GCSE and A-level results to be based on teacher assessments
ALL students who received offers to study at the Sixth Form Centre, Guernsey Institute or College of Further Education will be accepted, regardless of final grades issued nationally on Thursday.
Year 11 students will have their offers of post-16 places honoured based on teacher-predicted grades, regardless of final grades that might have been adjusted by the exam board Ofqual.
Education made the announcement yesterday to provide local students with reassurance and certainty amid continuing controversy nationally about public exam results.
It will apply to all offers made to Year 11 students by the Sixth Form Centre and the Guernsey Institute/College of Further Education.
The cancellation of this year's exam due to Covid-19 has created challenging conditions for all involved.
Guernsey does not run its own exams and therefore Bailiwick students have been graded with the same process as students in England.
This required teachers to submit their best estimates of the grades each student would have received had exams taken place as normal.
Exams regulator Ofqual has adjusted the grades submitted by teachers to try and standardise grades across the cohort and ensure fairness for students in different years.
However, there were clear examples nationally following the release of A-Level results last week where individual students had been unfairly disadvantaged through this process and have missed out on university offers through no fault of their own.
Education wants to safeguard against the potential for such things to occur for students wanted to access post-16 places in the Bailiwick when GCSE results are released on Thursday.
President of Education Deputy Matt Fallaize said it was entirely understandable given the current situation that there would be anxieties about results day for GCSE and equivalent qualifications.
'Although everyone involved will hope that all students receive grades which they consider to be fair, the committee does not want our students' access to post-16 places to be affected by the continuing uncertainty nationally.
'We are therefore reassuring Year 11 students that in the event that their predicted grades are adjusted downwards they will still be able to progress to their further studies as they intended.'
This will mean no student is in a situation where they are unable to study their preferred subjects, or to follow their chosen pathway, due to factors beyond their control.
'In view of the picture nationally, the committee believes that for this year it is best to determine entry into the Sixth Form Centre and The Guernsey Institute/College of FE by relying on the grades students were predicted by their teachers who will have made their predictions fairly and conscientiously,' Deputy Fallaize said.
Principal of the College of FE Louise Misselke said all students who received offers to study will be accepted into a course in their chosen area of study.
'Lecturers will look at all relevant information and any retake requests or requirements to help determine which level of study will best support each student.'
Similarly Principal of the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre Kieran James said students will be able to study the subjects for which their teachers’ predictions meet subject-specific entry criteria.
'Students' progress will be carefully monitored to ensure that all students are on track to perform well on their courses, to help ensure that every student achieves the best outcomes possible.'
Ofqual has previously announced that an exam series will take place during the autumn term for students who wish to sit exams in any subject.
The decision to retake a subject should not be taken lightly; students will need to devote time to studying for the exams and this will be challenging alongside other higher study or work.
Educations has allocated funding for entries, invigilation costs and support for students entering autumn series exams should it be required.
Any student who is interested in sitting these exams should discuss this with relevant staff at their school after they receive their results.
Staff from both institutions will be able to provide advice based on each student’s individual circumstances and aspirations.
The UK has made a U-turn and has said that A-level and GCSE students in England will have their results based on teacher assessments.
