GCSE Results 2020
20 August 2020
Message from Mr Boddington, Headteacher
At Esher High School we are pleased that the centre assessed grades have been used to calculate the final grades for our Year 11 cohort. Our students worked so hard during their time here and have had to manage in very difficult circumstances and uncertainty this summer. We have been very impressed with their approach during their time with us and missed the opportunity to take them through the exams in the summer. However, the results they have been awarded are built on the robust professional judgement of the people that know their understanding best – their teachers and school. We are confident that our grades are as true a reflection as possible of what our students would have achieved in the summer, should they have had the chance to do so.
We are hugely disappointed that the BTEC students will not be able to receive their grades today and will release them to our students as soon as we receive them from the exam board concerned.
Overall our results are very strong and in line with the overall improving trajectory of the last 4 years. There have been particular successes that we are keen to celebrate including Amber Bennett who achieved a grade 9 (the top grade) in all 11 subjects, followed by Matt Long, Ella Burke, Conor Bourne, and Laura Douglas who all achieved a grade 9 in at least 6 of their subjects. A greater proportion of students (58%) achieved a ‘good pass’ in English and Maths than in previous years, and this is again in line with how the school has been improving over time.
We also know that our students are much more than the results which have been the focus of so much recent attention. Our 2020 cohort were a group of wonderfully motivated, creative, enjoyable and responsible young people who left our care abruptly, yet can go on to the next stage of their education with a rich resource of skills, knowledge and understanding. We have loved having them at Esher High School and wish them well as they move forward into the wider world.
We would like to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication to this group of students over the past 5 years.
Exams Office: 19 August 2020 Summer GCSE Results 2020 FAQs
PLEASE NOTE THESE FAQs HAVE BEEN UPDATED IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT AT 4PM 17/08/2020 AND AGAIN ON 19/08/2020 FOLLOWING A STATEMENT FROM JCQ ON 18/08/2020.
What have my grades been based on?
Students have been awarded their Centre Assessed Grade (the grade the school calculated and submitted to the exam boards in June) or the calculated grade (the grade that has been generated using a national algorithm) – whichever is higher. You will receive these together on Thursday morning in your release.
These grades may be different from the predicted grades that you were given at different times during your courses as they were subjected to a more rigorous moderation process.
What is a Centre Assessment Grade (CAG)?
Teachers were advised to take into account the full range of available evidence including non-exam assessment, the results of any homework assignments or pre-public exams, and any other records of the student’s performance over the course of their study. Each subject was ranked in order of students. This was required to support the statistical standardisation process which will be applied by the awarding bodies.
Before submitting the CAGs they were subjected to an internal quality assurance process and therefore are not the sole responsibility of any individual teacher. This was a rigorous process which means the grades awarded this year are as valid as in any other year. All CAGs were then submitted and the awarding bodies worked with the regulator (Ofqual) to apply the standardisation process and produce your final grades.
At 4pm on 17 August 2020 the government has announced that GCSE students will now receive their Centre Assessment Grades if they are higher than those produced through the standardisation process. Ofqual have said "students will be awarded their centre assessment for this summer - that is, the grade their school estimated was the grade they would most likely have achieved in their exam - or the moderated grade, whichever is higher”.
This only applies to GCSE and not vocational courses.
What happens on Results Day – Thursday 20 August?
Results will be released to students on Thursday 20 August from 8:00am. This year, due to the Coronavirus and social distancing requirements, results will be issued electronically. Results will be available in a secure portal on the school website that can be accessed by students. We posted a letter to each student with their login details before the summer break and your child should have tested the login immediately to ensure they will be able to get their results on Results Day.
All students will also be mailed their individual results statement, set of CAGs and vocational results, however we are not permitted to post them prior to Results Day so will be received in the following days.
What if there is a difference between a result(s) on my Centre Assessed Grades sheet and my actual results sheet?
If your actual result is higher, this means that as a consequence of the Awarding Bodies applying their algorithm you have been awarded a better grade. This is your GCSE result, please celebrate it!
What if I am unhappy with my grade/s on Results Day?
You can appeal your grade if you think there has been an error made. The DfE guidance states a student ‘can ask their school or college to check whether it made an administrative error when submitting their centre assessment grade or position in the rank order and if it agrees it did, to submit an appeal to the exam board.’
Once you have downloaded a copy of your results if you still believe you have not received the grade you would have achieved if you had sat your exams you should complete the online enquiry form. If you need to talk to someone you will be required to provide your contact phone number and personal email address. If you complete this form between 9:00am and 2:00pm on Thursday 20 August and you need to discuss your grade, someone will call you on that day. If you don’t submit an enquiry form within these times we will respond when we return to school for the autumn term.
All other enquiries will be responded to after we return to school for the autumn term, and we will contact you with an outcome as soon as your query is resolved. Please provide a personal email address on the enquiry form as your school email address will no longer be active. Further information is also posted on our webpage.
What if I have missing results?
Nationally late yesterday the decision was taken to withdraw the grades for all BTEC qualifications yesterday, so you will find these missing from the results portal. the following statement has been released by Ofqual here.
What if I took Additional Maths (OCR)?
