Firstly, we want to thank each and every one of you for the way that you have coped with the devastating news that your GCSEs will not take place this summer. We were particularly struck with the way that you all remained calm and positive last week which is a mark of the resilience and great character you have developed over the past five years. It is really important to stress to you that even though the GCSE examinations will not go ahead, you are still XP students and we want to ensure that you are safe, continuing to develop your academic skills and that we can support you in your next steps into Post 16.
The Government has stated that schools will provide the Examination Boards with an estimated grade for each subject studied by students. The statement from the Department for Education adds: ‘To produce this, teachers will take into account a range of evidence and data including performance on mock exams and non-exam assessment – clear guidance on how to do this fairly and robustly will be provided to schools and colleges.’
We want to reassure you that we already have estimated grades based on assessments/mock examinations that you have taken in both Year 10 and 11, however, we would like you to continue to complete additional work for the following reasons:
- To enable you to complete assessments/tasks which may be used as further evidence of achievement, if necessary. As you know this work is posted in Google Classroom so you need to check this regularly over the coming weeks. The opportunity to complete work will continue until we receive further guidance from the Department for Education. This is due in April.
- To ensure that you are continuing to engage with the curriculum so that you do not fall behind in your studies and are therefore prepared for your next steps, whether into Sixth Form, College, Apprenticeships and/or work.
We know this will be a stressful time for you but you have done a tremendous amount of work and this will be recognised in the coming months. If you are worried about anything don’t hesitate to contact your teachers, Mrs Vayro or Mr Sprakes directly, we are here to help.
Below is a picture of X22 from the last Friday. The next time we take a picture it will include all of you!We can’t wait to see you all again and then we can have a proper end of Year 11 celebration.
Take care and stay safe.
And remember… We are Crew!
Best wishes to you all
Mr Sprakes and the X22 Team