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We hope that students are pleased with the results that they are awarded in their GCSEs or A-levels. This is the culmination of many years of hard work and we hope they feel that the grades they have received are a fair reflection of that work.
The grading process has been a strange experience for everyone this year and we are all disappointed that the students did not have the chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in an exam series.
If the results have enabled students to access their first choice for the next stage of their academic career, we would encourage them to focus on the next stage in their education.
It may help to remind you how final grades have been reached:
All schools were requested to decide on the grade that the student would most likely have achieved in the summer exam (called the Centre Assessed Grade).
The school did not rely on one single form of evidence; instead, using a balance of information taken from mock examinations, assessments, class work and teachers’ professional opinion of your abilities and potential in each subject.
These results were then statistically analysed with further moderation by the examination boards in conjunction with Ofqual, culminating in the results you have received today. This process is aimed at ensuring fairness and consistency between students in different years and in different schools and colleges so that, for example, it does not result in more students nationally being awarded higher grades this year when compared to cohorts in previous years. It is done to ensure that this year’s grades are as valid as in any other year.
As you will be aware, the moderation process described above was shown to be unfair. As a result the government reverted to simply using the centre assessed grade as your final result. The only exception to this is in the very small number of cases where the moderation by Ofqual suggested you should have a higher grade in which case the grade was increased.
Autumn Exam Series
There is the opportunity to sit exams in any subject you were entered for in Summer 2020 in Autumn 2020. This exam series will take place between Monday 5th October and Friday 23rd October for A-levels and between Monday 2nd November and Monday 23rd November for GCSE.
This exam series will consist of the same length and number of papers that students would have experienced had the exams taken place in the summer.
If you would like to be entered for these resit examinations you should complete the online resit form linked below.
A Level Examinations
The deadline for A-Level entries has now closed.
GCSE Examinations
The deadlines for making entries for GCSEs is 17th September for GCSE.
We would suggest that before you decide to enter the Autumn exam series, you carefully consider the impact studying for these re-sits may have on the courses you may already have started in September. In the long term you may be better served by concentrating your efforts on your new course in the Autumn term.
Autumn Series 2020 - A Level & GCSE JCQ Key Dates
Autumn Series 2020 - A Level & GCSE Exams Timetable
GCSE-and-A-Level-Timetable-Autumn-2020.pdf
Appeals
The appeals process has also been amended this year, but following the changes in government policy on results we do not know at this stage whether there will be any further changes. At the moment the key points are as follows:
Appeals will be allowed in cases where a centre believes it has made an administrative error when submitting its information; or similarly, if the centre believes an exam board made an administrative or technical mistake when calculating, assigning or communicating a grade.
Appeals will only be allowed to be submitted by the centre not an individual student.
Students will not be able to appeal against the professional judgement underpinning the school’s submitted Centre Assessed Grades and/or position in the rank order within which schools were required to place all candidates.
A student who has evidence of bias or discrimination in the grade awarded should raise this with their centre in the first instance via the school's complaints policy.
Ofqual have produced a guide explaining the options available to you if you are considering appealing your results. This guide is linked here.
If you would like to discuss an appeal or a situation where you feel there is an incidence of bias or discrimunation, please send an e-mail to the following address, providing the student’s name, the examinations you would like to appeal and the reason you feel that there are grounds to appeal and we will get back to you within two weeks.
The deadline for appeals is the 17th September.
examappeals@nowerhill.harrow.sch.uk
Contact
| Exams Manager | Emmanuelle Beaumond-Campbell |
Useful Exams Information
Coping With Exam Stress
The exam season can be a difficult time. If you are feeling under stress, please talk to someone.
The following are some useful websites to help manage exam stress:
