GCSE results: Black Country students nervous to get grades after stressful few weeks
"I was upset I didn't have a chance to prove what I was capable of."
When GCSE students were told they would no longer have to sit their exams this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that their grades would be predicted, most were far from relieved.
Instead the move caused fear, worry and concern for many Year 11 students who felt they were unable to show exactly how well they could do in their tests.
As thousands of 16-year-olds receive their grades today – which will determine whether they get into the sixth form or college – many have been sat at home for months feeling powerless, unable to do anything to change their result.
That fear was exacerbated after A-Level students were left panicked on receiving their results last week – with the Government's new grading algorithm meaning many were downgraded and lost their place at university.
But after a national uproar, officials did a swift U-turn and announced results would be awarded based on the recommendations of their teachers rather than a combination of mock results and predicted grades.
Bristnall Hall Academy student Tom Stevenson, from Smethwick, was one of those pupils who said he felt he didn't have the chance to show just how well he could do in his GCSEs.
The 16-year-old said: "When I found out that we would be leaving school in March and wouldn’t be sitting our exams I was worried that I wouldn’t get the results I deserved and that I wouldn’t get into the college I wanted. I was upset that I didn’t have a chance to prove what I was capable of.
"When the A level results came out, understandably I was nervous and worried that my results would be downgraded. It seemed almost random who would get the results they deserved and who would wouldn’t. However when I found out we are receiving Centre Assessed Grades I felt a lot calmer, because even if I still didn’t get the grades I wanted, it would feel like a fairer result."
Headteacher at Bristnall Kully Uppal added: "Students from our academy have achieved another excellent set of results. I am particularly impressed with these outcomes given the exceptional circumstances this year.
"As with every year, the week leading to today has seen some nervous feelings from all involved, especially considering the recent changes to how GCSE results are being determined. However, we are proud that these outstanding results will enable our students to access exciting opportunities and continue on their transformational journeys in further education, training and employment."
Pupil Rajvir Sandhu, also aged 16 and from Smethwick, said: "During March, lockdown was stressful especially as education was suddenly stopped in school. I did find it difficult to concentrate at times, however my academy was very efficient in uploading work and providing help and support online. I am looking forward to starting sixth form, meeting new friends and getting back into my school routine.
"Last Thursday was a very stressful day for students like myself. Seeing students that were from schools around the area being downgraded due to a government algorithm made me more apprehensive for GCSE results day, as the system would not look at my individual circumstances and I know that my grades would be reduced. Thankfully, this has now been changed to centre assessment grades, I am now more confident that I will receive results that will reflect the five years I have put in."
Dozens of Black Country and Staffordshire schools have been working hard to keep students motivated and upbeat during a time of uncertainty.
Ria Bains, aged 16, who goes to Hydesville Tower School in Walsall, said it felt like her “whole life changed in a minute” once the pandemic hit and schools closed down.
Ria, from Great Barr, said: “It’s been crazy. When we left school in March we didn’t know then that exams were cancelled, so we just carried on with work. But then it all changed and there was nothing to focus on, my whole life changed in a minute.
“It was really concerning, especially this last week watching what happened to A-Level students. It really did make me nervous.”
Ria hopes to attend sixth form at The Arthur Terry School in Sutton Coldfield to study computer science, business and sociology.
Headteacher at Hydesville Tower school in Walsall Warren Honey, said: “This has been a very tough five months for this cohort of children. They have had to cope with the build up towards their GCSEs and the sudden announcement in March that everything was locked down. For many, this will have felt like taking away their chance to shine and show their full potential.
“Thanks to our live lessons providing online learning, they have coped remarkably well. The furore over results – initially in Scotland and subsequently with A levels – will have been very unsettling for all the GCSE pupils in the country. We are really sympathetic to this because we know how hard they had been working for their exams, and how much they wanted to achieve the success for themselves. I hope that all Year 11 pupils in Walsall opening results are able to reflect that their hard work has been recognised, and they have the grades to move smoothly on to their next educational stage.”
