Commenting on guidance from the Joint
Council for Qualifications (JCQ) on the appeals process for this
summer’s A-levels, GCSEs and other qualifications, Geoff Barton,
General Secretary of the Association of School and College
Leaders, said:
“We’ve talked extensively to the Department for Education, Ofqual
and JCQ about this issue over the past few weeks, and with them
have collectively tried to make the best of difficult
circumstances.
“Our main concern over the appeals process is the extra burden it
places on schools and colleges after they have already shouldered
the responsibility of assessing and submitting grades following
the cancellation of public exams.
“While some of the appeals process is being picked up by the exam
boards there is still a lot that is being landed on schools and
colleges.
“The process entails them having in place systems, resources and
staffing from results days onwards in August for priority appeals
from students in danger of missing out on university places.
“Then in September, when schools and colleges are managing the
start of the new school year, they will also have to deal with
all other appeals. As appeals are free and available on demand,
there is a risk that schools and colleges may face very
significant extra workload at a time when they are already at
full stretch.
“The DfE has recognised the implications in August and has told
us that funding will be made available for schools and colleges
to bring in staff during the summer holiday period, and we
appreciate that gesture.
“However, we remain very concerned about the overall situation
and the fact that schools and colleges are once again left having
to pick up the pieces in a grading system that has been hastily
constructed because the government didn’t have a contingency plan
in place in the event of public exams being cancelled.”
