Dear Year 11 students, parents/carers and wider school community,
Due to Government guidelines and in order to keep everyone safe, results day will be running a little differently this year. As such, GCSE and Vocational results have been sent to students this morning.
As the Department for Education have agreed to the use of ‘centre assessed grades’, we feel that our students have been awarded fair grades requisite of their abilities, tenacity and hard work. The ‘algorithm model’ has still also been applied to these results and the grade students have received is the highest grade of the two. Approximately 2% of our CAGs have been upgraded. Although students have not sat formal examinations, the results they achieve should be celebrated as they are a reflection of students’ performance and our judgement of what each student would have achieved if they had sat their examinations. Unfortunately OCR National grades will not be finalised until 25th August and Pearson BTEC outcomes have been delayed awaiting further review. At present all students have been given the CAG.
Our internal systems of tracking progress and standardising grade submission are second-to-none. Our ‘centre assessed grades’ were robustly checked at every stage and all signed off by myself after weeks of laser sharp scrutiny. They were also checked and verified by the secondary director and CEO of the trust. As a result of this, as Executive Principal I am fully aware of all grades and thus no conversations with any class teachers will be necessary. I have instructed staff not to engage in any individual conversations regarding grade submissions.
Although there has been much uncertainty leading up to this, one constant is the support and guidance we will provide to students to prepare them for the next steps in further education. Students have been contacted personally today to ensure they have the next step information and the Senior Leadership Team will be in school throughout the day should any further guidance be required. Please contact my PA Elizabeth Pearce (E.Pearce@heanorgate.derbyshire.sch.uk) with any queries you may have.
This cohort of students have had a very disruptive and difficult year but hopefully these results will give them an opportunity to move onto the next stage of their lives and make the future their own. It has been a great pleasure working with all of the students over the last five years and supporting them to grow into the confident and aspiring young adults they are now.
I want to publicly thank all of the staff and students who have had to endure this situation for their professionalism and empathy for one another throughout. Never before has the team spirit and togetherness of this school community been stronger.
On behalf of all the staff, we look forward to welcoming back those students who have chosen Heanor Gate Science College for Sixth Form in September. For those students who are moving on, we wish you the best of luck.
Thank you for your ongoing support and enjoy the remainder of your summer break.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Huntington
Executive Principal