Northern Ireland

Teachers' predictions bring record GCSE results

La Salle student John Stuart and his mother Frances look over his GCSE results. Picture by Mal McCann
La Salle student John Stuart and his mother Frances look over his GCSE results. Picture by Mal McCann La Salle student John Stuart and his mother Frances look over his GCSE results. Picture by Mal McCann

GCSEs based on teachers' predictions have resulted in a record-breaking year - with almost 40 per cent of grades an A or higher.

There have been massive increases across all grades at both grammar and non-grammar schools.

Summer exams were cancelled due to coronavirus, with pupils instead being awarded GCSE grades based on assessments by their teachers.

A plan that would have had results standardised using a mathematical model that took into account the past performance of schools was abandoned.

There were concerns that this approach risked having a greater negative impact on pupils from socially deprived backgrounds.

Analysis: Unbelievable GCSE results of 2020

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) accounts for 97 per cent of all GCSEs taken in Northern Ireland.

Some students also sit papers set by awarding bodies in England or Wales but they were not included in yesterday's statistics released by CCEA.

The CCEA qualifications awarded showed a significant 5.7 percentage point increase at A*-A, with these grades given to 37 per cent of entries.

The top A* leapt from 8.1 per cent last year to 12.4 per cent. In grammar schools alone, 19.6 per cent were awarded an A*, up from 13.3.

Overall, 89.4 per cent of entries were awarded grades A*-C, 7.6 percentage points higher than in 2019.

Girls continue to outperform boys, with 91.5 per cent of entries by girls and 87.1 per cent of entries by boys being awarded A*-C.

The figures also showed:

:: 53.9 per cent of all grades in grammar schools were an A or A*

:: A*-C grades in non-grammars jumped from 67.7 to 80.1 per cent

:: Almost one in every three maths entries was awarded at least an A

There was an improvement in English language and maths results, with more pupils reaching the C grade.

There was a slight decrease in entries for 'stem' (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and overall the proportional entry for languages fell slightly, largely driven by a decrease in pupils studying French. However, Spanish and German entries increased this year.

Any GCSE student unhappy with their grade can `resit' by entering in the next available exams series.

Single and double award science will be available in November and March, maths and English in January and all other subjects in summer 2021.

Education minister Peter Weir said the results reflected the assessments made by the people who knew pupils best - their teachers.

"I appreciate the past few months have been particularly challenging but our young people have demonstrated a determination not to let this pandemic put their lives on hold. Today, they have been awarded qualifications which reflect their hard work and will enable them to move forward confidently with their future plans," Mr Weir said.

"Teachers and school leaders had a very difficult job to do and I want to express my appreciation for their hard work and commitment to their students in challenging circumstances."

The Association of School and College Leaders said it supported the decision not to rely on a statistical model for moderating grades.

Northern Ireland regional officer Robert Wilson said it would have "produced far too many anomalous results".

"These have been extraordinarily difficult circumstances, and this generation of young people has suffered a degree of uncertainty and disruption that is without precedent. Our hearts go out to them. We sincerely hope that they are now able to move on to the next stage of their lives, and we wish them the very best with their future studies," he said.

"However, it is imperative that we now understand what went wrong and why we have ended up in this situation. We will be writing to the minister for education to ask him to commission an immediate independent review of the process for awarding grades to GCSE, AS and A-level students in Northern Ireland this year.

"Our colleagues in England have made a similar request to the Secretary of State for Education in Westminster, and we note that the Minister for Education in Wales has already committed to an independent review."