13th August 2020
BHASVIC Results Press Release 2020
Results day at BHASVIC has undoubtedly been different this year, but Principal William Baldwin was keen to ensure that some things remained the same. He said ‘These results reflect – as they always have – two years of hard work and dedication and our students should be rightly proud of their achievements. These grades are hard won results, that reflect the hours of studying and learning that our students have invested. Whilst they have come about in unusual ways, they are no less of an achievement and I’d like to congratulate all our students on these outcomes, having navigated an incredibly stressful period’.
BHASVIC is used to being in the top 1% of national providers for A-level outcomes and students have again secured some incredibly strong results this year. However, there is no getting away from the fact – in line with national trends – results were not as expected.
The exam board standardisation process has suppressed 33% of final grades at BHASVIC against those submitted by teachers. More worryingly, results are also supressed against last year’s outcomes and our three-year averages. A*-B grades are nearly 5% down on last year. Our overall A level pass rate is 99.3% which is 0.5% down on last year. Mr Baldwin said ‘It is unfathomable that as national results have gone up approximately 2%, ours have gone down. It seems to me as if the moderation process has ignored the upward trend in our results and the significant ‘progress’ or value added outcomes that BHASVIC students get. We are hugely disappointed and frustrated that this has happened on some of our courses and angry about the impact it will have on some of our students – it doesn’t seem fair or right – particularly against the political rhetoric of ‘no individual will suffer as a result of the cancellation of exams’. We will be looking to appeal some of these outcomes.
‘There was never going to be a perfect system for awarding grades this year – nothing was going to replicate an actual exam. Our staff approached this new awarding system professionally and with the upmost integrity – it is disappointing these were adjusted so unfavourably. Our focus is now on helping secure the right destination for our individual students and supporting those who feel they did not get a fair grade through the appeals process that is still being finalised.’
The college is providing all the usual post-results support to students both on site and remotely.
Celebrations on site were unable to go ahead following the continued restrictions of large social gatherings, but BHASVIC has encouraged students to post their own celebration pictures online.
Concluding his thoughts, Mr Baldwin said ‘These results reflect a culmination of learning over a number of years and as such I’d like to thank our schools for laying the foundations for this and to our parents and carers for the support they provide to our learners – especially during the last few months of exceptional uncertainty. Congratulations to all our students – I will never forget the class of 2020. Remember that your results don’t define your humanity – kindness and compassion are more important qualities than grades! No-one can take away from you what you have learnt, know and can do. I know you have exciting futures ahead; this year it is all about where you go rather than the grades you got. Good luck as you navigate your varied and exciting progression routes.’
