I would like to congratulate all our local students who have recently received their A level and GCSE results – I have spoken to a lot of very proud parents.
I know this has been a worrying time for pupils, particularly for those whose initially allocated grades were far lower than expected. With exams being cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Government worked with the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) to create a system that would apportion student grades under these unprecedented circumstances.
Sadly, there were no perfect solutions, and the method that was devised caused real anguish for some and the system resulted in many unfair outcomes. Although a thorough appeals process was provided, it placed an unfair burden on both teachers and students. It caused a lot of stress and I am very sorry that happened.
Rightly the Education Secretary listened to the concerns of students, teachers, schools and MPs including myself, and A level and GCSE grades have now been determined by the higher of either the grade a student’s school or college estimated or their moderated grade.
These are unprecedented times where students have already missed out on school time which can't be replaced. Finding a solution was always going to be difficult but thankfully I and others were not going to accept a scenario where students received well below the grades that they and their teachers had predicted. I was helping several students who hadn’t gotten the grades they needed so it has been a big relief all round.
Schools are currently preparing for their full reopening in September and I know many are looking forward to getting back into the classroom. Any time missed on education can have a big impact, especially on the most disadvantaged. That’s why the Government provided a £1 billion ‘catch up’ learning programme whilst schools were closed, including £350 million to help the most disadvantaged children with tutoring. I want to say a big thank you to all of the teachers who made the best of a bad situation throughout lockdown; especially those who provided online learning and continued to go to work for the children of key workers.
It has certainly been a tough time for young people with missed proms, driving lessons and tests, birthday celebrations, summer festivals, travel, gap years and much more. We should all be grateful for what the vast majority have sacrificed in order to protect the NHS and others in society.
To finish on a positive note, I made one of my regular visits to Draycott’s Sports Camp this week. Like schools they have had to adapt in order to provide active childcare over the summer. I’m glad to report that they have risen to the challenge and the camps have been a huge success with hundreds of children enjoying a fun summer programme. It shows we can and will return to normality.
