I’d like to update our students and parents following last Friday’s announcement (29 January) by the First Minister.

Last week’s announcement by the Education Minister about the way GCSE and A Level assessments will be graded for this year probably doesn’t look a lot different from those used in 2020. Grades will again be determined by lecturers and based on their assessment of students’ work – although this year it will be called Centre Determined Grades.

Centre Determined Grades
The general principles and guidance of how these Centre Determined Grades will work (assessment framework) is now under development by Qualifications Wales and the WJEC.

The announcement on Friday by the First Minister that colleges and schools will continue with online learning for at least the next three weeks (until 29 January and possibly longer if the number of positive cases do not reduce) was disappointing. But it is unquestionably the right approach to take at the current time in helping to reduce the numbers of transmissions across our communities.

But of course this announcement hasn’t come as any surprise and, as a College, we have been preparing for this very situation throughout the first term.

As the firebreak lockdown comes to a close, here is some important information for when you return to College next week.

From Monday 9 November

We will now resume our face to face method of teaching for all our full time students.

If you are a part time student or an apprentice, your course will resume in the same way as it did before the firebreak lockdown.

We have now received the final part of the Welsh Government’s guidance that will allow the College to reopen at the beginning of September. 

Even though this guidance has been delayed, we have been working with Welsh Government colleagues throughout the summer and I am now pleased to be able to share our plans for September.

However, I do need to remind everyone of the College’s two key priorities as our plans are based on what we believe are the best means of achieving both of these.

Priority one

The announcement last week by the Minister for Education Kirsty Williams effectively means that we have now been given approval to put together a second plan for September based on 16–18 year old College students being physically present on campus.

It is now three weeks since I last updated students, parents and guardians about how the College is preparing – initially for our return from lockdown and then for September – and a lot has happened during that time.

Firstly I‘m delighted to report that the College has now reopened albeit initially for around just 300 vocational students. This is to allow them to undertake any outstanding vocational assessments and, in doing so, to complete their course and support their progression.

Last week I wrote once again to all of our College students thanking them all for their continued engagement with their studies and their ongoing hard work.

I want to reassure you that the College continues to work with the range of examination bodies who validate the different courses we offer, to better understand how our students’ performance is to be assessed in these very different and challenging times.

It’s been three weeks since I last updated you on the progress the College is making on the range of challenges we are currently facing.

I would again wish to thank all of you for your continued engagement with your studies. Whilst staff are continuing to both teach and provide tutorial and pastoral support online, the response from you has been excellent and clearly will help prepare you for your next step, whatever that may be.