STUDENTS across Blaenau Gwent celebrated their GCSE results after an “incredibly difficult few months”.

The past week has been a whirlwind for students across Wales, with the Welsh Government U-turning after thousands of students were marked down from their teacher assessed grades.

When Blaenau Gwent students went into their schools this morning to collect their results, they went in knowing that they’d be given the higher of the Qualification Wales’ algorithm grade and their teacher assessed grade.

For students at Ebbw Fawr Learning Community, the “dreaded algorithm” pushed up eight per cent of the grades.

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The school’s headteacher, Huw Lloyd stressed that this year’s results are just as valid as any other year.

He said: “We are all relieved and delighted with this year’s GCSE and vocational results. After an incredibly difficult few months for all our learners, we are so pleased that their hard work and dedication has been rewarded.

“It’s important to remember amidst the national headlines that GCSEs are studied for over a period of years, and the results received will have been based on a myriad of internal and external assessments.

“Also, each result will have been signed off by at least two teachers and the headteacher. Therefore, despite this year’s results being assessed internally they are as valid as any other year, indeed in many respects the process has been more rigorous than sitting a one off exam at the end of a long period of study.

“As a school we are also pleased that the overall school results are firmly in line with pre lockdown predictions indeed the dreaded algorithm pushed 8% of our Centre Assesed Grades upwards which reflects the rigour of our internal processes.”

One parent, Angharad Collins, thanked the school for their efforts in what she described as “the most horrendous year of teaching” and thanked the teachers that taught her son.

 

At Brynmawr Foundation School in Ebbw Vale the red carpet was brought out for students to walk on as they made their way into the school to collect their results.

The school’s head teacher, Gerard McNamara, said it was good to see pupils again.

“Governors and teachers are delighted with the grades that pupils are collecting today,” Mr McNamara said.

“The pupils have worked incredibly hard over the last two years before having to have home schooling. Pupils are planning to continue their education in College or school based A Levels.

“The pupils are very excited to be going back to school or college in September. I wish them the very best.”

 

Students at Abertillery Learning Community and Tredegar Comprehensive School also received their GCSE results today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s executive member for education, Cllr Joanne Collins, said: “A massive congratulations to all our GCSE pupils for your outstanding achievements today.

“This has been an unprecedented and difficult year for all learners and our schools, working with us as a local authority and other partners, have continued to support pupils and their families and this should be acknowledged.

“We are very pleased that it has been confirmed that pupils will now receive the highest out of either the centre assessed grades which were awarded by their teachers based on an assessment of their work to date, or the WJEC calculated grade.

“We wholeheartedly believe this was the right decision for our hardworking pupils and teachers.”

Meanwhile, the council’s corporate director of education, Lynn Phillips, said: “Congratulations to all our learners in Blaenau Gwent and across the region, particularly so during this period of national change for Education and of course the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our learners will continue to be well supported by their schools and Coleg Gwent as they continue on their important learning journey.”

A statement was also released from the Blaenau Gwent Association of secondary and special school head teachers.

They said: “We are all relieved and delighted with this year’s GCSE and Vocational results. After an incredibly difficult few months for all our learners, we are so pleased that their hard work and dedication has been rewarded.

“As a group we are therefore very proud of each and every one of our KS4 learners across Blaenau Gwent They have been through such a stressful period of time, and fully deserve the excellent results received in each school.

“These results will now lead to more students than ever before moving on to post-16 education and training which can only be good news for Blaenau Gwent and for the future of our communities.”