UK students to get calculated grades

Appeals and delayed sittings are also options as virus outbreak stops exams

Students in the United Kingdom whose preparations for vital end of year academic exams have been turned upside down by the novel coronavirus outbreak will be given grades based on assessment by their teachers, after the British school system was shut down indefinitely.

Only vulnerable children or those of key workers will continue to be educated at school premises, to enable their parents to continue doing their jobs, with other students not expected to return to regular schooling until the autumn.

That means millions of students who this summer would have been sitting, A or AS Level exams, which could determine their university entrance hopes and significantly impact on their future career prospects, have now had months of preparations derailed.

"There will also be an option to sit an exam early in the next academic year for students who wish to. Ofqual (The government exam regulator) will develop and set out a process that will provide a calculated grade to each student which reflects their performance as fairly as possible, and will work with the exam boards to ensure this is consistently applied for all students," said a statement on the official government website.

"The exam boards will be asking teachers, who know their students well, to submit their judgement about the grade that they believe the student would have received if exams had gone ahead.

"To produce this, teachers will take into account a range of evidence and data including performance on mock exams and non-exam assessment－clear guidance on how to do this fairly and robustly will be provided to schools and colleges."

The president of the National Education Union, Amanda Martin, shared a video on social media, explaining government policy to pupils and parents alike.

"I absolutely know how confused the announcement has left so many of you," she said.

"I want to reassure you that your teachers know you, they know what levels you are performing at, they know their curriculum subjects, they are the experts and they are experienced on this.

"The government have promised you will get your results in August, and we will hold them to that. We expect there to be a moderation process with teachers working together to ensure judgement is accurate. We have also been told there will be an appeal process. If you do not agree, or have concerns with your results, the government have said they will provide an opportunity for that."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said exam cancellation "is something no education secretary would ever want to do, however these are extraordinary times.

"My priority now is to ensure no young person faces a barrier when it comes to moving on to the next stage of their lives－whether that's further or higher education, an apprenticeship or a job," he continued.

The curtailed year means some pupils will have left the school system altogether, one of the great rites of passage of growing up, after spending years with classmates, at just one or two days' notice.