Students congratulated for their resilience in challenging year

It has been a very different GCSE results day this year, with no exams possible for students due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following last week's A-Level results fiasco and subsequent government U-turn, GCSE students knew their results would be based on 'Centre Assessed Grades'. 

Students at secondary schools across the borough have been receiving their results in a phased, appointment-only approach at their schools today, with the local press also limited to the number of educational establishments that could be visited due to safeguarding guidelines.

We spoke with the Chair of the Tameside Association of Head Teachers (TASH) Richard O’Regan (pictured), also headteacher at Alder Community High, about this year’s results.

'Not taking exams shouldn't blight students' futures' 

“The first thing I want to say is that it is our focus is on working with the colleges and other institutions to help our students progress to the next stage of their education or training,” he said. 

“This year’s cohort have not had the opportunity to take their exams owing to the coronavirus pandemic but that should not blight their futures. 

“Being the Chair of the Tameside Association of Headteachers (TASH) I know I speak for all my colleagues in wishing our students all the very best in the next stage of their education or training and we have done, and will continue to do, everything we possibly can to ensure they get the placement they need.

“Obviously, the pandemic has presented many challenges and I am pleased the government have decided not to penalise students in these unprecedented times by using the now highly publicised algorithm and instead allowing Centre Assessed Grades to be used. 

“In fact they said this on Monday and then on Tuesday we were told students would be awarded the higher of the two grades from the nationally standardised grade (the now infamous algorithm generated grade) and the centre assessed grade.”

'Grades are not teacher assessment' 

Richard stressed: “It is important that the public understand that these grades are not ‘teacher assessment’ as media outlets are calling them. 

“These Centre Assessed Grades certainly involve the input of teachers but then there was a rigorous process involving more than one teacher, then their line manager, then a senior leader and finally the headteacher in ensuring the grades submitted to the exam boards were fair to all students nationally.

“It was a rigorous process laid out by Ofqual and was carried out with integrity and professionalism by our teachers and senior leaders taking several weeks to complete.”

Richard added: “We know our local colleges will be working incredibly hard over the next couple of weeks trying to induct students in a Covid secure manner and we will, working with the colleges, ensure our students progress successfully on to the next stage of their lives. 

“On behalf of all Tameside Head teachers I want to congratulate all of our students for the hard work and more recently their resilience in what has been an extremely difficult period of time in their lives. We wish them all the very best in their future endeavours.

“Students today will receive their GCSE grades but there is a delay on the BTEC grades. These will be issued very soon I believe.

“Despite all the disruption to their education this year I want to reemphasise the importance of focusing on supporting students to progress to the stage of their education and training.”

• Richard also spoke to Tameside Radio in greater depth about what today has been like at Alder Community High especially, how students have missed out and plans for Year 10s, who have themselves missed 14 weeks of education, plus plans for a safe return to school in September, and you can listen to that interview below.