Results

The government has said that many exams and assessments cannot be held fairly this year due to the pandemic.

Ofqual has released a student guide to awarding summer 2021 GCSEs, AS and A levels, vocational, technical and other general qualifications.

You can view the guide below:

Student guide to awarding summer 2021

As outlined in previous correspondence, final exams for GCSEs will not take place this year. Following a consultation, it was decided that teachers must assess their students’ performance using a broad range of evidence to inform judgements and provide a Teachers Assessment Grade (TAG).

In line with government guidance, we have been delivering a final re-cap of all content, in lessons, between 12 April and 29 May. We are also carrying out a small number of assessments across this period. It is therefore vitally important that you continue to attend all of your English and Maths lessons, and catch up on any missed lessons and assessments, as we will continue to collate information to form your final grade up until Friday 28 May.

We will use the following to form your TAG grade:

1. Century diagnostic assessments from October and February.
2. Mock scores from exams held in December 2020 and January 2021.
3. Evidence from small classroom tests and assessments taking place between 12 April and 29 May to demonstrate understanding of skills at the end of a lesson.
4. Evidence from assessments and set work completed on Century (online) particularly between 12 April and 29 May.
5. Tutors’ judgements on the skills observed in the classroom.
6. Time taken to complete assessments.
7. Consideration to SEND and learners with Access Arrangements.

In addition to your weekly lessons, online catchup workshops are also available to you online. The workshops are mapped against the content being delivered in your main lessons. Please refer to the catchup workshops timetable below, you can book onto these workshops by contacting your English or Maths teacher or by emailing one of the relevant workshop teachers directly. There are also revision resources available to you on Moodle, if you need further guidance on how to access these then please consult your English or Maths teacher.

Finally, we have been advised by the Awarding Organisations and Ofqual that we are unable to share your TAG until results day. So please do not ask your lecturers for any information as they will be unable to provide you with your TAG. Your GCSE grade will be published on 12 August.

Please continue to check your student email accounts for updates and information. If you have any queries, please speak to both your Course Team Leader on your study programme and your GCSE teacher who will be able to assist you.

Yours faithfully
The English and Maths Team.

Catchup Workshops Timetable

You can book onto these workshops by contacting your English or Maths teacher or by emailing one of the relevant workshop teachers directly.

English Workshops

Maths Workshops

As outlined in previous correspondence, final exams for A-levels will not take place this year. Following a consultation, it was decided that teachers must assess their students’ performance using a broad range of evidence to inform judgements and provide a Teacher Assessed Grade (TAG).

In line with government guidance, while conducting student assessments we have also continued to teach and recap subject content. It is therefore vitally important that you continue to attend all of your lessons, and catch up on any missed lessons and assessments, as we will continue to collate information to form your final TAG up until Friday 28 May.

We will use the following to form your TAG grade:

1. Assessment point data, particularly Year 2
2. December 2020 mock exam results
3. Final assessments in April and May 2021
4. NEA assessment material
5. Tutors’ judgments on the skills observed & evidenced in the classroom and recorded on trackers
6. Performance and student profile information provided on trackers
7. Consideration to SEND and learners with Access Arrangements

Finally, we have been advised by the Awarding Organisations and Ofqual that we are unable to share your TAG until results day. Your A-level grades will be published on August 10.

Please continue to check your student email accounts for updates and information. If you have any queries, please speak to both your subject teachers and A-level curriculum leader John.Wright@southessex.ac.uk

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has considered that exams cannot be held in summer 2021. Instead, further to consultation that has taken place, teachers must assess their students’ performance using a broad range of evidence to inform judgements and provide a Teachers Assessment Grade (TAG).

This will include previous assessment point data as well as further assessment in the coming months. We will be sending out further information with concern to this as part of our centre policy in the summer term.

In the week commencing 19 April we will be completing some summer assessments under exam conditions according to the following timetable:

These tests will vary between one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours. Teachers will specify which topics are to be covered. Access arrangements will apply, as usual.

This will be followed by a three week period of continued teaching and revision before a further assessment activity in the week commencing 17 May.

It is essential that you continue to fully engage with your studies throughout the period leading up to the next half term holiday. If you have any queries, please speak to your subject tutor or John Wright.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has considered that exams cannot be held in summer 2021. Instead, further to consultation that has taken place, teachers must assess their students’ performance using a broad range of evidence to inform judgements and provide a Teachers Assessment Grade (TAG).

In line with government guidance, to continue to teach and assess GCSE Maths and English for as long as possible, we will be delivering a final re-cap of all content between 12 April and 29 May. We will also be carrying out very small assessments across this period. We will also use other information completed this year and evidence obtained including:

• Century diagnostic assessments
• Mock scores - December 2020 and January 2021
• Evidence from a small number of classroom activities and assessments taking place between 12 April and 29 May to demonstrate understanding of skills
• Evidence from tasks set and completed on Century
• Tutors’ judgments on the skills observed and evidenced in the face-to-face/virtual classroom sessions
• Consideration to SEN and students with Access Arrangements

We will publish full information with concern to Teacher Assessment Grades (TAGs) in the summer term.

The plan for learning showing all the content being delivered between 12 April and 29 May, which shows planned dates for our mini assessments and topics each week in the summer term, is available on our Moodle page. We are sharing this content now so you have an opportunity to study for these planned activities. We have also added resources to our Moodle page to ensure relevant weekly content is available to help you with your studies.

