Exams
Y13 & Y11 Results Days - August 2020
This year A Level and Vocational qualification results day is Thursday 13th August and the GCSE results day is Thursday 20th August. Results will be available for socially distanced personal collection according to alphabetical time slotson the day. Please click on the relevant letter for further details:
A Level and Vocational qualification results day - Thursday 13th August 2020
GCSE results day - Thursday 20th August 2020
Results Days 2020 - Important Information
As both the A Level & Vocational Qualification and GCSE Results Day approach, we would like to share some key information with you. We want to emphasise that although our students may not have sat formal qualifications, we want them to feel proud of themselves and what they have achieved.
Centre Assessed Grades
Please rest assured that Cheam High School put in place robust and rigorous procedures for the issuing of Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs) and student ranking, based on a broad range of evidence. We are confident that this system was applied fairly and consistently. However, it is important to note that the school has no control over the final grades released in August. These are assigned by the Awarding Bodies and Ofqual, after applying a standardisation process to the CAGs that Cheam High School submitted to the exam boards.
Post-Results Services
Please remember that as students have not sat formal examinations, there will be no opportunity for students to alter a grade through an appeal. Grades can only be changed through sitting an examination in individual subjects in October/November (see information below). Ofqual will only allow the following:
· A student to ask their centre to conduct a clerical check to see if the centre made an error when submitting a Centre Assessed Grade.
· A student to raise a complaint to their centre if they have evidence of bias or that they were discriminated against.
· A centre to appeal to an exam board on the grounds that the exam board used the wrong data when calculating grades, and/or incorrectly communicated the grades calculated.
Sitting Exams
Students who are not satisfied with their grades will have the opportunity to enter exams in the Autumn Term in October (A Level/Vocational Qualifications) and November (GCSEs).
However, we would advise students who are continuing their studies not to sit exams in the Autumn. Due to the learning time missed this year and the potential for further disruption in 2020/21 we believe that it is important for students to concentrate their efforts fully on their next steps.
Entry to these exams will only be available to students in subjects for which they were entered in the Summer season and we will be asking parents/carers to pay a deposit equivalent to the price of each exam that they would like their to resit. The deposit will be refunded if a student’s grade increases or stays the same as the grade they received in the August 2020.
There will be very strict deadlines for entries for the exams and any student who misses the deadline will lose the opportunity to sit the exam in the Autumn.
A Level and Vocational Qualification – Wednesday 26th August 2020, 12pm
GCSEs - Wednesday 9th September 2020, 12pm
Results Day
On Results Day, students will receive the following information:
- Their final grade for each subject – as students did not take any written exams and no NEA marks were submitted to any of the boards, they will not receive any unit grades, marks or grade boundaries.
- Details on the process for entering resits for students who are not satisfied with their final grades.
- Signposting to information for students from Ofqual (and awarding bodies as appropriate) that sets out how their grades were calculated this year and information on access to appeal (as outlined above).
If you have any questions regarding Results Day or any of the information above, please email the Exams Team: exams@cheam.sutton.sch.uk.
Coronavirus Update: External Exam Cancellation
On Wednesday 18th March, the government announced that schools across the UK would close from Friday 20th March until further notice, and that this summer’s exams won’t go ahead.
The government has assured us that students will be awarded their qualifications to enable them to take their next steps with their education or careers. This means ensuring GCSE, A and AS level students are awarded a grade which fairly reflects the work that they have put in.
The government has since announced more details of how grades will be awarded this summer:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-details-on-exams-and-grades-announced
The main points from the announcement are (please note this information is subject to change/update):
- Teachers will be asked to provide the exam boards with their judgement about the grade that they believe the student would have received if the exams had not been cancelled. Teachers will take into account a range of data to make this judgement, including mock performance data and non-exam assessment. Clear guidance on how to do this fairly will be issued to schools in the near future.
- The exam boards will then combine the teacher judgements with other relevant data, including prior attainment, to produce a calculated grade for each student, which will be a best assessment of the work they have put in.
- There will also be an option to sit an exam early in the next academic year for students who wish to.
We know that this is a very unsettling time for our Year 11 and Year 13 students who were entered for external exams this summer. However, we would like to reassure your children that all students across the country will be in the same position and that there is no option but for the government to find the best possible solution to this situation. Of course, there are very serious public health reasons why the decision to cancel exams has been taken which we all very much appreciate.
Exam Boards and Specifications
Please use this link to access information about exam boards and specifications for all external exams for Year 11 - 13:
Exam Boards and Specifications 2019 - 2020
Exam Boards and Specifications 2020 - 2021
Non-Examined Assessment Information
Review of marking - Centre assessed marks information