A-levels 2020: Live updates as Suffolk students receive results
This year's A-level students are experiencing a results day like never before this morning, after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, thousands of pupils in Suffolk have been finding out if they have got the grades to head off to university or down their chosen career path.
We'll be finding out how they have got on and posting all the latest news here.
At Mildenhall College Academy, staff said it was "without doubt" many of its students' A-level grades were lower than they would have been had they sat the exams.
Nicola Hood, principal at the school, said: "This has been a difficult time for our students and we are delighted with how they have managed and coped with the situation."
Read more about the sixth form's results day here.
At County Upper School in Bury St Edmunds, headteacher Vicky Neale has paid tribute to their students in the A-level year group in this "most unusual of years".
She said while she is "delighted" the majority of students have gained their university places, she feels they should have been allowed to sit their exams.
This is what she had to say on this year's results day.
At Haverhill Community Sixth Form, students were celebrating their A-level results.
Daisy Hopkins, head of sixth form, said: “Our Year 13 students have consistently impressed the staff at the sixth form with their resilience and dedication to their studies."
Find out how the pupils got on here.
It was certainly time for celebrations for students in the Sudbury area, as Stoke College recorded a 100 per cent pass rate in this year's A level results.
Stoke College principal, Dr Gareth Lloyd, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers and support staff of Stoke College, as well as the parents of our sixth form students, for their exemplary commitment in helping our students to achieve so well."
Here's what the pupils themselves had to say.
Listen to our Suffolk News podcast – featuring some of the week's top stories, including A-levels in Suffolk and we hear from Geoff Barton, general secretary, the Association of School & College Leaders and former headteacher of King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds.
A Bury St Edmunds school has bid farewell to its final sixth form in style as the 'overwhelming majority' of students secured their university place.
King Edward VI School, in Grove Road, closed its sixth form this academic year, with its Year 13 the last to achieve A-level results.
Read what headteacher Lee Walker had to say here.
At Thomas Gainsborough School near Sudbury, officials took the opportunity to "pay tribute" to staff for their support of students.
Tim Coulson, chief executive at Unity Schools Partnership of which Thomas Gainsborough School is a member, said: “We are proud that school staff had prepared the students sufficiently well, before the unforeseen cancellation of examinations, that they have still been able to achieve the necessary grades to go on to university and other further education."
Click here to find out how students did this year.
The vice principal of Thurston College Paul Potter said he was proud of the way his students responded to uncertainty in recent months.
He said while it was positive that "so many" of the pupils achieved the grades they needed for their next step, officials there "also share in the frustration of many others who have not received the grades they deserve".
Students at the college have shared their individual stories with us here.
Officials at Lowestoft Sixth Form College said it had been "another year of outstanding results".
Posting on Twitter, they said their students had achieved a 99.7% pass rate.
They said: "A huge well done to all of our students for your amazing success."
Meanwhile, at Bury St Edmunds' St Benedict's Catholic School, the headteacher said she was "delighted" the majority of A-level students were awarded the grades they had hoped for.
Imogen Senior said results were "broadly consistent with expectations" but pledged to support those whose grades were lowered by a statistical modelling of results.
And in Ipswich, headmaster of Ipswich School Nicholas Weaver said the "overall picture" for their results was "excellent and reflects the school’s consistently outstanding academic performance".
He said: "This is one of our strongest cohorts of students, and I am so proud of everything they have achieved.
"Over half of the results were graded A*-A and 29 students received at least 3 A grades. Seven students are headed to Oxford or Cambridge this autumn.”
At nearby Royal Hospital School, in Holbrook, officials said that their students' results were some of the "strongest on record".
Their pupils achieved an 87% A*-C pass rate, in spite of national standardisation.
They said the results were in line with what they had been expecting.
One Bury St Edmunds student has been celebrating this morning after gaining four A*s in his A-level results.
Logan Pyle, 18, of Elmswell, collected his results at County Upper School, in Beeton's Way.
Watch his reaction and find out what he'll be doing next here.
Staff at independent boarding and day school Culford School, near Bury St Edmunds, said "so many" of its pupils had "exciting futures planned" after receiving their results.
On Twitter, they said: "Huge congratulations to our A-level pupils who have achieved excellent results this morning despite these troubled times."
They added: "Well done everyone, we are so proud of you all!"
At Woodbridge School, head Shona Norman said their A-level results – 16.5% achieved A*; 43.8% achieved A*- A; 75.2% achieved A*- B; 92.2% achieved A*- C – were their "best ever".
She said: “We could not be more delighted with how our Class of 2020 have risen to the exceptional challenge, and particularly the demands of recent months, to achieve our best A Level results ever.
"These results are testament to the hard work, dedication and complete commitment of both the students and teachers here at Woodbridge School.
"Behind each grade is a superb story and, as a community, we are proud of the fact that we serve to bring the very best out of each individual and we celebrate their individual and collective success.
Here's how the county has been preparing for the big day so far:
Ipswich Town players Cole Skuse and Myles Kenlock have wished all Ipswich Town fans luck on A-Level results day.
And this is what you can do if your results aren't what you were hoping for.
Speak to your first choice university/college/sixth form
It is anticipated that many universities, sixth forms and colleges will show a greater degree of flexibility this year in acknowledgement of the fact that results will be out of students’ hands.
Some may be able to take students who don’t meet the conditions of their offer, although it is likely to be dependent on the demand for those courses.
Students who don’t get the grades they need should still call their chosen university or college as a first port of call to establish if they can be let in on the grades they get.
Being able to demonstrate the teacher assessment part of the grade may be enough in some cases to be accepted on the preferred course.
Take exams in the autumn
Although students this year have not sat exams, the option of sitting an exam paper this autumn is available and is technically known as a resit.
Those are likely to be late October for A-levels and early November for GCSEs.
Students who take those exams but don’t get as good a grade as what they get this summer can still keep this summer’s grade, so can effectively choose the best grade out of the two.
Suffolk County Council’s education team said it is anticipating a high number of students wanting to take an exam this year – particularly those who were on the borderlines of grades and missed out.
Defer entry for a year
Where a university or college is not able to take a student who doesn’t make their grade, taking the resits and deferring their university or college entry by a year may be an option.
That can give students time to resit exams and get the better grades they need and still be able to go to their first choice, albeit a year later.
However, this will be up to the institution to decide with the students, and may not be available in all cases.
Clearing
The usual process of clearing where universities offer places at courses which are not fully subscribed will take place, meaning students who miss out on their original choices can find alternative courses or the same subject course at a different university.
Again, students should have a conversation with their first choice university to find out if they can be accepted before pursuing clearing, and universities have helplines available to talk students through applying through clearing.
