UPDATE REGARDING BTEC QUALIFICATIONS: 20/09/2020

On 19 August, Pearsons announced that they will be reviewing and reissuing BTEC grades awarded in Summer 2020. Until we receive further information from Pearsons we do not know which, if any, qualifications are affected. We were instructed not to issue any L1 or L2 results on 20 August, and Pearsons have reassured students in their statement that no L3 grades will be downgraded as part of the review. We will continue to communicate information regarding BTECs via the website/student email.  

We understand how unsettling and difficult the last few months have been, particularly with schools and colleges being closed for the majority and all exams being cancelled. 

The College have worked hard within Ofqual and the awarding organisation’s (AO) guidance to ensure we have been able to gather evidence, calculate,and submitgrades to the AO for final review to allow our students to progress to further study or employment as expected.

We work with a wide range of awarding organisations who are managing their processes with results differently and so there could be differences with how and whenwe communicate your grades to you depending on the qualification you have studied.

It is important to remember that the grades you receive this year will carry the same value as any other year.

Below we have listed a series of answers to a number of questions you might have at the moment:

When will I get my results?

Results from awarding bodies are being released on different dates. It is also dependent on the qualification and level that you studied. Here are a list of expected release dates depending on the course and awarding body:

What will Results Days on 13 and 20 August look like?

The College are working hard to find different ways for you to access your results. You will be able to access your results through Pro-Portal. If you are having issues logging on please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. from 08:00 onthe day they are released which is Thursday 13thAugust for AS Level and Level 3 qualifications and Thursday 20th August 2020 for GCSE and Level 2 qualifications. We will also be hosting a ‘Collect and Go’ from outside the College on these dates between 9:00 – 10:30 inclusive for GCSE results only. We need to ensure we maintain social distancing and will be operating a socially distanced queue system. After this time, the results will be posted to your home address.

How will I receive my results?

For results being published on the 13thand 20th August we will release the results through Pro-Portal and we will also put these results in the post to your home address.

Any vocational course results (either provisional statement of results or official certificate) that are not published on these two dateswill be posted directly to your home address at the earliest opportunity once received from the Awarding Organisation.

How can I find my results on Pro-Portal?

Log in to Pro-portal using your student credentials and follow the below instructions to obtain your grades:

• Select Information (in the bar top left)
• Select Learner Details
• Scroll down to Enrolment Details
• Grade will be listed beside the appropriate course

What happens if I have moved and not updated my details?

The College will send any correspondence in relation to College life to your home address we hold on our database. If you think this may be incorrect or if you have recently moved, it is important you update us immediately by following these easy steps:

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Title the email: ‘Change of Address’

• Include your student ID number in the email
• Provide proof where possible

If we send the correspondence to the address given on the database and this is later confirmed to be incorrect, we will not be responsible for requesting further certification from the awarding body and it will be the responsibility of the individual to do thisand to pay any replacement costs.

How are my grades calculated?

The College have followed all regulations and requirements expected of us during this difficult time to ensure we have allowed a fair and consistent approach to how qualifications have been graded.

Awarding organisations are delivering results and carrying out quality assurance in line with Ofqual’s rules. 

Calculated Assessment Grades (CAGs)

Central Bedfordshire College’s approach to provide calculated results follow’sOfqual guidance and will:

• Identify the relevant evidence of learning that is currently available and potentially available, in relation to the qualification as a whole and each learner individually. We have also ensured we evaluate the quality of the evidence to ensure it is appropriate. 
• Establish and comply with an approach to the calculation of results which allows the highest quality evidence in calculating individual results, include quality assurance of individual results and include a check on the overall results profile for the qualification to ensure that standards are comparable with previous years.

Adapted Assessments 

Calculated results aren’t appropriate for all qualifications, for example, because there are practical skills that need to be tested or because there isn’t enough evidence available for a calculated result to be valid and reliable. Where that’s the case, the awarding organisation may have provided adapted assessments. For example, you might have been asked to take assessments online instead of in the classroom or demonstrate a procedure. This will allow you to receive a result in the normal way. 

Delayed Assessments

There are some qualifications where the only option was to delay the assessment. This might be because there was no way to carry out an adapted assessment safely or authentically. If your assessment has been delayed, you may not get a result for that qualification this summer. Your school or college will tell you when you can next complete the assessment.

If I am unhappy with my results, who do I talk to?

It is important that you understand on what basis you can and cannot appeal your results and how appeals are handled. Only the College can submit an appeal on your behalf to the awarding organisation. There are also clear criteria on how we can appeal and the reasons which are listed below:

• If you feel there has been an error when submitting your centre assessment grade or your position in the rank order. If the College recognises that there could have been a mistake, we can submit an appeal on your behalf, but the appeal needs to be supported by clear evidence that an error has been made
• The College can appeal to an awarding organisation if you believe they have used the wrong data when calculating grades or incorrectly communicated the grades calculated.

We acknowledge that grades that will be awarded may not be what you have expected/hoped for but unfortunately, you cannot appeal with us or the awarding body submitted by us. Please be assured that we have had robust processes in place across the College to ensure have maximised all the evidence we could to provide you with the grade you have received. You must also be aware that any appeal that is not upheld may result in a grade that is lower than originally calculated.Appeals will only open after the results are issued on the 20th August, the link to the online form will be found here. All appeals will be investigated by the College Quality department and you will receive a response in 10 working days once all the evidence has been looked at. The decision will be formed on evidence alone and is investigated by an impartial department.

If you wish to submit an appeal, please complete our Appeals Form

Deadline: Friday 4th September 2020

GCSE Resit request

We understand that you may want to consider re-sitting your GCSE English and/or Maths exams with us in the Autumn series. Whether you are a returning student, or new to Central Bedfordshire College, we will be facilitating GCSE English and Maths exams for students which are due to take place from 2 – 23 November 2020. 

If you wish to re-sit your exams, you can request this by completing a resit request form. 

Deadline: Friday 18th September 2020

Please note, our College policy on GCSE re-sits is as follows:

• Grade 1 –NEW OR RETURNING STUDENTS if you request to resit this can be provided, however, we will not automatically register you for a resit, this will be subject to entry fees payable by the candidate
• Grade 2 – NEW OR RETURNING STUDENTSif you request to resit this can be provided, however, we will not automatically register you for a resit, this will be subject to entry fees payable by the candidate
• Grade 3 – NEW OR RETURNING STUDENTSwe will automatically enter you for a resit in the Autumn series

• Grade 4 or above – RETURNING STUDENTS(NEW STUDENTS MUST GO BACK TO THEIR SCHOOL OR PREVIOUS CENTRE)if you request to resit this can be provided, however, we will not automatically register you for a resit and this will be subject to entry fees payable by candidate