What happens to the assessments the students have completed?
The assessments students have completed during the assessment window will form an evidence portfolio which demonstrates their current performance. All the individual assessments completed throughout this assessment window will have been moderated and standardised. The resulting evidence portfolio will be kept securely in school as a clear rationale for the grade awarded to each student for every subject. For more information on the assessments which form the evidence portfolio for each subject please click here.
How will teachers award a grade to a student?
During the inset day on Friday 28th May year 11 teaching staff, will look at the evidence portfolio for each student and using the grade descriptors provided by exam boards; award a holistic grade which in their professional judgement they believe represents the performance of each individual student based on the assessments in the evidence portfolio.
What happens if my son/daughter did less well on one assessment?
Although students are entitled to see their marks for each assessment which is in their evidence portfolio, these numerical marks do not determine an overall grade. This year JCQ guidance is that grades are decided by using grade descriptors not numerical grade boundaries as they would be in a ‘normal’ examination series. So, adding marks together to achieve an overall mark is not how these grades will be calculated. Instead, the grade descriptors are used holistically when judging the evidence folder to award a grade.
How do I know that this grade is fair and accurate?
As well as careful standardisation and moderation of the assessments throughout the assessment window, all students will have at least one assessment which has been blind marked. So, marked by a different teacher using their candidate number, not their name. Furthermore, all staff will complete a training module on objectivity and preventing bias when awarding grades. Grades from individual teachers and their rationale will also be checked and agreed by the Head of Faculty as well as the Head of Centre who is responsible for ensuring that our centre policy has been carefully followed for each Teacher Assessed Grade. Following this, external quality assurance will take place by the Examination Boards randomly sampling evidence portfolios to ensure our internal process has been robust and the centre policy has been applied consistently across subjects.
Does the predicted grade or target grade my son/daughter received in the Autumn term indicate what their grade might be?
No. Teacher Assessed Grades this year do not reflect potential. So, any previous ROA or indicator of potential performance will not be considered. Teachers can only award grades based on the assessments of current performance in the evidence portfolio.
Should I get in contact with my son/daughter’s teacher?
If you have any enquiries regarding the Teacher Assessed Grading process this year, then contact Stuart Cresswell [email protected] or our Head of Examinations Centre David Long at [email protected] , please avoid contacting individual teachers during this process. Schools have been given very clear guidance regarding mitigating against bias and undue pressure from students and parents which could be considered malpractice and therefore investigated by the Exam Boards. A copy of this guidance can be found here.
When will students find out their results?
Results day is on Thursday 12th August. Further details about results day will be communicated in due course.
What happens if my son/daughter believes their grade is incorrect?
Further details about the appeals procedure this year will be shared as we approach results day and more information about the process has been released from examination boards.
