A-level Results Update 18-8-20

18th August – Sixth Form Results Update 

We are very pleased that the latest announcement from Ofqual and the Department for Education will right some of the many wrongs that have been perpetrated by the fiasco that has been this year’s Sixth Form results process. Following these announcements, students, who studied AS and A levels, will now receive whichever grade is the higher of the Centre Assessed Grade (CAG) provided by the school after a rigorous moderation process or the Calculated Grade that was decided upon by Ofqual and Awarding Bodies.

It is incredibly disappointing that some students have missed out on their first choice Universities because of the mishandling of this incredibly important process.

In the guidance discussions that took place in school on the results day, last Thursday, many students and parents/ carers were informed of their Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs). It is our intention over the next few days to formally email the CAGs to all students in the same way as we did the Calculated Results last Thursday. The Headteacher will write to all GMS parents/ carers and students to confirm the date and time of this communication, shortly. There is still some ambiguity about the final parts of the process at this time, specifically whether we will receive an official communication from the awarding bodies on the accepted higher grade, so there will probably be more updates in the next few days. Another element of ambiguity is the BTEC qualifications where there has been no updates, to date.

If you require any further information to support university applications or other applications, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Hollyman on ohollyman@gms.bucks.sch.uk and copy Mr Ford in to the email as well on kford@gms.bucks.sch.uk.

13th August

Mr Ford writes. “Students in our sixth form, who should have sat their external examinations this summer, received their calculated grades today from the awarding bodies. For many, the grades awarded were a true reflection of their ability and were an appropriate reward for their efforts; their grades reflected the commitment they had made to their education. GMS are delighted their grades will enable them to take up the opportunities they planned for the next steps in their lives, many of whom are taking up places at their chosen universities.

Very disappointingly, a significant number of students did not receive grades that were a true reflection of their ability, or reflected their hard work and commitment to their studies.  As I am sure you have read and watched on various media outlets today, the statistical approach adopted by Ofqual and the awarding bodies has significant flaws and has resulted in students receiving totally inappropriate grades for inexplicable reasons.  Unfortunately, the appeals process has as many flaws as the statistical model used to generate these calculated grades; despite this GMS will follow all avenues of appeal to ensure that our students do eventually receive the grades that, in our view, they would have most likely achieved had they had the opportunity to sit an external examination.”