SCHOOL

A Specialist Language and Humanities College Headteacher: Mrs Helen Key MA (Ed)

7th June 2021 Dear Students / Parents / Carers Results Day & Appeals We hope you are well and keeping in good spirits. We appreciate your resilience regarding the cancellation of the Summer 2021 exam series; it has been extremely difficult for you and we hope you are making the most of your extended summer break. Please read the following pages in respect of collecting your results, the November exam series and the appeals process for this year. Results Day - Thursday 12th August 2021 We are providing students with tutor group time slots to collect their results. It is important that you attend in the correct time slot: Ashdown: 9.00 am to 9.20 am Caburn: 9.20 am to 9.40 am : 9.40 am to 10.00 am : 10.00 am to 10.20 am : 10.20 am to 10.40 am Weald: 10.40 am to 11.00 am Students will be allowed into the school building to collect their results, parents are asked to wait outside. We will implement a one-way system; please enter the school via the student entrance on the top playground and head to the hall. A one-way system will be clearly marked. Students will collect their results from there and then leave through the doors nearest to reception, where they will exit the building. Edulink If you are unable to collect your results, they will be available on all student Edulink accounts at 11.00 am. Third Party Collecting Results If a student is unable to collect their results, but a friend or relative is able to collect them, we will require an e-mail from the student’s e-mail account sent to Mrs Adams ([email protected]) before Monday 9th August, with permission, from the student, detailing the name of who will be collecting the results. The named person will need to bring photo ID with them such as a driving licence or passport. Post Results – Autumn Series 2021 – Monday 1st November 2021 to Friday 3rd December 2021 Should a student wish to have an opportunity to improve a GCSE grade in any subject, they will be able to sit Summer 2021 exams in the Autumn term from Monday 1st November to Friday 3rd December 2021. Chailey School will make the entries and further details will be included in the results letter. Please note if you wish to re-sit English or Maths that you will be asked to take them at College or 6th Form. Exams Office Availability The exams office will be open from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm on both 12th and 13th August. Further details on staff availability will be included in your results letter. The grades you have been awarded for each qualification are based on Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). Please read the following pages containing information on TAGs and the Appeals process in place for this exceptional year.

We look forward to seeing you on Results Day on 12th August 2021.

Yours sincerely

Louise Poole Deputy Headteacher …/cont’d

Mill Lane, South Chailey, BN8 4PU · tel: 01273 890407 fax: 01273 890893 · email: [email protected] website: www.chaileyschool.org

Summer 2021 Frequently Asked Questions

How were my child’s grades arrived at this year?

Grades this summer were based on Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). TAGs were submitted to the exam boards by Chailey School, following a rigorous process of assessment, moderation and quality assurance. The Centre Policy provides details of Chailey School’s approach to this year’s GCSE assessment process and can be found on the school website: http://www.chaileyschool.org/learning/gcse-support/gcse-summer-2021/

These grades were then approved by the relevant exam board, following external quality assurance checks.

What do I do if I’m not happy with my child’s grade?

All students have the opportunity to appeal their grade if they meet the eligibility criteria below. It is important to note that an appeal may result in a grade being lowered, staying the same, or going up. So, if a student submits an appeal and their grade is lowered, they will receive the lower mark.

There is also the option to re-sit GCSEs in the autumn, which may be preferable to some students. The design, content and assessment of these papers will be the same as in a normal year.

What are the grounds for appeal?

There are four main grounds for appeal, as dictated by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). They are:

1. You think we have made an administrative error: an example of this would be putting the wrong information into a spreadsheet. 2. You think we have made a procedural error: this means we haven’t properly followed our own process, as approved by the exam board. An example of this would be where you’ve been told you should have received extra time for assessments but this wasn’t given in a certain subject. 3. You think the academic judgement on the selection of evidence was unreasonable: you think the evidence used to grade you was not reasonable. 4. You think the academic judgement on the grade you were given was unreasonable.

What does ‘unreasonable’ mean?

‘Unreasonable’ is a technical term in this context and means that no educational professional acting reasonably could have selected the same evidence or come up with the same grade.

This means that just because other forms of evidence may have been equally valid to use, the selection of evidence is not unreasonable. Because of the flexibility of the approach this year, every school and college will have used different forms of evidence.

It also means that the independent reviewers will not remark or grade students’ evidence. Instead, they will look to see whether any teacher acting reasonably could have arrived at the same grade.

What will be the outcome of an appeal?

At either stage of the appeals process listed below, a student’s grade may go up, stay the stay, or go down. When placing an appeal, the student will have to sign a declaration saying that they accept the fact their grade may go down and they may get a lower grade than their original TAG.

What should I do before appealing?

Students must read the JCQ Student and Parent guide before appealing; this will be available on the JCQ website by results day.

We may not be able to offer as much advice and guidance on the likely success of an appeal this summer as we would in normal years, as we have already moderated and quality assured all the grades ourselves.

…/cont’d

Page 1 What are the stages of an appeal?

