Local schools keep GCSE grades under wraps as vice-principal hits out at BTec disappointment

LOCAL state schools refused to reveal their GCSE grades today (Thursday) amid the chaos which has surrounded results season this year.

With classes and exams having been cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic, pupils and teachers have been caught up in confusion from the government over how their qualifications would be graded.

As reported in the A&T, last week’s A-level results – in which thousands of students nationally were initially downgraded by exam regulator Ofqual’s controversial algorithm – provoked anger among some local head teachers.

Highcliffe School head Patrick Earnshaw complained last Thursday that some students there had been “arbitrarily penalised and downgraded” with lower results than in their mocks.

The national uproar forced the government into a U-turn and this week education secretary Gavin Williamson promised the algorithm would be dropped, and students’ results for A-levels and GCSEs would be whatever was the higher of their teacher-assessed or calculated grades.

Some BTec vocational students, such as those at Brockenhurst and Totton colleges, however, did not get their results as scheduled yesterday after they were recalculated. Ofqual said the outcomes would be released in the coming days.

Hannah Avoth, vice-principal at Totton College said: “This morning young people studying BTecs wake up to disappointment. Young people who have often overcome barriers to give themselves a better future.

"At Nacro’s Totton College we believe that vocational learning is just as important as GCSEs and A-levels and we will now spend the day speaking to young people about their options and letting them know we are there to help them, whatever they come away with today.”

The ongoing uncertainty prompted many schools around the area to keep their overall GCSE results under wraps.

Despite the unprecedented situation, pupils at Priestlands School in Lymington yesterday maintained the tradition of turning up for their results, and enjoyed a socially distanced brunch together with staff.

Head teacher Peter Main told the A&T: “Seeing many students for the first time since 20th March was both exciting and emotional, and having the opportunity to see them receive the rewards for their hard work over the last five years was superb.”

The Arnewood School in New Milton said in a statement it was “very pleased that, overall, students have achieved a strong set of results in 2020 especially in light of the upheaval of recent months”.

It will use teacher assessment to determine entrance to its “high achieving” sixth form, it said, and promised to do “all we can to ensure students and their parents are supported following what has been an anxious wait”.

On his school's GCSE results, Mr Earnshaw congratulated staff and students on their "extremely pleasing" grades and was pleased with the government's algorithm U-turn.

"I am delighted the government decided to trust teachers’ professional judgment at GCSE and acted to prevent the punitive and inexplicable downgrades to random students which caused such unnecessary heartache last week for some A-level candidates.

"We can now get on with the business of finishing our preparations to reopen to all students in a couple of weeks without the distraction of another national furore about results, which I’m sure will be welcome news to parents and students looking forward to returning to school."

Headteacher at Ringwood School, Leanne Symonds said it was "exciting and emotional" to see students receive the rewards for their hard work.

"We are pleased we were able to recognise the hard work and progress of our students in the outcomes they achieved; we credit their resilience in these difficult times and we wish them well for the next phase of their education," she added.

New Forest West MP Sir Desmond Swayne focused the blame on Ofqual which came up with the algorithm.

But he stopped short of giving his full backing to education secretary Mr Williamson, saying it was the Prime Minister’s decision whether he stayed in his job.

The Conservative backbencher said: “[Mr Williamson’s] mistake was to trust the professionals at Ofqual. As soon as the magnitude of their algorithm’s impact became apparent he should have intervened rather than wait.

“Now all sorts of difficulties arise with clearing and university admissions. As for resignation, that is a matter for the PM.”

The A&T contacted New Forest East MP Julian Lewis and Christchurch MP Sir Chris Chope but neither responded.

David Pover, head teacher at The Burgate School and Sixth Form in Fordingridge, described the year as “some of the greatest challenges in the education of our students”.

He said: “I am thankful that we have been able to recognise the hard work and progress of Burgate students in the outcomes they achieved.”

Ballard School, an independent school in New Milton, said 100% of pupils achieved at least five GCSE passes graded 9-4 (including maths and English), with 75% securing at least nine passes.

Headmaster Andrew McCleave said teachers’ efforts on the predictions meant a number had been upgraded by the Ofqual algorithm, leading to grades being 5% higher than initially predicted.

Mr McCleave said: “I am so pleased that our pupils have achieved the grades they deserve.”