Frome College has sent out a letter to students and parents explaining how the exam grades will be decided, without the exams taking place.

Principal Emma Reynolds has confirmed that school results will be partly based on what teachers think, but pupils will not be able to ask in advance what those kind of grades will be.

The full statement is :

"We are really proud of how our students have risen to the challenge of distance learning, coping with

the cancellation of exams and all the accompanying uncertainty about qualifications. For students

due to take exams this summer, this has understandably been a very worrying time but I and all the staff at College are determined that our students receive the qualifications they need and rightly

deserve for so much hard work.

"Now some detail has been released by the Government about the process of awarding qualifications which will involve teachers calculating grades, sometimes referred to as judgments, to submit to exam boards.

In order to help students and families begin to understand this process I have summarised some

questions below:

Why were the exams cancelled?

In order to keep everyone safe and slow the spread of the virus, schools had to close. Once schools

closed, preparation for summer exams is inevitably affected on all levels and for all students.

Will I receive my qualifications this summer?

Yes, you will receive a grade or level for each subject you have studied. This applies to GCSEs, BTECs,

AS and A levels.

How will the grades or levels be decided?

Teachers will be required to submit to exam boards, for each student and for each subject:

• the grade the student would most likely have received had the exams taken place
• the rank order of each student at each grade in each subject

Can I find out my place in the rank order of a class?

No. The Government's Office of Examinations and Qualifications Regulation (OFQUAL) has already

instructed schools and colleges not to share these grades, ranks or evidence with students or

parents. This is to ensure grades are calculated in a fair manner and that teachers' professional

judgments are respected.

Also the grades schools submit to exam boards may change when the final results are published in August. A standardisation process will apply statistical adjustments to teacher-assessed grades. It is also important to remember that students and parents have received regular feedback from college over the years and so will already have a good idea of performance.

What evidence will teachers use?

Teachers will use the work completed in class over the past year(s), mock results, coursework and

homework to arrive at a fair judgment. All grades and levels will be checked and moderated by other

teachers and leaders within college. Exam Access Arrangements were in place for mocks, so

therefore these have been taken into consideration.

As Head of Centre I will be required to sign a declaration that this process has been applied fairly for

all of our students.

I didn't do very well in my mocks and was working really hard to improve for my finals; how will my

teachers know this?

At College we have experienced teachers who support and know their students well. Your teacher

will have lots of evidence apart from the mocks and will use this to make a judgment.

When can year 11 and year 13 stop studying at home?

Year 11 and year 13 must continue with the work set by staff whilst we amass our evidence to submit

judgments to the exam boards. I will clearly state the date by which these year groups have

completed their courses once I am confident we have everything we need to ensure students grades

are fair and just. If any student has any problems in accessing work set please let us know as soon as

possible- either through the relevant Head of House, Head of Sixth Form or myself directly.

Can I do the exam at a later date?

At the moment it looks like this may be a possibility- in Autumn or May 2021. You will still receive a

calculated grade from College regardless of whether you want to take the exam later.

What about entry to Sixth Form?

Many year 11 students have submitted applications and have been accepted into the Sixth Form

already, some are still awaiting interview, and others are perhaps reconsidering options. We are still very much open for applications and, in the coming weeks, any outstanding interviews will be conducted over the phone.

If you haven't applied yet but now want a place for September, please email

[email protected] for details of how to apply and select your subject choices online.

In agreement with our Head of Sixth Form, all students will have the chance to begin their preferred

A level or applied courses in year 12. Continuation of these subjects beyond the end of September

will be subject to the successful completion of a probationary period and transition/prep work.

When will I get my results?

The Government has stated that A Level students will receive results on 13 August, and GCSE students will receive results on 20 August.

Emma Reynolds

Principal