Agenda item
A Level and GCSE Exams 2020 - Update (19.05)
- Meeting of Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission, Tuesday 8 September 2020 7.00 pm (Item 4.)
Minutes:
4.1 Given the controversy over the process for awarding exam results in the summer of 2020 and the subsequent confusion and anxiety that this gave to young people, the Commission requested an update on A Level and GCSE exam results. In particular, the Commission sought assurance on the following:
- How local children in years 11 and 13 have been affected with particular reference to disadvantaged groups;
- The range of advice and support made available to help children navigate post 16 and post 18 options;
- Whether there was sufficient local capacity 16/18 options to meet local needs.
4.2 The Cabinet member for Education, Children and Children's Social Care introduced the response to this item. When it became apparent that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds would be disproportionately affected by the use of an algorithm to determine grades, the Mayor and Cabinet member petitioned the government to reconsider, and were pleased that the decision was taken to return to teacher assessed grades as had originally been planned. There was concern however, that this process had caused considerable anxiety and stress to local young people which could have been avoided.
4.3 The Cabinet member reassured the Commission that whilst school league tables would not be published this year, local schools had performed well and that the number of children staying on into local 6th forms had increased. In general, these results had allowed children to progress along pathways in further and higher education, vocational training or the world of work. The Cabinet member thanked local schools for their support in helping young people to achieve such good results and helping them navigate post 16 and post 18 options.
4.4 The Director of Education and Senior Secondary School adviser presented to the Commission (attached). The key points from this presentation were as follows:
- The number local passes at A level achieving a grade A*- C was 87%, 13% higher than last year (74%%). The increase recorded in Hackney was higher than the national average;
- At GCSE level, 1 in 4 young people achieved a high pass (grade 7-9) compared to 1 in 5 last year;
- At GCSE level, 54% achieved a strong combined pass in English and maths (grade 5+) compared to 48% last year (71% achieved a strong pass in English and 58% achieved a strong pass in maths).
- At GCSE level, 73% achieved a standard combined pass in English and maths (grade 4+) compared to 69% last year. These results were higher than the national average;
- Strong performances were recorded across local schools, even those where there was a high proportion of disadvantaged children (e.g. entitled to free school meals).
- As yet, it was not clear whether DfE would release any nationally aggregated data or analysis of the performance of different student cohorts (e.g. gender, ethnicity, FSM entitlement). An update was expected in October 2020.
- With the number of appeals likely to be low, there was a perception that the school assessed grades would seem to have generated fairer results for disadvantaged students than the use of the algorithm.
4.5 In relation to advice and support available to children at this time, all schools were noted to have strong systems to help advise and support children through their post 16 and post 18 options. Specialist advice was provided through Prospects for on-the-day results and advisers in-situ in schools and via a helpline. My Big Career had also commissioned to help students with university offers. Young Hackney, Hackney Education and Prospects held a careers festival on 21st August to help young people navigate future education and training options.
4.6 The Commission was reassured that there was additional local capacity for post 16 options in that not every local 6th form or local college was full. There was further work to be done however, to ensure that there was greater breadth in the local offer to young people, particularly in terms of Level 2 qualifications, vocational qualifications and suitable courses for children with SEND.
Questions from the Commission
4.7 In terms of broadening the scope of the local 6th form offer, was this just in response to the exams process of the summer of 2020, or was this an ongoing area of work?
- The authority had been working to widen the offer at both local 6th forms and colleges for a number of years, but the events of this summer and the inequalities that resulted from Covid 19 had increased local resolve to make further progress on this issue.
4.8 Would it be possible to provide further detail about local capacity for post 16 and post 18 options, in particular, was there capacity in the right places and at the right levels? Are any local 6th forms struggling to meet local demand?
- It was acknowledged that capacity was also about responding to individual needs as well as places and courses. These issues were being discussed strategically at the Secondary Headteachers Forum and in the Post 16 Network meetings. The landscape of post 16 provision was evolving in response to the changing nature of qualifications in which more vocational courses were being given more prominence. Local 6th forms were also looking to extend their vocational offer which would appeal to a wider range of students.
- Whilst some 6th forms were oversubscribed, there was sufficient capacity in the sector overall in Hackney and in neighbouring boroughs. It was noted that a number of children seeking further post 16 education do choose to travel to other schools and colleges.
- Borough wide support is provided through Prospects who follow up all post 16 students and provide advice and guidance where necessary.
4.9 What involvement did the LA have in lobbying for change at the national level?
- In relation to the national picture, it was only apparent that the government had considered 3 options for exam grading in 2020 once the results had actually been published. None of the options were completely satisfactory, but the government's preferred option (the use of the algorithm) was probably not as well tested as it should have been. There was much anger in the profession that for the most part, teacher assessments were overridden by an algorithm based on prior attainment level of the school. The Mayor and Cabinet member wrote to the government setting out these concerns and the impact that it would have on local young people. The subsequent reversal of policy helped address many of these issues, though young people were caused unnecessary anxiety in this process.
- HLT had shared a paper with schools on unconscious bias to all schools ahead of teacher assessments, and was well received in both maintained and non-maintained education settings. There had also been meetings with Secondary Heads and other post 16 providers to further help interpret the most recent government guidance and to develop consistency in how these guidelines were applied across the sector.
4.10 Were students in Hackney in any way prejudiced by the final examination assessment ? Did any students lose out on a university place and what support was offered to them? How are children who were not happy with their grades and want to retake exams being supported?
- It was clear that a number of students had been affected and had not been given places at their first choice university, as places had been allocated on the algorithm assessed results. Whilst some may now be at other universities, others may be taking an unplanned gap-year. HLT was working with schools and colleges to make sure young people were getting appropriate advice and support.
- Guidelines for the appeal process had just been published and were still being clarified. The uptake of appeals was likely to be low given the number of young people being given their expected grades. If students were not happy with their grades they could appeal, but could only do this if they felt they were prejudiced in any way (and could not appeal against the school).
4.12 What plans are there to support children taking exams next year who have missed a substantial part of their learning this year as a result of school closures?
- Schools were just beginning to identify areas of lost learning and starting to plan how this could be re-captured in the months going forward. The government announced the National Tutoring Programme (which uses individual tutoring) to support students to catch up. It was likely that blended learning will be ongoing, with teachers using a range of face-to-face and on-line teaching to support student learning.
- The feedback from the Lost Learning Project in Hackney was that the delivery and take up of on-line learning varied across schools. National and local interventions with schools were ongoing to further develop and improve on-line learning.
4.13 How many children were predicted to get a pass but did not get any grade?
- A number of cases were reported where students' algorithm result was substantially below their teacher assessed grade. It was noted in terms of A levels, all local students passed (up from 98% in 2019).
4.14 Although demographic analysis was not currently available for exam results, would this be available in the future? Could this data be determined at a local level via the data that schools provide to HLT?
- Although no school league tables would be published for this year, it was still not clear what additional demographic data the DfE intended to release at this stage. It was hoped that school improvement partners would be able to drill into this data with schools to explore how results have been impacted by the exam results process.
4.15 Given the ongoing uncertainties around school exams and how young people had been impacted, the Chair suggested that it would be helpful to have a further update when the situation was clearer.
Agreed: A further update on school exams to be provided at a later date in the Commission's work programme.
4.16 The Chair thanked officers for attending and updating the Commission.
Supporting documents:
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