A level results day
I taught A Levels for most of my teaching career. In that time, I have noticed huge changes across many schools but, for today, let’s just focus on the last two years, 2020 to 2022.
In 2020 and 2021 there were no A Level nor GCSE exams. In 2022, A Level students had to adapt to a very different environment of the teacher-assessed that they had experienced for GCSEs.
This morning, teachers, students and parents awaited the results with bated breath. The results from England and Wales were lower than the 2020/2021 teacher-assessed exams – but higher than 2019 exam results.
There are some interesting points about the 2022 results. Results in London and the South East are higher, whilst those in the North are lower. For example, in London, 39% of the results are A* or A. In the North East, it’s 8%. Does anyone really believe that students in the North East are less capable? Perhaps they have been subjected to 12 years of Tory austerity, having lost Labour’s priority of ‘education education education’.
Wonderful results for the Cotswold School
The Cotswold School where I worked from 1995 to 2011 has been ranked ‘outstanding’ since 1999. I read today’s results in our local newspaper and they show a great response from students, teachers, staff and parents.
410 of our A Level pupils achieved grades A*, A and B. In line with the national picture, these results are higher than 2019 results – but they are also higher than the teacher-assessed exams of 2021.
75% of our students got into their first choice of university. Five of them will go to Oxford or Cambridge.
The head of the Sixth Form was clearly delighted and congratulated all students, families, teachers, and staff.
Speech Day
When you consider the lockdowns, the masks, the loss of social meetings, the fear that many parents and friends could be in hospital, our students have done amazingly well.
Even though I have retired, I still feel the joy of those who have worked so brilliantly. I will go to Speech Day in September and know that I cannot help smiling at the great work of all the staff, students and families.
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