Exams and results 2021
Summer 2021 Exam Update
Following the Ofqual update published on Thursday 25 February, it has been confirmed how qualifications will be awarded in 2021.
As a result of the disruption caused by the pandemic, the government has decided that many exams and assessments cannot be held this year in a way which is fair.
All parts of the educational system are working together to make sure that students are still able to get their grades and progress, whether that is continuing with education or training or entering employment.
Please carefully read the infographics from Ofqual. These provide information on how qualifications are expected to be assessed and graded this year.
Please be aware consultations are still continuing between education providers and awarding organisations. Full details on the specifics for each qualification will shortly be published and further communication on these will be shared.
If you have any further queries, please contact your tutor in the first instance.
In order to access your results, you will need to log into your ‘Proportal’ account via the Kirklees College website.
For a list of contacts, times for walk-ins and our opening hours for the call centre, see below for more information.
The deadline for November resit requests is 12.00pm on Wednesday 22 September.
If you are wanting to resit any GCSEs exams, email us or you can discuss this option when you speak to the Maths and English team.
The deadline for appeals was Friday 10th September and the appeals process for summer 2021 exams is now closed.
What Will Happen on Results Day?
Before results are released, you will receive an email with details of how you will receive your results this year. This email will be sent to the email address you have registered on your student account and to your college email address.
On Results Day, we will send you a text message to let you know that your result is available on your student ProPortal account and that an email has been sent to your College email address containing your results.
Please ensure you can access both your student ProPortal account and college email address account prior to the Results Day(s) to avoid disappointment.
Having problems with ProPortal?
Having problems with Pro Portal? Please email us on ExamResults@kirkleescollege.ac.uk
Please make sure that you let us know:
- Your full name
- Enrolment number
- Date of birth
- Contact details
- Subject of your enquiry
Collecting Certificates
Once your certificate is ready to collect, you will be sent a collection slot by email to tell you what day and time you can come and collect your certificate. Certificates will be retained for 18 months for this year, so you have a longer duration of time to collect them.
Haven't Received Your Results?
If you haven’t received results please email ExamResults@kirkleescollege.ac.uk.
Please make sure you let us know:
- Your full name
- Enrolment number
- Date of birth
- Contact details
- Subject
Useful Resources
We’ve got a list of useful resources below and some of the most frequently asked questions regarding exams.
Summer 2021 Exams FAQs
Grades for GCSEs, A levels, and most other qualifications including applied generals will be based on a process involving teacher assessment against national standards, internal quality assurance, and external quality assurance by the exam boards.
The national process defined by the Department for Education and the exams’ regulator, Ofqual is as follows:
1. Teachers will assess students against a national standard, which will be defined by the exam boards.
2. Departments will submit grades which will be quality assured by the school/college. This internal quality assurance process will have to be signed off by the exam board to ensure it is rigorous and in
line with national standards.
3. Our school or college results will be quality assured externally by the exam boards, which may include random sampling of our school or college’s evidence.
4. If the exam boards are confident in our submitted results, then the exam boards will award students their final grades.
5. If students do not think their results are accurate, they will have the right to appeal.
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.
This assessment is then subject to both internal and external quality assurance before the final grade is awarded by the exam body as usual.
No, unlike last year, students’ grades will not be changed by a formula. The internal and external quality assurance measures will all be done by humans, not by an algorithm.
There is no limit on the achievement of students, providing they have evidence that they are working at that grade.
This year, teachers will only assess students on content they have been taught – because of the continued disruption of the pandemic.
This means students will not be disadvantaged if they individually, their whole class or whole year group have been unable to complete their full course.
However, grades can only be submitted on the basis of the evidence we have of students’ performance, even if that evidence covers less of the course than usual.
Students who would usually have extra time in the exams will benefit from the same arrangements in teacher assessment.
No, the standard against which teachers will be assessing students is set nationally by the exam boards.
This is the standard that will be used during external quality assurance and appeals to ensure consistency and fairness across the system.
Teachers are able to draw on a range of assessment evidence from across a student’s study of the course, up until 18 June. This may include homework tasks, mock exams, and papers set by the exam boards. This may include evidence from before the second lockdown, as well as evidence from March – June.
The exam boards are producing assessment materials that will be sent to us before Easter. Different departments may use different sources of evidence, and there is no requirement for any one type of assessment to be used – it’s about a performance across a range of evidence.
Our teachers are already using their professional expertise to assess students on the content they have been taught. Teachers are unable to submit higher grades for students unless they have evidence that they are consistently working at this level. If teachers submit higher grades without evidence they are committing exam malpractice.
In 2020, any undue pressure by students or parents who placed undue pressure on teachers to increase grades was also considered exam malpractice. It is likely to be the same for 2021.
If students or parents are found to be putting teachers or leaders
under undue pressure to increase grades, then this matter will be referred to the exam boards and an investigation into malpractice may ensue. This may result in the student’s certificate being
removed entirely if malpractice is deemed to have taken place.
We are not allowed to disclose the final submitted grade we give to the exam board. Teachers will be able to discuss which evidence they are using to inform their judgement with students, including
marked or graded pieces of work.
Students should not attempt to second-guess the grade submitted, as teachers will be using a range of evidence to inform their final judgement.
Students must not pressure teachers to reveal the grades they are submitting, or to increase the grades, as doing so may be considered exam malpractice.
The best thing students can do is to continue to attend classes, learn, act on feedback from their teachers, revise, and read around their subject. Their grade will be based on their performance, and
so their outcomes are ultimately in their hands.
