The following information was sent out to all Year 11 and Year 13 parents on Thursday 15 July:
We are just dropping you an email to relay the details relating to your child’s Results Days this summer. There is likely to be a lot of fuss in the press and so we wanted to be as clear as possible for you now so that you have a smoother day amidst the inevitable hubbub.
A-Level Results Day
This will take place on Tuesday 10 August and results will be available between 8.30am – 11.00am.
Students should report to the Library via the Library school entrance and will be required to complete various paperwork before receiving their results.
School staff will be on hand to support with any enquiries or issues
GCSE Results Day
This will take place on Thursday 12 August and results will be available between 9.00am – 11.30am.
All other arrangements replicate the A-Level Results Day above.
Collection of Results / Certificates
Most students will collect their results on Results Day.
If a student is away for their Results Day then they / you can request the results be emailed to you by requesting this via exams2021@friaryschool.co.uk.
Unfortunately, the certificates have to be picked up when the school re-opens in December as the school does not receive them until late November, They cannot be posted home.
If you are coming to collect them in December, please let us know in advance so that they can be set aside for you. This saves us getting a job landing on us and you having a long wait.
Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs)
Clearly, we have communicated the process behind this Summer’s Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) in detail to you before so we will not go into great depth again here.
Suffice to say, we have given you reports throughout your child’s courses and these have given you regular predicted grades. Equally, we undertook some further assessments from March 2021 that added to the earlier extensive base of information.
All of the results have been moderated by subject staff, senior staff, and the processes have been checked by the Exam Boards too. We are secure that our systems are robust, fair and as accurate as they can be.
If you wish to re-visit the details on TAGs then you can do so here:
Year 13 – https://www.friaryschool.co.uk/y13-grades-2021/
Year 11 – https://www.friaryschool.co.uk/y11-grades-2021/
Appeals
We are not anticipating any appeals because we know that the communication and systems have been very clear. However, we are obliged to flag up this entitlement to you.
Certainly, this process is not about a ‘throw of the dice’, not least because grades could well be lowered, and this is why the rules around it are very straight forward but also very thorough.
When Do I Have to Appeal ?
There are two windows for an appeal:
- Priority Appeals (10-16 August) – this is for appeals that will directly and immediately affect access to a subsequent placement, such as a university course.
- Non-Priority Appeals (10 August to 3 September) – this is for appeals which are being pursued but are not critical for the individual proceeding onto their next stage of education / employment.
How Do I Appeal ?
Your first step should be to complete and Appeals Form which can be downloaded at: https://www.friaryschool.co.uk/appeals/ or by visiting the ‘Appeals’ page on our website (www.friaryschool.co.uk) under the Home tab.
All sections of this Appeals Form must be completed to substantiate your appeal.
You should then email this form to exams2021@friaryschool.co.uk.
A member of our senior team will be in contact with you as soon as possible and your query will be discussed.
There are other relevant documents to inform you of the process on this page too.
What are the Grounds for Appeal ?
There are three potential grounds for an appeal:
Stage 1 Appeals:
These appeals are dealt with by the school:
Stage 1 Appeal – Admin Error – this would be around us making a mistake in reporting our grade to the Exam Board.
Stage 1 Appeal – Procedural Error – this would be around us not following our Centre Policy (as available on the school website).
Stage 2 Appeals:
These are dealt with by the Exam Board involved:
Stage 2 Appeal – Inaccurate Academic Judgement – this would be that our grade judgement was unreasonable.
How Does the Appeal Proceed ?
Your concerns will initially be addressed by school staff and it is important to take on board what is said at this stage.
However, if you wish for your appeal to go to the Exam Board then you should tell us in writing via an email to exams2021@friaryschool.co.uk.
It is important to understand that you will need to provide clear evidence to support any appeal and it is up to you to lay it down in writing. This should be sent in to the school with the fully completed Appeals Form.
We are then required to send your appeal off to the Exam Board and they will review it and your evidence.
Priority Appeals must be sent off to the Exam Board by 23 August and the response will come back no later than 7 September.
Non-Priority Appeals must be sent off to the Exam Board by 17 September and the response will come back no later than 31 October.
The Exam Board will look at the evidence we have gathered to judge whether another professional could have reasonably arrived at the same grade. Naturally, after careful review and moderation, we are very confident that the grade will be judged reasonable.
However, the Exam Board will not query our assessment processes – as they have already been approved through the submission of our Centre Policy – and the Exam Board will not re-mark any student assessment tasks.
Can the Grade Only Go Up ?
In any appeal, the Exam Board could make the decision to increase or decrease the grade awarded.
Appeals – Quick Step-by-Step Guide
The following step-by-step list summarises how to go about appealing a grade – although we would recommend you read all the attached text and documents:
- Complete all sections of the Appeals Form.
- Send the Appeals Form and an overview of your enquiry to exams2021@friaryschool.co.uk.
- Speak to the senior member of school staff when they call you.
- If you wish to move to a Stage 2 Appeal, ensure all evidence and the Appeals Form are with the school so that we can send it off to the Exam Board.
- Await the Exam Board decision.
And Finally
Certainly, most students will have reason to celebrate come Results Day but there will always be a smaller group who are disappointed. This is always the way – whether it is traditional exams or Teacher Assessed Grades.
Of course, all exam results are important, but they are not life-defining, and whatever the grades there will be plenty of opportunities to go on and achieve great success in life.
Good luck to everyone.
