Learners across Rhondda Cynon Taf have been receiving their AS, A Level, Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and Level 3 vocational qualifications results today (Thursday, August 18), with many gaining University places to further their educational studies.
Among those congratulating the successful teenagers and school staff was Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Youth Participation and Welsh Language, Councillor Rhys Lewis, and the Council’s Director of Education and Inclusion Services, Gaynor Davies, and senior officers from the Education Directorate. They visited a number of schools to pass on their best wishes in person as learners collected their results
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cabinet Member for Education, Youth Participation and Welsh Language, said: “On behalf of the Council, I would like to pass on our congratulations to all students receiving their results today. Their perseverance and resilience was enormous, despite the challenges they faced during the 2021-22 Academic year.
“Today, they can reap the rewards of all their hard work, and I wish them all well as they continue their own personal journeys, either in further education or employment.”
Qualifications Wales confirmed that approved GCSE, AS and A Level qualifications would be assessed via examinations and non-examination assessments as normal, but with adaptations, in the summer 2022.
In order to mitigate lost teaching and learning as a consequence of the pandemic, WJEC made adaptions to NEA units and/or examined units for these qualifications, alongside contingency arrangements should examinations not be possible. This led to:
- streamline the content that will be subject to assessment in 2022
- reduce non-examination assessments (NEA) requirements
- introduce optionality to assessments either via a choice of units or a choice of questions within a unit.
School leaders and staff have worked tirelessly to ensure all these requirements have been instigated to the highest quality for our learners in order for them to gain the grades that reflect their potential and to enable them to move along their future pathway into further education, employment, apprenticeships and training.
As in 2021, Welsh Government has continued to relax the reporting of performance data and still continues to enforce this. Qualification awards data will not be used to report on attainment outcomes at a school, local authority or regional consortium level and must not be used to hold schools to account for their learners' outcomes.
All schools and post-16 providers will continue to be required to undertake effective self-evaluation to support continuous improvement. This will involve schools, with support from local authorities and regional consortia, using the learner level information they have on attainment and other outcomes to reflect on and improve their existing arrangements.
Despite the many disruptions faced during the last two academic years, this is an important day for our sixth form learners, as it marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in their lives.
The Council rightly recognises all the positive achievements of Rhondda Cynon Taf’s schools and learners, with many securing university admissions, further education places, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.
Further support can be found Student Support WJEC
Posted on 18/08/2022