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances around the pandemic we will still have learning and assessment online for some groups. We will be using a combination of face-face/virtual classroom assessments and evidence as well as remote assessments to measure authenticity of the work. Please speak to your tutor if you have any concerns with using Century as this will be used throughout next term.

Our online catch-up sessions will continue to run, and the classes will now be mapped against the content being delivered in your main lessons. We also hope to timetable a small selection of our catch-up classes in college for some of our students to access. The timetable for catch up groups is published on Moodle with information about how to book these.

Finally, in line with government guidance and closer to the time, we will complete quality assurance prior to submission of grades to ensure the grade links to student attainment based upon all available evidence and to additionally ensure we meet the requirements of our awarding body. We have been advised by the awarding organisations and Ofqual that we are unable to share your TAG until results day, so please do not ask your lecturers for any information as they will be unable to provide you with your TAG. Your GCSE grade will be published on 12 August.

Please continue to check your student email accounts for updates and information. If you have any queries, please speak to both your course team leader on your study programme and your GCSE teacher who will be able to assist you.

Assessment Update – Awarding of Grades 2020/21

We would like to thank you for your patience during this time as the college awaits the final information from the awarding organisations on how you will be awarded your grade this academic year. We expect to receive this information just before the Easter holidays so we will update you further in April.

Below is a summary of the information we have been supplied with by the different awarding organisations to date. We offer many different qualifications at the college so if you are in any doubt on what applies to you and how you will be assessed, please contact your tutor who will be able to explain the process to you. We understand that this can be a confusing time so please ask.

For all students, it is vitally important that you continue to attend your lessons, complete work and assessments set by your tutors as these will help contribute to your final grade awarded.

The Department for Education (DfE) and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) have identified qualifications where a Teacher Assessment Grade (TAG) can be used and those where it cannot.

Qualifications with no Teacher Assessment Grade

Vocational Qualifications (Occupational skills or proficiency) (e.g. construction/plumbing and electrical qualifications/ Early Years)

Your tutor will inform you if you are studying one of these qualifications. Assessments will continue where it is safe to do so and as normal as possible. Your tutor will inform you of any assessments which have been delayed and when they are planned to take place. Your tutors will provide you with a new assessment plan in April. It is vitally important that you continue to attend, complete the assessments asked of you which may include practical assessments and examinations. Your grade will be awarded by the awarding organisation when you have passed your assessment, the work has been internally verified and signed of externally by the awarding organisation. Please speak with your tutor if you have any questions. Completion of your programme may be delayed.

Vocational Qualification (with no Teacher Assessment Grade)

You will be graded as normal according to the requirements of the awarding organisation. You should continue with you lessons as normal and complete the assessments set by your tutor. Some of these assessments may have been adapted already due to missed learning as per the Department for Education (DfE) requirements. You will be provided with an assessment plan for the remainder of the academic year. Your grade will be awarded by the awarding organisation when you have passed your assessment, the work has been internally verified and signed of externally by the awarding organisation.

Qualifications where a Teacher Assessment Grade is allowed

A-Level and GCSE

We can confirm that you will receive a Teacher Assessment Grade (TAG) which will be built around your teachers' judgements of your performance based on work and assessments you have completed throughout your course such as mock examinations, coursework and essays. After Easter we will confirm with you the evidence we will be using to produce your Teacher Assessment Grade.

We have provided you with an indication of time-frames for the rest of the academic year in the production of your Teacher Assessment Grade in the table at the bottom of this update.

We have been informed by Department for Education (DfE) and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) that we cannot provide you with your Teacher Assessment Grade until results are released in August.

Pearson BTEC Qualifications with a Q-TAG (L1, First and Nationals). This excludes functional skills.

We can confirm for BTEC Qualifications (Entry, Level 1 to 3) that you will be awarded a Qualification – Teacher Assessment Grade (Q-TAG) as the Department for Education (DfE) have recognised that it was not possible for all assessments to take place this year. Teachers have been asked to provide a grade for your whole qualification. Pearson have confirmed that you will not receive a grade for individual units. We expect to receive more detailed information on how we are to calculate these grades just before the Easter holidays.

We have provided you with an indication of time-frames for the rest of the academic year in the production of your Qualification - Teacher Assessment Grade (Q-TAG) in the table at the end of this update.

We have been informed by Department for Education (DfE) and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) that we cannot provide you with your Qualification- Teacher Assessment Grade until results are released in August.

Other Vocational Qualifications (including City and Guilds/Cache/UAL/EAL) which will use a Teacher Assessment Grade

We await further information from the awarding organisations on how they intend to use Teacher Assessment Grades and the evidence required. We hope to know after Easter whether TAGs will be used at unit level or for the whole qualifications. TAGs will need to be reported to the awarding organisation by 18 June so we will follow the time-frame in the table at the end of this update.

Your tutor will provide you with more information after Easter.

We have been informed by Department for Education (DfE) and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) that we cannot provide you with your Qualification- Teacher Assessment Grade until results are released in August.

Time line for Qualifications with a Teacher Assessment Grade or a Qualification Teacher Assessment Grade

This is accurate at the time of publication but is subject to change as we await further guidance.