Whilst all the restrictions and mitigations for COVID-19 have been lifted, we are no longer maintaining this page. The details below were the most recent guidelines issued prior to restrictions being lifted.
Impact on Services we provide - NONE
- Access to HE Diplomas - QAA have released a Covid-19 Update. There is also a video explaining this information for you to view about Access to HE Diplomas scheduled for Certification in Summer 2022.
QAA have said that "There will be no provision for students to receive estimated assessment grades" in 2022 and that educational providers are continue to use the standard QAA Grading Scheme for this academic year. However, providers are allowed to adapt assessments and delivery, where necessary and appropriate, to:- support teaching and learning, and assist in mitigating any possible effects of previous or future disruptions to teaching, learning and assessment relating to the pandemic,
- make assessments as manageable and flexible as possible, for example, to address the impact of compliance with social distancing or other public health guidance,
- safeguard against any future disruptions relating to the pandemic, such as local lockdowns or closure of facilities.
We will therefore be continuing to offer the same service as we have throughout the pandemic which is:- Individual examinations in your Access to HE Diploma. The examinations on your course are internal and are conducted remotely therefore they pose no COVID-19 safety risk.
- We can approach examinations on your Access to HE Diploma in a more flexible way than is possible for external examinations (which must all be held at the same time on the same day).
However, we do appreciate that how the pandemic affects individuals varies significantly and so we are able to offer a range of adaptations to accommodate individual circumstances. Therefore, if you are having difficulty completing your examinations please take the following steps;- Speak to your tutor to try to arrange a time and date for your exam which is convenient for you and accounts for any difficult circumstances you have for instance around child care or working hours.
- Defer your examination to later in your course; so that you can return to this at a later date and carry on with subsequent units in the meantime.
- Request a Study Break until such a time as you can complete the exam.
If none of the above adaptations are appropriate and you feel that your ability to study is being affected by the pandemic (this could be relating to, for example, your job or caring commitments arising from childcare), you should complete an Extenuating Circumstances Form, including evidence to demonstrate the reasons you are having problems, and send it to your tutor. Extenuating Circumstances Forms will be considered with Ascentis (our Awarding Body) on an individual basis and we will consider what appropriate action may or may not be taken. You can find Extenuating Circumstances Forms to download from our Policies and Procedures Page. - Functional Skills and Progression Awards - will be continuing as normal in 2021-2.
- GCSEs - Ofqual have now released the contingency plans for Summer 2022. The government expect that exams will go ahead, but have put in place what will happen if exams in Summer 2022 are cancelled.
- The Ofqual guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-contingency-arrangements-for-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-summer-2022/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-other-exam-centres-on-contingency-arrangements-for-students-entering-gcses-as-and-a-levels-the-advanced-extension
The open letter that Ofqual have released to private candidates can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-letters-arrangements-for-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2022/letter-to-private-candidates - Finding a centre for 2022 entry:
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) have provided a list of centres which will accept private candidate exam entries for GCSEs and IGCSEs in 2022. The centre list is available here: https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/ and shows which centres will accept private candidate exam entries for 2022, as well as those which will consider working with you to provide a TAG (Teacher Assessed Grade) should exams be cancelled.
The list will also show which centres will offer remote assessments in the event that exams are cancelled. The list is available to help you find a centre that offers entries for your subject but you can work with any centre that accepts private candidate entries - they do not have to be on the list (adapted from Ofqual: 'Open Letter to Private Candidates', 11/2021).
- 2022 and what this means for you
- You should find a centre that will take private candidates. This centre will be the centre that you will sit the exams at, or that will give you a teacher assessed grade (TAG) should exams in 2022 be cancelled.
- If Summer 2022 exams go ahead, a formulae sheet will be provided with your Maths and Double Science exam papers. In other years you would be expected to memorise them.
- Advanced information will be provided on the content of the exams to support revision. This will be published no later than 7 February 2022. The government will decide whether the advance information should be published earlier. The government will take account of the level of disruption to students' education being caused by the pandemic if it decides that advance information should be published before 7 February 2022. It will give at least a week's notice if it decides exam boards should publish the information before that date.
- Ofqual has decided that for the exams due to be taken in summer 2022, grade boundaries will be set so that more students than was the case before the pandemic receive higher grades, providing a safety net for students in this transitionary year.
- …if exams are cancelled
- Guidance for determining teacher assessed grades (TAGs) will on be published by the government if exams are cancelled. It will be likely that you will need to sit (either in person or using remote assessment) exam papers that will be used to determine your TAG. Ofqual and the JCQ will ensure that the centre that you have arranged to use for your GCSE exams will also provide you with a TAG should exams be cancelled.
- Guidance for determining teacher assessed grades (TAGs) will on be published by the government if exams are cancelled. It will be likely that you will need to sit (either in person or using remote assessment) exam papers that will be used to determine your TAG. Ofqual and the JCQ will ensure that the centre that you have arranged to use for your GCSE exams will also provide you with a TAG should exams be cancelled.
- How keep working to that exam deadline:
- You need to engage with your learning:
This means that you need to communicate with your tutor (either through tutorials or email). You need to follow the Progress Tracker and work through your learning materials and assessments in the correct order and at a steady pace. Make sure that you keep all of your work and tutor feedback for your IGCSE/GCSE, as you will need to come back to them when you begin your revision. - You need to submit work for marking throughout your studies:
Working at a steady and consistent pace will allow you to develop and improve during your studies. Completing the learning materials and the assessments will allow your tutor to track your progress and give them a clearer picture of the grade that you're working towards during your studies. The more work you complete, the fuller the picture will be for your tutor and the more feedback you will receive to move your studies forward.
- Try to complete assessments without your notes, learning materials, or your textbook as far as possible. If you get stuck, go back to your learning materials and refresh yourself on the content. Then try the assessment again.
Always read the feedback from your tutor as this will help and support your development. - You need to stick to these dates to meet the exam deadline:
Aim for these deadlines to ensure that you cover the full course, and have time to revise before your exams:
- Summer 2022 exam series:
1 February: At least 50% of your assessments have been submitted to your tutor for marking.
1 March: 75% of your assessments have been submitted to your tutor for marking.
1 April: 100% of your assessments have been submitted to your tutor for marking. - November 2022 exam series:
1 August: At least 50% of your assessments have been submitted to your tutor for marking.
1 September: 75% of your assessments have been submitted to your tutor for marking.
1 October: 100% of your assessments have been submitted to your tutor for marking.
- Summer 2022 exam series:
- You need to engage with your learning:
- The Ofqual guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-contingency-arrangements-for-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-summer-2022/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-other-exam-centres-on-contingency-arrangements-for-students-entering-gcses-as-and-a-levels-the-advanced-extension
- Study Break options - at the start of the pandemic, we put in place measures to help students who may be experiencing difficulties as a result of the situation. These involved reducing the minimum Study Break period from 2 months to 1 month. We also introduced an Study Break option for our Functional Skills Courses of between 1 and 3 months which we previously did not offer, due to their short length. In both these cases, we have now made these changes permanent.