Dear Parent / Carer,
On Tuesday, the Education Minister made a very important announcement that there will be no end of year exams for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in 2021.
The primary reason for her decision is that, due to COVID-19, the time learners will spend in schools and colleges will vary hugely and, it is impossible to guarantee a level playing field for exams to take place. She also highlighted that many learners are worried about the prospect of taking exams and the pressure they feel under to get through as much course content as possible.
What will replace the summer exams and how will the student’s grades be awarded?
At the present time we have very limited information on the detail of how student grades will be awarded. The information from the minister is;
- Instead of exams, WG and Qualifications Wales intend to work with schools and colleges to take forward teacher-managed assessments.
- These should include assessments that will be externally set and marked, but delivered within a classroom environment under teacher supervision.
- The expectation is that these assessments will form the basis for centre-based outcomes which will be linked to an agreed national approach to provide consistency across Wales.
Welsh Government have stressed that welsh students will not be disadvantaged when applying for or progressing to Higher or Further education. University offers should not change.
What does this mean for my child?
- Welsh Government has made it clear that because there will be no exam period in the summer, the present intention is that Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 students will remain in school throughout the summer term and be taught as normal to the end of the school year in July.
- Students will have continual assessment throughout the rest of the year. This means that now, more than ever, every lesson counts and they need to be working consistently in all their lessons.
- Teacher assessment will play a very big part in the final grades awarded to the student.
- Students will need to ensure that they are in school regularly, any prolonged absences will seriously affect their final grades as they may miss important assessments.
- If there are periods of self-isolation, students need to ensure that they are engaging fully in online learning and working closely with their teachers.
I hope this gives you some clarification on the situation; we will update you further when we receive details from Welsh Government, Qualifications Wales and the examination boards.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Regards,
Mr M Franklin
Headteacher