Author: Principal

Dear Grade 10,11,12,13 Parents,

I wish to clarify the situation concerning the (I) GCSE and International Advanced Level examinations as there are some interesting interpretations of these on social media. I am the Head of the Centre, appointed by Pearson and Cambridge in the UK to act in that role, the information I obtain is exactly what will happen and the last official update arrived on 14th April. Examinations sent from the examination boards are cancelled, however the assessments for the final grade were not.

What does this mean?

1.GCSE examinations are those that would be taken by schools in the UK. FPA uses these in Mathematics and Sciences are we consider them to better serve the needs of our students. Only the Pearson Board is used for these by this school.

2.IGCSE in all other subjects from the Pearson Board except Literature in English which due to acceptable content is from Cambridge International Examinations.

The difference between the GCSE and IGCSE is not the level but how the examination procedures are moderated. The Cambridge International Examinations and Pearson Boards both have high standards of quality assurance; however, the GCSE is also moderated by the UK government through its office of qualifications (OFQAL). Not all schools outside the UK can offer GCSE but our school has been deemed to be acceptable to do so, but there are parts of course content in other subjects that may not be acceptable in this culture, so we do not use them.

What is the way forward?

1.IGCSE’s– the school will provide evidence of the students’ performance and will decide which items these will be. It needs to be the same evidence for the entire group taking that syllabus and is not selected for individual students. These are then submitted to the examination board who mark them. The students will be required to prepare for these and take these assessments in school as this gives the highest level of authenticity. We may also use work completed during the course which will be evaluated by Pearson.

2.GCSE ‘s –Non examination assessments-NEA these are orals in Arabic Second language and the coursework element of Art and Design. Use of these will allow the students to be given a GCSE award  and grade. There are no NEA’s for Mathematics and Sciences so these subjects will be awarded IGCSE ‘s based on the portfolio route.

3. IGCSE French, English Second Language and English First Language orals will be completed in examination conditions using the material and guidelines of Pearson. Practical assessment of IGCSE ICT will also take place under examination conditions. Again, these will be moderated by the examination board.

4.International Advanced Levels Grade 12 & G13- Evidence for each module is required and teachers will inform students of what that involves. Portfolios of evidence will be used to obtain the final grade. The practical element of IT will also be taken under exam conditions.

The next four weeks are critical, and students need to attend school so they can take the oral and practical examinations and complete more material for assessment to maximise their performance, regrettably distance learning is not a comparable alternative. Should there be a change in the current situation how the school addresses the above would be amended.

Thanking you for your kind co-operation in this matter.

Regards,

Jan Brettingham Ms

Principal

Dear Parents,

Following from the directive that has been issued ‘in person’ learning is resuming from Monday 20th April. It is appreciated that some families may need distance learning to continue in the short term due to their circumstances, but this is not seen as a long-term solution whilst the government considers it safe and secure to attend school. For the week starting Monday 20th April distance learning will provide pre-recorded lessons and seesaw activities if there are any issues, please call the school mobile below and the section head will sort these out. We are using this week to establish numbers of students requiring distance learning so teachers can be allocated to live online lessons.

We are going to use the same timetable that has been used for distance learning for this week 20-24th April and will extend this to the normal working day and timetable once students are used to the school environment again. Physical Education classes in Primary from this week will replace Health Education. To allow easier transport solutions school hours will be 09.00-14.00 Monday to Thursday with Friday 09.00-11.20. Students should arrive at 08.30-08.45 ready for the day. I will ask section heads to organise more detailed information via your child’s seesaw page. In Seniors that will be myself with assistance of the two Deputy Headteachers-Ms Jonine and Ms Lisa.

There have been some staffing changes where it has been necessary to facilitate all classes being taught. As always, our teachers in the UK curriculum are UK or New Zealand trained and UAE licensed. All are currently teachers at this school. We request your understanding in this matter.

Parents who still require online learning for this week please email admin@fpa.sch.ae or What’s App 050 434 5358 with the full name of the student, first name of father, family name, Class (e.g. Grade 4 Red or Grade 8.2)and in Primary the name of teacher.

Entry to school will be through the normal gates not through administration. I am confident that the FPA community will move forward with positivity and as always, the faculty and administration staff including myself are here to ensure that students and their families are supported.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Brettingham
Principal