There are two stages of appeal:

Stage 1 – Centre Review

Stage 2 – Appeal to the awarding organisation

All appeals, on any of the grounds above, must first go through a centre review. At stage 1, we will check for any administrative errors, and check that our policies and procedures were followed correctly. Our policy (which can be found on the school website) has already been approved by the exam boards, so we are ensuring that we followed this correctly.

At stage 1 - centre review, if we find that a grade should go up or down, we will ask the exam board to change it. They will then consider this request.

Following the outcome of a centre review, students may still choose to pursue a stage 2 appeal to an awarding organisation.

We will then send the appeal on your behalf to the exam boards. Students and parents cannot send appeals directly to the exam board themselves – it must come from the school.

The outcome of the awarding organisation appeal will be communicated to students when made.

How do I make an appeal?

Stage 1 – Centre Review

Following results days, if a student does not consider they have been issued with the correct grade, they can submit a request to Chailey school to check if an administrative or procedural error has occurred by completing the JCQ interactive ‘Student Request form for Centre Reviews and Appeals to Awarding Organisations form’ which can be accessed here.

The form can also be found on the school website: http://www.chaileyschool.org/learning/gcse-support/gcse-summer-2021/

On opening the interactive Student Request for Centre Review and Appeals to Awarding Organisations form, the student must read the important instructions, and fully complete section A of the student request of Stage one – centre review form including electronic signature and date. The form should be saved using the format student’s name, candidate number, Stage 1 and returned as an email attachment and sent to: [email protected]

The outcome of the centre review may result in the student’s grade remaining the same, being lowered or raised

On completion of the review Chailey School will complete section B. Centre review outcome of the form and share with the student as a record of the outcome, in sufficient time prior to the relevant appeal to awarding organisation deadline.

If an administrative or procedural error is found, Chailey School will submit a request to the awarding organisation to correct the error and amend the grade without the need to submit an appeal to the awarding organisation

Note - An appeal to the awarding organisation will only be submitted if the first stage, centre review, has been completed and the outcome of the first stage has been issued to the student

The awarding organisation will not be able to consider an appeal that is based solely on differences of opinion - if the student wants to improve their grade they may want to consider entering for the autumn exam series

If the student believes there is still an error following the centre review, or if the awarding organisation has made an administrative error, or the student considers that the grade awarded was an unreasonable exercise of academic judgement, the student can submit a request to Chailey School to proceed with an appeal to the awarding organisation on their behalf.

/cont’d

Page 2 Stage 2 – Appeal to the awarding organisation

To proceed, the student must complete the Stage two – appeal to awarding organisation section of the form, including electronic signature and date. The form should be saved using the format student’s name, candidate number, Stage 2, and returned as an email attachment and sent to: [email protected]

Chailey School will then submit the appeal on the student’s behalf according to the requirements of the awarding organisation to which it is being submitted.

The awarding organisation will determine the grade at appeal and the outcome will be final.

The outcome of the appeal may result in the grade remaining the same, being lowered or raised.

There is no further opportunity to appeal the outcome to the awarding organisation. The awarding organisation’s appeal outcome letter will be emailed to the student by Chailey School as soon as reasonably practical after the outcome letter from the awarding organisation is received in the centre. Should the student still remain concerned their grade was incorrect, they may be able to apply for a procedural review. The appeal outcome letter will include the next appropriate steps, where applicable, to apply for a procedural review to the Exam Procedures Review Service (EPRS)

What are the deadlines for non-priority appeals?

The deadlines for appeals are:

Stage 1 Centre Review: 3 September 2021

Stage 2 Appeal to the awarding organisation appeal: 10 September 2021

Note - Once a finding has been made you cannot withdraw your request for a centre review or appeal. If your grade has been lowered, you will not be able to revert back to the original grade you received on results day. For more information please refer to the Department for Education’s blog: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/06/09/exam-appeals-what-can-i-do-if-i-think-my-grade-is-wrong-how-do-i-appeal-what-will- happen-if-i-appeal-your-questions-answered/

You know my child’s grades. Why can’t you tell us?

We are forbidden from disclosing the Teacher Assessed Grades to any third party, including students and parents, until results days. Any teacher or member of staff who does this is committing exam malpractice.

Although students may have been given marks or grades on single pieces of evidence, we cannot disclose the final submitted TAG.

Currently, the external quality assurance process is being carried out by the exam boards, and our submitted TAGs may be moved up or down, or remain the same.

Links to JCQ, Ofqual and Exam boards:

JCQ : https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JCQ-Guidance-for-Students-and-Parents-on-Summer-2021.pdf

Ofqual: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/986351/21- 6780_Student_guide_to_awarding_in_summer_2021_-_accessible.pdf

AQA: https://www.aqa.org.uk/2021-exam-changes/support-for-students

Edexcel/Pearson: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/campaigns/summer-2021-support/support-for-students-parents-and- carers.html

WJEC: https://www.wjec.co.uk/media/l3xdfkum/student-guide.pdf

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