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A level and GCSE results 2017

Monday, 14 August 2017

A levels

On Thursday 17 August, nearly 400 pupils from the Department for Education and Children’s (DEC) five secondary schools and University College Isle of Man (UCM) will, like their peers in the UK, be receiving their A level results.

Most of these pupils completed Year 13 in June and sat exams in around 40 subjects ranging from economics and politics to further maths and performing arts.

A large proportion of these subjects were taught as part of the expanding North/South/West and Douglas collaborations that exist to deliver a diverse and wide-ranging curriculum at post-16.

This year, the vast majority of candidates have sat exams for linear A levels with few still obtaining AS results using the modular method. This means that for most pupils, the exams they sat in May and June will account for 100% of their final grade.

It should be noted that the results for the Isle of Man that will be issued on Thursday 17 August are not directly comparable with the results that will be published in the UK. The initial UK results relate to all entrants and include mature pupils and pupils in colleges and independent schools, whereas Isle of Man data relates solely to post-16 pupils in the five DEC secondary schools and UCM.

Support and advice

Pupils should attend school to collect results at the time given. They should go prepared - take their Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) letters and UCAS numbers, their conditional offers details, exam results so far, course choices, UCAS personal statements and a list of important phone numbers or web links. In case they have just missed out on required grades they should be ready to put their case forward quoting any mitigating circumstances. They will be supported by their school who will have staff and resources on hand during the day.

The results obtained by pupils will determine whether they have secured a place at their first choice university.  It is hoped that all pupils will obtain the grades they need but there are always some pupils who have not done as well as expected, or have done better than expected.  These are the pupils who need to be ready to seek advice from schools or the careers service.  Pupils must not underestimate the importance of being present in school when they receive results. The Department believe that the support offered in our schools enables pupils to make appropriate decisions and they should make the most of the advice and expertise available.

For pupils using clearing, there is a free app showing available university places produced by the Telegraph newspaper for iPhone and Android devices.

UCAS Track

Some pupils will have an indication of how they have fared from around 8am (perhaps even a little earlier) on Thursday using the UCAS Track website. This will not give them grades but may indicate whether they have been accepted by their chosen university using the terms Unconditional, Unsuccessful or UCC (Unconditional Changed Course). 

Information will only appear if the university has made its decision and has already notified UCAS. Pupils and parents should recognise that there is a risk with checking results on Track. If the news is disappointing, there will be an absence of targeted support available for decisions that need to be made. UCAS Track does not give pupils their results, so pupils are still required to pick up their exam results from school.

Clearing – adjustment

For pupils using clearing there is a free app showing available university places produced by the Telegraph newspaper for iPhone and Android.

As well as the ‘clearing’ system for pupils who have not met the requirements of their firm and insurance offers, there is ‘adjustment’, when pupils who have done better than expected can look for a course or university that carries higher entry requirements. The clearing vacancy search closes on 30 September. Adjustment ends on 31 August.

Destinations

For pupils who have opted to apply for university places, the results obtained will determine whether they have secured a place at their first choice. For other pupils, results will signify an end to their full time education and the beginning of the next phase of their lifelong learning journey, either in the world of employment, training, apprenticeship or life enriching experience.

Approximately 65% of year 13 pupils are intending to go to university, with around 20% likely to be looking for employment and a small percentage staying into Year 14.

GCSE and Equivalent results

Around 800 pupils from the DEC’s five secondary schools and UCM, like their peers in the UK, will receive GCSE or equivalent results on Thursday 24 August.

Exams have been sat in around 40 subjects ranging from French and German to business studies and computer science.

For all schools, this set of results will include a considerable proportion in the Cambridge IGCSE format, which most subjects have now incorporated. This of course comes as a result of the 2014 public consultation, which resulted in the Isle of Man adopting the IGCSE route as opposed to comparable systems in England.

This will be the first year in which pupils will receive results from courses such as practical cookery and the PC Passport offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). These national qualifications involve an applied learning approach and carry a similar weighting to GCSEs. The adoption of Scottish National qualifications reflects a widening of options and choice across the Island’s education system at Key Stage 4.

Total full-course entries will be around 7,500, with some additional short course entries.

It should be noted that the results for the Isle of Man that will be issued on Thursday 24 August are not directly comparable with the results that will be published in the UK. The initial UK results relate to all entrants and include mature pupils and pupils in colleges and independent schools whereas Isle of Man data relates solely to Key Stage 4 pupils in DEC secondaries.

For some pupils these results will signal the end of their formal education, with the prospect of entering the world of employment at the forefront of their minds.

For the majority of pupils these results will see them continue to further education, either in schools with A levels or at UCM. 

In 2016, nearly 55% of pupils returned to school to join sixth forms and more than 30% have enrolled each year at UCM, with around 7% entering employment at 16.

Media releases will be issued by the DEC on the afternoons of Thursday 17 August and Thursday 24 August 2017 outlining the overview of results across the Island’s five schools and UCM.

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