GCSE's Update 09/04/20
Dear Year 11 pupils (and parents/carers)
 
Some of you have been in touch seeking clarification regarding the awarding of GCSE grades and the requirement on you to continue studying or completing coursework and/or past exam papers.
 
It is clear from the government guidance that schools should not ask pupils to complete further work to inform exam grades, in fact it is advised that schools should treat work completed at home with caution as it is different to work which is supervised in school or taken under exam conditions.
 
While I know some of you will find this time stressful you must trust that your teachers are experienced and have a good knowledge of the work you had completed to date and how you might have progressed had the school year not been interrupted.  
 
There is a good page on the department for education website which answers common questions that pupils and parents may have.  I have copied and pasted the text about completing further work below but you may wish to read the rest of the page if you have not already by using this link.
 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020

 

14. Will students be required to do further work to contribute towards their grade?

There is no requirement for schools and colleges to set additional mock exams or homework tasks for the purposes of determining a centre assessment grade, and no student should be disadvantaged if they are unable to complete any work set after schools were closed. Where additional work has been completed after schools and colleges were closed on 20 March, Ofqual is advising head teachers and principals to exercise caution where that evidence suggests a change in performance. In many cases this is likely to reflect the circumstances and context in which the work is done.

If you wish to request work from your teachers to further your studies and prepare for sixth form you are welcome to do so but please be aware that this work cannot be used by teachers to support their assessment of your GCSE grade. Also while they can provide written feedback they cannot grade work as this could be misleading or misinterpreted as representing a GCSE grade.
It is also clear that schools are not allowed to indicate grades to pupils as school judgements will be moderated by the exam boards and could be moved up or down so unfortunately we will not be able to provide grades or assessments to pupils/parents from this point.  I know this may be frustrating but it is advice from the department for education that we have to follow.
 
I hope this clarifies the current situation for you. If you wish to discuss this further then please do not hesitate to contact the school via email or if you wish to call the Office to speak to a member of staff there will be someone available to take your call from Monday 20th April onward from 8.00am - 1.00pm.
Yours sincerely
 
T. Costello
 
Headteacher