Raac crisis: Pupils St Leonard's school, Durham to sit normal exams despite partial closure

Students at a Raac-hit school will have their exams marked as normal despite missing weeks of face-to-face teaching due to the partial closure of the building.

St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham, which has 1,490 pupils, moved most of its learning online when Raac was found in several buildings.

Students who have been able to go into school have faced large class sizes, being taught in communal areas, corridors and office buildings off-site.

The school hopes to have all pupils back in face-to-face teaching after the October half-term holiday using Ushaw College, near Durham, and temporary buildings on the playing fields and car park.

However, students have already suffered long-term disruption to their learning including those taking GCSEs and A-levels this summer.

The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (BWCET), which runs the school, applied to be allowed to use centre-assessed grades, as happened during lockdown when teachers graded their own pupils.

This request was rejected by the exam regulator Ofqual.

In a statement, it said: “Schools and colleges have contingency plans in place for precisely this reason – and where there has been disruption, they should get in touch with their exam boards to discuss any further arrangements they may need to help minimise disruption and any impact on students.”

The decision has upset parents who feel their children are being disadvantaged.

Maria Baxter, who has a son in year 11, said: “I am really disappointed, it is going to impact massively on their end results.

“We are going to have to try everything possible, by writing letters to the exam boards.”

Ms Baxter said even if exams were not being affected currently, pupils were still disadvantaged as coursework, which counts towards their grades, had been disrupted.

“It’s not that they are lazy, if it was their choice and they didn’t care then be it on their head, but it is nothing to do with that, it’s not their fault and this is the really frustrating thing.”

Ken Morrey, whose daughter is in year 10, said: “My reaction to all of this is one of disgust.

“My daughter is being failed by those whose job it is to provide her with education and fair assessment.”

The school now intends to contact exam boards with their concerns for pupils and catch-up measures will be put in place.

“We are taking all steps available to us, through the correct channels, to raise our concerns," said Nick Hurn, chief executive of BWCET. "We will keep parents and carers informed when we have further updates.

“BWCET and St Leonard’s know how difficult this situation is right now and how concerned our parents and carers are regarding examinations and grading, and indeed we share the same concerns.

“We know there is significant time and resources needed to catch up for our students both academically and socially.”

Mary Kelly Foy, Labour MP for Durham, has written to Universities UK to make the case for St Leonard’s pupils who have aspirations of going into higher education.

The MP wrote: “These young people have so far lost half a term of face-to-face teaching.

“They have been forced into learning at home, or in year groups, without desks, and without access to their previous work as it is locked in Raac-affected parts of the school.

“The latest information I have received is that it is likely to be November before the whole school will be able to return to face-to-face teaching.

“The pupils of St Leonard’s school do not deserve to have their futures torn from beneath them due to the Government’s neglect of the school estate in recent years.”

The school has been placed on the priority list for rebuilding but it could take two years for the project to be completed.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...