As we communicated to learners in September it was announced that examinations in summer 2022 would go ahead, with some adaptations made to specifications to account for the loss of face to face teaching learners have experienced during the pandemic.

That is still the case, and lecturers are working hard to prepare learners for these exams. However, in October 2021, further guidance was released to schools and colleges outlining contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels which will be applied, should the decision be made to cancel the 2022 exam series because of changes to the public health situation.

Following that message, the college has now come up with a plan which will make sure that learners are prepared for exams but that they are also assessed sufficiently in college, should we need to award learners a centre determined grade.

The contingency arrangements should “not detract from the current policy position for exams to go ahead in summer 2022”, but that colleges should, as part of their usual teaching and learning, also incorporate assessments that could be used to “inform centre determined grades, should they be needed”.  The guidance from Qualifications Wales is available to view in full: https://qualificationswales.org/english/publications/summer-2022-guidance-on-contingency-assessment-arrangements-for-approved-gcses-as-and-a-levels/.

The assessments that will be used to inform a centre determined grade will:

• Be “a few pieces of substantial, high quality, authentic evidence”, and
• The time spent on these assessments, as a guide, will be around the total assessment time you would complete in a standard exam series, and
• Subject to internal quality assurance requirements so that marking is consistent and in line with examination board standards.

In line with this guidance, Gower College Swansea have planned the following, should the contingency need to be triggered if examinations are cancelled:

1. Learners will complete three significant assessments throughout the year. The nature of these assessments will vary depending on the usual means of assessment in that subject – for example, if the subject usually has coursework, practical elements or portfolio work, then this will form part of the contingency plan.
2. Each A level and GCSE subject has prepared individual Subject Specific Assessment Plans, which will be available to view on the student portal link attached here https://studentportal.gcs.ac.uk/ssap/ and on individual subjects TEAMS pages.  These plans contain broad details of the significant assessments and when they will take place. Lecturers will provide more information about these assessments during lectures so that learners are aware of the assessments that could contribute to a centre determined grade.

As learners are being prepared for examinations, they will complete other assessments aside from those outlined on the assessment plan.  This is crucial to preparing them for examinations as we are acutely aware that because of the unprecedented disruption the pandemic has caused, many learners need the practice of exam style questions, so we value you your support with making sure learners work for and complete these assessments. The marks for these additional pieces of work will be made available on the learner’s e-ILP Markbooks.  These assessments could also contribute to the awarding of a holistic centre determined grade, should anyone miss a significant assessment because of illness.

For subjects that are not following WJEC specifications and are following English exam boards, the guidance in England is closely aligned to the guidance that was released by Wales and so the same contingency plan applies to those that are following English exam boards and linear A levels.

We will update you further when more guidance is released from the exams regulators, but should you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the college.

Nikki Neale                                                               Lucy Hartnoll
Director of Curriculum and Quality                          Dean of Faculty/A level Lead
nikki.neale@gcs.ac.uk                                              lucy.hartnoll@gcs.ac.uk

For all updates regarding the College’s response to Covid-19, please visit the Information About Exams section of our dedicated Coronavirus information page.

10/12/2021