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For the first time in August, GCSE students throughout England will have the option to access their exam results directly on their smartphones. This new development comes through an “education record” app, which was piloted last summer with 95,000 pupils in Manchester and the West Midlands. Initially, the app will allow Year 11 students to download their results and then maintain a digital record of these achievements, which can be useful for future applications to jobs or further education.
Despite this digital convenience, headteachers emphasize that students will still be encouraged to attend their schools in person on results day to receive any necessary advice or support. One reason for this is that while traditional brown envelopes containing grades will be available for collection starting at 8:00 AM on results day, the app will only update with results from 11:00 AM onwards. Besides exam results, the app will also store important information regarding students’ special educational needs, disabilities, and eligibility for free school meals.
The Department for Education anticipates that adopting this app could save schools and colleges up to £30 million annually by reducing administrative costs related to sharing student information. Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith highlighted the benefits of having instant access to results, saying, “No student should have to rifle through drawers looking for a crumpled certificate when they’re preparing for a job interview.” She added that the app will relieve teachers and college staff from unnecessary paperwork, thus freeing up their time.
Feedback from schools involved in the pilot reflects a continued appreciation of the traditional results day experience. Headteacher Bernadette Pettman of Meadow Park School in Coventry noted that most students still chose to come into school to collect their brown envelopes, viewing it as a significant event for socialising and celebrating with friends and staff. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, also emphasized the importance of youth physically collecting results to enable face-to-face interactions that facilitate both celebration and guidance. Meanwhile, changes to exam processes continue to be discussed by England’s exams watchdog, Ofqual, which is exploring the possibility of moving some GCSE and A-level exams from pen-and-paper to digital formats by 2030, provided such changes meet standards of fairness and quality
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