Download the letter here: Letter to Y11 re exam results
29th May 2020
Dear Parent/Carer
I am writing to inform you that we have just about completed our Centre Assessed Grade process for the exam boards. Our part is almost done and grades will be submitted in all subjects within the next week. I have sat in on many of the on-line meetings where students were graded by staff and was incredibly proud of the professionalism shown and knowledge staff possess of individual students and their performance to date. We have had to award a grade that we believe students would have achieved in their summer examination based on the evidence we have. Within that we have then had to rank every student within a grade. For example, if there were 15 students who we think were capable of a Grade 6 in History then we have had to rank them as first, second, third and so on.
This has been a very time consuming, carefully thought out and indeed debated task. No teacher has worked in isolation doing this and every single grade has been challenged and discussed. Once the grades are submitted it is then in the hands of the exam boards who will standardise our students results with other schools nationally and with our student’s individual predictions from the Key Stage 2 SATS results gained at primary. I must make clear that the grades we have awarded students may not necessarily be the grades they eventually receive in August.
With regard to exam results. Due to the ongoing situation and schools not being allowed to re-open fully prior to September I cannot allow Exam Results day to be held in the way that it has been traditionally. I know that this will be yet another blow to a year group which has been hit hard by this pandemic. However, I am not allowed to permit large gatherings on the school site and have to maintain social distancing- therefore for everyone’s safety I intend to have GCSE results posted out to all students.
I also regret that I must formally cancel the Year 11 Prom on June 28th. I know that like me, many of you will have been hoping that this could proceed in some way. I also know that many of you and your children will have been anticipating this decision but hoping for an alternative one. I have waited for the latest announcement by the Prime Minister to see if there was any change for venues and large gatherings that might permit the Prom to take place. However, as the venue remains closed on that date and the guidance remains that large gatherings are not permitted the decision has very much been taken out of my hands. I am aware that this will be disappointing to yourselves and your children who will already be distressed at their final year in school having ended the way it has. I began the Prom at my first school and know what a hugely important part of school life it is. All I can offer at the moment, is my sincere apologies and sympathy, as I said to the year group in their final assembly- “this is not the way we were meant to say goodbye”. I will be in touch if there are any further developments affecting this decision.
Yours sincerely
Mr G.W. Lumsdon
Head Teacher
SEAHAM HIGH SCHOOL
