20th July 2021
Dear Parent/Carer
I am writing to confirm the arrangements for the collection of this summer’s exam results. Students will be able to collect their statement of results at the following date and time:
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A level results day (Y13)
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Tuesday 10th August 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Year 13 students should go to the Sixth Form Centre.
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GCSE results day (Y11)
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Thursday 12th August 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Year 11 students should enter via the main entrance. The results will be given out in the assembly hall.
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If students cannot collect their results in person then results can be posted home – this must be arranged with the exams office prior to results day and current address confirmed. If students want someone else to collect the results on their behalf, this must be requested in writing to the Exams Office at least one week prior to results day. This must include the name of the person collecting the results and they must bring photo ID on results day. We are sorry but results cannot be given out over the telephone in any circumstances.
Exam Results and Appeals
We anticipate that appeals will apply to very few students, if any, because of the strict process we have adhered to; we do hope that the following information puts your mind at ease and that your child has confidence in the grades awarded.
How were my child’s grades arrived at this year?
Grades this summer were based on Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). TAGs were submitted to the exam boards by us as a holistic assessment of students’ performance in a subject, following a rigorous process of assessment, moderation and quality assurance. These grades were then approved by the relevant exam board, following external quality assurance checks. In some cases, the TAGs we submitted may have been reviewed by the exam board, we have not been asked to submit any alternative grades for students. This in itself illustrates how robust our in school processes have been.
What do I do if I’m not happy with my child’s grade?
All students have the opportunity to appeal their grade if they meet the eligibility criteria (see below). It is important to note that an appeal may result in a grade being lowered, staying the same, or going up. So if a student puts in an appeal and their grade is lowered, they will receive the lower grade.
There is also the option to resit GCSEs, and A levels in the Autumn Term, which may be preferable to some students. At this stage we understand that the design, content and assessment of these papers will be the same as in a normal year.
What are the grounds for appeal?
There are four main grounds for appeal, as dictated by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). They are:
- You think we have made an administrative error: an example of this would be putting the wrong information into a spreadsheet.
- You think we have made a procedural error: this means we haven’t properly followed our own process, as approved by the exam board.
- You think the academic judgement on the selection of evidence was unreasonable: you think the evidence used to grade you was not reasonable.
- You think the academic judgement on the grade you were given was unreasonable.
What does ‘unreasonable’ mean?
‘Unreasonable’ is a technical term in this context and means that no educational professional acting reasonably could have selected the same evidence or come up with the same grade.
This means that just because other forms of evidence may have been equally valid to use, the selection of evidence is not unreasonable. Because of the flexibility of the approach this year, every school and college will have used different forms of evidence.
It also means that the independent reviewers will not remark or grade students’ evidence. Instead, they will look to see whether any teacher acting reasonably could have arrived at the same grade.
What will be the outcome of an appeal?
At either stage of the appeals process (see ‘What are the two stages of an appeal?’ below), a student’s grade may go up, stay the same, or go down. When placing an appeal the student will have to sign a declaration saying that they accept the fact their grade may go down and they may get a lower grade than their original TAG.
What’s a priority appeal?
Priory appeals are only open to A level students starting university this autumn, who have missed out on the conditions of their firm or insurance offer.
What should I do before appealing?
Students must read the JCQ Student and Parent guide before appealing, which will be available on the JCQ website by results days. We may not be able to offer as much advice and guidance on the likely success of an appeal this summer as we would in normal years, as we have already moderated and quality assured all the grades ourselves.
What are the two stages of an appeal?
All appeals, on any of the grounds above, must first go through a centre review. At this stage, we will check for any administrative errors, and check that our policies and procedures were followed correctly. Our policy has already been approved by the exam boards, so we are only ensuring that we followed this properly. The outcome of the centre review will be communicated to students when made.
At the centre review stage, if we find that a grade should go up or down, we will ask the exam board to change it. They will then consider this request.
Following the outcome of a centre review, students may still choose to pursue an awarding organisation appeal. They must then fill in the stage 2 pages of the appeals form, which we will then send on their behalf to the exam boards. Students and parents cannot send appeals directly to the exam board themselves – it must come from us. You are only permitted to request a stage 2 appeal after a stage 1 centre review has been done. The outcome of the awarding organisation appeal will be communicated to students when made.
How do I make an appeal?
Following results days, students should first carefully ready the important information for students on the first page of the JCQ form: here (https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/JCQ_Appeals-Guidance_Summer-2021_Appendix-B.pdf)
The student should then complete only section A of the form, ensuring UCAS ID is included for y13 students, as well as date and signature, the form should be saved as an attachment and emailed to our exams manager at KDews@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk
What are the deadlines for appeals?
Priority appeals should be submitted where a university place is dependent on the grade.
Non-priority appeals are any A levels, GCSEs or vocational qualifications, where a firm or insurance university place is not pending.
Deadline dates are very important, please see the table below.
Key Dates for priority appeals*
Publication of GCE AS and A-level results – 10 August 2021
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10 August to 16 August 2021
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Window for students to request a centre review
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10 August to 20 August 2021
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Centres conduct centre reviews
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10 August to 23 August 2021
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Centres submit appeals to awarding organisations
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Key Dates for non priority appeals
Publication of GCSE results – 12 August 2021
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From result day to 3 September 2021
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Window for students to request a centre review
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From result day to 10 September 2021
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Centres conduct centre reviews
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From result day to 17 September 2021
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Centres submit appeals to awarding organisations
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This will enable centres to meet the deadlines to submit appeals to awarding organisations if a stage 2 appeal is requested.
Why can’t you tell us our child’s grades?
We are forbidden from disclosing the Teacher Assessed Grades to any third party, including students and parents, until results days. Any teacher or member of staff who does this is committing exam malpractice.
Although students may have been given marks on single pieces of evidence, we cannot disclose the final submitted TAG until results days. Any questions regarding TAGs must follow the procedure above and be emailed to our exam officer at KDews@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk
Autumn Examination Series
Exam boards will be offering exams in the Autumn Term. At this stage we understand that exams will be available for all GCSE and A level subjects.
If you wish to be entered for the Autumn exam series for any subjects please contact our exams manager KDews@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk. Please make requests for exam entries for the Autumn series by Friday 3rd September.
STEVE CAMPBELL
PRINCIPAL