

Special consideration requests, such as where a student cannot take an exam, or where their performance in an exam is affected, because of, for example, illness or a traumatic event, will not apply this summer. Instead judgements have been based on how the students would have performed under ordinary exam circumstances. Where illness or other personal circumstances might have affected performance in mock exams (or in some cases other assessed work), this has been considered when making a judgement.

Similarly, where students would have had an agreed reasonable adjustment (for example a reader or scribe), or other students would have had an agreed access arrangement, the academy’s judgement has taken account of likely achievement with the reasonable adjustment/access arrangement in place.

Whilst many students continued to carry out work provided by their teachers after the academy closed on 18 March, we have been told by the examination boards to be cautious about assessment of work completed after this time.

Teachers, and indeed any academy staff, are not allowed to discuss the grades the academy has submitted with students or their parents. We ask that all students and parents respect this requirement of the examination boards.