We believe that a number of candidates have been issued the wrong grades. We have contacted the parents of those that are impacted by this issue and we will send a second email when we have received your correct grade and therefore updated your results with the student portal.
Can I ask to see my Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs) for any subjects?
We are releasing the full set of CAGs via the results portal you will login into to get your GCSE results. The CAGs are the grades we sent to the Awarding Bodies for each subject you will have been entered for this summer. This will enable you to compare the GCSE result you have gained against what the school sent to the awarding body.
Will my Pre-Public Exam (mock) result be used as my result?
You may have seen that there was talk in the Media that mock results would be awarded to A Level students if they were unhappy with their results last week. This is not the case and in the case of GCSE students, pre-public exams were used as part of an array of information to help schools submit Centre Assessed Grades. GCSE students cannot appeal that any of their pre-public exam (mock) results can be awarded in place of their results.
What if I was expecting to apply for special consideration for the summer 2020 exams?
This year the awarding bodies will not be applying any adjustments for special consideration. Schools and colleges were required submit a CAG that takes special consideration(s) into account when considering what a candidate would have achieved had the adjustment been applied.
What if I was eligible for access arrangements for the summer 2020 exams?
This year the exam boards will not be applying any adjustments for access arrangements. Schools and colleges were required to submit a CAG that takes access arrangements into account when considering what a candidate would have achieved had the arrangements been applied.
What if I want to sit the exam?
GCSE exams will be scheduled to start on Monday 2 November and finish on Monday 23 November. Dates for vocational qualifications have not yet been advised. The timetable will be available at the end of July and will be added to the school website when school returns. If you wish to look at the timetable for a specific qualification before then you can look on the awarding body websites from the end of July.
If you choose to take an exam in any qualification you will need to sit all papers associated with that qualification e.g. if you are sitting the Maths exams you will sit three exams (one non-calculator and two calculator). To ensure you are entered for any exams you want to sit you will need to complete our online enquiry form, once we have the timetable and further details we will contact you to arrange your exams. The entry deadline for all GCSE qualifications except English and Maths is Tuesday 15 September. The entry deadline for English and Maths is Wednesday 30 September.
If I sit my exam in November and my grade goes down, which one counts?
The higher grade will count.
If I choose to sit an exam in the Autumn series, where will I sit my exam?
For all qualifications with the exception of English and Maths, you will sit your exams at Esher High School.
For English and Maths any student who wants to sit an exam who achieved a grade 4 or lower will sit it in the setting they have progressed to, this is the normal process for an exam re-sit for these qualifications. Any student who achieved more than a grade 4 and wants to sit an exam will sit their exam at Esher High School.
What should I do if I want to appeal my grade/s?
If you believe that the process for CAGs for this summer was not applied correctly you may appeal through the school using the online enquiry form. We will look into your appeal when we return to school for the autumn term however because it may need input from a few members of staff it could take some time to respond to your appeal. The deadline for submitting an enquiry is Monday 14 September 2020.
If you believe there is evidence of serious malpractice on the part of the school, it may be appropriate for you to take your concerns directly to the awarding body. Ofqual will have a helpline available for students and their parents or carers to talk about the appeals process and any other questions you have about your results. The number will be added to the school website when it is available.
Will I get my place at Esher College? We have received the following message from Esher College "If you applied to Esher College you have a guaranteed place". We will continue to work with the College, so our students make a smooth transition to the next stage of their learning career.
Where can I get careers advice?
Are you ready to start your college experience? If you didn’t quite achieve the grades you hoped for, or you're nervous about your next steps, there are a range of people who can help.
Our school Careers Advisor’s contact details are:
Mrs Alex Elbourn - Elmbridge Consortium Careers Adviser aelbourn@hinchleywoodschool.co.uk
Mrs B Smith - Hub Manager/Careers Support bsmith@esherhigh.surrey.sch.uk
If you would like to discuss your future opportunities with Mrs Smith please send her an email with a contact number.
The National Careers Service has set up an exam results helpline. Students or their parents / carers can contact the helpline on 0800 100 900 to speak with a professionally qualified careers advisor if you need advice on your next steps. The helpline will be open from 8:00am – 10:00pm from Thursday 13 August until Friday 28 August. After this date you will still be able to access ongoing support from The National Careers Service at any time by calling the number above, visitinghttps://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/contact-us or searching for them on Facebook and Twitter.
You may prefer to contact the Sixth Form Colleges directly:
Brooklands College have a dedicated team who can answer any questions: https://www.brooklands.ac.uk/advice/
They can also be contacted via:
Telephone: 01932 797797
Email: admissions@brooklands.ac.uk
Live Chat: Send them a message on Facebook or use their chat box on this page
The Kingston College Virtual Information Point is open to all Year 11s to provide support in making important decisions. Kingston College offers a range of courses, including a number of one year full time GCSE re-take programmes.
Students can also book advice slots now at a range of colleges:
Carshalton College & Merton College Advice Slots
South Thames College Advice Slots
Further Enquiries
If you have any further enquiries please contact the Exams Officer, Mrs Renée Andersen-Waters at randersenwaters@esherhigh.surrey.sch.uk.