Dear Parent/Carer
I wrote to you in March to explain the process for determining teacher assessed grades (TAGs) for GCSE and BTEC this year.
Now that the exam boards have defined the standards and range of evidence that they are looking forI can give you a bit more detail about how students will be assessed. As I said before, the grade students achieve will start with their teacher’s assessment of their performance across a range of evidence. This is against a nationally-defined standard, not the teacher’s own opinion. Departments are now clear on what evidence they will need to use to determine each student grade. And in order to maintain fairness and objective standards, each student will be assessed against a consistent set evidence. For students entitled to access arrangements, these will be used for all assessments that are used.
I have today submitted a copy of the Newhaven Policy to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), in line with government policy. It is now available for you to view on the school website. Early next week, on the website, you will also be able to see a copy of the range of evidence that is being used to assess students in every qualification that students are entered for this year. There are still some high control assessments that need to take place in May. Some of these might look like unseen exam papers. Your child’s mentor will let you know in advance when these are happening.
Students will be given lots of opportunities to catch up on incomplete work, in lessons, after school during period 6 and possibly also during the May half term. All grades will be moderated internally and externally and we are not able to tell you what grade your child is going to achieve. Please be are that these grades are determined by us holistically and will then be decided and awarded by the exam boards. If your child achieves a grade in one assessment, this is not necessarily the grade they will be awarded in August.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact their subject teachers or info@newhaven.greenwich.sch.uk
Yours sincerely
Tracy Phillips
Assistant Head
