Scalby School plea for exam mark uplift amid Raac disruption

BBC
·2 min read
Warnings at Scalby School
Scalby School said its students had faced "huge disruption" [BBC]

A school has asked for their students to be awarded uplifted exam marks, due to disruption from crumbling concrete.

Scalby School had to close two-thirds of its buildings because of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in September.

GCSE students were unable to take part in practical experiments because the science labs had closed.

The Department for Education said affected schools could apply for special consideration.

Scalby School has about 1,000 pupils aged between 11 and 16 and is run by the Coast and Vale Learning Trust.

Inside affected classroom
Large parts of the school were declared unsafe for pupils and teachers [BBC]

Pupils have been able to return to the school, after the erection of temporary buildings.

However, those facilities opened too late for GCSE students to conduct practical experiments and they had to instead watch theoretical experiments on YouTube.

Speaking to the BBC, student Lola said: "We've got the stress of exams because they're only a few weeks away and we've got the additional stress of not having the same facilities as everyone else."

Another student, Adam, feared that not having access to practical learning "limited their understanding" of subjects, which could affect exam results.

Scalby School has asked for that to be taken into consideration when the exams were marked but has not yet had any reassurances.

Assistant headteacher Jordan Philliskirk
Assistant headteacher Jordan Philliskirk asked for an exam mark uplift for students [BBC]

Assistant headteacher Jordan Philliskirk said: "What we're asking for is an uplift in their marks across their exams because they've had huge disruption and that is a deeply unfair situation for our students to be in against their peers nationally."

He wanted students at the school to be awarded an extra three to five per cent by exam boards to make sure they got a "fair and proper opportunity" to move forward.

Despite not yet granting dispensation, the Department for Education said affected schools could apply for special consideration.

A spokesperson said: "Alongside Ofqual, we have asked awarding organisations to agree longer extensions for coursework and non-examined assessment.

"Where pupils haven't been able to access specialist facilities- such as technology labs- then schools may apply for special consideration."

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