All you need to know about GCSE results day in Wales

Wales
GCSEs
Education
Thursday 20 August 2020 at 9:28am

No child in Wales sat a GCSE exam this year because of the pandemic, but results will still be given. Credit: PA

Pupils across Wales will find out their GCSE grades - despite not being able to take their exams because of the pandemic.

A-level students got their results last Thursday, resulting in a week protests over allegations the system for determining grades was unfair.

That ultimately resulted in a u-turn in approach and a full apology from Education Minister Kirsty Williams MS for putting further stress and pressure on students after a hard few months.

The Welsh Government had initially defending its A-Level results system as "fairer" than that of the other UK nations', because it factored in AS grades.

However, 42% of pupils' grades were downgraded from their teachers' predictions, causing widespread anger and dismay from students who had been rejected from uni because a computer had not given them the grades they felt they deserved.

The Welsh Government will be hoping it can avoid any disquiet for this set of results. It has confirmed that like with A-Level students after the u-turn, results will be determined on teachers' predictions, not through an algorithm.

Qualifications Wales confirmed on Wednesday night that students set to receive their BTEC results will no longer do so after a change in the system, but speaking on Radio Wales, the Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, said the "vast majority" of BTEC students will be awarded by the WJEC, so are unaffected.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said it has been a 'record' year for A-level results in Wales. Credit: PA Images

First Minister Mark Drakeford initially defended the original method for calculating grades.

He told Wales at Six it was only because the other UK nations had backed away from the agreed system, that he felt Welsh students would be disadvantaged unless Wales changed its approach too.

GCSEs will now follow the same system as the revised A-Levels grading. On its website, Qualification Wales says "The priority is ensuring fairness for learners while following public health advice.

"Grades for GCSEs in summer 2020 will be calculated using a range of evidence, including centre assessment grades and performance in other external assessments.

"In determining how we proceed, the focus will be on what is in the best interests of learners both in terms of their current well-being and their progression on to education, training or employment".

The downgrading of students led to protests across the UK Credit: PA

Education Minister, Kirsty Williams said to students:

“These results are a reflection and reward for your hard work, prior attainment in exams, and school assessment, so you should be very proud of what you have achieved.

“I hope you get the grades you’d hoped for, and you can continue with your journey in the autumn, whether this is onto college, apprenticeship or staying on at school.

“Although many of you will be pleased with your results and excited for your next step, if you didn’t get what you’d hoped, there’s plenty of options & advice on Working Wales."What if I am not happy with my results?

The Minister for Education issued a statement on 12 August to say that all appeals would be free in Wales.

Qualifications Wales says there is an appeals process that your school or centre can use on your behalf.

"Learners can ask their centre to check whether they made an error when they submitted their centre assessment data. In certain circumstances, private candidates will be able to appeal directly to WJEC".

Centres will be able to appeal to WJEC on the grounds that:

they used the wrong data when calculating a grade
the calculated grades generated by the statistical standardisation model were incorrectly allocated or communicated
there was some other procedural failing on the part of WJEC

How will AS Levels be affected?

The Welsh Government says this year all AS learners will receive an estimated AS grade and there will be no AS exams until summer 2021.

The estimate will be based on a range of evidence, including teacher assessment grades, and will not contribute to A level results in 2021.