I hope that pupils and staff across Wales have been enjoying an incredibly well-earned summer break. As July turns to August, a headteacher’s attention turns to thoughts of results.
After all, there’s a particular rhythm to a school year, a special kind of cadence that is ingrained into educators. Time passes, and new challenges emerge but the rhythm of the school year is a comforting constant.
I have grown accustomed to a world of clear parameters. At the start of each academic year I know our timetables, term dates and exam calendar, I know the deadlines for university applications and when revision sessions will kick in. Like revisiting a well-loved novel, these events and routines are comfortingly familiar. They provide an instantly recognisable shape to the school year as well as structure, impetus and momentum for the job I love.
However, the pandemic changed everything. Rhythm was broken and uncertainty became a new watchword. School closure, distance learning, and health and safety worries all served to turn my well-ordered world upside down.
Even though things have improved, last year was still a stuttering, stop-start kind of year. During the winter, Covid-19 absences were at their highest since the pandemic began. Lessons were in constant threat of disruption and an absolute dearth of supply teachers meant even exam classes were too often covered by non-specialists.
All of this matters, of course, because the pupils who suffered most were those older pupils who were disproportionately affected by Covid. For pupils who pick up their results this Thursday the stakes could not be higher. There are university places, apprenticeships and job offers on the line. Despite all efforts to calm understandable anxieties, it feels like the class of 2022, the first post-pandemic exam cohort, is feeling the pressure.
Are there grounds for such concern? I suppose it’s fair to say the summer series of exams in Wales were a bit of a mixed bag. There were some own goals from the Welsh exam board, WJEC. An error on an English paper and some confusion over the exam content for maths hit the press and caused more than a little consternation as social media stoked the fire.
To be fair, I think the WJEC and Qualifications Wales did all they could to address concerns and hold their hands up to faults when needed, but nevertheless, these events fed into the general worries of parents and students.
This cohort is more aware than ever before of the vagaries of exam specifications, mitigation and special consideration. Despite being told that disruption has been taken into account when setting grade boundaries (apparently we should end up with pass rates at a “midpoint” between those of 2019 and 2021), it’s by no means clear what this will look like or the reaction of parents and pupils when they see their grades.
The algorithm farce of 2020 showed pupils that, despite their best efforts, they can be a victim of the system. Although I don’t expect a repeat of that disaster, I am genuinely concerned that pupils leave school feeling let down by a process that has not necessarily gotten to grips with the realities of the last year.
Maybe we can take comfort in the possibility of a brighter future. In Wales, we have a golden opportunity to react to these concerns and maybe even future-proof the system. We have a qualifications review underway that is looking to build on the new Curriculum for Wales that goes live for younger pupils in primary and secondary schools this September.
Despite well-founded concerns about implementation, the curriculum provides much opportunity to broaden the experiences of learners and ensure schools are defined by more than just pupil outcomes. We also continue to enjoy freedom from the tyranny of league tables, indeed the Welsh government has worked with the profession to reduce the burden of accountability throughout the pandemic.
There are yet more reasons for optimism, it’s worth noting that despite all the disruption and unpredictability of the last few years, there is still evidence that the foundations of the system remain firm. As they faced up to the prospect of sitting exams for the first time, pupils have constantly amazed me with their resilience, good humour and endless ambition. Also, my school’s community and parents have continued to provide unstinting backing. Teachers and support staff have utilised every available minute in maximising the potential of all pupils.
So good luck this Thursday to everyone who has been part of this uncertain journey. Remember that whatever the outcome, your results will not define who you are now or indeed your future, your path is yours to set.
The pandemic has taught you that life is inherently unpredictable. My advice is to embrace the adventure of it all, see everything as an opportunity and recognise that the foundation of all success is the support and love of those around you.
Chris Parry is the headteacher of Lewis School Pengam, the only remaining all-boys state school in Wales
