After the fiasco of the A-level results last week when 40% of student grades were lowered by a flawed algorithm, GCSE result day came as something of a relief. In the U-turn by the Government students have today received Centre Assessed Grades for all their subjects. These are the GCSE grades that teachers predicted their students would have achieved had they been able to take the exams.
At Pewsey Vale School, staff, student and parents celebrated together whilst adhering to social distancing.
Neil Pritchard, Head Teacher, commented “In a truly unprecedented year, where there has been so much uncertainty, it was great to see our students receive the grades that they deserved.
It is lovely to watch the students and parents celebrating and the relief of knowing that they can now go on to their next destination to continue their education or work.
There has been a lot of turmoil over the past few terms and obviously a lot of recent publicity about the changes in the process for grading. However, we need to remember that the vast majority of these students have worked hard for these results over the past five years. Therefore, they should celebrate what they have achieved and look forward to their next ventures. I am very proud of them and wish them all the very best.”
At St John’s Marlborough Year 11 students were welcomed into school to collect their exam results from 9 am this morning. Many of their teachers were there to greet them.
Ian Tucker, Principal, said, “For this group of students the past two years has been an unforgettable experience, and the way that they handled the abrupt end to their Year 11 studies and exam preparation was exemplary.
They must also have been concerned as they followed what happened to their peers in Year 13 last week, but we are delighted that they need not worry for a moment longer. Their results are very well earned and we are confident that they will all now successfully move on to the next part of their educational journey. The students have a great deal to celebrate, both individually and collectively.”
In relation to the current situation, Ian Tucker commented: “Over the last week we have had to work extremely hard to clear up the confusion that remained after the way A level results were released to schools.
I am so grateful to our staff for their hard work in supporting students and parents. I would also like to thank our local MPs who I know worked hard to make sure that Central Government took on board the chaos created last Thursday, so that these students today could receive what they deserve in a way that reduces their anxiety.
We still have a number of students who will be awaiting confirmation of their BTEC and other vocational awards and we will be pushing hard to clarify this situation for them.
St John’s is extremely proud of each and every student and we are grateful to our staff and to the parents and carers who have supported this year’s achievements. The students can now celebrate with real confidence and prepare to return to our Sixth Form in September or move on proudly to their next stage in life.”
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