The build-up to GCSE results day has never felt more charged than it does this year. We were already prepared for things to look and feel very different, but if the chaos surrounding A-level results last week is anything to go by, we could be in for an even wilder ride than we expected.
How can we make sure that the day runs as smoothly as possible, in spite of any last-minute changes from the government?
GCSE results day 2020: how to prepare
We need to focus on the factors that we can control. Although each school is likely to have a slightly different approach this year, with many opting to distribute grades electronically, here are four things we all need to think about:
1. What information are you sharing with students?
Obviously, you will share the grades that students have been awarded. However, you might also want to think about sharing the processes by which centre-assessed grades (CAGs) were assigned by the school.
Students and their families are likely to have questions about this, especially where results are lower than expected, and by sharing this on Thursday, it will lead to fewer requests for the same information after results day itself. Especially given the circumstances, students and their families deserve honesty and transparency.
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2. How do the right students get the right support at the right time?
When the results come in this year, the right people need to be looking at them. It will need to be staff with a solid knowledge of the individual students behind the grades, and their post-16 plans. Staff will need to identify those students who may need further support if their results mean they will be unlikely to pursue their chosen post-16 options.
Where schools are distributing grades electronically, you will need to consider which students will need a proactive call from school to offer support or guidance on their next steps. School leaders need to ensure that there is a system in place for students who need a one-to-one appointment with a member of staff in school to get the support and guidance that they need. It may be appropriate to devote some time to calling home for students who are at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) and who may be less likely to ask for help.
3. What about admissions to post-16 provision?
For schools with sixth forms, consideration needs to be given to the unprecedented nature of this year’s results. Students’ final results have been entirely out of their control this year, and it may be appropriate to plan ahead in terms of your entry criteria.
It is never desirable for students to be in post-16 provision that is not suited to them, but for those students where A-level study would be appropriate, you may want to take a more flexible approach than usual. Think ahead about this and agree an approach before the day. All staff offering support need to be clear on the school’s approach.
4. What tone is the school setting?
This year’s results day is likely to be one we won’t forget, for all the wrong reasons. We need to be mindful that students are not receiving grades that they were in control of. Those that do not get the grades they aspired to will need more support than ever before. In previous years, they’ve been able to take responsibility and ownership for their outcomes.
This year is different. For any student let down, they are likely to feel some very different emotions than we are used to dealing with on results day. School leaders need to take that into account on the day.
This isn’t the year for boasting about Progress 8, or your 9-5 pass rate. This year should be the year when we recognise the exceptional circumstances that this generation of young people have found themselves in. These students have been robbed of yet another rite of passage, and we owe it to them to ensure that the tone of the day matches their reality.
Amy Forrester is a Tes behaviour columnist, English teacher and director of pastoral care (key stage 4) at Cockermouth School in Cumbria
