ÃÛÌÒapp

I am writing this on GCSEÌýResultsÌýDay 2020 andÌýwill be looking at the effect of these resultsÌýhaveÌýon post-16 English andÌýmathsÌý2021-21,ÌýasÌýwell asÌýgiving an overview onÌýthe Centre Assessed Grades for Functional Skills.Ìý

GCSE Results

ÌýI would like to start with a heartfelt congratulations to all the learners celebrating their GCSE results and to all their tutors for the hard work that has goneÌýintoÌýthis year.Ìý

Ìýshow thatÌýthe percentage of grade 4s and above have increased in GCSEÌýEnglish andÌýmathsÌýamongÌý16-yearÌýoldsÌý(see table).ÌýThis will mean fewer of theseÌýlearnersÌýwill needÌýtoÌýre-sitÌýEnglish andÌýmathsÌýas part of their studyÌýprogrammeÌýor apprenticeships.ÌýÌý

For thoseÌýre-sittingÌýin post-16 education,Ìýthere is also good news as the number of learners who got at least a grade 4Ìýincreased in both English andÌýmaths. In English it increased from 31.9% in 2019 to 41.1% in 2020. InÌýmathsÌýit increased from 22.3%Ìýin 2019Ìýto 33.3%Ìýin 2020.Ìý

This means there is the possibility of a lot less English andÌýmathsÌýgoing on post-16 fromÌýthisÌýSeptember. It will be interesting to see the decisions providers make aroundÌýautumnÌýre-sitsÌýas well.Ìý

Functional SkillsÌý

Congratulations are alsoÌýin order forÌýFunctional Skills learners who achieved theirÌýqualifications.ÌýAs I writeÌýthisÌýthere are only a handful ofÌýcentresÌýthat are being followed up withÌýabout their Centre AssessedÌýGrades.ÌýIn total, 2,600ÌýcentresÌýwere in line with their historical performance allowing us to release theirÌýgrades.ÌýA further 1,600ÌýcentresÌýwere asked to support their grades with forms of evidence, which was satisfactorily supplied.ÌýÌý

I am incredibly proud to have been part of this process and to have beenÌýableÌýto supportÌýprovidersÌýin discussions with the Government.ÌýAs Vice Chair of the Federation of Awarding Bodies Functional Skills Group I was able to ensure that the voice of the provider and the learner was kept at the forefront of all conversations withÌýOfqualÌýregarding CAGs.ÌýÌý

I am prouderÌýstillÌýof the work of practitioners and providers to work tirelessly to achieve these results through their diligence in collating the evidence.ÌýI was asked a lot at the beginning of this process as to why the approach taken with Functional Skills was so rigorous and robust, and ÃÛÌÒapp is pleased to confirm that none of the Functional Skills grades have been adjusted. All the hard work from practitioners and providers at the start of the process hasÌýdefinitely paidÌýoffÌýand hopefully people willÌýrecogniseÌýthe support that was offered to ensure theÌýprocess was as smooth as could be.Ìý

What providers are saying about theÌýFunctional SkillsÌýCAG process

"As soon as we were able to get our team together and discuss the CAG grading process, it was very, very smooth. We had a range of evidence and as a result we were able to communicate regularly as we had updated information from the DfE and ÃÛÌÒapp.’’Ìý

Jonathan Kay, Head of English andÌýMaths, Tyne Coast College

"I attended Chris' webinar on the FS CG guidelines, which covered the process, timelines and clarification on evidence which can be submitted.Ìý This wasÌýreally usefulÌýas Chris also was a valuable resource to answer a multitude of questions that arose from the webinar.Ìý I was able to deliver the process, guidelines and requirements successfully to the wider business so that our CG operation ran as smooth as possible with a successful outcome.’’Ìý

Hanni Cowan,ÌýApprenticeship Learning Support Coordinator, Travis Perkins

"The CAGs forÌýFunctionalÌýSkills gave us the opportunity to keep progress moving for those learners who were ready to take exams. We fully understood that past performance would be used as a benchmark for the awards being made and planned accordingly. We are pleased thatÌýall ofÌýthe results came back as hoped, which has led to some learners now completing their entire apprenticeship.’'Ìý

Ann Heaton, Functional Skills Tutor, Encompass DevelopmentÌý

ÃÛÌÒapp’s guideÌýtoÌý

SeptemberÌý2020Ìý

September is just around the corner,ÌýandÌýfor FEÌýcollegesÌýthis meansÌýtheÌýenrolmentÌýcycle has alreadyÌýbegun. To supportÌýthis,Ìýwe areÌýrunning some free training sessions, whichÌýwillÌýalsoÌýbe recordedÌýand uploaded to our websiteÌýforÌýeveryone to accessÌýafterwards. The feedbackÌýfrom these training sessionsÌýhasÌýbeenÌýveryÌýpositiveÌýso far,Ìýwith lots of insightful discussions and learningsÌýcoming out of them.ÌýI wouldÌýhighlyÌýrecommendÌýÌýto one of themÌýbeforeÌýcommittingÌýto a curriculum plan for 2020-21.Ìý

Chris Briggs, Sector Manager Post-16 English andÌýMathsÌý